December 2007

Dear Zaytoun supporter,

Harvest News

Every year Zaytoun organizes an olive picking group and a tour over the olive harvest period, this year saw nearly 30 people coming with us to
Palestine in these groups, below are accounts from members of each group.

Olive Pickers

This year 16 volunteers went out to the West Bank to accompany and support Palestinian farmers working to harvest their olives. Most of the
groups were first timers in Palestine. In addition Ed, veteran olive harvester and founder of Bristol computers4Palestine
(www.bristolcomputers4palestine.co.uk <http://www.bristolcomputers4palestine.co.uk/>  ), worked with two other volunteers on filming projects documenting the experiences of villages living under occupation.

This was the fourth year that Zaytoun, working in partnership with the International Women's Peace Service, has sent out a group, and this was the biggest group to date. They worked in three teams, one based in Marda; the village encroached on by the Ariel settlement bloc and which features in the 'Sufferings in our land' film. The second team spent the two weeks in Kufr Qudum, a village whose land is being steadily stolen by the nearby settlement of Qedumin. The third team worked in the Nablus area, working jointly with volunteers from the International Solidarity Movement and supporting a number of villages in this area.

Each team found villagers struggling to cope with the day to day impact of the occupation and in particular the restrictions on being able to go to their land. In many places farmers are intimidated and hreatened by settlers and the teams found example after example of places where olive groves had been stolen, trees chopped down or burnt and farmers prevented from visiting their land. In many villages farmers were forced to apply for permits for access to their own land and these permits were denied or withdrawn at will by the Israeli Army.

Those volunteers who had joined the harvest in previous years all felt that the situation has grown worse, year on year. Poverty and unemployment levels have clearly increased and villages were struggling to cope. For example, in Kufr Qudum, which relies on a generator for electricity, the village council was having to reduce the numbers of hours electricity available because villagers could not afford to pay for the diesel required. There were also attempts, by the Army, to prevent international volunteers helping the farmers in some villages. However, the teams were made incredibly welcome by all the farmers they worked with, and the constant message was to plead for more people to come out to Palestine, and to return home and tell the stories of what they have seen there.

2007 volunteers are happy to talk to groups about their experiences. Contact us for further details. There is also a blog by a Sheffield based volunteer at www.sheffieldpsc.org.uk/drupal/blog/hils and the group are in the process of putting their photos online at www.flickr.com/groups/oliveharvest2007

Zaytoun Tour 2007

Plump dates , nursery tomato and pepper plants, loads of olives, an olive oil press and even an olive oil soap factory: these are just some of the things we saw on our 5 day Zaytoun tour. But more important were the people: olive pickers, date sorters and packers, leaders of co-operatives, (Al Zaytouna), students of the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee (PARC) enthusiastically telling us and showing us what they were learning, leaders of small communities so aware of what faced them  all these people and many more inspired me.

They had hope in the face of what would seem, to most of us, overwhelming adversity. The hope, rather than false optimism, was made most obvious at the Palestine Fair Trade Association's Olive Harvest celebration in Jenin when those who must have been extremely tired, (because olive picking is very strenuous) danced for hours, arms linked and not just smiling, but rejoicing. The harvest was in and somehow they would not just survive but triumph. The olives, dates and other produce had been picked in the knowledge that getting their goods to markets overseas would be extremely difficult. First get them through the checkpoint  and another  and another  while hoping to keep them in a saleable state. Then find the market and rely on others to export them. Get through the port in spite of difficulties with Israeli customs. Find an assured market. None of this is easy.

Well, I now know that thanks to Zaytoun  and other importing organisations in USA Canada, Australia, Scandinavia and elsewhere, their hope has a measure of realism. Life is not going to be easy. (I think of a journey of 60 miles that took me 5 and a half hours because of all the barriers). But things can improve if we go on buying and selling. Result they go on hoping and living. Almonds and Cous Cous - 50% discount until end of December

We are selling our cases of almonds and cous cous with a 50% discount until the end of December in order to clear existing stock before our new shipment arrives i.e. cous cous @ 50p per 250g bag and almonds at £31.56 per 250g bag (products come in cases of 10*250g)

Fairs and events

15th December  World Fair 11am  6pm Conway Hall, Red Lion Sq, London WC1.

Christmas cards for Marda Permaculture Farm cultivating hope in
Palestine

100% of the proceeds from these cards will go to Marda Permaculture Farm in the Salfit region of the West Bank. The farm hopes to improve quality of life in the region by demonstrating and teaching practical
permaculture techniques that will better enable people to produce their own food and energy and innovatively manage waste and water. We are asking for a minimum donation of £2 per card, which has a few words
about the farm on the inside cover.

Please send any donations to Permaculture Association Britain (BCM Permaculture Association, London, WC1N 3XX) with a note saying it is for the Marda project, how many cards you would like and a postal address. Where appropriate please, please remember a gift aid form. We hope you all enjoy the holiday season,

The Zaytoun Team
www.zaytoun.org <http://www.zaytoun.org/>