We are designing a new website for the Tent of Nations. Please bear with us while we make these changes.

You can still visit the old Tent of Nations website by clicking here

You can also visit the websites for the Friends of Tent of Nations in the UK at www.foton.org.uk and in North America at www.fotonna.org

Dear friends,

Greetings from Bethlehem. I hope you enjoyed the Christmas celebrations and holiday.

Today is the last day of the year 2010. For some people it was a good year but for others it wasn’t. For us Palestinians, the year 2010 was a difficult year. We were hoping that it will bring peace with justice to our land but it brought more settlements and land confiscation. Even that we are not allowed to give up our hope for peace and justice, we want to thank God for the strength he gave us in 2010 to continue our nonviolent struggle for justice in a very difficult and hopeless time.

We wish you all a happy new year full of blessings. We pray and hope that the year 2011 will be a year of peace and justice to all people. All the best to you all for the year 2011.

We hear about the peace process, the negotiations and the obstacles for peace. Politicians and negotiators are talking about peace but at the same more facts are created on the ground that are against peace. Palestinian land is being confiscated every day for the expansion of settlements, roads and fences that are cutting our land into small pieces, changing it into small homelands. People are talking about peace but they don’t have it in their hearts. We are becoming like sheep without a shepherd. It is a very miserable situation for us living day by day without any future perspectives.

Regarding the demolishing orders, as I already informed you that the Israeli military authority got a new time limit for the third time until the 2nd of January to explain why they want to demolish our structures, a court date was given on the 2nd of January but I heard from our lawyer while I am writing this Newsletter that the court date was postponed again.

The Hill which is south west of the Tent of Nations is already confiscated. Roads are opened to connect the settlements together. There is a plan to disconnect us not only from the main road but even from the village of Nahalin. Even that, we will never give up living there.

In the new year as in the previous ones we are trying always to develop the infrastructure on the land, to keep the Tent of Nations functioning even if the plan is to disconnect us. We already have a solar power system for electricity and 11 cisterns for rain water collection. We are planning to add a small wind turbine for 3 KW of electricity in the year 2011. We have 4 compost toilets on the farm in order to save water. All of that will help the Tent of Nations Island to function.

Within the next weeks and months we are expecting more groups and individuals from USA, Europe Israel and Palestine to come and join us in planting trees at the Tent of Nations. This campaign is called “ Plant for Peace”. We started in November to cultivate new fields for new trees. Our goal for this year and the following ones is to plant more than 3000 trees in order to protect the land, to make it green and to increase the land production. Farm products will be sold to our guests which will help the Tent of Nations to be self-sustainable. We want to thank all who are sponsoring trees for the Tent of Nations.

The women project Bent Alreef is been very successful. Beside the different courses we are offering to women from the village, we started with a sustainable agriculture training course for one year. This project is being supported by the United Palestinian Appeal from USA. Our vision is to establish a vocational training center focusing on sustainable farming and alternative energy (Solar and wind).

We are very happy to see that the number of guests from all over the world who are coming to visit the Tent of Nations is increasing. In the year 2010, 4756 people came to visit the Tent of Nations from all over the world including Israelis. Our goal is to double this number for the year 2011. We want to thank all of you who came to visit this year, thank you for your solidarity. Thanks also to our long term and short term volunteers for their help and support.

Our goal in 2011 is to continue developing the infrastructure in order to make the Tent of Nations self-sustainable. A first aid room is needed, a maintenance workshop in order to repair our machines without binging them to Bethlehem is very important. The legal battle is also a big burden on us. We want to thank all who helped with the legal fees. Thank you so much for your support and solidarity.

We would like to invite you to sponsor our programs for the year 2011: You can sponsor an olive tree for $10, or an animal (horse, goat, chicken, rabbit,…) for $10 a month.
You are welcome to sponsor a child for the summer camp in July with $180 or women for one semester with $250.

Our goal is to make the Tent of Nations within 3 to 5 years self-sustainable and self-supportive. Please join us in achieving this goal.

We have a vision for the future and we are looking forward to achieve it. Independently from the difficult political situation, we are trying to move forwards defending our rights in a nonviolent way and preparing the new generation for a better future by spreading the words of peace and justice under the slogan: “We refuse to be enemies”.
Faith, hope and love are the foundation of our work.

We want to thank you all for your prayers, for your encouragement and for your support. We wish you all a happy new year and we would love to see you in the year 2011.

Blessings and Salaam from the land that is thirsty for peace and justice.

Yours,

Daoud Nassar
Tent of Nations
People Building Bridges
31December 2010

Join us in planting 3000 Olive and other trees

Let us together make Daher’s Vineyard and the Tent of Nations more GREEN

TREE PLANTING CAMPAIGN CHRISTMAS 2009/ SPRING 2010

A tree for Daher’s Vineyard and for Tent of Nations to keep hope alive

At Christmas time all the people in the world look to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ. In celebrating this joyful event, people like to give a Christmas present to their family members, beloved ones and friends.

Do you know what to give as a Christmas present? We suggest to you a very special present being related to Bethlehem. Why not to give your relatives and friends an olive  tree to be planted on Daher’s Vineyard in Bethlehem? This tree will be growing in solidarity with the people who are praying for Peace and Justice in the Land of the Bible.

Why do we plant trees?

Planting trees is a protection for the environment

Planting trees is a way for cleaning the air, water and fights soil erosion

Planting trees is a symbol of hope for peace and justice in our region.

Planting trees is bringing life to the Tent of Nations project, which seeks to bring people of various cultures together to build bridges of understanding, reconciliation and peace.

Planting trees is a way to keep Daher’s Vineyard green and prevent it from the danger of confiscation.

When do we plant trees?

Beginning of January until the end of March every year.

What kind of trees are we planting?

Beside olive trees – symbol of Peace, Prosperity and Wisdom – we are planting grapes, almonds, figs and other trees.

We invite you to participate in this tree planting campaign

by sponsoring a tree at a cost of US$ 10 each.

You will receive a certificate of solidarity for your donation.

We look forward to your support in keeping hope alive in Palestine .

For more information, please contact us

Greetings from Bethlehem, the birth place of Jesus Christ.

It is something special to celebrate Christmas on the spot where the WORD became FLESH.  It is wonderful to be on the place where the Angles were singing: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace”.

More than two thousand years ago, and at the time when Jesus was born, the people of Palestine were living under occupation. Hopelessness, frustration and fear were everywhere in the country and in Bethlehem too. During that time the King of peace was born, he brought the message of hope and Peace for all Nations.

Today, we the people of Palestine are still living under occupation. Every day we see how trees, homes and lives are destroyed and more land is confiscated for the expansion of settlements, by pass roads and the apartheid wall. We are living now in hopelessness, in frustration and in fear. So many questions for us Palestinians are left in the year 2009 without answers. To where we are going, we don’t know!

With the end of this year, we complete 19 years of legal battle to prevent our farm from being confiscated. We are people who believe in Justice, we are proud of the work we are doing in defending our land in a non violent way taking the teachings of Christ as our example under the slogan: “We refuse to be Enemies”.  We want to resist and overcome the evil, not with evil, but with good.

The message of the Tent of Nations is to transform the hopelessness, the frustration, the pain and the fear into a positive power that is able to change Lives and motivate people to go on and achieve their dreams and visions. Faith, Hope and Love are the foundation of our work.

In the year 2009, we had more than 4000 guests visited the Tent of Nations, including hundreds of volunteers who came and helped in the different projects we ran throughout the year.

For all who visited, helped and supported the project in the year 2009, thank you so much for your support, for your solidarity and for all your prayers.

We wish you happy celebrations and a wonderful new year full of hope and love. We ask God to renew our strength for this coming year. We are God’s hands on this earth; let us work together for justice, for peace and for bringing the Light to all Nations.

Blessings and Salaam

Daoud Nassar & family

Christmas 2009

Tent of Nations

-People Building Bridges-

World Council of Churches – Feature

Contact: + 41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

For immediate release – 29/04/2009 8:47:41

PALESTINIAN CHRISTIAN FAMILY COUNTERS HARASSMENT WITH OPENNESS
By Emma Halgren (*)

“A land is nothing without people, and people are nothing without a land.” That’s the maxim followed by Palestinian farmer Daoud Nassar. And when he speaks of the intimate connection between people and their land, he is talking from hard-won experience.
Nassar, a Palestinian Christian, lives with his family on 42 hectares (100 acres) of fertile land west of Bethlehem. His grandfather bought the land in 1916, and the Nassar family has farmed there ever since, growing olives, almonds, grapes, pears and figs.
In 1991, Daoud Nassar learned that the Israeli authorities were planning to confiscate three quarters of his land – a practice that is illegal under international law, but nonetheless widespread on the West Bank.
Since then, the family has been locked in a costly legal battle with the Israeli government, despite possessing all the land registration documents and other paperwork necessary to prove their ownership of the land, Daoud Nassar told a visiting ecumenical delegation on 10 March.
The ecumenical delegation – a Living Letters team travelling on behalf of the World Council of Churches (WCC) – visited the Nassar farm along with ecumenical organizations, church leaders and civil society groups in Israel and Palestine in March.
Amid the legal battles and harassment from surrounding Israeli settlers, the Nassar family has chosen a path of peace. It has opened up its land to locals and people from around the world to participate in educational and peace building activities.
The Nassar farm is part of a parcel of land, including eight nearby Palestinian farming villages, that Israeli authorities hope to annex in order to expand the Gush Etzion settlements, whose population is around 50,000.
Many West Bank families do not have the official documentation required to prove ownership of their land, let alone the resources to be able to fight lengthy court battles.
Since their first court appearance in 1991 to challenge the confiscation order, the Nassars have surprised the courts not only with the thoroughness of their documentation, but with their persistence. Daoud Nassar estimates that the family and supporters of the project have spent around 145,000 US dollars in legal and other fees, and attended numerous court hearings – with the result that, for now, the land is safe.
“We refuse to be enemies”
The Nassar farm is already surrounded by Israeli settlements, and like many Palestinians, the Nassars have endured harassment, threats and attacks from nearby settlers. In one such attack, Daoud Nassar’s mother was threatened with a gun. In another, settlers uprooted 250 olive trees from the property.
It is acts like this, Nassar says, that can easily fuel violence among Palestinians. For many others, the only possible options seem to be to resign themselves to the situation, or to emigrate.
The Nassar family decided there should be another option – to refuse to be enemies. So they established on their land a project called the Tent of Nations. Its overarching aims are to build bridges between people of different backgrounds, and between people and land.
“We wanted to move away from a circle of blame, and channel our frustration into something positive,” Daoud Nassar told the Living Letters team.

The Israeli authorities have forbidden any permanent infrastructure development on the site, as well as access to the electricity grid and public water, so the Nassars have refurbished seven underground caves, painting them, fitting them out with comfortable rugs and cushions and connecting them to electricity from a generator so that they could be used for meetings and other gatherings. There are now plans to install solar panels and build wind turbines on the farm.

Since the establishment of the project in 2000, the Nassars have garnered significant local and global support. Children from Bethlehem are given the opportunity to reconnect with the land through tree planting and helping with the grape and olive harvest.

A women’s project equips women from the nearby village of Nahalin with English, computer and craft skills. Restrictive permit systems prevent many women from leaving the village for education or work, so the women’s project provides a rare opportunity for women to pursue an education.
Each year, the Nassars run a tree planting campaign on the farm. In 2009, the goal is to plant 1000 trees on the land, with the help of the hundreds of people – including local Palestinians, Israeli peace activists and international supporters – who visit the site.

Volunteers also visit the farm throughout the year to help with the grape, almond, fig and olive harvests, and to take part in artistic projects.
Building bridges

In a show of solidarity, members of European Jews for a Just Peace visited the property in 2003 and planted 250 olive trees to replace those ripped out by settlers.

At the local level, Nassar says, the activities of the Tent of Nations have gone at least some way towards promoting understanding between Palestinian and Israeli people. In early 2008, a woman from a visiting group of peace activists invited her friend from a nearby Israeli settlement to come and visit the Tent of Nations. The woman had been living in the settlement for nine years but was not aware that there were Palestinians living in the surrounding areas. The visit gave her a powerful insight into the living conditions of the Palestinians in the region.

Actions like these may not change the reality of the Occupation, but they are a small step towards better relationships between these deeply divided groups, said Daoud Nassar.

He hopes that his project will encourage other Palestinians not to see themselves as victims, but rather to look at the future with some hope. “What we are trying to do here, in a simple way, is to motivate our people, and show them there is a future,” he said.

[957 words]
(*) Emma Halgren, WCC Communication intern, is a member of the Uniting Church in Australia.

Tent of Nations:http://www.tentofnations.org
Feature: “Israeli occupation puts strain on Palestinian Christians”:http://www.oikoumene.org/en/news/news-management/eng/a/article/1722/israeli-occupation-puts-s.html
Photo gallery (high resolution versions available upon request):http://www.overcomingviolence.org/index.php?id=6727
Sixty Years of WCC Policy on Palestine/Israel, 1948-2007 (in brief):http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=3628
WCC member churches in Israel/Palestine:http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=4746

### SIDEBAR
Letters of love in Christ
“Living Letters” are small ecumenical teams traveling to locations around the world where Christians strive to overcome violence. The team members, who are themselves involved in ecumenical activities and peace building in their home countries, express the solidarity of the World Council of Churches (WCC) fellowship, which comprises 349 churches worldwide.

In order to prepare for the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation in 2011, several Living Letters visits take place each year throughout the world in the context of the WCC’s Decade to Overcome Violence.

Members of the team that visited Israel and Palestine, 7-14 March, were:
Metropolitan of Transylvania Prof. Dr Laurentiu Streza, Romanian Orthodox Church
Fr Dr Emanuel Clapsis, Ecumenical Patriarchate, USA
Prof. Dr Nancy Cardoso, Igreja Metodista do Brazil
Mrs Nancy Adams, Scottish Episcopal Church

WCC staff:
Dr Aruna Gnanadason, executive director for Planning and Integration
Ms Emma Halgren, WCC Communication intern

Interpreter:
Mr Ciprian Ioan Streza, Romanian Orthodox Church

Opinions expressed in WCC Features do not necessarily reflect WCC policy. This material may be reprinted freely, providing credit is given to the author.
Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, from the Methodist Church in Kenya. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.

Monday, 23 March 2009

First Session: What is Environmental Wellness…?

Lecturer:         Jihan Nassar, Coordinator, Bent Alreef Women Center

Participants:  30 women from the village

3 EAPPI women (Norway, Sweden)

Dr. Rick Martin (USA)

Mr. & Mrs. Elana Bell (USA)

Lydia Funck (Germany)

Margorie Gourlay (Scotland)

Ilse Brugger (Switzerland)

What is Environmental Wellness and how it affects the other aspects of Wellness?

How to obtain a more balanced life?

In this session Jihan introduce the seven aspects of Wellness, which are seven major life areas that work together to create fulfillment and satisfaction. The seven aspect of wellness are:- Emotional Wellness, Physical Wellness, Social Wellness, Occupational Wellness, Intellectual Wellness , Environmental Wellness , and Spiritual Wellness. Each of the 7 Aspects directly affects the other. Physical Wellness, for example, has an effect on Emotional Wellness, and Occupational Wellness can affect Social Wellness. Without a Spiritual Wellness plan, many people might feel a lack of purpose or meaning in their lives. Intellectual Wellness keeps our minds moving, curious and interested in learning new things, and of course, Environmental Wellness—the world around us—has an immense impact on all of us, whether that’s our personal environment or the global environment. It is important to focus on these 7 Aspects regularly for a more balanced life; a balance between body, soul and spirit.

At the end of this session the international participants were asked to express and share with us what is necessary and important for their general wellness.

Second Session: Intellectual Wellness

Creative Writing “Poem Writing”

Lecturer:             Elana Bell, Poet, USA

Participants:      30 women from the village

3 EAPPI Women (Norway, Sweden)

Jihan Nassar (Palestine)

Dr. Rick Martin (USA)

Mr. Bell (USA)

Lydia Funck (Germany)

Margorie Gourlay (Scotland)

Ilse Brugger (Switzerland)

“Poems would be easy if our heads weren’t so full of the days clatter. The task is to get through to the other side, where we can hear the deep rhythms that connect us with the stars and tides…”                                                              Stanley Kunitz, from ‘Reflection”

With this in mind, Elana Bell spoke about Intellectual Wellness as a focusing tool on learning. She explained that any activity that helps to explore the world around us, learn more about ourselves or expand our mind in any way supports healthy intellectual wellness. Reading, learning new skills, taking part in hobbies, being creative or appreciating art are all ways to support our intellectual wellness.

The participants were asked to tell “one thing I hope for”. In response to their living situations the women’s wishes were peace, justice, being treated as human beings, having freedom to move, learning languages, and securing good future for their families and especially their children.

Elana read the poem “Where I’m from…” an English poem that was written by one of her students in the USA. The poem was also read in Arabic after it got translated by Jihan.

After reading the poem the group discussed it in terms of sensory details. Then the women were asked to reflect their past and think of their own childhood, family, personal experience, food, sights, sounds, smells, holidays, etc. and to write some lines in the style of the poem that was presented before.

Many women read their impressive moving poems and continued writing them at home. Those poems were translated into English and German and hopefully into other languages. What we are looking for now is a sponsor to sponsor those poems to be printed in a book for many women of this world to read.

The women of the village were working and following the workshop in a very enthusiastic way. At the end they confirmed that this was a very interesting day and that they learnt a lot.

Tuesday 24 March 2009

First Session:    Environmental Wellness”Pollution”

“What’s being done on a global level, and what you                      can do in your community?”

Lecturer:            Majdi Tmezi, Agricultural Engineer / PARC Bethlehem

Participants:     25 women from the village

Jihan Nassar, (Palestine)

Mr. & Mrs. Elana Bell (USA)

Lydia Funck (Germany)

Dr. Date (Holland)

Ilse Brugger (Switzerland)

Pollution can take many forms. The air we breath, the water we drink, the ground where we grow our food, and even the increasing noise we hear every day – all contribute to health problems and a lower quality of life for people as well as for animals, plants and trees. Water, earth, and air are the most important elements to be protected in order to have a healthy life for people and nature. Majdi Tmezi explained the different reasons that cause air pollution (Co2 emission, microwaves, etc.), water pollution, soil pollution, global warming, and acid rain.

The educator said that it is very important to feel responsible towards the environment we are living in. He also talked about organic farming and agriculture. The educator explained how to make organic compost using the leftovers from the kitchen. Moreover the people are asked not to use as much plastic bags and not to throw garbage everywhere in order to keep their surroundings clean.

The women took great interest also in this subject and participated with comments and questions.

Second Session:  Intellectual (Creative / Expressive) Wellness

Creative Writing “Story Writing”

Lecturer:              Elana Bell, Poet, USA

Participants:       33 women from the village

Jihan Nassar (Palestine)

Mr. Jai Bell (India)

Lydia Funck (Germany)

Ilse Brugger (Switzerland)

Each of us is full of stories and poems that is what Elana said to the women. We have all seen and experienced much in our lives–as mothers, as daughters, as human beings–all of which provides a rich wellspring to write from. In this workshop Elana taught the women how to read and discuss their poems and their stories. She also taught them how to respond to those stories and feelings by writing poems and stories from their own unique perspective.

Wednesday, 25 March 2009-03-28

Workshop:       Health Wellness

Children’s Health / When there is no Doctor…

Lecturer:          Dr. Date, General Doctor, (Holland)

Participants:     25 women from the village

Jihan Nassar, (Palestine)

Lydia Funck, (Germany)

Ilse Brugger, (Switzerland)

Pat Westwater-Jong (USA)

Dr. Date began his workshop by asking the women how many children each of them have, what sort of sickness they suffer or suffered in the past. Then he went into explaining the reasons for those children sickness and how they may arise and how we may prevent them. Dr. Date also talked about some of the children born diseases that may happen through close marriages.

Dr. Date also explained to the women how to achieve a good balanced dietary for all members of the family and how to maintain healthy eating habits.

Another part of Dr. Date workshop was about first aid and some medical advices for the women in emergences. The women benefited a lot from this workshop and left home with many new and valuable ideas and information.

Thursday, 26 March 2009

First Session:   Health Wellness

Women’s Health / Pregnancy

Lecturer:           Dr. Date, General Doctor, (Holland)

Participants:    23 women from the village

Jihan Nassar, (Palestine)

Lydia Funck, (Germany)

Ilse Brugger , (Switzerland)

Pat Westwater-Jong (USA)

Helen and Keith Clark (UK)

In this workshop Dr. Date talked about different topics that are essential for women’s health and especially for pregnant women. He spoke about the women reproductive system, menstruation, womb problems, fertilization, infertility and pregnancy diets.  This workshop was very enlightening and so educational for all the women who attended.

Second Session:    Emotional Wellness

Relieve Anxiety, Depression, Improve Mood,                                                 Confidence, Hopefulness

Lecturer:                Dr. Rick Martin, Family Counsellor, (USA)

Participants:         27 women from the village

Jihan Nassar (Palestine)

Pat Westwater-Jong (USA)

Helen and Keith Clark (UK)

Lydia Funck (Germany)

Ilse Brugger (Switzerland)

Dr. Rick explained the importance of emotional wellness in our lives and how to be connected with our emotions, and being able to name and understand them, and knowing how to handle them, whatever they may be. He also talked about our negative and positive emotions and how we can learn new behaviors for challenging our emotional situations. The women were enthusiastic to learn more about emotional wellness so another workshop was scheduled for Dr. Rick to meet with the women and talk more about this topic. The second workshop was also a success.

Saturday, 27 March 2009

First Session:    Social and Health Wellness

Caring for our Elderly

Diet and Hygiene, Social Relations, Psychological Conditions

Lecturer:            Mrs. Itemad Fanoun, Health Educator, Medical Relief                                Society, (Palestine)

Participants:     15 women from the village

Jihan Nassar, (Palestine)

Lydia Funck, (Germany)

Ilse Brugger , (Switzerland)

Social wellness involves building healthy, nurturing and supportive intimate relationships as well as fostering a general connection with everyone around us. It’s also about learning how to balance our social life with our personal life.

Mrs Fanoun talked about elderly care and more specific about health care, social care and emotional care for our senior citizens. She also gave advices to the women about common elderly diseases and their special diets.

As for the elderly personal hygiene, Mrs Fanoun introduced ways to encourage our seniors to maintain their personal hygiene and administer their own personal care. A good personal hygiene for the elderly will not only promote mental well-being, it will also promote physical health.

Each of the women had some experience to tell and appreciated all kind of information.

Second Session:     Nutrition Wellness

Food Processing and Manufacturing

Lecturer:                  Mrs. Adla Taha Ali, Agricultural Relief Center,                                           Bethlehem (Palestine)

Participants:           15 women from the village

Jihan Nassar, (Palestine)

Lydia Funck, (Germany)

Ilse Brugger , (Switzerland)

Home food preservation remains an important and popular cultural activity. Mrs Adla Taha talked about the importance of home food preservation in the Palestinian culture and explained many ways and methods for food preservation. She also spoke about food safety concerns when processing and preserving home food.

She advised the women to maintain a small garden or even a pottery and plant it with different kinds of herbs, fruits and vegetables thus the family become self supportive. Since this subject is very important for most Palestinian women, I think it will be a good idea to have it as a regular class in our yearly educational program.

A Word to be said:

Throughout this week, around 30-35 new women from the village got the advantage to participate in our yearly women’s week. All workshops and lectures were in Arabic and English and took place in Bent Al-reef Center.

Although the weather was cold and wintry, the women attendance was reasonable and encouraging. Every year we try to focus on issues that matter to the village women. This year our center of attention was on Wellness and its seven aspects. In all workshops the women learned new information and were introduced to many new methods and ideas that can help maintain a better life.  Furthermore the participation of internationals in the women’s week, Center’s activities and classes is very important for the continuation of this project and the mutual exchange of thoughts and ideas.

At the end, I would like to thank all locals, international participants, lecturers and project supporters for there time and effort in realizing this project.

A special thanks goes to my husband for his endless help and encouragement.

Special thanks also go to Mrs. Ilse Brugger (Switzerland), Mrs. Helen and Mr. Keith Clark (UK), Dr. Rick Martin (USA), Dr. Date (Holland), Mrs. Mr Elana Bell (USA), Mrs. Pat Westwater-Jong (USA), Mss. Lydia Funck (Germany), Mss. Margorie Gourlay (Scotland), Mrs. Adla Taha (Palestine), Mrs. Itemad Fanoun (Palestine), and Mr. Majdi Tmezi (Palestine) for their help and support.

Project Coordinator

International Participants Remarks

Ilse Brugger, Switzerland

The activities for this week were planned well in advance. Transportation for the educators and the internationals were guaranteed. A good organisation for that is absolutely necessary as the situation being rather difficult because of checkpoints and detours caused by the construction of the wall. Furthermore enough chairs for the room as well as pencils and paper for the participants had to be bought. Daoud and his wife Jihan, who was also responsible for the first introduction and the translation, did a great job indeed by organizing everything before and during the week.

The different subjects for this week were chosen well dealing with our human feelings but also our relation to the environment. As to see from the reactions of the women they were showing great interest in all those lectures. I had the impression that many things were new for the women and enriched them in different concern. It’s obvious that many of the advices will be followed in future.

It was very important to spend some time at the end of the week with the women to know about their opinion, in which subject they were interested most, about what they would like to have more information and if they learnt new things.

This time the women’s week took place in those rooms where they used to have their computer and English course instead of in the community hall.  I think it was a good idea as the women talked more open as no employees of that office in the community hall disturbing them by passing through the room.

I’m of the opinion that it is a very good idea to invite internationals to participate. First they will see what kind of possibilities of education and further training is offered to the women in the village and secondly such meetings will connect different people and cultures thus meaning mutual learning.

Those workshops trying to motivate the women to take self initiative we will hope that by the time they will do so and be active. Jihan is trying hard to convey this to them.

This project is path breaking being of great value and highly appreciated.

It’s already the third time that I attended the workshop week and I feel related to the women in a friendship way learning step by step more about their way of life, their mentality, their problems but also being there happy.

With all my heart I’m wishing to Jihan, the leader of the project, much courage and strength to continue, to improve and the realization of all the different plans and visions.

Marjorie Gourlay, Scotland

My name is Marjorie Gourlay from Scotland, and I am an English teacher, currently in Palestine.

I am always surprised by the Palestinian people’s warmth and hospitality to visitors who come and go, and even more I am surprised by the village women’s openness to foreigners who visit briefly, bringing with them strange ideas from abroad.  Those women are welcoming and warm, neither judgmental nor suspicious, and they eagerly throw themselves into any activity they are presented with.  On Monday at the Women’s Week, they were presented with a talk about Environmental Wellness, which suggested that taking care of the environment is fundamental for the sake of our wellbeing and that of our country, and is one of several aspects of our wellbeing that we ought to take care of.  The poetry workshop which followed and was based on the idea of ”where I’m from” stirred up images, sounds and smells of Palestine and brought a tear to the eye of many present.  These women astonished me with their creativity, artistic minds, and illustrative words which so beautifully described their homeland.  Their words are a powerful witness to the struggle that they are contending with and, I think, say much more about the reality of the hardship of life under occupation than many reports.  I would like to have their poetry translated and use it in Britain when I am home.

Elana Bell, USA

Several weeks ago I had the privilege of facilitating a writing workshop with the village women. On the outside you could say we had little in common. I am a Jew from California who grew up in the very liberal, hippie community of Venice Beach. Most of the women from the village are observant Arab Muslims, who wear the hijab and observe traditional religious customs. But after 15 minutes together (with the men out of the room) you would not have believed that we had just met. The women were laughing and gesturing, each one more eager to share the rich images and incredible stories from their lives.

The first day was spent developing our awareness of sensory detail as a tool for creative expression. We read a poem by Angelica Flores, entitled “Where I’m from,” which details her rich Puerto Rican heritage and homeland. The women discussed the poem and then wrote their own poems, detailing their painful and beautiful images of home. The second day was spent writing memoir, building on the skills from the first day, but focusing on narrative, rather than poetry, about significant memories from their lives. It was an incredible experience. Each story that was read had us all laughing or weeping from the powerful emotion contained within it. Clearly these women had a wellspring of material just waiting to be released. I am honored to have shared in the experience.

Pat Westwater-jong, USA

Dear Jihan, I am so grateful for the opportunity you gave me to observe and photograph some of the Women’s Week which you so professionally organized and facilitated. I enjoyed meeting the women and their young children who came with them.  And it was wonderful to see so many women excited to gather together to learn about public health issues and, I heard, about writing poetry, the day before I arrived.  It was also great fun to share an experience with Palestinian Christian and Muslim women and with men (teachers) and women from Europe and the US.

Dr. Rick Martin, USA

I went to Israel/Palestine five years ago to teach peaceful conflict-resolution to both parties and to mediate between them.  So, amid political and construction projects, it was a thrill to be invited by Jihan Nassar to take a swing at that by presenting workshops to the women of Bent al-Reef (a Tent of Nations women’s program in Nahalin) during their “Women’s Empowerment Week.”  During the second and third week of my stay, I presented “Emotional Health––the science of authentic happiness,” and “Fair Fighting––peaceful conflict-resolution for couples.”

I had attended opening day of the workshop-week to get a feel for the audience––some 30 women of the village, clothed from head to toe in Muslim dress, with children running in and out of the room.

Jihan was to be my translator, and pausing for translation and questions slowed my presentation of Martin Seligman’s “Positive Psychology” (the science of authentic happiness, from his book by the same name), but I took the time to learn the names of those attending, before defining “emotion” and “happiness.”

A week later, I plunged into a far more emotional topic: peaceful conflict-resolution for couples.  The women were even more invested in this. We did a role-play, and the women were full of questions and challenges––such as, “In this society, nobody listens.”  But that is what made these workshops “heaven.”  In spite of their confined way of life, the women were spunky, talkative, and willing to explore new approaches.  I love that. Peace between nations, cultures, and religions begins at home.

Spring Newsletter 2008

Dear friends,

With our best greetings from Bethlehem we would like to inform you about the latest news concerning the general situation in the Bethlehem area and the updates of the Tent of Nations.

In the South and South West of Bethlehem the construction of the Apartheid wall is still going on, separating in the near future five villages as well as Daher’s Vineyard completely from the rest of the West Bank. Nowadays it is only possible to reach the land driving on road 60 from Nashash / Alkhader where there is a checkpoint with a metal gate. From time to time Israeli military close the gate and people have to wait sometimes for hours at the checkpoint. Later when the tunnel under road 60 is finished, it will be the only access road which will connect Bethlehem with Daher’s Vineyard, Tent of Nations and 5 Palestinian villages to the west. This tunnel will be controlled by Israeli soldiers.

The settlements around Bethlehem especially surrounding the farm are expanding constantly. New what is called outposts which consists of some containers are to find on different hills of the West Bank. These containers will be replaced by permanent houses.

Land process:

After the Military Committee having informed us that the land can be registered and recognized by the Israeli Government, we had to survey the land again and we already applied for that but we are still waiting for a reaction and an answer. This process is going to cost us extra $15,000. Any financial support for the legal costs of the land case will be very much appreciated.

Agricultural development on the farm:

During the months of January to March 2008 we planted with the help of groups and individuals, both locals and internationals more than 600 trees. These trees have to be watered twice a week starting in the month of May. However during this passed winter and spring it didn’t rain much, so that we will face water problems this summer because of lack of water. We are planning to construct a new cistern in order to collect more rain water next winter. A new cistern will cost $10,000. Any financial help for the cistern will be appreciated.

This summer we had to buy water at a higher price. More costs are added for the transportation of water to the farm with a tank. We are willing to buy a tank which has a capacity of 3 cubic meter of water which can be hooked to the tractor so that we can make the transportation costs for water less. This tank is necessary and is needed for the farm, it costs $ 3500.

In the greenhouse, tomatoes and cucumbers are growing. We are planning to plant a new vegetable garden in order to be self supporter and independent.

Our intention is to cultivate new fields every year and expand the cultivated land in order to protect it from the danger of confiscation and make it green too by planting yearly new trees. With a $10 you can sponsor one tree.

The animal farm is also growing, we have hens, goats, rabbits, pigeons, a donkey and a horse. It is very nice to see the pigeons flying in circles over the farm as a symbol of peace and justice.

Infrastructure:

The kitchen in the building where the volunteers are living is almost ready as well as the new terrace beside the kitchen. This space will be used for eating, meetings and as a place for discussions, talks, and lectures. Since we are expecting more volunteers in the next months, additional room is already prepared and will be used for the new coming volunteers.

At the roof of the volunteer’s building, “Al-karma House”, we fixed the gutter leading the rain water from the roof of the house into the cistern.

We built sitting places from stones in the area which will be used for the big gathering in summer during the children camp.

We improved the camping site.

We made some renovations to Bishara’s cave, install wires and internet connection cables. This cave will be used as an office, however it still needs more improvements.

In order to get an additional room, we continue working in a big recently opened cave. This new cave should be finished during the work camp in June.

Friends of Tent of Nations North America sponsored a new Diesel generator. Thanks so much for our friends in the US for sponsoring this generator and for their solidarity with us.

Upcoming Projects:

Green Helms” from Germany will help us to install solar panels. An expert will come and visit the farm end of May and we hope to start developing this very important project very soon. We are also planning to have a wind mill to use the wind for getting electricity. Through these projects, we want to open ways for the young generation to concentrate on alternative energy and be environmental friendly. Our future plan is to treat the waste water and use it for irrigation.

A small gift shop, where products from the land can be sold for guests, and a cafeteria are in planning.

In the last years we planted many trees and we are expecting in the near future a good harvest. It will be important to find markets for the products (olive oil, almonds, apples, apricots, raisins….

Our vision is to establish a vocational training center and start with a simple school for agriculture ‘sustainable farming school’. People from the nearby villages will be invited to Daher’s Vinyard for the agricultural training in order to motivate them to cultivate more land, plant it, bring life to it and also working on finding markets locally and internationally for the products.

We need to buy a used digger to cultivate the land, make new terraces, move big rocks and stones out of the fields and use it also for other agricultural and constructional work on the farm. When the wall is finished and the area is closed, we cannot get a machine there without a permit. It is important to be prepared for this situation and have our own machines instead of renting. A used Digger will cost around $15,000.

Trips:

I was in Germany from the 29th of February until the 13th of March 2008. I had the chance to visit and give lectures to different congregations, schools and the “Catholic Academy” in Münster.

Visits / Activities:

As every year we had the tree planting campaign in winter time and two camps for planting trees.

During the time from January till April 2008 many visitors (groups and individuals) came to visit, learn more about our situation and help with our work at the Tent of Nations. We had visitors from these following countries:

• 253 persons from the USA
• 224 persons from Germany
• 39 persons from England
• 50 persons from Holland
• 80 persons from Palestine
• 65 persons from Israel (Israeli Peace activists)
• 5 persons from France
• 2 persons from Switzerland
• 2 persons from Australia

We were also visited by the Family members of our volunteers who stayed for some time at the land.

One woman from the peace activist group, who visited the land in April, invited her friend from the nearby settlement to come and visit the Tent of Nations. The woman from the settlement told that she is living since nine years in the nearby settlement but she never knew that there are also Palestinians living in the surrounding areas. She thought that all the area there is empty and can be used for settlement expansion. This woman was very astonished to see how we are living without running water and electricity, it was a very moving situation for this woman and I believe she went back home with many questions in her mind.

Bent Al-Reef Educational Center in Nahalin:

The Woman project is continuing its work in the village. The women network in the village is increasing and the woman participants are demanding as usual more courses and activities to meet with their expectations.

Starting this year we did 5 Computer Courses: Three Excel Courses with the participation of 36 women and two Microsoft Word Courses with 26 woman participants. These courses were given by Jihan.

We also offred 2 English Courses: One course was given by Regula Kaufman who volunteered to teach English for the last 18 months. Another English Course was given by the EAPPI group of Bethlehem. We also had one art workshop besides lectures about special women topics.

Again this year we had the Women’s Week which took place at the Village Council from the 14th until the 19th of April. This Week of Activities was organized for the second time by Jihan, who is directing this woman center. We were also glad to see Ilse Brugger from Basel, Switzerland who came again this year to help with the women project and the Women’s Week. The theme of this yearly week of activities was “How women with their different roles can shape their society”.

Throughout this week, women from the village heard lectures from active women who are playing very important roles in shaping the Palestinian society. They also had the advantage to meet with international women from Poland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Switzerland and to hear about the women roles in the European society. In addition, they had the chance to know more about many sensitive women topics, health and social issues.

Many thanks go to all the volunteers and people who are helping and supporting this project. Special thanks also go to Ilse Brugger for her continuous support for this very important project. The women who are taking these courses and attending these classes are not able to share any costs, so financial support is needed for this project. With $200 you can sponsor a women for 3 months courses.

Youth activities:

In January and March 08 an international youth exchange program took place, where our Palestinian youngsters met together with young people from Germany, England and the United States.

Volunteers:

• The two brothers Evert and Theo left us end of April to Holland after their voluntary work at the land for one month and a half.
• Dominik and Joseph from Germany, who are doing their civil service at the Tent of Nations started their voluntary work on September 2007 for 13 months.
• Sarah from Germany worked for one and a half months and left in April.
• Max and Philipp from Germany volunteered during April for two weeks.
• Steve and Nigel from England, who left us in February, stayed for 2 months and helped a lot with the practical work on the farm.

We want to thank all the volunteers for their continuous help and support. Without their help we won’t be able to achieve a lot. We wish them all the best for their future plans.

Upcoming Volunteers:

• Sebastian from Germany will volunteer for five months.
• Casey from USA will volunteer for one and a half month. (She is participating in the Summer Encounter program organized by the Holy Land Trust).
• Mark from Ireland will volunteer for one and a half month (He is participating in the Summer Encounter program organized by Holy Land Trust).
• In July 2008 Markus from Germany will volunteer for three months.
• Two young men from Germany will be coming in September 2008 to do their civil service for 13 months.

Finally, we would like to express our sincerest thanks to all who are supporting this project practically, ideally or financially. We would be glad to count furthermore on your support and help. Tent of Nations is a place for all nations to come together and build bridges of understanding and peace.

Thank you for your encouragement and support.

Sincerely yours,

Daoud Nassar

Tent of Nations Director