Understand better - Meet the experts

By commemorating World Refugee Day, Badil and more than a dozen partners divert from traditional public events, usually held on Nakba day. The festival aimed to attract the general public as well as local and international observers to a wide range of cultural activities: from folkloric dance to academic publications, from traditional food to exclusive unpublished Naji Al-Ali cartoons. Live music, theatre, films, and audio-visual presentations. First-time in OPT, exhibition of Palestinian posters.

The goal was to raise awareness and to launch public discussion on the issue. The different activities are artistic expressions of current tendencies among Palestinian refugees, in addition to the mapping, research and analysis of research centers and NGOs.

Outreach & Networking:

BADIL hosted international guests on 19 separate occasions throughout the second quarter of 2012, providing briefing and, in some cases, tours to refugee camps for approximately 306 people. In addition, several staff members participated in 13 one-on-one meetings with internationals, answering questions as well as discussing a variety of topics relating to refugee issues and rights, in addition to the work that BADIL does and our relationships with the various stakeholders.

Membership in Coalitions and Alliance Building:

BADIL participated in the monthly meetings of Protection Cluster Working Group and the Displacement Working Group, both are members of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In addition, BADIL attended the strategy and coordination meetings of the following organizations and networks: Kairos Palestine, Occupied Palestinian and Golan Heights Initiative (OPGAI), the Palestinian Council of Human Rights Organizations (PCHRO), the Palestinian Non-government Organizations Network (PNGO), as well as meetings and workshops with other partners. BADIL works closely with numerous coalitions organizing the World Social Forum (WSF) on Palestine, set to take place in Brazil later this year. BADIL was selected as one of the members of the Palestinian Mobilization Committee on the WSF.

3 May-PCHRO Mission to Jordan Valley and 28 June-PCHRO Mission to Hebron

Field Tours

BADIL, a member of the Palestinian Committee of Human Rights Organizations (PCHRO), organized and participated in two field tours: the first, held on 3 May, was to the Bedouin communities in the Jericho and Nables districts. The other tour, on 28 June, was to the Hebron District. The purpose of the tours was to establish relationships with these marginalized and endangered Palestinian communities, who are facing displacement (often for the second or third time) and to educate and raise awareness among defenders of human rights regarding the plight and conditions faced by these communities.

Establishment of a Research and Study Network on Palestinian Refugees

BADIL participated in a workshop titled “Researches on Palestinian Refugees: Needs and Priorities”. The workshop was organized via the Issam Fares Institute – American University of Beirut (AUB) in cooperation with Al-Quds Center for Political Studies. The participants agreed to establish a network aiming to develop mechanisms of cooperation and collaboration among themselves. The ultimate goal of this is to promote means to influencing duty bearers and stakeholders. The workshop took place on 29-30 June in Amman, Jordan.

See: http://badil.org/en/badil-news/829-story-1

Research:

3 June – Working Paper #13 “Palestinian National Identity: Formation Particularity and Defining Framework”.

See:http://www.badil.org/en/press-releases/142-2012/3540-press-eng-27

BADIL redesigned its research project, “Applicability of Apartheid on the Israeli Regime”. What was supposed to be a single, large research effort has been divided into a series of six topics that will highlight not only Israeli apartheid but also the mechanisms involved, such as the prolonged occupation, colonization, residency rights, settlements and population transfer. The first topic of this series is expected to be accomplished by the fourth quarter of this year.

 BADIL completed a written needs-assessment study which explores and documents principle residency issues faced by Palestinians in West Bank and Jerusalem. The study, titled ”Palestinian residency rights/risks/mechanisms”, addresses the main laws, policies, and orders of the Israeli government concerning residency, the quantity and quality of information on this issue, the information needs of potential target audiences, and the best format to present the information. BADIL believes that this study is a foundational document and will be the baseline for future studies that deal with residency rights and issues.

Mobilization and Intervention with Duty

UN Advocacy

24 May – Written submission to Mr. Mutuma Ruteere, the UN Special Rapportuer on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance “Ongoing impunity for Israeli Jewish Settler violence based on racial discrimination”.

See:http://www.badil.org/en/documents/category/41-un-special-rapporteur

3 April – Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, “United Nations International Meeting on Question of Palestine to Consider Implications of Palestinian Political Prisoners”, in Geneva.

See: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2012/gapal1226.doc.htm

25-26 June-Annual Day of discussion on women’s human rights of the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva.

18 June-Written statement to the UN Human Rights Council for the 20th Session under Item #7 “Israeli Settlement Policy Amounts to Forced Population Transfer”.

See: http://www.badil.org/en/legal-advocacy

US Congressional Advocacy

BADIL developed a Washington DC Advocacy Plan of Action and created a congressional contact list. BADIL distributed 3 biweekly news updates, 1 news compendium, 2 legislative round-ups and 1 round-up compendium this quarter on the Hill.

29 May – “Open letter to US Senator Mark Kirk: Darwinism has no place in International Law” in response to his amendment submitted to the US Congress for the reclassification of Palestinian refugees.

See: http://www.badil.org/en/press-releases/142-2012/3537-press-ara-26

Institutional Development:

BADIL staff participated in several training workshops supported by its partners including: Media Skills Workshop (2 days) and a “Workshop on Submitting Allegations to Special Procedures” (2 days) - both hosted by OHCHR; Building on Strengths and Supporting Communities-Utilizing Research and Evaluation in Context, A program Evaluation Workshop for NGOs/Field Agencies/Organizations (1 day) hosted by the Palestinian American Research Center (PARC) in cooperation with Bethlehem University; Financial Planning and Reporting for Not-for-Profit Organizations (3 days), International Advocacy for Human Rights (2 days), and Project Cycle Management (2 days) hosted by the NGO Development Center (NDC).

The above training programs were recreated internally for relevant BADIL staff who were unable to attend the original training programs in order to disseminate training materials and increase the competencies of BADIL’s staff. Furthermore, BADIL’s operations manual was amended to reflect the institutionalization of these internal trainings.

New evaluation mechanisms and formats were put into place to evaluate and monitor BADIL’s success in its current projects and with its partners.

BADIL succeeded in recruiting a permanent staff member for the position of Networking and Advocacy Officer. BADIL was also able to provide 3 internationals with intern opportunities for the summer of 2012.

Progress is being made with the development of BADIL’s financial manual and operation manual.