Help with the Olive Harvest in Palestine!

The Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), one of Grassroots International’s newest partners in Palestine, is organizing an olive harvest campaign directed at bringing internationals in to help Palestinian families access their lands and pick their olives during the upcoming harvest season. This is a great way to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and support their right to stay on the land. Here is the flyer we received from UAWC:

The olive harvest season in Palestine is approaching; it is considered one of the most important events in the lives of rural Palestinian households. During this season, which usually lasts for a month, the daily routine of Palestinian families changes, as does the setting of households, which shifts to take place at the vast green lands planted with olive trees.

This season has enriched the Palestinian culture, introducing new types of food, folklore songs, poems, and games that reflect this new style of life. The picture that always comes to mind is of an extended family with generations of all ages, sitting in a circle around a bonfire eating and singing after a long day of hard work picking, gathering and boxing olives.

Nowadays, however, this picture is shattered by the Israeli occupation, as it continues with its policies of land confiscation and land division. Moreover, Palestinians are often banned from reaching their lands, which makes the harvest almost impossible. Today, the only picture we see is that of Palestinian farmers fighting at checkpoints, asking for permission from soldiers, who are usually young enough to be their grandchildren, to work their lands during harvest season. Another picture is that of Israeli bulldozers uprooting olive trees, and turning agricultural fields into barren wasteland for the construction of the apartheid wall.

The Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) recognizes the economic and cultural importance of olives and olive oil for Palestinian farmers in particular, and for Palestinian society at large. In order for us all to join our efforts in putting the pieces of this beautiful family picture together, UAWC is honored to invite you to take part in this remarkable event by harvesting olives and staying with Palestinian families; it means a lot for the Palestinians to share a small piece of their culture, if you can help them reach their lands.

UAWC will be responsible for your accommodation and meals during your stay. For more information please contact:

E-mail: info@uawc-pal.org

Web site: www.uawc-pal.org

Ramallah P.O Box 279

Tel: 02-2954289/02-2980316

Fax: 02-2965545