Increasing Violence During Olive Harvest 2008
Zaytoun on October 21st, 2008|
A report from the UN declares that there has been as many attacks on farmers so far this year, as in 2007 all together. Even Israeli politicians have declared that the situation is getting out of control. Prior to the olive harvest season, Israeli and Palestinian officials agreed that the Israeli defense force would prevent the settlers from assaulting farmers during their olive harvest. Instead, the Israeli soldiers accompanied settlers in harassing farmers in several occasions during the last two weeks. Farmers are being forced to start their harvesting before the actual season has started, or will have to leave their trees half-full of olives. According to the Israeli High Court ruling of 2006, it is a violation of the law for soldiers to obstruct farmers from harvesting. - www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=32281
- http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3735&Itemid=1 |
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Joint Advocacy Initiative |
Tribute to Irene Bruegel
Zaytoun on October 16th, 2008Zaytoun is very sorry to learn of the death of Irene Bruegel, on October 6th 2008. A co-founder of Jews for Justice for Palestinians (JFJFP), Irene was a supporter of Zaytoun from the beginning, and we owe much to her work in publicising the plight of Palestinian farmers amongst the Jewish community and others. Her family and friends are in our thoughts.
Guardian obituary: www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/oct/15/women-highereducation
JFJFP: www.jfjfp.org/about.htm
October 2008 Newsletter
Zaytoun on October 6th, 2008Dear Zaytoun customers and supporters
For those of you who have been fasting, we wish you “Eid Mubarrak” and hope you enjoy a festive time with friends and family.
مبارك عيد
كل عام و انتم بخير
Sale offer on organic oil and dates
Special offer for October:
Organic Olive Oil: 30% off (this applies to Sindyanna and PARC organic oil)
Dates: 20% off
The sale is on stock BBE December 2008 only.
Harvest trips
The Zaytoun harvest team will be in Palestine from 17th October to 2nd November, providing accompaniment and witnesses to the farmers and their families who will be harvesting olives in the Salfit and Nablus districts. This year the team is big, around 24 people and as before, coordination and local liaison will be provided by the International Women’s Peace Service. We’ll post team members’ reports and pictures up on our website as soon as we get them.
The producer tour will be held from 9th to 15th November, visiting Bethlehem, Nablus and Jenin as well as the groves and presses in the rural regions and finishing off with a celebratory harvest gathering with traditional food and dance.
During this time we will be focusing on the harvest, so may not be able to answer your queries and respond to orders as quickly as we’d like. If you have any urgent orders coming up, please get them to us in good time so we can meet your deadlines.
FLO certification
We are keeping a close eye on the Fair Trade certification process that is currently happening for many of the Palestinian olive oil cooperatives with which we work. We are due to start work on our own licence as fair trade importers very soon, too. Fair Trade Foundation are working hard alongside our plans, to market this oil, and we’ll keep you up to date with the news on next year’s Fair Trade launch.
We’re hopeful that the Coop will take a quantity of the certified oil, having received samples and pricing. If you are a member of your local Coop board, or if you are a regular shopper in a Coop store, please do add your voice to others to express the demand for Fair Trade Palestinian olive oil to be stocked in every store!
Volunteer calls
Designer
Occasionally we have need to design a beautiful advert for a new publication. We usually manage this ourselves, using Word and saving to PDF. However, we’re not professionals, and we know how much difference can be made to our adverts by experienced designers who can add true pizzazz! If you have experience designing adverts for publication, and would like from time to time to jazz up our draft adverts, please let us know.
Event volunteers
Revert2Reality is a support network that seeks to bring about authentic understandings of Islam to others. They have organised a charity/fashion show event in Walthamstow, London on 12th October from 6-10pm, sponsored by Muslim Aid and Interpal. Zaytoun have been offered the chance to sell our products at this event, which includes a presentation, poetry and songs, a fashion show, 3 course meal and an auction. It is a women-only event, and no children over 5 years old are admitted.
If you could help us by running the stall here, please let us know on cathi@zaytoun.org or 0845 345 4887.
If you would like to reserve a ticket for this event please call their booking line on 07976 807 268. Tickets are available for £25 per person, and all proceeds raised go towards relieving the sufferings of Palestinians.
Tasting Session
We have been invited to do olive oil tasting in Budgens in Crouch End; a great opportunity to promote the oil and to encourage this retailer to stock Palestinian produce. If you live locally and would be interested in running a tasting session please contact heather@zaytoun.org for further details (we would provide oil and za’atar and cover travel costs, the tasting session are for 2 hours).
Events
Zayoun will have stall at the following events. If you would like to volunteer at any of the London stalls please contact heather@zaytoun.org or 0845 345 4887
Thursday 2 October, Kensington Town Hall, Hornton St, London W8 7NX
Admission £5. 10am – 5pm. The Gift of Sight Fair (in aid of St John’s eye hospital Jerusalem)
Tuesday 7 October is World Day for Decent Work. The TUC is organising a major event at Congress House in Central London. Civil society organisations are being invited to participate in or otherwise support the event. It promises to be the largest ever UK gathering on the Decent Work agenda of trade unions, development charities, campaigning NGOs and fair trade companies, development and gender centres of academic institutions, and think tanks. Activities will occur over the course of the day, commencing at 9.30am and finishing at 5pm, with a solidarity Rally and social afterwards in Congress Hall.
The event is free to attend, but registration in advance for individual attendees is essential. http://www.tuc.org.uk/wddw
Saturday 11 October 2008 – Day for Palestine. Doors open 1.30pm at Friends Meeting House, Ordnance Rd, Southampton. Seeking Justice for Palestinians after 60 Years films; live music, speakers, dance, food & stalls
Contact for more information - Jon : Tel. 023 80 220 273 Email pscsouthampton@googlemail.com
Satrurday 18 October Zaytoun and Palcrafts stall at Guildford Cathedral Fair, held in the Cathedral nave from 11.00 until 3.00pm.
Saturday and Sunday 25 & 26 October The Global Peace and Unity event is the largest multicultural gathering in Europe - expected to attract more than 60,000 people over two days in October at Excel in London.
If you are planning a stall to sell Zaytoun produce at an upcoming event be sure to email us on contact@zaytoun.org so we can include the event in our newsletter.
Latest products and prices…
New product – 500ml extra virgin olive oil with za’atar sachet around neck – now in stock.
