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Dear Friend, As Manager of Austcare's program in the occupied Palestinian Territories, I have worked directly with our staff and partner organisations experiencing first hand the daily struggles for survival that Palestinians in the West Bank face. Many buildings are run down in the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Children play amongst dusty lots full of rubble, remnants of dwellings that have been destroyed in conflict or fallen into disrepair. Nablus is the centre of our Neighbourhood Corners program. Although the city, its surrounding villages and refugee camps are often as close together as adjacent suburbs, travel between them is commonly a lengthy and fearful ordeal for Palestinians. Where once Palestinians commuted into Israel every day to work, there is now an enormous concrete wall punctuated by guard towers. The wall and the hundreds of checkpoints interspersed throughout Palestinian areas make local travel, social interaction and economic activity immeasurably difficult. People from villages travelling to markets in Nablus city often have to line up at military checkpoints with no toilets in sweltering heat or freezing cold for hours at a time. Others who work in fields around the villages leave the house not knowing whether they'll be able to get through to their job that day, or whether they'll be able to get back home at night. This is especially hard for family members left at home, who don't know whether their loved ones have been detained at a checkpoint, arrested or fallen victim to violence and conflict. Violence pervades society at all levels – from television news reports to domestic and political violence and ongoing military conflict on the street. Within this environment, women are perceived as more vulnerable than men, which leads to further restrictions on movement outside the family home due to fear. One woman participating in our program hadn't left the house for six years! Our Neighbourhood Corner centres have been welcomed by communities as they often provide the only opportunity for women to be active outside of the home and socialise in a safe place that's widely respected. The aerobics courses run at the centres are among their favourite activities. The violence in the news and in the streets affects Palestinian youth and their social development markedly. While the United Nations Relief and Works Agency provides refugee children and youth with basic education, they often don't have any chance to take part in extra-curricular activities that we take for granted in Australia. Activities like art classes, youth leadership training and day trips that are organised through Neighbourhood Corner centres provide youth with creative outlets that allow them to learn, grow and express themselves in positive ways. One young man who had participated in the Youth Leadership program remarked to me “now I know I can respond to the issues I face in other ways … I can negotiate”. In the midst of this restrictive environment it was wonderful to see that the kids can still have fun and enjoy themselves when given the chance. I find the good nature and resilience of the Palestinian people truly inspiring. Thank you so much for your support.
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