A program in Palestine was organized by the JAI from the 19th to the 26th of June 2023, for a group of 22 students + 3 teachers/leaders from partner Danish Silkeborg Højskole.
Their program included days in Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jericho, Jerusalem and Hebron. It also included field work at a Palestinian threatened farm, where they also listened to challenges faced by the farmers/land owners. It also included a session with the JAI and YMCA Beit Sahour youth, where they played games, chatted and spent time together.
Tours were organized for them where they witnessed and were explained about the Israeli Wall-Settlements in Bethlehem, old city of Jerusalem and around Jerusalem, old city of Hebron with the Israeli colonies and Shuhada street and into the Ibrahimi Mosque, Dar Al-Kalima University in Bethlehem, inside Dhaisha refugee camp, into the Church of Nativity, Mount of Temptation and Baptism site (Jordan River) in Jericho.
Visits and tours were also made at the YWCA - Jericho, where they were briefed about the work of the center and had lunch prepared by the women of the Food Production Center; Then at the EJ-YMCA's Vocational Training Center, were they were introduced to its work, met and played with some Palestinian youth leaders, and toured inside some of the center' sections.
Presentations were given to the Danish group on the JAI and its Olive Tree Campaign, ongoing displacement and refugees cause at BADIL Resource Center, and by the The Danish House in Palestine (DHIP) and Danish Representative Office in Ramallah.
About the Journey for Justice (JFJ):
Journey for Justice brings together youth leaders from all over the world to experience and share the life under occupation with Palestinian youth. For nine days, they join Palestinian youth and travel around occupied Palestine to witness the effects of Israeli occupation, and accompany Palestinian youth in their daily life.
Journey includes:
Videos:
Watch promotion video.
Participation
A program in Palestine and Israel organized by the Joint Advocacy Initiative of the East Jerusalem YMCA and YWCA of Palestine, where they invite international YMCA and YWCA national and local General Secretaries, board members, executive directors and senior staff to take part.
The purpose of the Witness Visit is for participants to learn about the Palestinians' situation, meet with representatives of government, churches and civil society organizations and find ways in which the YMCA and YWCA movements can act for a just peace.
Further objective is to get to know the work of the YWCA of Palestine and East Jerusalem YMCA and discuss possible partnering projects.
A goal of the visit is also to live and experience the social life and culture of the Holy Land