Rod Cox and Gaza: What I've been doing.

Saturday 14 March 2009

What I've been doing.

I meet the Deputy Education Minister, Dr Yusuf Ibrahim, and we arrange a programme to collect School Art.

I meet the person responsible for Art in Schools, and we agree a programme to produce something for exhibition in Brussels and eventually the UK. On the right another random delegation from Northampton working in schools

Some bombed houses

Jica Japanese Aid NGO distributes non-food aid: a school satchel with crayons and a pair of shoes of random size, cleaning materials, cooking pots, kerosene lamp, brooms etc.

To qualify for this aid handout, people must have lost a family member or had their home demolished, and these 260 in Beit Hanoun are the 'lucky' qualifiers.

4 comments:

Frances Laing said...: This is lovely. If Gazans felt moved to exchange school or nursery art, my daughter and I would send some paintings. Thinking of you all. I am very happy to say your blog is receiving very many visitors, considering it is quite a new blog. Safe journeys. Frances.; 15 March 2009 at 00:24
Rod Cox said...: the Ministry of Education is hungry for meaningful links, but I think that they cannot handle anything at an individual level. Schools or other institutions are wanted!!; 16 March 2009 at 18:08
Frances Laing said...: Yes, you know me, a practical person. Whole schools is what I was thinking in fact. As you know though, you have to negotiate with ARTISTS and THEIR TEACHERS, don't you?

I'm just off to the STWC meeting in Liverpool this evening. So I'll speak to the crowd there about it. In the absence of any other contact with you, I'll assume that's alright?
Regards
F.; 16 March 2009 at 18:46
Rod Cox said...: That'll be great, and I'm meeting the Ministry team again on Wednesday, so I can forward connections directly; 16 March 2009 at 19:18

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Welcome. What are we trying to do, and how you can help.

*Giving Children a voice: Everyone in Gaza is Traumatised by the Israeli onslaught. There was nowhere to run to, and nowhere to hide. When Decent people see how it has affected Children in particular, they want to do something about it. I have brought a travelling exhibition of Children's Paintings to the UK, and you can see the dates that it is booked on the Chester and Palestine Exchanges website www.cape.uk.net

For the posts in the blog about the collection of the children's paintings from Gaza click here.

*The Campaign to open the Gates of Gaza, and end the siege, is of course wider than the Art Van. It is fundamental. Gaza is not even a prison, it is regarded by the Israelis as a Zoo. Any complaint from the Lions caged up here is met by death through the Bars. Honestly, there is nothing more important in all the world than ending this siege, where one set of people treat another as sub-humans, and seem to be supported by the country where you live. Please tell Your Friends, together we can make a difference. Link to this blog.

*The pictures show attacks by the Israeli army on civilians. While the Israelis claim they are fighting a just war they are suppressing any evidence to the contrary. The pictures reveal evidence of bombs that tear off arms and legs, and of the widespread use of Bulldozers in the frontline, demolishing houses to bury people alive, as well as destroying agricultural land, so they could be evidence of War Crimes, too.

**What we need to achieve is a wider awareness of Isreal's crimes, and I hope that seeing the Exhibition will encourage schools and others to link with counterparts in Gaza. We have few resources in CAPE but we will try to put you in touch if you ask, otherwise Twinning with Palestine is the group to contact.

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