Please note: This event took place in Dec 2014
The Hebron International Resources Network (HIRN) was established four years ago to serve Palestinians most adversely affected by the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. The organisation specifically targets communities that are underserved by support from aid agencies and NGOs as a result of their fragile and temporary status. Examples include the village of Umm al-Kheir, which is home to a Cultural Centre that has generated some short films such as Eid, which have screened across the World including at Bristol, London and Boston Palestine Film Festivals. More pressingly however, Umm al-Kheir is located in Area C of the West Bank where Israeli policy prevents any construction. The village has no running water or electricity but many NGOs will not work in these villages, as each asset that is built or repaired will face certain demolition. In this talk Hamed Qawasmeh will explore how HIRN have had to circumvent the norms and conventions of development work, to support projects that rarely have any longevity and face almost certain demolition orders. He will look at what the occupation and expansion of illegal settlements means for Palestinians and development work in the region.
Hamed Qawasmeh directs the Hebron International Resources Network (HIRN), an organisation which he co-founded and which has just celebrated its 4th anniversary. HIRN is based in the west Bank city of Hebron and is run on purely voluntary basis by a group of dedicated Palestinians and internationals. The basic mission of the organization is simple; to serve the most needy Palestinians. It also provides a meeting space for Internationals who wish to explore the West Bank further, and a resource library of literature about the West Bank. Hamed is an activist In the Villages Group , and also works for the UN documenting human rights violations in the southern West Bank.
This event is FREE - you can reserve your tickets online. Please remember to collect your tickets at least 20 minutes before the start of the event. Any tickets not collected by this time will be released.