The Times Guide To Xmas Presents Mentions Zaytoun Olive Oil
saleh on December 14th, 2005Zaytoun were pleased to see that The Times ethical Christmas present guide has listed Zaytoun olive oil saying:
“Another nail in the coffin of artery-blocking butter is Palestinian olive oil from Zaytoun, a not-for-profit company that supports Palestinian farming co-operatives in the West Bank.”
Global Voices Online
saleh on December 13th, 2005We’d like to thank Global Voices Online for publicising our Journal entries whilst in Palestine. Global Voices Online is an initiative by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, at the Harvard Law School.
GVO tracks and calls attention to conversations and points of view around the world from bloggers described as ‘bridge bloggers’, people who are talking about their country or region to a global audience. Describing itself as ” … your guide to the most interesting conversations happening on blogs outside of the United States”"
The aim is to foster better international communication and understanding between ordinary people using web technologies including weblogs, wikis, podcasts, tags, aggregators and online chats which are used to call attention to conversations and points of view that will help shed new light on the nature of our inter-connected world.
Ethan Zuckerman from GV adds “A lot of the parts of the world we’re very interested in are also places where the Media has a real tendency to report on the big events , such as ‘The leader has done this.’ There is much less reporting on the events on the ground, the stories affecting peoples’ lives. You generally get journalism that is leader focused, process focused, but doesn’t look with much detail. One of the things that Global Voices does is let people have a very different window into what is going on in the country, in those cultures. It is hard to get out of the newspaper an answer about why people were marching out on the streets. You can get that on blogs.”
Pope Benedict - First New Citizen of Bethlehem
heather on December 6th, 2005Open Bethlehem Press Release
Pope Benedict - First New Citizen of Bethlehem
President Abbas comments on presentation of passport
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has become the first new citizen of Bethlehem, having been presented with a Bethlehem passport by the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, in a meeting at the Vatican on Saturday 3 December.
Commenting on the meeting, President Abbas said today (5 December): “His Holiness was moved to receive this accolade from the people of Bethlehem and paid special attention to the message of the passport.”
The passport bears the stamp of the municipality of Bethlehem and of Open Bethlehem and states that: “The bearer of this passport is a citizen of Bethlehem; that they recognise this ancient city provides a light to the world, and to all people who uphold the values of a just and open society; that they will remain a true friend to Bethlehem through its imprisonment, and that they will strive to keep the ideals of Bethlehem alive as long as the wall stands; we ask you to respect the bearer of the passport and to let them pass freely.”
Bethlehem faces a state of emergency following the completion of an eight metre high illegal cement wall at the entrance to the city that separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem and other Palestinian towns. With the Israeli wall and other closures, including militarised fences and illegal Jewish settlements, Bethlehem has been reduced to its urban core: a modern-day ghetto town.
President Mahmoud Abbas said: “The warmth of the meeting between the Palestinian delegation and His Holiness the Pope underlines the positive role that the Vatican can play in making the Holy sites accessible to all people, tourists, pilgrims and local worshippers. In accepting the Bethlehem passport, His Holiness reaffirms not only the importance of Bethlehem to our world heritage, but also the importance of the relationship between this ancient city and the Vatican, and the role that the Vatican can play in safeguarding the sacred relationship between Bethlehem and Jerusalem.”
The Mayor of Bethlehem, Dr Victor Batarseh, said: “It is the multi-faith character of Bethlehem that makes it so important to an open democratic Middle East. The fear and loss of hope inspired by the wall is driving our citizens abroad, and this exodus is most pronounced among the Christian community.”
Leila Sansour, chief executive of Open Bethlehem, said: “We are appealing to the Pope as well as citizens of the world to help us uphold the message of hope and renewal that was born in our city. We hope that the millions of people who hold Bethlehem close to their hearts will act for Bethlehem now, as it faces the most serious threat in its history.”
-ends-
Notes for editors:
* Open Bethlehem was launched by the Mayor of Bethlehem on 9 November, declaring Bethlehem an open city and announcing the issue of a Bethlehem passport.
* Open Bethlehem is a city initiative that aims to promote Bethlehem as a prime destination for tourists, bold initiatives and investment. The core of its message is that Bethlehem is a city of openness and diversity, with a centuries-old tradition of welcoming travellers, refugees and pilgrims from across the world.
For more information see www.openbethlehem.org
Nablus Comes to Dundee
heather on December 6th, 2005An entry from one of Zaytoun’s distributors:
In November, a small group of Palestinians from Nablus came on a cultural visit to Dundee, the nearest city to my home area. This was quite a historic occasion as it was the twenty-fifth anniversary of Dundee and Nablus being twin cities. The four delegates stayed for several days and a programme of visits and events was organised to allow them to get to know different aspects of our local community. One evening, a ceilidh was arranged with both Scottish and Palestinian dancing. Everyone joined in and we all had a great time. Some local people who had organised the twinning originally said a few words and each of the Nablus delegates spoke. All the latter were involved in some way with voluntary organisations in the Nablus area and spoke about their work. It was quite moving to hear one young girl who was a youth worker tell us that this was the first time she had been out of Palestine or had been in a country which was not occupied. Leon Rosselson, the singer and supporter of the Palestinian cause, came up from England especially for the occasion and sang some of his own songs on themes connected with Palestine. The organisers, with the help of some Palestinians living in Dundee, laid on a delicious feast of Middle Eastern dishes and Zaytoun olive oil was also there on sale to those attending. The visit overall was voted a great success by all those involved and inspired several to talk of visiting Nablus in return.
For anyone interested in a tour to Nablus contact www.olivecoop.com
