The Health and Human Rights Project (HaHRP), a project of American
Jews for a Just Peace (AJJP), announces its next delegation to
Israel/Palestine, and we encourage all who are interested to apply!
Who:
Approximately 15 people interested in traveling, meeting, and/or
working in Palestine for two weeks and bringing their experiences home
to work for justice in their own communities.
What:
A 2-week program organized with Lubna Alzaroo and Ryvka Barnard (a
colleague and friend of Hannah Mermelstein), during which we will meet
with Palestinian community leaders, activists, doctors, lawyers,
farmers, families and more. During the first week, we will be
traveling in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and inside Israel,
deepening our understanding of Israeli apartheid in all of these areas
through meetings with Palestinian and Israeli people. While we are
unable to travel in Gaza as a group, we will attempt to have contact
with colleagues there through video conference. During the second
week, participants will have the opportunity to work directly with
community organizations according to their skills and the needs of the
local population.
When:
January 1-January 15 (includes travel time)
Why/History:
We started the project 8 years ago, organizing yearly delegations to
lend our support and expertise in the medical field, document facts on
the ground, and work in coalition with Physicians for Human
Rights-Israel and the Palestinian Medical Relief Society. Over the
years we have broadened our scope to include meeting and working with
Palestinian and Israeli human rights activists and participating in
international solidarity work with Palestinian people and
organizations. We have been asked to join in Palestinian-led
nonviolent resistance on the ground; to witness daily life under
occupation and share our experiences with our own communities; to
participate in the growing global movement for boycott, divestment,
and sanctions against Israel; and to amplify Palestinian voices in the
West, where they have historically been silenced. As such, we have
designed the trip to facilitate participants in developing
relationships with Palestinian and Israeli activists on the ground
which will inform and strengthen our work at home for peace and
justice.
Application:
Please write to healthandhumanrights@gmail.com to request an
application. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through
November 14, 2011. Please let us know ASAP if you’re interested, as
spots fill up quickly!
Costs:
-All accepted participants will pay a $300 non-refundable registration
fee. This fee will go towards funding for the trip organizers and
materials.
-Upon arrival, participants in the first week of travel will pay $750.
This covers all lodging, transportation, food, and tours for the
week. For the second week, we will split costs amongst the group as
we go. Since we will be traveling less, we estimate costs for the
second week to be approximately $300.
-You are responsible for your own airfare, which may range from
$1,000-$1,500 round trip.
Delegation members are encouraged to fund-raise before and after their
trip, both for their own expenses if needed, and to help fund HaHRP.
We look forward to hearing from you!
