Recent Activities with Salem Youth Public Works Team

July 17, 2008 in Collaboration with Organizations, Empowerment, General, Salem and Deir El Hattab
Tags: Empowerment, Israel, Palestine, West Bank

After a brief lull in activities, the Salem youth public works team has recently zoomed right back into action.

Previously, the team did work under Abu Zaki’s guidance, restoring olive orchards, improving access roads to lands on the slopes of Jabel Kabeer, rebuilding an ancient hillside terrace damaged by the military, and renovating and gardening the cemeteries.

On Friday July 4, the team numbering 17 young men worked in renovating Hadikat El-Ein – “The Spring Garden”. They renovated this ancient spring pool and prepared a small public park for local children next to it. After a short lunch, the team met Latif Dori , secretary of the Israeli Committee for Direct Israeli-Palestinian Dialogue. After a short lecture in Arabic, a lively discussion developed.

On Friday July 11 we continued development work at the spring, followed by a lecture from Uri Pinkerfeld. Uri’s lecture, partly in Arabic but mostly translated form Hebrew, was about key points in the history of Israel-Palestine, and the connection of Jews and Arabs to it. Again, there were questions and a lively discussion.

The youngsters work diligently and enthusiastically, even during midday heat. They display interest in having short conversations with us older folk.

We plan to continue developing the spring garden in the coming sessions. Later on in the summer, we plan an educational trip to Israel.

The youth team’s activities are supported by the British Shalom-Salaam Trust and by the New Israel Fund – UK.

Uri Pinkerfeld