Annual Report 2004

Annual Report



2004



Prepared by Abdelfattah Abusrour, PhD
General Director

Contents


1. Vision and aims of Alrowwad Center
2. Administrative sturcture of Alrowwad Center
2.1. Board Members
2.2. General Assembly
2.3. Volunteers
2.3.1. Local Volunteers
2.3.2. International Volunteers
2.4. The Friends of Alrowwad
3. Political and Social Climate
4. Administrative Report
4.1. Activities units
4.2. Local Partners
4.3. International Partners
4.4. Services for Guests, Visitors and Volunteers
4.5. Media Work and international
Participations
4.6. General Evaluation
4.7. Aknowledgments

Alrowwad is a cultural and theatre training centre, established in 1998 and registered under law Number 1 of Charitable Societies and Non-governmental Associations, 2000, by the Ministry of Interior of the Palestinian National Authority under the Licence Number BL-360-CU.



http://alrowwad.virtualactivism.net/
Bethlehem. P.O.Box 989 - Palestine
Mobile: 057 446 420 Telefax: +(970)2 275 0030
Email alrowwad@p-ol.com, or alrowwadtheatre@yahoo.com
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1. Vision and aims of Alrowwad Center

Al-Rowwad is an independent, dynamic, community-based centre which encourages healthy childhood development by focusing on behaviour, knowledge, concepts and practices.

Mandate:
Al-Rowwad targets the community at large in Bethlehem district while concentrating on the local community of Aida Camp. The centre aims to have the full capability to mobilize human, technical and financial resources to achieve a dynamic and effective change within the targeted community.

Developmental Objectives:
1. To empower children to achieve and enhance self-confidence and self-expression, openness and a sense of belonging through training and awareness campaigns.
2. To strengthen the local community through exposure to ICT and literacy, and to conserve knowledge of indigenous traditions and cultural heritage.
3. To build the institutional and human capacity of Al-Rowwad.

Specific Objectives:
1. To establish a theatre group that strives for a gradual change in society, and allows children to respond to needs arising from stress and confinement.
2. To carry out tailored and specialized training courses to enhance children’s capacity towards managing change.
3. To promote the children’s awareness of the community by employing various tools such as theatre, dance, puppets, art, animation…etc.
4. To carry out needs assessment within the community to respond to priorities within the mandate of the centre.
5. To equip the centre with information and communication technology in order to strengthen networking and the exchange of information.
6. To establish an effective organizational structure with clear rules and regulations as well as clear terms of reference for qualified and volunteer staff.

Outcomes:
1- Improved self expression, confidence and knowledge ;
2- Enhanced sense of belonging and belief in a better future;
3- Increased networking and cultural exchange;
4- Establishment of a durable institution with qualified and experienced staff.

Inputs:
Al-Rowwad will strive to find donors and/or establish partnerships with local and international institutions.

Constraints:
Lack of funding and volatile political conditions.

2. Administrative sturcture of Alrowwad Center

2.1. Board Members
The board is composed of 7 people who are the founding committee and the voluteers in the center:
1. Dr. Abdelfattah Abusrour
2. Anwar Addibs
3. Adnan Hamdan
4. Ibrahim Abusrour
5. Adnan Alajarma
6. Samir Odeh
7. Bassam Abuaker

Elections for a new board shall take place during the Spring 2005.


2.2. General Assembly (Membership)
The board of administration decided to present membership forms for the year 2005 to the parents of the children and active volunteers in the cultural and artistic domains.

2.3. Volunteers
2.3.1. Local Volunteers
1. Dr. Abdelfattah Abusrour: Writting and Directing, filming and video editing, animation movies, theatre training. General Director (Executive and Artistic)
2. Anwar Addibs: drawing, puppets, sound technician, and activities follow-up (Resigned from the board, but remained as volunteer)
3. Azhar Abusrour: Dabka-Folkloric dance training
4. Issa Abusrour Theatre training
5. Mohammad Awwad: Theatre training
6. Raed Tailakh: Computer training
7. Ruba Abusrour: Health and dental care
8. Adnan Hamdan: Board member
9. Ibrahim Abusrour: Board member
10. Adnan Alajarma: Board member
11. Samir Odeh: Board member
12. Ishaq Odetallah: Board member (Resigned because of his work)
13. Wisam Abusrour : Technical assistant
14. Nahil Albarbari : Women activities
15. Mohammad Hassan Abusrour : Dabka training

2.3.2. International Volunteers

1. France
1.1. JC Fouché, M. Galbi et S. Fourest : Video workshops
1.2. Nadège: Formation of animators
1.3. Frédéric: Ceramics
1.4. Saliha Boustar: French Classes
1.5. Rohi Ayadi: association A. Dreams
1.6. Alkamandjati Association: Music

2. Egypt:
2.1. Samira Alkassim, American University in Cairo

3. Switzerland:
3.1. Marie-Anne: English and French classes

4. USA:
4.1. Artists against the Occupation: Puppets and art workshops
4.2. Sharon et Lorena: Puppets and English classes
4.3. Dr. R. Barakat- First aid workshops and English classes

5. Italy:
5.1. Michele : Music Teaching Violin
5.2. Claudia : Teaching Violin

2.4. The Friends of Alrowwad
Alrowwad worked on strengthening relations with the Friends of Alrowwad in France. Dr. Abdelfattah Abusrour, the director of Alrowwad, was elected as vice president of the Friends of Alrowwad Association in France.
Alrowwad also helped foster the creation of a Friends of Alrowwad Association in the United States, where famous playwrights Tony Kushner and Naomi Wallace agreed to be members of the Board of Directors. Other friends of Alrowwad include local and international individuals and organizations, that have contributed help and advise to Alrowwad.

3. General Climate
The only head office of Alrowwad is located in Aida refugee camp. The center is composed of 2 main rooms, 16 square meters each, and a small office. The first room is used as a computer training center, a modest library, and a training room for different educational and guidance workshops as well as a meeting room. The second room is completely empty, and is used mainly for theatre and dance training and different artistic workshops.
Aida camp was created after the war of 1948 and deportation of palestinians from their own lands, towns and villages. Actually, it has a population of about 4,500 people originated from 35 different villages which were destroyed by zionist forces. About 66% of the population are under 18 years old, and 45% are under 15 years old. The camp is deprived from empty and green spaces for children or people, or playgrounds. Only the narrow streets are available for people to express themselves.
The camp has actually a youth center, a woman center, 2 cultural centers and one cultural and theatre training center (Alrowwad). The camp also has 2 schools supervised by the UNRWA.
The location of Aida refugee is special for many reasons: It is almost a border zone at the north of Bethlehem, south of Alquds-Jerusalem.
Aida is dominated by Gilo, an Israeli settlement colony at its northwestern side, and by an Israeli military camp to the east, which is located in the Mosque of Bilal Ibn Rabah, also called Rachel’s Tomb). The main military checkpoint between Bethlehem and Alquds is also located at the north eastern side of the camp.
Since April 2002, during the long invasion of Bethlehem, the Israeli military occupation forces started to dig the foundations of the separation wall along the northern side of the camp on the lands belonging to the Armenian Church as well as on private properties belonging to Palestinian citizens at the northwest and west of Aida Camp.
Because of Aida’s location, and the illegal construction of the apartheid wall, the camp is now isolated from the bit of green space and places where children used to play.
Occupation soldiers do not miss any occasion to enter the camp and provoke the children and other residents just by their illegal presence, but also by their violent practices, shooting tear gas and rubber bullets, or live amunition. Aida refugee camp has seen many of its children and men and women massacred even in their own houses. The camp has lived through many incursions and reinvasions since 2001, and they continue even these days.
But the year 2004 was distinguished by large scale arrests of young people and children of the camp. Since January 2004, more than 130 people have been arrested, and about 70% are under 18 years old. Most of them are still in prison, and still waiting to be judged even after more than one year in prison. Most of the children are accused of throwing stones at the israeli soldiers invading the camp, or unspecified ``conspiracy’’ against the Occupation State of Israel.
During this year, as in the previous years, Alrowwad played a major role in continuing its educational in languages, assistance in school programs, psychological follow up, health care and artistic activities, focusing on the children and their mothers and /or other women.
Responding to the needs of the local community was Alrowwad’s main priority. Alrowwad also worked on building the internal capacities of its team and animators in the artistic as well as educational domains. During this year as well, Alrowwad worked to provide the center with some major equipment to help it to continue its activities on a regular schedule. Alrowwad also focused on networking and opening new channels with local and international institutions.

4. Administrative Report

4.1. Activities units
Alrowwad center’s activities were distinguished this year by their variety, and by targetting new groups, including men and women teachers in the girls and boys schools in the camp. The table below demonstrates the activities of the center during the year 2004, and the total beneficiaries from its activities.

No. - Date - Activity - Target Group - Animator - # direct Beneficiaries

Video Filming and Editing
1. February: Video Filming and Editing workshops - Animateurs, school teachers; young people
- JC Fouché, M. Galbi et S. Fourestier - 19
2. June - Video filming - Children - Samira Alkasim - 25
3. Summer- Autumn - Dessins animés - Children - Alrowwad team - 100 (4 groupes)
4. July - Video filming - Children - Dr: A. Abusrour - 17

Animators and board members specialized training
5. March - Administration and Institutionalization- Board members- S. Zarzour - 6
6. August- Animators formation - Children and Animators - Nadège - 22
7. October/December - Refugees rights-resolutions 181 and 194 -

- Children and animators In collaboration with Badil Center - 22

Arts workshops
8. June-September: Drawing /painting workshops - Children - Anwar Eddibs - 20
9. August: Ceramics - Children and Animators - Frédéric - 22
10. Summer: Games and Art workshops - Children
- Medecin students from USA, Europe and French volunteers - 50
11. October: Art workshops and puppets- Children and Animators -
- Artists against occupation: Freda and Deborah - 19

Languages
12.June-August: English language - Children - Dr. R. Barakat - 45

July: Lorena and Sharon Wallace- 45

13. August to January: English and French - Children and Adults - Marie-Anne - 22
14. September 2004 to Mars 2005: French -Children and adults in Alrowwad, Aida schools, Students Forum - Saliha Boustar - 100 (6 groups)

Theatre Training
15. August: Theatre - Children Aida, Azza and Deheisha camps - Art Dreams - 12

Computer Training – Entraînement à l’usage de l’ordinateur
16. Summer: Computer training - Adults and animators - Raed Tailakh - 24

Health and Psychological workshops
17. July-August: Health care and First Aid - Children - Dr. R. Barakat - 45
18. Summer-Autumn: Dental Health - Children - Dr. R. Abusrour - 27
19. Since Septembre : Music-Violin teaching - Children - Mechele and Claudia - 8
20. Summer: Games and Psychological follow up - Children and mothers -

in collaboration with YMCA, UNRWA, Arab Rehabilitation Center - 140 (8 groups)

Music
21. July: Music workshops - Children - Alkamandjati - 30

External visits
22. Summer: Educational professional visits: to handcrafts professionals, manufacturing plants, hospitals, industrial plants - Children - Animators - 160 (6 visits)

Daily and Weekly Continuous Activities – Activités Permanentes
23. weekly: Video projections - Children - Alrowwad - 15 to 30
24. weekly - Violin classes - Children - Mechele and Claudia - 8
25. Continuous: External shows and plays in Dar Ennadwa; Peqce Center; Inad Theatre
Children - Animators - 190 (7 shows)
26. Continuous: Participation in local initiatives and activities organized by other centers, institutions, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Sports and Youth- Children -Animators - 170
27. Continuous: - Fun days: local excursions to swimming pools and parks in Beit Jala and Beit Sahour - Children and animators - Animators - 190 (6 trips)
28. Continuous: - Theatre and Dabka Dance - Children - Animators - 43
29. Continuous: Computer training - Children - Raed Tailakh - 16/month

Total number of direct beneficiaries from the activities: 1,596 people

4.2. Local Partners (Partners, Volunteers and Donors)
- UNRWA: United Nations Relief and Welfare Agency + Holy SEE
- UNDP: United Nations Development Program
- UNV: United Nations Volunteers Programme
- The Palestinian Red Crescent
- Theatre Day Productions
- UN Schools in the camp
- Medical Relief
- Student Forum-Bethlehem
- Local Universities : Bethlehem University, Alquds Open University-Bethlehem, Alquds (Abu Dis University)
- Badil Center
- the Popular Committee of the camp

4.3. International Partners 2004
- Friends of Alrowwad – France
- Hotel de France – Angers-France
- Friends of Alrowwad - USA
- Association Interculturelle Carrefour-France
- association A. Dreams- France
- Hoping Foundation
- Alkamandjati Association
- UNESCO Club- France

4.4. Services for Delegations, Visitors and Volunteers
During the year 2004, Alrowwad has received many delegations, visitors and volunteers from different countries including Germany, Japan, France, Italy, Belgium, European Parliament, UK, USA, Finland and Canada. Alrowwad has presented its activities, and explained the general political, social and economical situation. We have described the particular situation of Aida camp in the second Intifada as well as after the illegal construction of the Apartheid Wall, which limits the northern and eastern sides of the camp, and the violations of the Israeli occupation army towards the camp and its inhabitants.

As for those visitors and volunteers who wanted to stay in Aida, Alrowwad has provided them with a place to stay, either in the center or with families.

4.5. Media & international participations
Several articles and poems have been published for Dr. Abdelfattah Abusrour, the general director of Alrowwad Center, which focus on the general situation and the particular conditions and events in the camp.

Dr. Abusrour has also participated in ``Concert pour la Palestine” in Paris, where he spoke to an audience of 15,000 people, and particiapted in a series of conferences and meetings in France. The main focus of his presentations concerned Palestinian nonviolent resistance, and the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their own villages and lands from which they were ethnically cleansed. He also urged the international community and the solidarity associations to look at the Palestinain situation not as a mere humanitarian case, but in terms of international law and justice in which an entire population is living under an illegal military occupation by a lawless state with no respect for international law, United Nations resolutions, or human and children’s rights.

Dr. Abusrour also visited USA to organize a performance tour for the Alrowwad troupe in the summer 2005, and participated in a series of conferences and meetings, and a poetry event in Berkley, California, with American and other international poets where he read some of his poems.

Dr. Abusrour has also participated in a conference about Palestinian theatre with other Palestinian theatre people during a visit to Belgium.

Dr. Abusrour has published articles and anthology called, “Live from Palestine,” and in the French magazine "Alternatives Non-violentes"

Alrowwad has replied to many email requests seeking information about the center’s activitites and policies, the political situation in Palestine conditions of Aida camp, Palestinian theatre in general, and deatails about how Alrowwad works.

4.6. General Evaluation
Almost 1,600 people profited directly from the activities of Alrowwad during the year 2004.

The needs of the local community were Alrowwad’s first priorities. In the year 2002-2003, the center provided 8,000 Euors in scholarships for 15 university students in the first semester, and $16,000 US for 54 students in the second semester. Alrowwad has also helped needy families in the camp by providing about 9,500 NIS.

Alrowwad has also organized different educational workshops including teaching English, French, and computer for children and adult men and women.
On the technical side, video filming and editing workshops were provided to teach skills for potential future jobs. Nineteen adults and 25 children benefited from the workshops. Animation movies workshops were also on the program where more than 100 children participated.

As for educational, guidance and awareness, psychological follow up, and children’s rights, Alrowwad collaborated with and provided its space for the Arab Rehabilitation Center, the Palestinian Red Crescent, and the YMCA. Such workshops included children, teenagers and mothers.

Alrowwad also works continuously with the Popular Committee in the camp to link with educational institutions and schools both in the camp and outside, as well as with UNRWA responsibles to make sure they fulfil their responsibility to provide a better education, and to follow up on children’s academic progress.

During the last years, Alrowwad with the help of the Friends of Alrowwad has also enlarged its activities to include an embroidery job creation project for women in Aida and Beit Jibrin camp.

Alrowwad has tried hard to include the families in its activities and also to get their feed back and evaluation of Alrowwad’s role; however, participation was less than we hoped, despite the many meetings with parents. According to some parents, this absence is mostly related to the poor facility we actually have.

Alrowwad’s major achievement for this year was the purchase of a small piece of land in the camp to build Alrowwad Center, which we believe will build on and fulfill the role that Alrowwad plays in the camp and the neighborhoods. This project was mainly financed by the Friends of Alrowwad. The UNDP will supervise the financing of the building of one or two floors through a German project. The building will include a multipurpose area for the use of the local community. Alrowwad’s general director will work on fundraising in the coming two years to build another two floors which will include a computer center, a library, an exhibition hall, video-audio studios.

4.7. Acknowledgments
Alrowwad would like to thank all those who contributed and participated in the support of Alrowwad financially or morally. Special thanks to our firends: Abdallah Allaham, Ziad Shrea, Mounir Qleibo-UNDP, Jean Claude Ponsin-President of the Friends of Alrowwad-France, Elisabeth Dilas, Gilbert Emmanuel, Bernard Bouyer and Hotel de France-Angers, Jean Charles Fouché, Monya Galbi, Sébastien Forestier, Lubna Modieh, Fernande Delaby, Les amis du théâtre Alrowwad –France, The friends of Alrowwad-USA specially : Nancy Farrell, Carla, Naomi and Sharon Wallace, Sonia De Vries, Kem Ead, Sra Desantis, Gale Courey Toensing, Dr. Marlyn Tadros, Dr. Robert McLean, Dr. Robert Lipton, Tony Kushner, Dr. Karma Nabulsi, Daniel Ouanes, Dr; Samia Mehrez, Amy Mina, Dr. Ian Douglas, Samira ALqassim, Mounir Mansour, Abu Hassan, Wajih Attallah, Ramzi Aburadwan, Alkamandjati, and all the volunteers.