[Original issued on October 11, 2023; Translated by A. Turner/K. Takemura] On 11th October, a group of four Japanese NGOs offering support to Palestine came together to deliver a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As of 10th October local time, more than 900 people in Israel and 900 in Gaza have perished, and casualties on both sides number in the thousands. No more lives can be lost. We call for the Japanese Government to make every diplomatic effort to encourage both parties to consider mediation. Request from Japanese NGOs To: Ms. Yōko Kamikawa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan The exchange of missiles between Palestine and Israel over…
Along With the Turbulent Middle East- Backstage Stories at the launch of the JVC’s Palestine project –
[Original by Kakeru HORIYA, Mariko KIMURA, and Mizuho OSAWA published in note.com (September 30, 2022); Translated by J. Tsuchiya/F. Farina] 30 years have passed since JVC started supportive activities in Palestine in 1992. During this period, we have seen hopeful events toward peace such as the Oslo Accords (1993) and the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority (1994). However, the Al-Aqsa Intifada (2000)［1］resulted in increased tension again, leading to a lockdown in Gaza (2007) and repeated attacks on the Gaza Strip, and the situation has worsened. Therefore, we would like to tell you what kind of activities JVC was doing with what intentions in each period by recalling the situations…
Palestinian Women Living with Strength in a Strict Society
[Originally written by Mariko KIMURA, Mizuho OSAWA, and Ayat YAGHMOUR and published in the JVC Newsletter “Trial & Error” (No. 353, April 20, 2023); Translated by E. Miyazaki/E. Yocom] When we talk about Palestine, many people focus on the issue of its unjust occupation by Israel. On the other hand, inside Palestine, women’s rights to go out freely, work, and to go to school are severely restricted due to the male-dominated patriarchal system. However, under these circumstances, there are women who have stood up to promote women’s rights, economic empowerment, and social engagement. The harsh situation surrounding the Palestinian people It has been 75 years since Israel declared its founding…
Staff Interview: Ayat YAGHMOUR (Palestine Project)
[Original published in note.com by Akie MITA (July 13, 2022); Translated by A. Turner] Hi all, my name is Mita and I’m an intern with JVC! Today we hear Ayat’s experiences supporting JVC’s activities in our office in Jerusalem, Palestine! Ayat is a very passionate person and was kind enough to share with us her strong beliefs. Q: Let’s start with a self-introduction! (Ayat) My name is Ayat Yaghmour. I’ve been volunteering with JVC since 2018 and began officially working here in May last year. I have three younger sisters, and I enjoy yoga and hiking. (Mita) Yoga is such a nice hobby! (Ayat) I like to do a lot…
JVC’s local staff in Jerusalem visited Gaza (Part 3)
[Original published in note.com by Masaya SAIKI, Intern for the Palestine project (March 15, 2022); Translated by Y. Miki/F. Farina] Ms. Ayat, one of our local staff in Jerusalem, visited Gaza. Here is the report on the final day of her visit following part 2. — Drinking coffee in the morning with the sunshine in Gaza is “a great ritual to start the day” for me. Unfortunately, though, a taxi to the place I was visiting had arrived. I always wanted to check out the view of Gaza from the top, and when I went up to the roof of the building I was visiting, there was a lot of…
JVC’s local staff in Jerusalem visited Gaza (Part 2)
[Original published in note.com by Masaya SAIKI, Intern for the Palestine project (March 7, 2022); Translated by Y. Miki/F. Farina] Ms. Ayat, one of our local staff in Jerusalem, visited Gaza. Here is the report on the second day of her visit following part 1. — Today, I visited a community center in the Al Brij refugee camp to monitor the workshop for the local health voluntary advisers. Once I arrived at the venue, women from the northern and central Gaza were already actively sharing their experiences. Those ladies who attended the workshop were very enthusiastic, committed, and strong with sensitivity like a hammer. Behind their smiles and laughter, they…
JVC’s local staff in Jerusalem visited Gaza (Part1)
[Original published in note.com by Masaya SAIKI, Intern for the Palestine project (February 3, 2022); Translated by Y. Miki/A. Taguchi] Ms. Ayat, one of our local staff in Jerusalem, visited Gaza for the first time and had a good experience. I will introduce her report in three parts. Gaza had been off-limits for a long time, so we were not allowed to enter there. Therefore, when I visited Gaza for the first time, it seemed to be a very distant place from Jerusalem. I had many stereotypes about Gaza. It might be because of various briefings on life in Gaza I received for many years. Most of what I had…
Emergency support for Gaza, Palestine
In the Gaza Strip, Palestine, 11 days of airstrikes by Israeli authority killed 256 people including 66 children and injured about 2,000 people since May 10 (as of June 6). The airstrikes intensified day by day, and people spent days in fear. We received heartbreaking messages from the local people every day: “I might be the next to die,” “I just want you to pray for us,” “I can’t stand up because my legs are shaking, and I can’t even press the buttons on my phone because my hands are shaking.” Although a ceasefire was reached on May 21, the buildings and infrastructure in Gaza have been terribly damaged. While…
Why can’t people put Christmas trees away?
Behind-the-scenes story related to Christmas in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip [Original by Yoriko YAMAMURA, Palestine Project (January 28, 2020); Translated by H. Ueda/A. Taguchi] What comes to your mind when you hear the word Christmas? It is widely recognized by the Japanese that December 24 is Christmas Eve and the 25th is Christmas Day. After the 25th, people in Japan put away Christmas trees and put up New Year decorations instead. However, things are slightly different in the Holy City of Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, Christmas decorations including Christmas trees remain here and there even after the 25th. The same scene can be seen in the West…
At the end of the 4-year Project: The Growth of the Children Observed at the Symposium
[Original by Syunya NAKAMURA, Intern of the Palestine Project/ Yoriko YAMAMURA, Palestine Project (February 25, 2020); Translated by J. Sparks] On February 4th, a symposium was held in the theater room of a partner organization in Ramallah, the center of the West Bank, to conclude the East Jerusalem project, which JVC has supported for four years. The project has been implemented in order to improve both the resilience of the Palestinian youth living in East Jerusalem and the health environment in the community by cooperating with local NGOs. Resilience is “the power to flexibly come back from events or encounters with difficult situations”, and in a Palestinian area routinely exposed…