OneVoice organized town hall meetings in Jenin and in the Al-Jazoun refugee camp in April and May to educate people about democracy and the municipal elections. The overarching purpose was to enhance the concepts and practices of democracy as a cornerstone for peace and nation-building and as a non-violent alternative for achieving change. Panelists discussed the importance of participating in the elections, the implications of Hamas’ decision to take part in the municipal and PLC elections, the importance of the ceasefire agreement, youth’s role in decision-making, the role of civil society organizations in enhancing democracy, reform expectations, and internal security issues.
The audience was allowed to ask piercing questions from a diverse panel in order to expose and question agendas and platforms. Speakers included Nayef Swetat, Jenin’s Fatah leader, Naser Abu Aziz, from PFLP, Khaled Sulaiman, a supporter of Hamas, Mahmoud Labadi, the General Director of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Qaddura Faris, a prominent PLC Fatah member, Hasan Yousef, the West Bank leader of Hamas, and Dr. Fathi Darwish, President of OneVoice-Palestine. The town hall meetings were overflowed and oversubscribed.
Take a Look: http://blog.onevoicemovement.org/photos/2005_photo_gallery/index.html. Attendees expressed appreciation for the opportunity to be informed and express their worries and fears. The meetings were organized in conjunctuion with Tawasul (a Palestinian NGO) and with the Palestinian Legislative Council (the Palestinian Parliament).
These meetings followed similar ones held the month before in Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Abu Dees. But particularly the Jenin meeting was considered a breakthrough event because of the sensitivities surrounding that city, its refugee camps, and the Israeli incursion in 2002. OneVoice worked from within Jenin in a non-partisan fashion and in coordination with all parties and factions, with several student activists from both Al Quds Open University and The Arab American University in Jenin organizing an initial preparatory workshop that drew 90 young people and lasted for 3 hours. “While many expressed skepticism and called against normalization without freedom, people discussed openly and boldly for the first time which kind of peace they want with the Israelis in exchange for a free Palestinian state,” explained Dr. Darwish.
After viewing a cd presentation of activities performed in other parts, 83 of those who attended filled out applications to become “Friends of OneVoice.” A core group agreed to visit the OneVoice Ramallah headquarters for training.
Out of several hundred attendees in the town hall meetings, over two hundred also signed on to become OV members and affirm OV principles.
Iman Abdullah, a 22 years old from the Arrabeh village near Jenin and a student in Jerusalem Open University, stated, “I come from a village which has 13 martyrs but I am convinced of the goals of OneVoice, especially conflict solving. The obstacle is to convince others in my village of such a perspective, and I hope OneVoice program will teach me how to change other point of views even of those who oppose negotiating.”
