The final conference of the 2-year project took place on Saturday 17th. We're very grateful to all those who gave their very best to make it a success. We had presentations from the links groups leaders who had spent the previous week reviewing the work of the last two years and working with local people to discuss and make plans for the next period. We had film made during the Twinning in Action project. We had descriptions of the situation in the West Bank and ideas for future projects. We heard of the challenges facing our future work and were heartened by the encouragement of old friends and by new people wanting to join and volunteer on our projects. Thank you again to everyone for their different contributions as well as to the team who made a tasty barbecue for us all to follow.
The good thing about this exchange is it's teaching me how to be a good leader and how to get messages over to my group in a good way.
The good thing about the whole project is that it focuses on women and youth, which are the most important target groups in society.
Aseel
After listening to the evaluations by the whole group, one of the most important outcomes of this project (everyone agrees) is that CADFA projects should reach wider through available social media and it's necessary to have a media committee inside the organisation to focus on this.
Maysa
Thinking back about the project in general... It's not just the biggest success, but but it's opening new horizons for building new upcoming projects and having supporters from all over the globe.
Noor
I believe that this project managed to achieve a good part of its goals. We have to study the negative points so we can do things better. We need to invest in the positive points so we can suppoet our new coming projects.
The leaders have a great spirit and they are so close to each other. This is why the projects succeed. We should keep these good relations and use them well in the future projects.
Ra'fat.
My ideas about the future for CADFA.
(1) This is about all of the different sectors, women youth and university students... they need to go on an exchange together once a year, not always a separate one.
(2) CADFA needs to develop logistically.
Jamal
The project is good and I remember the visit to the Al Abrahami mosque in Hebron. I hope that we can make a twinning for Jerusalem and focus on the city.
These projects help me to build my character and support my self confidence.
I believe that the Twinning in Action projects has been a big step forward. With all the difficulties and obstacles that CADFA has faced, we still hope that we'll be able to build on it and have future next steps.
CADFA should continue to bring people together to hear each other's stories and firsthand experiences of the lives of Palestinians. Both the difficulties and the richness of their culture and way of life.
Annika
The first day of the residential in the rainy New Forest. Doesn't matter about the rain, even though it was specially hard when we all went for a walk...
First presentations and discussions. I felt really proud of everyone and of what we're doing and wish this work long life.
After a long journey, here they are... In the middle of the New Forest, many people sleeping after a long journey, the others relaxing, here at last. Watch this space for more news!
The youth visit to Palestine was really happy! So many good memories. The participants from both countries are still in touch with each other and these smiles make us all optimistic :)
Preparations are taking place in the UK for the exciting visit between 9th and 18th September. So many stages to go through.
In Palestine, people are waiting for their UK visas. What a long and unfair process.
*Differences between West Bankers and Jerusalemites (there shoukd not be)*
Ee're currently glad to hear that the first of our Palestinian participants have their visas, upset to hear that two of them don't have their visas (and have written to see what we can do) and a bit worried until the rest of them arrive.. and at the same time aware how unfair this all is.
The dates of this visit have been set for a long time and we bought the air tickets months ago. In mid-July, the people who are coming in September began their visa applications. They began to put them in the last week of July. However, there are several stages for this, and they need to go for finger prints before the application goes to Amman. But already by that time the earliest date they could get for fingerprints in Ramallah was 17th August. We managed to book appointments for people in Jerusalem much earlier (the earliest was 4th August I think).
We took all the appointments there were in Ramallah on 17th August, worried that the dates were tight, but when appointments for this date filled up, we panicked! We began to persuade people to get to Jerusalem if possible in any way at all, and booked other appointments there (although it is more expensive!). This wasn’t possible for everyone so we have unfortunately not been able to put in applications for some people we would have invited.
Then we started writing letters to see if we could get official help with getting the applications on time.. and now we wait .. and worry.
MEANWHILE HOW UNFAIR.
*Differences between Palestinians and Israelis*
If instead of being Palestinian and living (most of them) in Abu Dis, our friends had been illegal Israeli settlers living in Maale Adumim settlement on Abu Dis land, they could travel the day they chose to to the UK and come in with no visa...
We will talk more on this when our friends arrive, at the conference on Linking Together for Human Rights.
