According to the explicit wish of the members of the Independence Youth Union (Palestine) and as part of ongoing process, the Educational Project continues to work with the organization in their efforts to learn about the Holocaust. The experiences on that emotional issue have been collected recently and published in a booklet.
20 years of Willy Brandt Center Jerusalem. These entail a multitude of stories about political and cultural exchange, tales of encounter and discourse, and people fully committed to peace and dialogue. At this year’s anniversary Annual Conference we thanked all our fellows and comrades along the way; we celebrated with our partners and disussed new perspectives for the next 20 years to come.
On Friday, 30th of September, we started with an official reception in the Willy Brandt Center in Jerusalem. We were glad to welcome Andrea Nahles, founder member of the Willy Brandt Center and secretary of Labour and Social Affairs, German embassador in Israel, Dr. Clemens von Goetze, the head of the Representative Office in Ramallah, Peter Beerwerth, a delegation of Members of the German Bundestag with Kerstin Griese, Eva Hoegl, Baerbel Bas and Dagmar Schmidt and representatives of all our partnerorganisations. The Chairwomen of Jusos, Johanna Uekermann, stated the history, support and deep ties between Jusos and Willy Brandt Center: “In the last twenty years we have seen times of hope which brought us closer together and we have seen times where cooperation seemed hardly possible. But the ties between our organisations were never lost and we always have found ways to find back together. Mostly because of the people on all sides who believe in the values and the goals of the Willy Brandt Center and who fight for that against all odds inside their respective societies. We as Jusos cannot even imagine how this struggle is for you, but we are proud, that through the WBC we can still support you in this struggle. And be assured: We will continue to do so”!
All our partnerorganisations and friends of the Willy Brandt Center were invited to join the Annual Conference in Tantur on Saturday, 1st of October. On several panels politicians and young activists discussed issues like how to be a left activist in times of conflict and possible approaches to solve the conflict. Maya Peretz, former member of the political team in the Willy Brandt Center and representative of Young Labour described the challenges and goals of our work: “It is hard to understand that people see the same reality, but different. I see one thing, and my Palestinian partner see the other thing. We have complete different life. It is a progress, that they also understand me. We form a different way of communication. We were not only partners, we were friends.” Andrea Nahles also reminded on Saturday at the historical and unique moment of founding the Willy Brandt Center: “I have to mention the people founding the Willy Brandt Center, Ofer Dekel and Sabri Tomezi. We tried to have a personal relation. We were motivated by the big politics. And you have to be a little bit naive. You have to do it.”
During workshop-sessions in the afternoon organized by activists of our partnerorganisations, we talked about the economic situation in the region, about work in parliament and coalition etc.
Thank you for joining our Annual Conference; we are looking forward to see you on upcoming events in the Willy Brandt Center Jerusalem!
Welcome to Another World!
IFM Camp in Bavaria, Germany 23.7-5.8.16
80 young activists from our four educational movements spent two weeks together to put the slogan into action.
From 23rd of July to 5th of August all concerned movements of the educational project of WBC sent delegations to an international youth camp in Germany. Out of more than 2500 young people the four movements came up with around 20 participants each so the region was represented by a group of nearly 80 young activists. Preparation seminars beforehand ensured a great time the movements spent together. Three out of eight theme tents (Peace, Socialism and LGBT) were run by members of the movements from Israel and Palestine. Not only in the theme tents which hosted a great number workshops, seminars and discussion rounds but also aside the movement’s meat for various encounters to get in touch with – and learn from each other.
The four organizations lived together in one part of the campsite. Since the name of this space was Peace-Camp the motto of the camp was taken very serious: Welcome to Another World! With some great experiences all the participants arrived safely back home. The momentum, though, the shared existence in the camp created keeps on taking effect. Or as one of the participants phrased it: “it’s a tailwind for the work for peace on the ground and all future cooperation.”
For the past 20 years, the WBC has been a one of a kind meeting place in Jerusalem.
Here, a trustworthy cooperation is possible, even when dealing with difficult topics.
A German-Israeli-Palestinian team is looking for a common solution for the future that fosters security, social justice, and freedom.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at 7pm (19.00)
Red Lounge Movie Night “My Arab Friend”
in attendance of the director Noga Nezer
An Israeli girl goes on a surreal journey to the heart of the Palestinian Territories to find her lost Arab friend.
Noga isn’t really interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She just wants to live her comfortable, liberal life in Tel Aviv. But when Fahres, her Palestinian friend who stayed with her in Tel Aviv, disappears, Noga is forced to embark on a surreal, scary, and surprising journey into Fahres’ home village in the heart of the West Bank to find him, and what he really means to her.”
Come out to join us for a night of political cinema that is surprising, thought-provoking yet entertaining & heart-warming.
Director Noga Nezer will be with us to talk about the story behind “My Arab Friend” & what moved her to do this movie.
My Arab Friend by Noga Nezer
53 min/with Englich ST