Event reports
At the beginning of the tour Mr. Jörg Knocha, project manager at KAS Ramallah, described to the group how the checkpoint Qalandiya functions and explained the problems of the daily life of the Palestinians. After a short walk, the group visited the Palestinian refugee camp Qalandiya. The Chief Area Officer of UNWRA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) gave an update about the work of UNRWA in the camp and showed the visitors parts of it. He emphasised that the goal of UNWRA is, amongst others, to provide the refugees with basic health care, medical services, schooling and material support. He pointed out that a main problem in the daily life is the unemployment of the people in the refugee camp.
Afterwards, the group went to the office of KAS Ramallah were they received a briefing from Mr. Xavier Abu Eid, a member of the Negotiations Support Unit (NSU) of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The NSU is a department of the Ramallah-based Negotiations Affairs Department (NAD), whose more than 20 employees implement the Negotiations Support Project supported by Great Britain, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The project's objective is to lend technical support to the Palestinian Authority in their peace negotiations with Israel, as well as to revive them through diplomatic initiatives after they fail. In his presentation, Mr. Abu Eid referred to the preparation of negotiations as the tool to reach the end game of a sovereign Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.
After a walk through the city, Jörg Knocha explained the work of KAS Ramallah and gave a short update about the project partners. After this, the group met with Dr. Khalil Shikaki, a renowned political analyst and director of the Palestinian Center for Survey and Policy Research (PSR). He gave the students insights about the life of Palestinians in general and their perception of the current events in particular.
After the discussion with Dr. Khalil Shikaki, the group met another partner of KAS Ramallah: MIFTAH (The Palestinian Initiative for Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy). MIFTAH is an independent organization with the goal of promoting democracy, good governance and free media. The students of the Henri-Nannen-School met a delegation of young Palestinian media students, with which MIFTAH and KAS Ramallah are working together. They had a lively discussion about the freedom of the press and how journalism is working within the Palestinian Territories.
At the end of the day the two groups enjoyed a joint dinner. During this they had a lively discussion. Afterwards they went back to Jerusalem.