Palestine Stories

Palestine Story 1

Losing my P A L E S T I N E

spell it she said.

P, I said. And she looked away. I was puzzled. She looked back and said, spell it. Tell me it. P I said again anticipating to list the eight other letters at once. She seemed oblivious. P like passion she said? Or like protection the boy sitting on the doorstep said. How about, er, P like possibilities? Or P like present? P like persistence. I was amazed, the P brought a gang of kids around that door step. What next she said, I snapped back from this maze of words and said A. she said: again? Tell me it I tell you. I said A, like adoption, or A like action, or even like, anticipation or aspiration and L, well, L like lasting, or L like living, or like leaping. There was no stopping me now, so I went on, and E of existence, exaltation, S of satisfaction, sensation, sanity, T of tenacity, trust, tactility, I of independence, inspiration, intuitiveness, interest, involvement, N of nesting, narrating, and E, well, emanating.

The lady stood up and said while moving away from me, what was it you’ve lost?

—-

This story is written to those who live, believe, imagine that they lost that thing that is their Palestine.

This is not a story about Palestinians, but the strength in it may have been inspired by them. It is about you, me. It is about the beauty we learn in living through our losses.

by Joumana al Jabri, 16 January 2010

Palestine Story 11 - Creative follow up by Lana Judeh, in response to the TEDxRamallah & Quint Palestine Stories competition.

Lana Judeh, a Palestinian born in Jordan and has been living in Ramallah since 1999.

“In my illustrations I portray what makes this story special, a traveling cultural roadshow that brings world literature to the Palestinian Street. In this event literature is no longer exclusive to intellectuals and no longer held in theaters and lecture rooms. It crosses borders and checkpoints to reach an audience who strives to be exposed to culture among many other things.”

تجسد هذه الرسومات ما يميز هذه الحكاية. هي حكاية مهرجان متنقل يجلب الثقافة والأدب العالمي إلى الشارع الفلسطيني، بحيث لا يبقى الأدب حكراً على المثقف، وبحيث يتحرر من الأسر بين جدران المسارح والقاعات. يتجاوز هذا المهرجان الحدود والحواجز للوصول إلى جمهور تواق للثقافة والأدب.

Palestine Story 33 An advocate for the visually impaired

“It will be less about what you see, and more about who you are,” says Hala.
Hala is a staunch advocate of early intervention for the visually impaired. Hearing her speak, one imagines pre-conceptions, notions and prejudices groaning, shifting and finally crumbling under her intensity. More awareness will mean more people will understand, and care. The visually impaired will feel more included, less marginalized and more a part of mainstream society.

Palestine Story 17 Hosh El Eliyyeh

A cultural hub and restaurant, “Hosh el‐Eliyyeh” is run and managed by the couple, Mazen and Julia Saadeh. The couple organizes cultural activities and artistic workshops, such as hand crafts and drawings that may be simple in form but have a large impact on the children’s mentality and the sense of community in Birzeit. They bring together the children and people of Birzeit, a place that was once a wreck, but is now prospering, especially after its restoration in 2002 by “Riwaq” in cooperation with the Birzeit Municipality.

Palestine Story 9 Construct Al-Aqsa

“‘it’s important to put such an important issue at the center of our lives as students, shaping our future and finding our places in it’.
‘Construct Al-Aqsa’ is an innovative project that was borne out of a desire to imagine, and therefore inspire, change. With 1,500 members strong, the three main areas of focus under this project include architectural renovation/design, electrical and civil engineering. Within a specific framework, a student-professor-professional collective will research and devise plans and strategies that ensure the preservation and rehabilitation of the Holy Temple and al-Aqsa Mosque in specific.  “