HAHO or Hartshill and Harpfields Occasions first international event took place on 3 May and Sumud set out its table-top exhibition alongside that of ASHA (African Social Health Agency).   A huge number of organisations and businesses were represented together with a good smattering of BME organisations   A few

The third training workshop (Treatment of complex Trauma) for Palestinian Counselling Centre PCC staff in Ramallah is taking place as I write (15 April) and I cannot resist quoting from an email Mohammed Mukhaimar has just received from psychotherapist Harry Ari OHayon  (Director, PG Programmes in Evidence Based Psychological Treatments, Charlie Waller

In April I spoke to a Rotary Club near Cannock Chase and in addition to a very good supper I returned home with £200. This above average amount from a small group was not solely attributable to my dynamic talk!   Pat had offered an overhead presentation on Picking Olives

Beautiful Resistance: “As the Israelis are destroying our lives, we are transforming them through the power of art, music, drama and dance.” Civil society is stepping up non-violent actions against the occupation. ICAHD  keeps the torch of political resistance alive by building houses and Jeff Halper, founder and director, called

Sumud Palestine enjoyed a Skype call to Rana Nashashibi, peace activist and a founder of the Palestinian Counselling Centre, on 18 March. Rana is a member of a distinguished Jerusalem family with roots going back 800 years; the Nashashibis hold the keys to the Holy Sepulchre.    Rana  spoke about

From 5-12 February, Helen Macdonald conducted a five-day workshop for staff of the PCC. Building on David Raine’s earlier workshop and Mohammad Mukhaimar’s weekly Skype sessions, the programme is having an impact and this will be consolidated when Harry Ari O’Hayon visits in April.    Helen is a Fellow of the British Association

Keswick Peace and Human Rights Group invited Mohammed Mukhaimar to introduce ‘5 Broken Cameras’ as part of the KPHRG’s contribution to the Keswick Film Festival.   About 60 people gathered at the Keswick Theatre on a Sunday morning and notwithstanding the time of day the film made its usual impact. The film always generates

The upstairs meeting room of the Cherry Tree was crowded for a screening of The Gatekeepers last Wednesday.   Six formers heads of Shin Beit, Israel’s security service reminisced about their careers fighting terrorism and organising assassinations while reflecting that while collective punishment and administrative detention of Palestinians may “win

Quoting Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “It is breath-taking how the Israeli government can thumb their noses at the international community with impunity. This is another aspect that mirrors what happened with apartheid South Africa. The International Court of Justice gave an advisory opinion declaring South Africa’s continued control of South West

A meeting with the Betley Women’s Institute on a wet and windy evening in February. Not an evening likely to bring forth a large audience but this did not deter members of the Betley W I who proved to be a challenging audience. I thought I had got my script