Press Releases
(Bethlehem, 15 May 2026)
Under the slogan “Resisting the Erasure of the Palestinian Refugee Cause” and as part of ongoing Nakba Resistance activities, BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights implemented the first Al Awda Training School for 2026, in partnership with a group of grassroots organizations in Mandatory Palestine. The program lasted three consecutive days (8–10 May 2026) and was attended by 27 participants.
The program opened with a workshop discussing key political issues in the history of the Palestinian cause, linking them to the current Palestinian reality. The training also highlighted the concepts of the Ongoing Nakba and forced displacement, coinciding with the launch of the campaign to resist the Ongoing Nakba, implemented annually by BADIL and the Global Palestinian Refugee and Diaspora Network at both local and international levels. It further addressed key political and legal terms within the colonial context in Palestine, as well as the impact of stereotypes, geographic fragmentation, and Israeli policies of division on Palestinian youth within Mandatory Palestine.
The Al Awda School also hosted Mr. Ahmad Al-Laham, who delivered a workshop titled “Palestinian Identity,” in which participants discussed the impact of colonial policies on both collective and individual Palestinian identity.
Filmmakers Wissam Al-Jaafari from Dheisheh Camp and Alaa Al-Ali from Shatila Camp in Lebanon screened two films titled “Ambiance” and “Journey of a Sofa,” which address the lives of Palestinian refugees in refugee camps.
The program also included a field visit to Aida Camp in Bethlehem, where participants visited the Lajee Center and learned about its programs, took a tour of the camp, and met with a released prisoner from Bethlehem who shared his 13-year imprisonment experience. He spoke about the situation of Palestinian prisoners and the violations they have faced since the start of the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
The Al Awda Training Schools are an essential part of the programs implemented by BADIL, which aim to strengthen connections among Palestinian youth in all of Mandatory Palestine,gand enhance their knowledge and skills to raise their voices in demanding the rights of the Palestinian people, particularly Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons.
