Olive Picking Campaign in Palestine (2009)

October 2009. The Alternative Tourism Group (ATG) and the Joint Advocacy Initiative (JAI) organized the Olive Picking Campaign in Palestine.
The supreme symbol of Palestine, the olive tree symbolizes the deep connection of Palestinians to their land. Since the beginning of the second Intifada in 2000, the olive harvest has been overshadowed by Israel's army of repression. The objective of the Olive Picking Campaign is to mobilize international volunteers to assist farmers in picking olives in fields. The closures, blockage of streets and confiscation of agricultural lands, as well as repeated attacks against Palestinian farmers by Israeli settlers, make the work in fields so hard. Besides picking olives, the program features introductory presentations about the current situation in Palestine and the effect of the Apartheid Wall. In the program there are included political tours in the Old City of Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Hebron, in addition to cultural events and social gatherings. One can learn about the importance of olive tree in all aspects of Palestinian life; the production of olives, oil, and the handicrafts produced from the olivewood. Palestinians are suffering from the construction of the Apartheid Wall at the expense of their land. Many cities are divided and many farmers are separated from their olive trees. Farmers can not reach freely their olive fields situated in close proximity of Israeli settlements, bypass roads and the Apartheid Wall path. In these areas, an international presence is often needed in order to help Palestinian farmers access their olive groves which are in danger of being confiscated.
for more info:
www.patg.org
info@atg.ps

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