EAPPI Standing in Solidarity with
Local Villages
Wadi Fukin
I had the privilege of visiting Wadi Fukin with the United
Methodist Liaisons to Palestine and Israel, Janet Lahr Lewis and Rev. Kristen
Brown. Also with me was the EAPPI Field
Assistant, Yamen.
The GBGM has chosen Wadi Fukin (Foquin) as a community
development project. The next three
paragraphs below explain the project.
Background/History
The Palestinian village of Wadi Fukin is located near
Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. The valley (wadi) is squeezed between the
Green Line/border with Israel on one side and the illegal Jewish settlement of
Bitar Illit on the other. There is only one road in or out of the village which
can be closed by Israeli soldiers (or militant settlers) at any time, cutting
off the villagers' access to Bethlehem, the main market for their produce.
Alternatives for income generation for the residents is essential. Training in
new areas is needed that will assist people in finding new avenues for
employment other than agricultural. It is also an opportunity to help people
understand what it means to be a Christian in this entirely Muslim village.
Goals & Objectives
a) To provide training for women for three years in basic
business management and assist them in establishing income-generating projects
to help support their families
b) To provide training for young adults, especially males, that will enable them to find employment and/or have an income to support their families.(On going)
b) To provide salary support for three years for program coordinators
c) To provide funding for three years for renovations and rental/purchase of abandoned building for establishment of Community Center in which to have programming.
b) To provide training for young adults, especially males, that will enable them to find employment and/or have an income to support their families.(On going)
b) To provide salary support for three years for program coordinators
c) To provide funding for three years for renovations and rental/purchase of abandoned building for establishment of Community Center in which to have programming.
Activities Plan
a) Assist women in training and developing of a shop where
they can sell their needlework, spices and baked goods to locals and
internationals.
b) Provide instruction in learning Hebrew to enable young men to find employment with Israeli companies.
c) Hire local professionals to train women in basic first aid since there is no clinic in the village.
d) Continue to encourage VIM teams to help in repair of Community Center so that programs can be held.
b) Provide instruction in learning Hebrew to enable young men to find employment with Israeli companies.
c) Hire local professionals to train women in basic first aid since there is no clinic in the village.
d) Continue to encourage VIM teams to help in repair of Community Center so that programs can be held.
Donations are Needed
You may make donations for this
project at www.umcmission.org. When made through this web site, 100 percent
of the money goes to the project. The
project’s advance number is 3021565.
Current Developments
The community has built a wonderful park for their families
to enjoy.
This community, with some help from the Israeli town
directly west of them, is in the process of requesting that this community be declared
a UNESCO site. UNESCO’s aim is to
contribute to the building of peace, eradication of poverty, sustainable
development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture
community and information. A group,
Friends of the Earth, is partners with the village in obtaining this
designation. The hope is it will help
preserve the village and its agricultural ways.
While this settlement (a city of 60,000) was being built, the construction derbies were dumped onto the olive orchard, burying part and causing the need for a new road.
 |
During our visit, we heard of ongoing issues, the settlement
releases their sewage onto the land of these farmers, causing much damage to
their products and fields.
A climb up this hill revealed the unbelievable truth, sewage from settlement on top of hill being sent down to villager's fields.
Two weeks ago, 20 soldiers pulled an individual from his
home in the middle of the night to sign some papers. This intimidation technique is an example of
the human right violations that villagers suffer. The soldiers have this individual’s cell
phone number and could have called him during the day and he would have been
glad to come and sign the paper. Instead,
the whole village was traumatized.
Demolition orders were received because a villager added a
shed to his home. The demolition order
is for his entire house, not just the shed
One of the homes has been the target of stone throwing by
the settlers.
An additional problem is occurring when armed “settlers” come down
to the villager’s private land and swim in the farmer’s irrigation pools. They destroy crops and splash out precious
water in the process. They are armed.
The ones I saw during my visit appear to be in their late teens and
young 20’s. Most offensive is their
nudity and near nudity. This is an
offence to the religious understandings of the villagers.
For More Infirmation:
For more information or updates on Wadi
Foquin go to http://www.change.org/petitions/save-wadi-foquin-fukin (sign the petition!) or http://friendsofwadifoquin.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/campaign-to-save-wadi-foquin.pdf (violations listed)
