The JNF-KKL was created in 1901 to acquire land and property rights in Palestine and beyond for exclusive Jewish settlement. While indigenous Palestinians are barred from leasing, building on, managing or working their own land, the JNF holds the land in trust for “those of Jewish race or descendency” living anywhere in the world to “promote the interests of Jews in the prescribed region.” The JNF-KKL has been a key pillar of the colonization of Palestine - from the founding of the State of Israel to the present – and enjoys charity status in over 50 countries. This is despite its role in the on-going displacement of indigenous Palestinians from their land, the theft of their property, the funding of historic and present-day colonies, and the destruction of the natural environment. On the occasion of Palestinian Land Day and the Global BDS Day of Action on 30 March, BADIL will be joining with hundreds of other organizations to support the call from the BDS National Committee of Palestine (BNC) to launch an international Stop the JNF Campaign which calls upon people and organizations of conscientious worldwide to expose the JNF’s crimes against the Palestinian people and to implement boycotts and legal action against the JNF wherever it operates. See more at: stopthejnf.org

The Youth Education and Activation Program (YEAP) was launched in 2005 and has been conducted with BADIL’s partners both in Palestine and in exile. In 2011, the YEAP is being implemented with 14 partners, in the West Bank, Gaza, Palestine 48, and Syria and aims at training, educating, activating, and building capacity among refugee youth.

Based on the assessment of results achieved in the previous program, BADIL has decided to develop a methodology based on the implementation of five actions and participation in a two-week Summer School. The purpose in the change in methodology is to make the course more exciting in response to feedback from the youth who felt that the previous course was “too much like school”.

Started in 2005 by students in Canada to raise awareness of Israel as an Apartheid state and to build the campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) until Israel complies with international law, Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) has now grown to one of the highlights of the Palestine solidarity calendar with over 94 cities around the globe participating in 2011..

BADIL participated in IAW 2011, the biggest so far, by supporting local, films showings, musical events and public discussions and by printing and distributing stickers, posters and flyers. The focus of the week’s activities was to raise awareness of how Israeli Apartheid as a regime applies to all Palestinians including refugees and Palestinian citizens of Israel. Activities took place in Nablus, Ramallah, Gaza, Yaffa, Haifa, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Al Quds (Jerusalem), and Birzeit.

BADIL participated in the 16th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva where it presented 7 oral statements on:

• Jerusalem/Self-determination;
• Impact of lack accountability on refugees in Gaza;
• Adequate housing;
• Human rights defenders;
• Arbitrary detention (joint statement with Addameer);
• Special Rapporteur report on torture;
• Special Rapporteur report on freedom of religion and beliefs.

In addition, BADIL submitted one written statement on 'protracted demographic transformation of Jerusalem as a function of a policy of population transfer and a regime of apartheid and colonialism’ to underscore Special Rapporteur on the OPT, Richard Falk’s, Report to the Council.

BADIL also prepared a Briefing Note on the Right to Self- Determination of Palestinian People defining the scope of Palestinian self-determination, which was presented to the High Commissioner on Human Rights during her visit to Palestine, February 7, 2011.

With Addameer on Palestinian women political prisoners on the occasion of International Women’s Day; and also with Richard Falk on the issue, ‘How can civil society play a role in pushing the international community’.

Most recently, BADIL formulated an appeal to the Special Rapporteur, Richard Falk, on adequate housing in relation to the eviction notices handed to 15 Palestinian families in Beit Hanina.

(for more information on all of BADIL’s work at the 16th HRC session visit the BADIL website )

BADIL and Zochrot met in Istanbul between the 12th and 15th of December 2010 to develop their joint project on practical approaches to refugee return. The seminar was a continuation of the Belgrade seminar of 2009 and as part of the project which is working to understand how refugee return is to be practically implemented.

BADIL and Zochrot organized a seminar in Istanbul dedicated to developing the four main themes/papers based on Belgrade seminar, namely: creating a culture of return, transitional justice, rehabilitation andintegration, and restitution. During the first two days, participants were divided into for sub-groups, each sub-group discussed and developed one paper and added new ideas to build on the outcomes of the Belgrade seminar.

The last 2 days of the seminar were dedicated to practically applying the contents of the paper to a particular locality in Palestine. Participants applied the principles and lessons from previous discussions to the Almanshyia neighborhood of Yaffa in an exercise which allowed participants to supplement their theoretical knowledge a keener understanding of the difficulties that will be encountered when formulating a program and mechanisms for refugee return.

A full summary of BADIL-Zochrot's entire project so far will be available in the forthcoming issue (#46) of AL Majdal.

BADIL is working on several papers and research projects including:

• Jurisprudence Regarding Article 1D 2005-2010, (to be published in April);
• Badil Working Paper (12): Applying International Law to Israel’s Treatment of The Palestinian People, (to be published in April);
• Brief on Refugee Women’s Rights (to be published in June);
• The paper on The Applicability of the Crime of Apartheid to the State of Israel (to be published in August);
• Response Assessment to Situations of Internal Displacement in the OPT (to be published in November);
• BADIL survey of Palestinian Refugees and IDPs 2010-2012 (to be published March 2012).

The top ten journalist entries from the 2010 Awda Award were published; three research papers addressing “The Role of Palestinian Women in Defending and Advocating The Culture of Return” are awaiting publication.