Memorandum submitted by The Palestinian
Network of Art Centers
"You have nuclear warheads, we have
poetry . . " Mahmoud Darwish
On the psychological side two of the most
important phenomena of culture are, firstly, a strengthening of
the intellect, which tends to master our instinctive life, and,
secondly, an introversion of the aggressive impulse, with all
its consequent benefits and perils . . . Meanwhile we may rest
on the assurance that whatever makes for cultural development
is working also against war. —Excerpt
from Sigmund Freud's letter to Albert Einstein (1932)
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Endorse Palestinian cultural rights and
maintain their integration into all aspects of short and long-term
socio-political efforts.
2. Ensure that the assistance for projects
focusing on cultural development, exchange and preservation are
prioritised within future development cooperation strategies.
3. Consider the investment in cultural programming
as a most appropriate form of sustainable development aid at this
juncture, with the understanding that increased cultural engagement
creates a more tolerant, self-confident individual and an open
society. It also decreases societal vulnerability and provides
individuals with outlets for creativity, entertainment and positive
models for behaviour.
4. Emphasise the incorporation of cultural
and artistic activities when funding of educational interventions
in the West Bank and Gaza. Technical training, scholarships, international
exchange opportunities, field trips for young students and the
mainstreaming of cultural curricula into primary and secondary
education are among some concrete examples.
5. Underscore the appropriate spread of
cultural activity to all parts of the West Bank and Gaza with
special emphasis on isolated geographical areas and provide the
necessary political pressure to ensure access and mobility.
6. Support the development of a national
Palestinian cultural strategy, with the full participation of
civil society.
Point 1: The Effectiveness of aid from the UK
and EU sources on Palestinian poverty levels, how it is targeted
and what could be done to prevent it from being wasted or destroyed
While present UK and EU aid strategies of supporting
poverty alleviation, infrastructure, and a multitude of humanitarian
interventions are proving significant to the endurance of Palestinian
society, they remain, to varying degrees, lacking in focus on
the individual's mental and spiritual well-being, without which
eradicating poverty cannot be achieved. Investing in human development
is the only guarantee for the sustainability and long-term impact
of aid strategies. Cultural development, in particular, will contribute
to the emergence of a healthier, more open and more tolerant society.
Real development will not take place in Palestine
while military occupation is controlling the everyday life of
every citizen. Therefore, not only are appropriate aid strategies
paramount contributors to the development of civil society in
Palestine, but also equally important is the end to the political
conflict. The significant power public opinion holds over political
decisions, is witnessed globally and is an undisputed fact. Nonetheless,
the West continues to perceive the Palestinians as aggressors
rather than dignified peaceful human beings seeking an end to
an injustice that has haunted and controlled their lives for decades.
The misrepresentation of the Palestinian cause and the distortion
of the image of the Palestinian individual, as wrongfully portrayed
by the Western media, urges Palestinians to continue using their
cultural and artistic expression as a means of setting the record
straight. Palestinians believe that their accurate portrayal in
the West will ultimately contribute to a just and peaceful solution
to their long-standing conflict. A firm—and consistent—support
of proper democratic processes is also essential: the Palestinians,
both inside the Occupied Territories and outside it, must be supported
in their right to hold free and unhindered elections at all levels
and at all times. Today, these processes are only possible at
the whim of the Israeli government, which arrogates unto itself
the right to decide who should and shouldn't represent us, thus
perpetuating the political stalemate, which only serves the purpose
of those with the power to impose whatever realities they wish
onto our lives.
Point 6: The Role of civil society, including
NGOs, in ensuring a broad popular participation in the development
of Palestinian society—a culture/arts perspective
As in all other societies, Palestinians will
be better able to actively participate in the development of their
society, provided they acquire a solid understanding of their
disposition, their aims and objectives in life, and the nature
of their relationship with their people and state. Cultural interaction
and artistic expression—so far a neglected sustainable development
tool—will contribute significantly towards this understanding.
While Palestinian cultural institutions are striving to provide
their communities with rich cultural opportunities that will help
take their minds off their many daily and economic troubles, their
impact is also noted as these communities become more open minded,
tolerant and less vulnerable entities. Partaking in the arts,
also provides individuals with spaces of reflection, catharsis,
debate, and healing in times of war, noted Palestinian examples
are: "100 Shaheed-100 Lives" memorial exhibit, the "Stories
from Under Occupation" play by Al-Kasaba, the "Going
for a Ride" public art installation by Vera Tamari, or the
"Divine Intervention" film by Elie Suleiman, etc. Unfortunately
the creative endeavors of theatre, cinema, art, dance and music
are limited to the central West Bank (namely Ramallah and Jerusalem)
and a few isolated events—mainly in theatre and plastic
arts—taking place in Gaza City. A rare musical performance
in Hebron this summer, for example, attracted nearly 10,000 people—a
number exceeding anyone's expectations.
The importance of cultural engagement is more
important today than anytime in Palestinian history as unemployment
rates are soaring to levels equal to those in the poorest of nations
around the world. Additionally, other than their nationalistic
cause, Palestinian youth have fallen into an existential and moral
void. Today, Palestinian towns are flooded with young men wandering
the streets, smoking cigarettes with nothing to fill the endless
free time. Palestinian youth are finding alternative means to
keeping busy very scarce. While some resort to religion as a means
of gaining guidance and inner peace, others join the few existing
social and cultural associations to simply pass time. The majority
however, are drifting away, bewildered and vulnerable and losing
hope for any life of dignity in the future. Active cultural involvement
is one way of leading the society away from any possible overpowering
and radical paths and into a more constructive track based on
solid self-awareness. Adila Laidi of Khalil Sakakini Cultural
Center describes the importance of art in the lives of Palestinians:
"The arts have been, and are now more than ever, the only
haven where Palestine can be celebrated whole, in its plentitude,
and not in its current chopped up avatars; and where Palestinian
identity and dignity can be experienced in full."
IMPEDIMENTS TO
ATTAINING CULTURAL
GOALS
Today Palestinians face challenging obstacles,
impeding their progress towards more vibrant opportunities for
free expression and for having their voice heard. Some of these,
as witnessed by the Palestinian Network of Art Centers, include:
Due to military occupation
The physical attack and destruction of art institutions,
centers, and architectural heritage buildings, particularly during
the Israeli incursions of Spring 2002. Example: The Khalil Sakakini
Cultural Centre in Ramallah was broken into with explosives, vandalised,
and looted, resulting in damage to art works, the theft of the
main computer, and nearly $1,000 in cash, in addition to considerable
damage to the historic building considered an architectural landmark
of Ramallah. The Bethlehem Peace Center sustained even more devastation
and cost over $200,000 to repair after the Israeli Army occupied
and ransacked it for more than two months. More provoking was
the extensive destruction of numerous buildings of significant
architectural heritage importance in the old cities of Nablus
and Hebron. In Nablus, where the destruction was more acute, over
10% of buildings in the old city were damaged totally or partially.
Closures and roadblocks have and continue to
prevent daily public access to participate in various cultural
activities. On numerous occasions, art groups were prevented from
performing in nearby towns thus diminishing their opportunities
to share their art with the wider public. This lack of access
has also economically impacted the sector as the cultural centers'
revenues have decreased with the number of attendees and performances/exhibitions.
Training workshops have also been near impossible to organise
outside the Ramallah area, thus hindering the opportunities for
widespread capacity development in the arts. Roadblocks have also
prevented school children from participating in field trips that
are paramount to their understanding of their history and heritage.
The closing down and/or bombardment of main
radio and television stations that created a major audio/visual
vacuum and often irrecoverable financial losses due to equipment
damage or confiscation. The Palestine Broadcasting Corporation
TV and Radio stations, Wattan TV, Voice of Love & Peace Radio
and Amwaj TV & Radio are among some examples of stations that
sustained considerable damage.
The prevention of international cultural promoters,
professionals and performers to enter Palestine by forcing them,
upon arrival, to return immediately to their home countries, hence
diminishing the Palestinian experience of cultural exchange and
exposure. Examples: Marwan Abado is a singer, composer and "oud"
player of Palestinian origin that was denied entry into the country
by the Israeli Authorities. Mr. Abado was scheduled to perform
at this year's Jerusalem Festival—Songs of Freedom. Another
example took place in August 2003, when six Swedish consultants
representing various cultural fields and centres were on their
way to Bethlehem in response to the invitation of the Bethlehem
Peace Center in coordination with the Swedish International Cooperation
Agency (SIDA). Upon their arrival in Israel, they were taken into
police custody and, following intensive interrogation, were asked
to sign a disclaimer allowing them entry to Israel with the understanding
that they are not to travel to Bethlehem—their ultimate
destination! Any attempt to enter Bethlehem, they were warned,
would result in a 10-year travel ban to Israel. Five of the consultants
refused to sign the disclaimer and were sent back to Sweden after
spending the night in the airport prison. The objective of a hands-on
exchange with one of the most prominent Palestinian cultural institutions
was therefore disrupted and made impossible by such violations.
On 15 May 2003, Omar Al Qattan a Palestinian- British film maker,
and director of the A.M.Qattan Foundation's Culture and Science
Programme, was also banned from entry into the country, along
with the Belgian cameraman and sound recordist accompanying him,
on "security grounds"—even though he has been
traveling to Israel for the last 10 years.
Due to lack of funding and economic constraints
With the humanitarian crisis becoming acute,
more funds were diverted away from cultural support towards other
urgent sectors, with heavy emphasis on relief work. This is due
to a perception that cultural activities are an "indulgence"
and not an urgent donor priority.
Scarce local funding from local corporate companies,
due to dire economic conditions, as these represented significant
sources of subsidies in the past.
With a few exceptions, Palestinian philanthropic
foundations are also prioritising the relief effort, and hence
withdrawing their traditional support for such activities.
Considerable reduction in the revenues of cultural
centers, artists and performing groups, due to the diminishing
of local tourism resulting from the lack of access and mobility.
Due to infrastructure and skill availability concerns
Decades of occupation have prevented the building
of sufficient cultural facilities such as theatres, cultural centers
and training facilities. Only a handful of moderately equipped
centers operate today—mostly in the central West Bank and
Gaza City—and all are seriously threatened by the lack of
regular subsidies.
Very limited technical capacities in the various
cultural fields—for example theatre and cinema technicians,
sound engineers, choreographers, curators etc
PALESTINIAN CULTURAL
SHOWCASE—HISTORICAL
PERSPECTIVE
More than any time in their history, Palestinians
are feeling the effects of military occupation on their everyday
life. Much has been said about the horrifying unemployment and
poverty indicators and the psychological effects of the collective
and increasingly widespread and prolonged curfews; yet little
is spoken on the account of Israel's systematic attempts at cracking
down on the mere existence of Palestinian national and cultural
aspirations. Throughout history, Israel's oppressive control over
Palestinian lives was maintained by the censorship of all forms
of cultural and artistic expression. As occupation sought to distort
and destroy all aspects of Palestinian national identity, the
Palestinians worked harder on asserting it through song, poetry
and dance. Pioneering and innovative work was produced which had
a revolutionary and enduring influence on the whole Arab world
and beyond—Emil Habibi's novels, Mahmoud Darwish's poetry,
the films of Michel Kheleifi are just some examples.
As specific aspects of life improved for the
majority of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza with
the initiation of the peace process, so did the opportunities
for creative cultural expression. For the first time in their
modern history, Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza
felt the freedom to create, share and exchange their art and more
importantly, get exposed to various cultural movements elsewhere
in the world. An explosion of fascinating artistic output was
observed; summer festivals were organised in many Palestinian
cities with scores of Arab and international artists performing,
Palestinian art exhibitions were taking place at home and abroad,
art and literary awards were created and so on. The A M Qattan
Foundation—an independently funded and managed British-Palestinian
organisation dedicated to supporting culture and education—set
up offices in Ramallah and Gaza and initiated several modules
of financial support for the arts. Yet the current situation is
putting all these achievements and aspirations at serious risk.
Despite this creative output, the longstanding
legacy of political oppression of many years, coupled with physical
isolation, neglect to the cultural infrastructure and the absence
of public policy, have impeded much of the cultural advancement
that Palestinians aspire for. Palestinians continue to transcend
the enormous obstacles imposed by the occupier and have shown
their unwavering determination to express their points of view,
their ideas, emotions and their longing for freedom. This spirit
will undoubtedly prevail no matter how cruel the occupier, yet
for this to happen the international community's support is crucial.
September 2003
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