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<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">carolyn <<a href="mailto:ccdogmail@yahoo.com">ccdogmail@yahoo.com</a>></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><b><br></b></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;">from Ridgely<br><br>--- On <b>Sat, 8/14/10, Ridgely Fuller <i><<a href="mailto:rpfuller18@hotmail.com">rpfuller18@hotmail.com</a>></i></b> wrote:<br><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"><div id="yiv663932061"><br><hr id="yiv663932061stopSpelling">From: <a href="mailto:rpfuller18@hotmail.com">rpfuller18@hotmail.com</a><br>To: <a href="mailto:rpfuller18@hotmail.com">rpfuller18@hotmail.com</a><br>Subject: A few days in Gaza<br>Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 09:06:30 +0000<br><br> <style> #yiv663932061 .yiv663932061ExternalClass .yiv663932061ecxhmmessage P {padding:0px;} #yiv663932061 .yiv663932061ExternalClass body.yiv663932061ecxhmmessage {font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma;} </style> <style> #yiv663932061 .yiv663932061ExternalClass .yiv663932061ecxhmmessage P {padding:0px;} #yiv663932061 .yiv663932061ExternalClass body.yiv663932061ecxhmmessage {font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma;} </style> <style> #yiv663932061 .yiv663932061ExternalClass .yiv663932061ecxhmmessage P {padding:0px;} #yiv663932061 .yiv663932061ExternalClass body.yiv663932061ecxhmmessage {font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma;} </style> <style> #yiv663932061 .yiv663932061ExternalClass .yiv663932061ecxhmmessage P {padding:0px;} #yiv663932061 .yiv663932061ExternalClass body.yiv663932061ecxhmmessage {font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma;} </style> Dear Folks,<br>The first days have been filled with so much..a sprinkling of meetings, two amazing evenings spent with Palestinian families who invited us to join their iftar (the evening meal which breaks the 12 hour Ramadan fast) and first trip outside of Gaza City to Beit Hanoun encompassing about 40,000 mostly farmers in the Northeastern corner of Gaza.<br>A most heartfelt thanks for the many responses to my first email and the questions and concerns you offered. I hope my response to the question re what are the current issues facing Gaza will emerge from my emails..keep me on track if I wander too much...<br><br>First question: what about housing in Gaza?..we know over 4000 homes were completely destroyed and 15,000 partially destroyed during the Israeli attack in 2008-2009 and that no cement has been allowed in to Gaza for rebuilding on any scale.So far, and only so far, as we have taken just one trip outside of Gaza City,one clearly notices that much of the rubble from the bombing on the way to and in Gaza City itself has been removed.Children earn money picking through the rubble and bringing chunks to back yard recyclers where the scraps are crushed and made into new cement blocks..these cement blocks have been used to patch walls of partially destroyed homes and municipal buildings: these patches, however, are considered very temporary with a life of only 3-4 years.<br><br>Our apartment is located in an upscale and quiet part of Gaza City..the quiet ( and general cleanliness especially compared to Cairo) throughout most of the city continues to amaze me!. The apartment is spacious but dependent on electrical generators about 12 hours a day; the shocks we get opening the refrigerator have become a useful brake on impulse snacking. I was not aware how privileged we are to have a generator until we drove to our Palestinian dinner last night on the north side of Gaza City..the City was blacked out excepting a sprinkle of apartments here and there and lights in some small local stores. A hard way to celebrate a very hot Ramadan..this electricity shortage is a tremendous problem for hospitals where we have been told the neonatal and operating facilities constantly deteriorate as they switch from public power to generators.The source of the electrical shortage is in dispute depending on one's political leanings..most say Israel is not providing sufficient fuel ( international organizations UN,Red Cross etc tend to agree with this) but those opposed to the Palestinian Authority (PA) in power in the West Bank through which Israel sells fuel and some electrical power, say the PA is trying to wring more money out of the Gaza population, and those against Hamas, in power in Gaza, say Hamas is withholding fuel. It is this kind of wide divergence of opinion that makes it very hard to get a real sense of grounding here.I am very aware of the constant need to double check all information instead of simply believing what 'feels'right.<br><br>The first family invitation was offered by a family who has frequently opened their home to visitors for months at a time..the five children(22-16yo) are all students here, and in Germany ( no coming home for school vacations!)the mother is a nurse and father a building manager. Shahd is a lovely 18 yo wears skinny clothes at home, studies and speaks English, is an artist and a blogger.I encourage you to go to her site for a personal story: Palestine from my eyes. at blogspot.com.Perhaps Shahd shared on her blog her story of a close family living with them during the Israeli attack and the father being killed as he ventured out to the market; Shahd's eyes still fill with tears at the memory of the ensuing phone call.<br><br>The second family dinner was with the family of a student our accompanying Scottish professor helped get into school in Scotland.Keith has never actually met the student but the student calls him daily and his family insisted we come for a visit.The ride over was in an incredibly rickety private car which the owner said arrived via the tunnels several months ago at a coast of $7000 dollars. True to form as we emerged from the most incredible labyrinth of narrow dark streets the car broke down in the middle of a busy intersection..I was surprised when two policemen ran over and directed traffic as the driver jiggled a few wires to get us moving again.He complains of poor quality Egyptian fuel. Our destination was again in a very crowded neighborhood where paved roads give way to sandy streets; but once inside and through the dark hall the airy house was filled with generated light, elaborate window treatments,pillars, detailed stone work, tile and ceiling paintings.Dozens of members of the students' family (11 siblings) and close friends..mainly men welcomed us.All appeared to be busy either as students or underemployed(eg data entry with a BA in business management) and all so easily differentiating the American people from the US government.The men were eager to ask me questions about my favorite basketball and football (soccer) teams and players; knew way more about the LA Lakers and world soccer...we are invited back next week and will certainly go!<br><br> A morning trip to Beit Hanoun was motivated by my interest in Palestinian nonviolent resistance to the Israeli occupation. During my time in the West Bank I was able to meet with local popular committees as well as Israeli protesters but the resistance challenges here are very different from the daily military incursions, ongoing Palestinian land confiscation by Israeli settlers, house demolitions and Wall construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem . In the West Bank the weekly demonstrations are met with tear gas, rubber bullets, and occasional live fire.Here live fire to nonviolent demonstrations is reported to be the sole response.<br> Contacts led me to Beit Hanoun where we met Saber who lead the Local Initiative, what he says is the only association in this very underserved and exposed are s it borders Israel both on the north and the east. The Initiative chiefly focuses on youth development: providing young people with volunteer opportunities, and experience in working for and with their community. Saber says Beit Hanoun used to be the bread basket of Gaza exporting citrus fruit until the Israeli attack in 2008 during which the Israeli army destroyed all the water wells, ripped up the land and many of the homes.<br><br>Background: In July 2008, 5 months before the 23 day attack, the Israeli military announced an official policy of expanding the 'Buffer Zone' by closing off 300' meters next to the actual border fence to any Palestinian..in documented fact Palestinians within 1000 meters of the border have been shot ..so Beit Hanoun farming activity has ceased and the town market closed as no produce was available. In all of Gaza this 'Buffer Zone' policy has meant that effectively 30% of Gaza, already one of the most densely populated areas in the world, is completely off limits to Palestinians. All sources agree that this effectively expropriated land is the most fertile in Gaza.<br><br> The Local Initiative also documents Israeli firings and incursions and holds weekly demonstrations against the Buffer Zone by peacefully walking into it and planting with the farmers. Sometimes these walks have been to retrieve bodies of farmers and stone gatherers shot in the Zone.These marches can be quite dangerous; some protesters have been wounded including a friend who was on my first trip but remained in Gaza for the year.The Local Initiative also has a psychosocial team working with children so next week we will return to participate/witness the Tuesday demonstration and for me to train the team and teen volunteers in the 'play, routine used with children. We will bring cases of water for Saber's center.<br><br>So much more to write about but this is already too long...<br>take care,<br>Ridgely<br> </div></blockquote></td></tr></tbody></table><br> </blockquote></div><br></body></html>