Event overview
The Zaytoun journey is a unique and inspiring one in so many different ways, but most inspiring is the lengths to which the farmers have go to in order to harvest their olives and produce their excellent quality olive oil whilst under Occupation. For the few of us in Zaytoun UK, it has always felt difficult, sometimes even embarrassing, to try and encapsulate the energy and adversity of this work in the few minutes that we are often asked to explain it in. So we were all really glad that Taysir Arabasi will be able to speak will be at Goldsmiths University and to tell the story of Palestine and the importance it’s land and Olive trees have for the people living there. With 68% of Palestine’s population connected to agricultural farming, Olive oil production is a vital bloodline to the sustainability of Palestine’s economy.
Moving away from ideas of charity and long term dependency culture really is a progressive shift in the Palestinian context and one which will help foster conditions needed for long term justice and peace. As the UK’s first Fair-trade Olive Oil we really hope that these small steps will one day ensure that Palestine is able to trade and support its own economy with the pride and dignity that it so rightly deserves.
The focus for our evening is to show the film THE IRON WALL http://www.theironwall.ps/ and to tell the Zaytoun story and the importance that Trade justice has for famers living under the Occupation.
Thanks again for all your support and enthusiasm. Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Atif
http://www.zaytoun.org/
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With three other volunteers, Atif Choundhury helped set up Zaytoun in 2004 specifically to sell Palestinian Olive Oil on a fair- trade basis. After completing a MSC Masters degree in Violence, Conflict and Development from SOAS. Atif joined a Unison delegation of TU members to the West Bank in June 2002. With a view to establish stronger solidarity links with NGO and TU partners there. This led Atif at how closers ties with Palestinian Unions could be made, many of whom were leading the way in highlighting the brutal reality the 4O year Occupation was having on access to Trade and Movement. He later gained inspiration for Zaytoun from his experience as an ISM (International Solidarity Movement) volunteer in Palestine, where he saw the difficulties Palestinian farmers face daily from selling their produce, to dealing with the daily threats of losing their olive groves to Israeli bulldozers and the construction of the Apartheid Wall. Working closely with UK NGO’s like Interpal, War on Want and campaign pressure groups including ISM & Palestinian Solidarity Campaign. Zaytoun has successfully managed to import over 180 tonnes of Olive Oil from the West Bank, all from Farmers who were unable to bypass the Apartheid Wall.
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Taysir Arabasi is a Olive farmer from Palestine. In working with marginalized farming communities from the West Bank, Taysir works to support Olive farmers market their oil to international Markets. He is a founder member and project director of Zaytoun and continues to play a crucial role in its development. In liaising with Farming co-operatives, Agricultural NGO's and Palestinian trade unions Taysir has played a pivotal role in helping farmers in their ongoing struggle to access international trade markets and secure their access to Food, water and trade.
Taysir began participating in non-violent resistance in the beginning of the second intifada (2001) volunteering with a group of friends and fellow farmers to challenge the checkpoints and the Israeli Governments oppression against the livelihoods of the Palestinian people. Whilst working as a campaigner and community organizer against land/water confiscation, the illegal settlement programme and the Apartheid Wall, Taysir became introduced to international Solidarity groups. Many of whom are still working to highlight the brutal impact of the Occupation and the devastating impact the Apartheid wall is having on communities there.
anthropologysociety.calamma.net/...
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Feb 2009 | 5:00pm - 7:00pm |
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