Letter from Palestine, 8. Idea for Christmas gift.
23rd October 2004
Dear friends!
I agree that the Christmas marzipan comes too early (though it has not come here yet, here it is enough Ramadan sweets), and I don’t want to contribute to the Christmas gift stress, but I see that it might be necessary to write now if I want anybody to buy Christmas gifts from Palestine this year. I have mentioned Al-Ard A-Taybeh, or The Good Earth campaign earlier. Now I want to give you more information about it. The campaign seeks to give Palestinian farmers and craftsmen a chance to sell their products and at the same time challenge the customers to learn more about the situation.
The last week I have spent some days in Jericho. I have met many exciting people and had long discussions on occupation, refugee camps and volunteering. In addition to taking pictures and making interviews for a photo contest, I have assisted in the food production programme at YWCA. I have prepared herbs for the campaign bag, and I feel I start to be quite good at separating stalks and spearmint leaves.
I have also packed olive soap, first in vacuum plastic, then in grey paper, straw and a label. I have not seen the full soap production, but I have got the recipe and seen some of the equipment. Olive soap is famous for its mildness for the skin; it can be used by anybody.
Dried spearmint leaves and olive soap are two of the products in the campaign bag. At YWCA they also produce dried thyme and sage. I have already tasted how good the tea is with spearmint, and I hope I will learn something about using thyme and sage as well. In addition to good taste, they all help for different plagues.
YMCA’s products in the bag are olive oil and a small nativity set in olive wood. The olive oil is “extra virgin”, it means that it is the first and finest oil pressed. It is filled on an elegant bottle with special designed label. The nativity set is a sweet small piece of the holy family, made by local craftsmen in the Bethlehem area.
Then here is my challenge to those of you who wonder what to give for Christmas gifts this year. Here you have the chance to support Palestinian Christians at the same time as you get quality products which can be used for cooking, washing and decoration. If you want to give something to wrap and put under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, this is the gift which is both useful and enjoyable. The bag can be bought for 20 dollars. More information is found at: http://www.ej-ymca.org/site/Display-Sub.cfm?SubId=17
Today and tomorrow YWCA and YMCA arranges together with other organisations an olive harvest festival in Bethlehem. In the Manger Square outside the Bethlehem Peace Centre and the Church of the Nativity it is a vivid market with different products of olives, and there is a stage for cultural shows, songs, poems and dance. It is not by chance that the olive harvest and the olive products get so much attention. The olive tree is an important symbol in Palestine, with its strong ability of survival and rich fruit; it gives hope for a rich and just future.
The olive harvest festival is also the start of the olive picking programme YWCA and YMCA start this weekend. 35 foreign volunteers are coming to assist in the harvest. This support is particularly important in olive fields close to the illegal settlements or in areas threatened by confiscation. The participants will in addition to climbing trees and pick olives, also meet different organisations and visit famous sites.
I am ready for another week with many new experiences.
Olive greetings from Hanne.
Dear friends!
I agree that the Christmas marzipan comes too early (though it has not come here yet, here it is enough Ramadan sweets), and I don’t want to contribute to the Christmas gift stress, but I see that it might be necessary to write now if I want anybody to buy Christmas gifts from Palestine this year. I have mentioned Al-Ard A-Taybeh, or The Good Earth campaign earlier. Now I want to give you more information about it. The campaign seeks to give Palestinian farmers and craftsmen a chance to sell their products and at the same time challenge the customers to learn more about the situation.
The last week I have spent some days in Jericho. I have met many exciting people and had long discussions on occupation, refugee camps and volunteering. In addition to taking pictures and making interviews for a photo contest, I have assisted in the food production programme at YWCA. I have prepared herbs for the campaign bag, and I feel I start to be quite good at separating stalks and spearmint leaves.
I have also packed olive soap, first in vacuum plastic, then in grey paper, straw and a label. I have not seen the full soap production, but I have got the recipe and seen some of the equipment. Olive soap is famous for its mildness for the skin; it can be used by anybody.
Dried spearmint leaves and olive soap are two of the products in the campaign bag. At YWCA they also produce dried thyme and sage. I have already tasted how good the tea is with spearmint, and I hope I will learn something about using thyme and sage as well. In addition to good taste, they all help for different plagues.
YMCA’s products in the bag are olive oil and a small nativity set in olive wood. The olive oil is “extra virgin”, it means that it is the first and finest oil pressed. It is filled on an elegant bottle with special designed label. The nativity set is a sweet small piece of the holy family, made by local craftsmen in the Bethlehem area.
Then here is my challenge to those of you who wonder what to give for Christmas gifts this year. Here you have the chance to support Palestinian Christians at the same time as you get quality products which can be used for cooking, washing and decoration. If you want to give something to wrap and put under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, this is the gift which is both useful and enjoyable. The bag can be bought for 20 dollars. More information is found at: http://www.ej-ymca.org/site/Display-Sub.cfm?SubId=17
Today and tomorrow YWCA and YMCA arranges together with other organisations an olive harvest festival in Bethlehem. In the Manger Square outside the Bethlehem Peace Centre and the Church of the Nativity it is a vivid market with different products of olives, and there is a stage for cultural shows, songs, poems and dance. It is not by chance that the olive harvest and the olive products get so much attention. The olive tree is an important symbol in Palestine, with its strong ability of survival and rich fruit; it gives hope for a rich and just future.
The olive harvest festival is also the start of the olive picking programme YWCA and YMCA start this weekend. 35 foreign volunteers are coming to assist in the harvest. This support is particularly important in olive fields close to the illegal settlements or in areas threatened by confiscation. The participants will in addition to climbing trees and pick olives, also meet different organisations and visit famous sites.
I am ready for another week with many new experiences.
Olive greetings from Hanne.
posted by Hanne at 1:59 AM
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