Press Releases

BADIL Resource Center
11 November 2003
For Immediate Release

A  9-member BADIL delegation of Palestinians from the Occupied Territories, Lebanon and Europe arrives in South Africa today to look at land reform, property restitution and community participation in the reconciliation process. 

Past experience, community involvement and the rule of law are three major components of any peace and reconciliation plan, says BADIL, the Bethlehem-based Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights.  BADIL promotes research into these areas and also organizes fact-finding visits to countries repairing the damage of conflict and building new societies.  The South Africa trip follows a successful 2002 visit to study refugee return and property restitution in Bosnia-Herzogovina.

The 11-19 November visit to South Africa aims to increase awareness among Palestinians of the basic rights of refugees, the need to design mechanisms to address all aspects of a durable solution and to motivate refugees and community organizations to take an active role in the process.

The Government of South Africa has taken overall responsibility for reconciliation and stability in the post-apartheid era.  Land reform is a major focus as 80 per cent of the country’s population was living on only 13 per cent of the land due to apartheid policies and laws.  The Government has enacted legislation and established the necessary institutions to implement reform. 

BADIL will use the experience gained in South Africa to promote awareness of the process itself and the relevance and applicability of international law and historical experience to refugees, including Palestinian refugees, among Palestinian policy makers, international organizations implementing durable solutions and others.

In South Africa, the delegation is meeting claims commission officials, community activists, researchers and individual South Africans affected by the truth and reconciliation process.  The visit is being documented both through printed reports and a video production.

As well as sponsoring international visits, BADIL has organized fact-finding visits to depopulated Palestinian villages and areas now populated by Jewish Israelis in Israel.

BADIL takes a rights-based approach to the Palestinian refugee issue; promotes research into all aspects of Palestinian residency and refugee rights and encourages Palestinian community participation.

For further information contact: BADIL, P.O. Box 728, Bethlehem
Tel/Fax: 970-2-274-7346 or resource @badil.org   Web: www.badil.org