A Commentary on the Palestinian Coalition for the Right to Return
The al-Awda ('Return') movement is an independent,
non-governmental and popular movement. This article addresses key
developments in the movement since the 1993 Oslo agreement through
the establishment of the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, one
of the primary structures of the al-Awda movement, coalition
partners, its work and future expectations of such a movement.
The Oslo agreement and reaction of refugees
Even before the ink dried on the 1993 Oslo agreement, which
postponed substantive issues like Jerusalem, the state and its
borders, and refugees for so-called final status talks, Palestinian
refugees were cognizant of the challenges to their future,
including dangers posed for the right to return, repossess homes
and property and receive compensation for loss and damages. Several
initiatives subsequently emerged to form committees to defend the
rights of Palestinian refugees.
Khalid al-Hassan, a prominent Palestinian thinker and member of
Fatah, was among the first to call for the unification of refugees,
even going so far as to call for the establishment of a refugee
party. Palestinian political factions thereafter began warning
about the dangers for the right of return issue, but their calls
remained as slogans and speeches that were never implemented on the
ground (due to the political, intellectual and organizational
crises that faced these factions).
This situation highlighted the importance and the need for a
popular movement capable of expressing refugee interests and
rights. Accordingly, several meetings and workshops were convened
in Palestine and in exile in order to find an answer for the
fundamental problem: “How can we maintain and preserve the rights
of Palestinian refugees?” During the summer of 1994 there was a
call for a meeting in Askar refugee camp including representatives
from the entire West Bank camps and activists from Palestinian
villages and cities to form what was called “The Committee for
Defending the Camps”. This title was later modified to become “The
Committee for Defending Palestinian Refugees Rights”. This was
followed by calls to convene regional refugee conferences in order
to finalize the agenda of the popular refugee movement and unite
efforts. Conferences were held, for example, in al-Fara' in 1995
and later in Deheishe in 1996.
These conferences aimed to clarify an agenda regarding all aspects
of the refugee issue, including the right of return, compensation,
the relationship with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency
(UNRWA), the future settlement of the conflict and finally the
camps and their needs. In 1996 the Union of Youth Activities
Centers in the camps in Palestine initiated a campaign for
defending refugee rights. The campaign subsequently expanded to
include internally displaced Palestinians from the destroyed
villages inside the 'Green Line' who were excluded from the
negotiation agenda. The Committee for Defending the Rights of
Displaced Persons inside the Green Line was established to lobby
for the rights of some 250,000 Palestinian IDPs. In 1995 the
Committee organized its first 'Return March' with some 35,000
participants. The march has become an annual traditional with
visits to a different village every year.
At the same time, the PLO Refugee Affairs Department (formerly the
Department of Returnee Affairs) established Popular Service
Committees in all West Bank and Gaza Strip camps. The Popular
Service Committees began to address the daily suffering inside the
camps. This prompted the reopening of other organizations in the
camps, including women's activity centers, centers for people with
special needs and youth centers, which had been closed by decision
of the Israeli military during the first intifada. One of the
primary issues of concern of these organizations was the return
issue.
The late 1990s also witnessed the birth of several cultural centers
inside the camps such as Yaffa Center in Balata refugee camp and
Ibda’ Center in Deheishe refugee camp. By the end of 1997, BADIL
Resource Center for Residency and Refugee Rights was established as
a result of a recommendation issued by the popular conferences
mentioned above. During this period several institutions and
centers focused on the refugee issue were established, including
Shaml Palestinian Diaspora and Refugee Center and the Refugee
Studies Unit in an-Najah and al-Quds Open universities. Refugees
themselves formed associations based on the village or city of
origin.
This included, for example, al-Lid Charitable Association,
al-Abasiya, Yazour, Beit Nabala, Yaffa and others. Due to the
general awareness regarding the importance of the return issue, a
Refugee Committee was formed as one of the main committees in the
Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). This was followed by the
formation of higher committees and popular committees for defending
the right of return, such as the Popular Assembly for Defending the
Right for Return in the Gaza Strip, in addition to other committees
associated with various political factions.
In exile, refugees intensified efforts in and outside of camps in
order to find structures and committees capable of defending their
rights. Newly-established committees included The Higher Committee
for Defending the Right to Return in Jordan, which emerged from a
group of Jordanian political parties in 1999, and A’idoun in
Lebanon and Syria in 2000. A'idoun is one of the most active return
associations educating Palestinian refugees in Syria and Lebanon
about their rights. Concerted efforts by these groups led to a
first Return and Self-Determination Conference in Beirut in 1996.
al-Awda ('Return') committees were also set up in Sweden, Denmark,
France, Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and
North America (United States of America and Canada).
These committees work on several levels, including building ties with local politicians to lobby and pressure Israel in various international fora to respect refugee rights. This included facilitating a British all-party parliamentary fact-finding mission on the refugee issue in 2000. They also organized workshops, conferences (including the first al-Awda conference held in Boston, MA in April 2000) and produced publications for education and awareness-raising about Palestinian refugees. They contributed to raising public awareness abroad due to their knowledge of and relationships established in Europe and the United States.
They also encouraged youth who were born in exile to enhance
their relationship with their homeland through solidarity campaigns
with the intifada, organizing festivals, commemorating national
events (e.g., Nakba, the UN decision to partition Palestine,
Resolution 194, Sabra and Shatila and Deir Yasin massacres,
International Refugee Day, and Palestinian Camp and Refugee Day),
in addition to organizing field visits and summer youth camps in
order to acquaint youth more closely with their social, cultural
and historical heritage.
How did the Coalition idea come to Light?
There is no doubt that BADIL Resource Center for Residency and
Refugee Rights played a central role in facilitating the
establishment of an annual coordinating meeting on refugee
activities at home and in exile. These meetings aim to study and
analyze the current circumstances of the refugee issue and attempt
to find practical solutions to the challenges facing Palestinian
refugees. Many different activists in the refugee community also
raised the need for coordinating refugee activities; however, BADIL
was the sole organization that translated this idea into a
practical reality.
The first coordination meeting took place in Cyprus in October 2000
and was attended by BADIL , al-Awda Committees in Sweden, Denmark,
Greece and Germany, Yaffa Cultural Center, the Committee for
Defending the Rights of the Palestinian Refugees, the Union of
Youth Activities Centers, Refugee Camps (Palestine), the Union of
Women Activity Centers in the West Bank Camps, A’idoun from Lebanon
and Syria, and finally, the Higher Committee for Defending the
Right to Return – Jordan. This meeting established the foundations
for the right to return movement. The meeting was based on the fact
that the right to return is a right that possesses different legal,
political, moral, human, educational, social and cultural
dimensions. It is a right that can never be renounced or traded.
Although this meeting did not officially decide on the birth of a
Palestinian coalition for the right to return, it succeeded in
reiterating the importance of continuing these meetings for further
activity coordination, uniting the return discourse for it to
become more rational, and finally to put forth a joint program of
activities.
Forming the coalition
The second coordination meeting took place in Brussels, Belgium in
2001 in order to declare the birth of the Coalition as a popular
coordination body composed of a group of active right to return
committees. Since its inception the Coalition has emphasized that
it is not a representative body; the Palestine Liberation
Organization is the sole representative for the Palestinian people.
Furthermore, the coalition reiterated that its work will focus and
feed into the issue of defending the rights of refugees, which are
their right to return, restitution and compensation. As a popular
body, the coalition seeks to create a level of awareness around the
rights of refugees, and to carry out coordinated activities.
Despite numerous obstacles, the coalition was able to realize an
unprecedented level of solidarity and unity among refugee societies
in exile. Coordination began bear fruit, as witnessed through the
level of popular participation, the increase in the number of the
committees seeking to join the coalition and through the type and
number of activities that addressed many long-forgotten issues.
The coalition continued working in accordance with its original
vision, although the third meeting, which was held in Saint Marine,
Denmark in 2002, focused on clarifying the responsibilities of
coalition members. This was done through a comprehensive evaluation
process that led to the realization of the importance of internal
bylaws that define the coalition's mission as an independent,
non-governmental, popular assembly and govern the coalition’s work.
The bylaws must also reflect the aspirations and hopes among wide
sectors of refugees within the Palestinian camps in the occupied
Palestinian territories, the host countries, Europe and North
America.
The Coalition: from a state of reaction to an actual
initiative
The fourth and fifth meetings, which were held in London, United
Kingdom and Ghent, Belgium during 2003 and 2004 respectively,
represented a new phase in the coalition’s work. During those
meetings, the coalition adopted new bylaws and set out
organizational standards related to membership, coordination
committees, tasks and goals. It also conducted a comprehensive
evaluation of previous meetings and decisions. One of the main
outcomes of the evaluation process was the development of a joint
work plan. The coalition also set up mechanisms for communication
between members between annual meetings and made plans to cooperate
with organizations active in the field of refugee rights but not
part of the coalition.
This was accompanied by new efforts to study other refugee problems
to see what might be relevant for the Palestinian case. Coalition
members visited Bosnia, South Africa and Cyprus. They also examined
legal, social and economic studies related to refugee problems
elsewhere, all of which influenced the development of the popular
campaign. al-Awda committees expanded to reach most European
countries and more recently established the European Confederation
for the Right to Return, which has become a symbol for the
Palestinian cause in the European arena.
During this period the coalition also identified a set of annual
activities and tasks. Internally displaced Palestinians inside the
'Green Line' are working on establishing a museum about the
internally displaced. The European Confederation is looking at
raising legal claims for restitution in European courts. al-Awda
North America is working on a boycott campaign linked to Israel's
recognition of the right of return. A'idoun Syria and Lebanon
continue to develop several innovative projects.
The Committee for Defending Refugee Rights is working to
transform Yaffa Cultural Center into an open cultural space
specialized in refugee issues with a focus on camp refugees in the
West Bank. al-Awda London continues to lobby British members of
parliament and the British public. The Popular Service Committees
are working to find solutions for problems caused by military
closure and the apartheid wall. And the Union of Youth Activities
Centers is working on special materials for students to explain the
refugee issue from the Nakba to the present.
Future expectations of the coalition
There is no doubt that the efforts exerted until now are not
sufficient; there are many issues that need further work. There is
a dire need to find Arab committees for defending refugee rights,
and a need to integrate non-Palestinians in Europe and the US
within an international campaign for defending refugee rights. This
demands a rational and open discourse. The right of return is not
only a political issue but also has complicated psychological,
social, economic, educational and cultural dimensions.
The coalition is expected to expand the base of the al-Awda
movement among Palestinian gatherings, especially in Latin America
and Australia and to vigorously confront all initiatives that do
not serve the Palestinians and their rights. The coalition must
make serious efforts to raise the true voice of the refugees, and
to enhance international popular campaigns in order to implement a
boycott on Israel until it responds to the legitimate international
resolutions and acknowledges refugee rights in their entirety. The
coalition is also expected to enhance its work in the legal field
and to learn from the experiences of refugees elsewhere. It should
also highlight the current living conditions of refugees and
special needs of different sectors such as children, women and
youth.
Finally, the coalition must enhance its work with all popular and
official bodies and committees, such as the PLO Department for
Refugees Affairs, the refugee committees in the Palestinian
National Council (PNC) and the Palestinian Legislative Council
(PLC) and other coalition initiatives that fall under the al-Awda
movement. Now is the right time to press for active refugee
committees in Palestine, Europe, host countries and North America
to be represented in the Palestinian National Council.
Anwar Hamam is a researcher specialized in the sociology of
refugees and a PhD candidate from University of Tunisia, Social and
Human Science Faculty. Mr. Hamam is the manager of Dar al-Amal for
Observation and Social Care in the Ministry of Social Affairs in
Ramallah. He is also Deputy Manager for Yaffa Cultural Center in
Balata refugee camp and a board member of BADIL. He is the author
of several publications on the Palestinian refugee
issue.Translation to English by Rana Mousa.