First Initiative-Campaign against Forced Population Transfer (FPT):

The YEAP participants joined BADIL, the FPT Coalition and the marginalized populations living in the villages surrounding Nablus in the 1st Popular Initiative in the Campaign against FPT which was implemented in Awarta at the Primary Public Girls School. 

BADIL-Zochrot Joint Action: Preparations were underway in the first quarter for the implementation of the 2013 BADIL-Zochrot Joint Action which focuses promoting the results of the 2012 Joint Action, mainly the Vision Paper in order to build the culture of return among Palestinian and Israeli society. The activities of the 2013 Joint Action consist primarily of “Open Days” taking place at academic institutions to create awareness surrounding the practicalities of return. 

Local Youth Refugee Network (LYRN) and the Civil Society Activists Forum (CSAF): Both the LYRN and CSAF continue to grow in scope through the recruitment of Palestinian human rights defenders from Mandate Palestine.  Both bodies participated in the United against Apartheid and Land Day initiatives.

Academic Activists Training: Thirty-five students enrolled for the BADIL course, “Palestinian Refugees under International Law”, given at Al-Quds University.

This is the 7th year of BADIL’s Annual Al Awda Award. BADIL launched the 2013 Award on 28 January 2013 under the slogan “Generation by generation, we will continue to protect our fig and olive trees.”- Tawfiq Zayyad. All categories and winners will be recognized at the award ceremony which will take place during World Refugee Day activities in July.

For more information on the criteria for the award categories and further details (English) and (Arabic).

In addition to BADIL’s own promotion of the award through local media channels and BADIL’s social media platforms, the Al Awda Award Competition was promoted on Electronic Initifada (EI). see here>>

BADIL has published the following productions on the ONEC website in the first quarter of 2013:

1. “Dead Olives & Settlements: Three Farmers in Abud”, see here>>

2. “Israeli Justice! Dura-el-Qara”, see here>>

3. “Origins of Exile”,  Lydd,  see here>>

4. “Everything that Stands…”, Susiya, see here>>

5. Qalqilya Photo Story, see here>>

January 2013 – Israeli Apartheid Week Poster – “Palestinian Loss of Land 1947-2013:

1. Israeli Policies Combine Apartheid, Colonialism and Occupation” in partnership with itisapartheid.org.  See here>>

2. January 2013 – Al-Majdal Issue #51 – “Palestinian Citizens in Israel: Defying the Ongoing Nakba” See here>> 

3. March 2013 – Haq Al-Awda Issue #52 – “Palestinians inside the Green Line: 65 years confronting displacement, confinement and Apartheid” (translated from Arabic).See here>> 

4. March 2013 – “Campaign against Forced Population Transfer” t-shirt and eco-friendly bag

Local Mobilization: Campaign Against Forced Population Transfer in Area C

BADIL facilitated the implementation of 2 popular initiatives in March under this campaign: in Khan Younis (Gaza) and in Awarta (Nablus District). The village of Awarta, east of Nablus, suffers from land confiscation and repeated settler attacks from the illegal settlement of Itamar, which was established in 1984.  The Primary Public Girls School in Awarta was built on lands classified as Area C under the Oslo Accords and as such was selected for the location for the initiative.  A host of organizations participated in and contributed to the successful implementation of the initiative:  Birzeit University, the Awarta Parents Council, Awarta Village Council, the school board and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Nablus Governorate. The day-long agenda was founded in the concept of volunteerism and revitalizing this concept among Palestinian youth.  Volunteers joined in the cleaning, beautification and greening of the school’s grounds.  This included the painting of the fence, the weeding and planting of the garden and the general clean-up of the premises. In order to raise awareness among the young students, Give Palestine Theatrical Group gave a performance on FPT and many awareness raising tools were distributed including t-shirts, posters, and the 2012 Al Awda Award children’s stories.   See here >>

A similar second popular initiative was held in Gaza: the planting of olive and citrus trees, implemented by youth and volunteers from Khan Younis and Rafah. The location of the initiative was the village of Khuza’a, which is approximately 500 meters from the border with Israel.

Israeli Apartheid Week

In commemoration of Israeli Apartheid Week, BADIL, in coordination with a host of local community-based organizations, implemented a photo exhibition and film screening at the Peace Center in Bethlehem.  The photo exhibition consisted of two displays: one highlighting the apartheid situation creating by the Israeli regime in the historic city of Hebron by the Hebron Protection Committee and the other highlighting the various military check points through out the West Bank by the French photography team of Magda and Andrea. The screening was for Part V of the 6-part documentary series “Chronicles of a Refugee: the Right of Return” by Adam Shapiro, Perla Issa, and Aseel Mansour. See here >>

Land Day Initiatives

On 29 March, BADIL, in coordination with Al Khader Municipality, and in cooperation with a variety of civil society organizations, implemented a volunteer day of olive tree planting in lands threatened by confiscation for the Apartheid Wall and the Israeli only by-pass road #60.  Almost 200 Palestinian and international volunteers planted 150 olive saplings in an area of approximately 15 dunams.

BADIL also issued a Land Day Statement, “Land Day: a day to resist land-grab policies and ongoing displacement”, see here>>   

In addition to 12 in house press releases (6 Arabic and 6 English), BADIL and its activities made the following headlines:

1. 2013 Al Awda Award Competition, see here >>

2. BADIL’s Survey “One People United: A Deterritorialized Palestinian Identity, Survey of Palestinian Youth on Identity and Social Ties-2012”, see here>>

3. BADIL’s biennial “Survey of Palestinian Refugees and IDPs 2010-2012”. see: link  and link

4. ONEC production, “Villagers on the Line”  see here>>

5. “Human Rights NGOs request protection for Palestinians from forced displacement from the UNHRC at their 22nd Session in Geneva”, see here >>

6. Land Day Initiative in Al Khader, see here>>

7. BADIL’s Land Day Statement quoted by Daily Censored, see here >>

8. Israeli Apartheid Week activities. see here>>

In addition to 12 in house press releases (6 Arabic and 6 English), BADIL and its activities made the following headlines:

1. 2013 Al Awda Award Competition, see here >>

2. BADIL’s Survey “One People United: A Deterritorialized Palestinian Identity, Survey of Palestinian Youth on Identity and Social Ties-2012”, see here>>

3. BADIL’s biennial “Survey of Palestinian Refugees and IDPs 2010-2012”. see: link  and link

4. ONEC production, “Villagers on the Line”  see here>>

5. “Human Rights NGOs request protection for Palestinians from forced displacement from the UNHRC at their 22nd Session in Geneva”, see here >>

6. Land Day Initiative in Al Khader, see here>>

7. BADIL’s Land Day Statement quoted by Daily Censored, see here >>

8. Israeli Apartheid Week activities. see here>>