TOWARDS A PALESTINIAN-INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN
For the
DEFENSE OF PALESTINIAN REFUGEE RIGHTS
BADIL Resource Center
1 June 1999
For Immediate Release
Since 1995, Palestinian activists and refugee
organizations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have been involved in an effort to organize
an independent grass-roots movement which will take on the difficult task of protecting
Palestinian refugee rights in the sensitive period between the signing of the Oslo Accords
and a future final status agreement with Israel. In 1999, BADIL contributed to this effort
by compiling an information packet composed of central documents produced by the popular
refugee initiative launched in al-Far'ah in 1995, new arguments and background
information, and a proposal for a plan of action relevant for current Palestinian
and international mobilization for Palestinian refugee rights. Since March 1999, this
BADIL packet has been presented to Palestinian activists and NGOs in Palestine and
Lebanon, as well as to international solidarity groups and NGOs in Europe, the United
States, Canada, and Australia.
The PALESTINIAN CAMPAIGN
Two workshops were organized by the activist
forum of BADIL Friends in Bethlehem and Nablus in April and May 1999. A third workshop is
scheduled to be held in Gaza this summer. The recommendations issued by the approximately
60 participants, Palestinian grass-roots activists and representatives of PLO and PA
institutions can be summarized as following:
Principles and Agenda
1. The local and international campaign proposed by
BADIL is a welcomed and timely initiative which must involve not only Palestinian
refugees, but progressive and democratic Palestinians, Arabs and international
supporters everywhere.
2. The Palestinian and international campaign must
focus on raising awareness and support for the Palestinian right of return in order to
counter the position - held by Israel and the international community - that this right is
outdated. Recognition by Israel of the right of return as a principle is a Palestinian
pre-condition for the negotiation of a concrete solution to the Palestinian refugee
question. Palestinian organizations are called upon to raise UN Resolution 194 in
conjunction with UN Resolution 181 (UN Partition Plan). Awareness raising and mobilization
among the Palestinian community must also address immediate refugee needs and concerns
that result from the heavy economic pressure in the refugee camps.
3. The Palestinian debate on the concrete meaning
of the right of return in the current political context must be continued and intensified.
Central questions, such as: I) return with or without Palestinian sovereignty; ii) return
to where in 1948 Palestine (Israel); iii) the impact of Palestinian statehood on refugees;
iv) the difference between return to the PA areas and the right of return, a.o.,
must be clarified with the assistance of experts, in order to achieve a sound Palestinian
consensus and the unification of Palestinian public speech.
4. The backbone of this campaign must be formed by
Palestinian popular (grass-roots) organizations and initiatives which express the
genuine needs and demands of Palestinian refugees.
5. The solution of the Palestinian refugee question
is an extremely difficult task. It requires unity and mutual support, and must include the
Palestinian diaspora in order to overcome the threat of geographic separation.
6. Palestinian pressure for the maintenance of
UNRWA is important, not only because of the services provided to the refugees by the
agency, but also because UNRWA is an expression of the international responsibility for
the Palestinian refugee question. Ways of improving the efficiency of lobbying must be
explored.
7. The PLO is called upon to prepare - with the
help of experts - position papers for the negotiations with Israel. These papers should be
presented to the Palestinian Council prior to disclosure in the negotiations. As an
agreement on the refugee question with Israel cannot be expected within the near future
(1-5 years), a Palestinian strategy for dealing with the delay of this central question
must be developed.
8. The PLO is called upon to democratize its
institutions dealing with the refugee question, especially the Department of Refugee
Affairs and the PLO Service Committees, in order to allow for the involvement of popular
refugee representatives and experts.
Commitments by the PLO Department of Refugee
Affairs:
1. In regards to the upcoming final status
negotiations, the PLO is committed to abstain from discussing with Israel any
details/practicalities of the refugee question, until Israel provides recognition - in
principle - of the Palestinian right of return.
2. The PLO Department for Refugee Affairs will
extend its support to the popular campaign for the defense of Palestinian refugee rights.
The EUROPEAN CAMPAIGN
A strategy workshop organized by Oxfam
Solidarity in March 1999 set the foundations for two European Solidarity campaigns, a
Campaign for Palestinian Economic Development, and a Campaign for Palestinian Refugee
Rights. Participants at this workshop included Palestinian and European NGOs (Forum of
Palestinian NGOs in Lebanon, PARC, BADIL, Belgo-Palestinian Association, Flamish Palestine
Committee, UCL Cermac, a.o.), Belgian trade unionists, representatives of the ECCP
(European Coordinating Committee on Palestine), representatives of the Palestinian
delegation and the Arab League in Brussels, Belgian and EU parliamentarians, as well as
delegates from the European Commission.
The Campaign for Palestinian Refugee Rights
outlined at this meeting will:
- Advocate for the Palestinian right of return;
- Empower Palestinian refugee initiatives and NGOs;
- Lobby for increased UNRWA support by European
governments and the EU.
Among the campaign tools to be used for
mobilization in Europe, the Brussels workshop adopted BADIL's information packet for a
Palestinian-International Campaign for the Defense of Palestinian Refugee Rights, which is
to serve as the basis for promotion materials and stickers to be produced in Europe; video
documentaries produced by Palestinian and European NGOs, and BADIL's Petition for
the Palestinian Right to Restitution. Since April 1999, Belgian NGOs and solidarity
Committees have been networking to expand this campaign initiative by networking with NGOs
and solidarity groups in other European countries. By October 1999, the Campaign is to be
launched officially at the European level in coordination with the ECCP.
Activities and Time Table (tentative)
March 28 - April 1:
Launching of the Belgian campaign at the strategy
workshop "Palestine-Day of the Land: For the Right of Return & Economic
Development", Brussels (Oxfam Solidarity for Belgian NGOs and solidarity groups);
May 4:
Solidarity demonstrations for the Palestinian right
to self-determination in several European cities, such as Paris, Brussels, Strassbourg,
Athens and other Greek cities, as well as in Spain and Italy.
May 17 - 19:
Workshop "Working for the Future of
Palestinian Refugees", De Hague (BBO for Dutch NGOs); three Dutch NGOs (ICCO,
Commission for Interchurch Aid, Interchurch Organization for Development Cooperation) join
the Belgian campaign initiative.
June-July:
- Start of intensive effort by Belgian and
Dutch NGOs and solidarity groups to obtain endorsement of the Petition for the Palestinian
Right to Restitution by public figures and organizations in Europe;
- Coordination meeting between ECCP and NGOs
active in all European countries.
September:
Release of campaign materials (stickers, brochures)
in French, Dutch, and English.
October/November:
- Briefing of the newly elected European
parliament on the situation, needs, and demands of Palestinian refugees by a delegation
composed of the ECCP, NGOs and solidarity groups and Palestinian refugees. The Petition
for the Palestinian Right to Restitution with the signatures gathered world wide will be
presented to the European parliament.
- European Campaign for Palestinian Refugee
Rights to be launched Europe-wide with coordination by the ECCP and the European NGO
networks. Concerted actions in solidarity with Palestinian Refugees currently under
discussion are:
a) NGO investigation in UNRWA funding by the
respective European governments and the EU as part of a lobbying effort to increase UNRWA
support;
b) Public action in solidarity with the Palestinian
people in general, and refugees in particular on the occasion of anniversaries of events
which carry special significance for Palestinian refugees, e.g. 2 November (Balfour
Declaration), 29 November (UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People), 11 December
(UN Resolution 194), 9 April (Deir Yassin Massacre), 14 May (anniversary of the
declaration of the Israeli state and the eviction of the Palestinian people).
c) Europe-tour of a Palestinian refugee delegation
for lobbying key politicians and public awareness raising in Europe (spring 2,000).
BADIL URGES ITS FRIENDS AND PARTNERS TO JOIN
THIS CAMPAIGN
For further information on the European
initiative, please contact: Hilt Teuwen at Oxfam Solidarity, email: Hilt.Teuwen@oxfamsol.ngonet.be, tel.
0032-2-5129990, fax. 0032-2-5142813.
For endorsement of the Petition for the
Palestinian Right to Restitution in Australia, please contact: Asem Judeh/PREA, tel. (03)
9850 9825, fax. (03) 9858 2235; email: ajudeh@alphalink.com.au
For further information about the campaign
initiative in Palestine and elsewhere, please contact BADIL Resource Center.
HOW TO OBTAIN CAMPAIGN TOOLS?
- The Petition for the Palestinian Right to
Restitution is available on BADIL's website;
- The information packet/Towards a
Palestinian-International Campaign for the Defense of Refugee Rights can be ordered from
BADIL in English and Arabic (email copies free of charge, print copies: US $10);
- For more and regular updates on this campaign,
order AL MAJDAL magazine, BADIL's quarterly (US $20 for one year; next issue forthcoming
in June 1999);
BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency
& Refugee Rights, PO Box 728, Bethlehem, West Bank; tel/fax. 02-2747346; email: info@badil.org. |