Over 95 Palestinian and Israeli Grassroots Activists Meet in Bethlehem and Endorse the Bilbao Declaration
The Alternative Information Center (AIC),
http://alternativenews.org
Under the title The Bilbao Initiative: Another Future is Possible, over 95 Palestinian, Israeli and international social activists met in Bethlehem on Friday 27 July to jointly analyse the current political situation, endorse the Bilbao Declaration and form a steering committee to update this 2003 document for use in future joint advocacy.
“Following the recent upheaval in Gaza and formation of a new Palestinian government, we felt the need to sit together – Palestinian, Israeli and international activists – and analyse the rapidly changing political situation” notes Nassar Ibrahim, Policy Director of the Alternative Information Center (AIC). “It is time that grassroots voices from civil society groups make their clear demands for peace and justice heard, and the Bilbao Declaration is a powerful tool for doing so.”
Endorsed already in 2003 by over 20 Palestinian and Israeli organizations, the Bilbao Declaration presents the minimum conditions under which a just and lasting peace can be formed, as well as providing a concrete foundation upon which Palestinian and Israeli activists can work together.
“Holding a joint Palestinian-Israeli conference in Bethlehem is an extremely rare event,” says Dr. Naim Abu Tier, Director of the Bisan Center for Research and Development and one of the co-organisers of the seminar. Sergio Yahni , Program Director for the AIC, concurs, adding that “When the vast majority of people talk about peace, they talk about separation – Israelis on one side of the Separation Wall, Palestinians on the other. We deliberately confront this separation and say no, creating a just peace means first and foremost struggling together for an end to the Israeli occupation.”
The conference organizers – AIC, Alternative Tourism Group (ATG), Bisan Center for Research and Development and the Union of Health Work Committees (UHWC) prioritized the participation of women and men active in grassroots organizations, including popular committees, refugee organizations, medical associations and community groups. “We are all accustomed to elitist NGO meetings” adds Yahni, “and this conference was a welcome contrast during which different and even opposing voices were heard and encouraged.”
A representative follow-up committee of Palestinian, Israeli and international activists will now begin updating the Bilbao Declaration to reflect political evolutions over the past four years. “The work is only now beginning,” notes Connie Hackbarth , Executive Director of the AIC. “We are forever asked about our own positive, joint initiative to promote a just peace and social justice, and this is our opportunity to create such a critically needed process.” |