------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 13:43:40 +0200
Subject: For moderation - from BADIL: Petition Campaign for Palestinian Refugee Rights -
Call for
Support
From: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
BADIL Resource Center
For immediate release, 12 April 1999
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TOWARDS A EUROPEAN-PALESTINIAN CAMPAIGN FOR PALESTINIAN REFUGEE RIGHTS
CALL FOR BROAD INTERNATIONAL ENDORSEMENT OF PETITION FOR THE PALESTINIAN RIGHT
TO RESTITUTION
The European Campaign:
A strategy workshop organized by Oxfam Solidarity/Belgium between March 29 and 1
April 1999 set the foundations for two Palestinian-European Campaigns, a
campaign for Palestinian Economic Development, and a Campaign for Palestinian
Refugee Rights. Participants were Palestinian and European NGOs (BADIL Resource
Center, Forum of Palestinian NGOs-Lebanon, PARC, Belgo-Palestinian Association,
Flamish Palestine Committee, Oxfam Solidarity, UCL CERMAC, a.o.),
representatives of the ECCP, Belgian parliamentarians and trade unionists,
representatives of the European parliament and EU commissions, and PLO and Arab
League representatives. The Campaign for Palestinian Refugee Rights will:
- Empower Palestinian refugee initiatives and NGOs;
- Advocate for the Palestinian right of return;
- Lobby for increased government support for UNRWA.
The campaign will be launched in Belgium to expand to other European countries
in coordination with the ECCP (European Coordinating Committee on Palestine) in
the second half of 1999.
Petition for the Palestinian Right to Right to Restitution:
Prepared by BADIL Resource Center in cooperation with partners in Palestine,
Lebanon and Kuwait, the petition attached below will serve as a tool for
mobilization until the official launching of this Campaign on a European level.
BADIL calls upon all friends and partners to support this initiative by:
a) collecting signatures of well-known personalities and organizations for our
petition (attached);
b) ordering BADIL's information package/International Campaign for Palestinian
Refugee Rights (via internet);
c) coordinating the European Campaign effort with Oxfam Solidarity and the
Belgian solidarity committees (Contact: Hilt Teuwen/Oxfam, tel: 0032-2-5129990;
fax: 0032-2-5142813; email: [log in to unmask]);
d) coordinating with BADIL on campaign efforts outside Europe
tel/fax: 00972-2-27473746; email: [log in to unmask]; www.badil.org)
Attached:
Final version of the petition text. Please disregard any other versions you
might have received earlier.
-----------------------------------
A PETITION CAMPAIGN FOR THE PALESTINIAN RIGHT TO RESTITUTION
Sponsored by BADIL Resource Center in Cooperation with
Palestinian and International Partner Organizations
March 1999
RESTITUTION: A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT
More than fifty years after the holocaust, Jews around the world continue to
fight for and receive restitution for material and non-material losses inflicted
by the Nazi regime throughout Europe. More than fifty years after the
Palestinian people were displaced and dispossessed by an exclusive Jewish state
established in Palestine in the aftermath of Nazi atrocities in Europe,
Palestinians are still being dispossessed, dispersed, and denied any kind of
restitution. Restitution is a universal human right. Persons now fighting for
restitution are therefore to be supported.
We, the undersigned, believe that Palestinians, of whom two-thirds are refugees,
also have the right of restitution, including the return of the rightful owners
to their property as well as restitution for other material and non-material
losses. Resolution 194, which recognizes the right of refugees to restitution,
has been reaffirmed one hundred and ten times by the United Nations. Further,
as recently as November 1998, the UN General Assembly reaffirmed in Resolution
52/644 the principle, based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
international law, that Palestinian refugees are entitled to all revenues from
their property.
We appeal to all fair-minded people, governments, parliamentarians, human rights
groups and particularly Jewish organizations, to recognize, support and call for
restitution of Palestinians through the restoration of homes and properties to
their rightful owners as well as restitution for other material and non-material
losses. While restitution can never fully make amends for all losses, suffering,
and crimes against humanity, restitution establishes a precedent which should
prevent the repetition of such catastrophes in the future.
SIGNATORIES (original endorsement)
Name/Profession Organization Address
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Activists in Palestinian Refugee Camps:
Othman Abdelaziz al-Azza, Head,Youth Activities Centre 'Azza Camp
Issa Abu Khiran, Camp director, 'Arroub Camp 'Arroub Camp
Yusif Ahmad Abu Laban, director,
Families of Martyrs' Association-Bethlehem Deheishe Camp
Bassima Abu Odeh PLO/Popular Service Committees 'Aida Camp
Fathi Abu Odeh Youth Activities Centre 'Aida Camp
Abdelfatah Abu-Srour Youth Activities Centre 'Aida Camp
Faten Abu-Srour, 'Aida Rehabilitation Center for the
Handicapped 'Aida Camp
Ibrahim Abu-Srour PLO/Popular Service Committees 'Aida Camp
Adnan Ajarmeh, Union of Youth Activities Centres/West Bank 'Aida Camp
Halima Ajarmeh, 'Aida Rehabilitation Center for the
Handicapped 'Aida Camp
Ahamd al-Amsi, Fawwar Electric Cooperative Society Fawwar Camp
Khalil Ahmad al-'Azza, PLO/Popular Service Committees 'Azza Camp
Khader Diab Youth Activities Centre 'Arroub Camp
Nadi Ferraj, Agricultural engineer, Preparatory.Committee/
First Popular Refugee Conference/Bethlehem, Deheishe Camp
Afif Ghatashe, Camp director, 'Azza and 'Aida Camp
Youth Activities Centre Fawwar Camp
Amal Hazem PLO/Popular Service Committees 'Aida Camp
Na'im 'Id, Youth Activities Centre 'Aida Camp
Azmi Jado Al-Malha Sports Club 'Aida Camp
Mahmoud al-Jawabra Mukhtar, 'Arroub Camp 'Arroub Camp
Usama al-Jawabra, Treasurer, Palestinian Volleyball League
Youth Activities Centre 'Arroub Camp
Muhammad al-Laham, Head,PLO Popular Service Committees-
West Bank Deheishe Camp
Yusif al-Lehleqawi, Head, Committee of Camp Institutions Fawwar Camp
Nabil Musbah Youth Activities Centre 'Aida Camp
Issa 'Ata 'Odeh Al-Malha Sports Club 'Aida Camp
Samir 'Ata 'Odeh Youth Activities Centre 'Aida Camp
Ahmad Radwan Youth Activities Centre 'Aida Camp
Khaled al-Seifi IBDA Center Deheishe Camp
Hussein Shaheen Camp Director, Deheishe Camp Deheishe Camp
Muhammad Shreim Return Center for Culture 'Aida Camp
Abdelrahman al-Titi PLO/Popular Service Committees 'Arroub Camp
Nabil Torash Al-Malha Youth Club Beit Jala
Palestinian Unionists:
Mahmoud Abu Odeh, Secretary, Workers' Union 'Aida Camp
Dr. Na'im Abu Teir, Head,
Union of Health Work Committees (UHWC) Jerusalem
Dr. Nufouz Hamdan, Director, Women Health/UHWC Jerusalem
Alise Elias al-Marashdeh, Head, Women's Union-Beit Sahour
Union of Women Committees for Social Work Beit Sahour
Dr. Ahmad al-Maslemani, Director general, UHWC Jerusalem
Dr. Majed Nassar, Deputy director, UHWC Bethlehem
Shaher Sa'd, Secretary general,
Federation of Workers Unions/Palestine Nablus
Victoria Shoukri, Program director, UHWC Jerusalem
Politicians and Personalities in Palestinian National Institutions:
Ahmad Abass Shamroukh, employee/PA Ministry of Information, Deheishe Camp
Hatem Abdelqader PLC/Jerusalem Department Jerusalem
Dr. As'ad Abdelrahman, Head, PLO/Department for Refugee Affairs
PLO Executive Committee Amman-Gaza
Dr. Haidar Abdel Shafi, Head, Red Crescent Society/Gaza;
Movement for Democratic Reconstruction Gaza
Mitri Abu 'Aita PNC, PA Ministry of Tourism Beit Sahour
Dr. Moussa Abu Hmeid, PNC/Refugee Committee, West Bank Nablus
Mustafa Abu al-Tin, head/Village Council al-Walajeh/Jerusalem
Hanan Ashrawi PLC, Director/MIFTAH Jerusalem
Siham Ayesh Families of Martyrs' Association Beit Jala
Khaled al-'Azza, Head, Committee for the Defense of the Land
& Confrontation of Israeli Settlements/Bethlehem 'Azza Camp
Bishara Daoud PLC/Committee against Settlements Beit Jala
Kamel Hmeid, Director, Ministry of Local Affairs/Bethlehem
Fatah Movement Bethlehem
Faisal al-Husseini Orient House Jerusalem
Dr. Nayef Jarrad, Political advisor, PNC/West Bank Tulkarem
Hussam Khader PLC; Chair, Committee for the
Defense of Palestinian Refugee Rights Balata Camp
Awni al-Mashni Fatah High Committee/West Bank Deheishe Camp
Zakaria Nahhas PNC Ramallah
Issa Qaraq'ea, Head, Palestinian Prisoners' Club/West Bank 'Aida Camp
Ikrima Sabri, Director general,
Dar Al-Fatwa & Islamic Research Center Jerusalem
Faiza Sa'd Families of Martyrs' Association Irtas
Bilal Shakhsheer, Director general, PNC/West Bank Nablus
Salah Ta'amari, PLC/head of Committee against Settlements, Ta'amra/Bethlehem
Suha Zeida Families of Martyrs' Association Beit Jala
Researchers, NGOs, Independent:
Dr. Mahdi Abdelhadi, Head, PASSIA Jerusalem
Ali Abu Hilal, Director, Freedoms' Defense Center Jerusalem
Dr. Ibrahim Abu Lughod, Researcher/Birzeit University Ramallah
Salman Abu-Sitta, Researcher Kuwait
Usama M. Adawi, Architect Deheishe Camp
Hamdi Ferraj, Director, Al-Rou'ah TV Deheishe Camp
Dr. Sharif Kanaana, Director, SHAML Ramallah
Ghassan al-Khatib, Lecturer/Birzeit University Ramallah
Dr. Muhammad Mahdi, Researcher, university lecturer 'Arroub Camp
Dr. Sumaya Nasser, Director, Jerusalem Center for Women; Jerusalem
University lecturer
Abdelrahman al-Natshe, Lawyer Hebron
Ahmad Ruweidi, Lawyer, Citizen's Rights Center/
Arab Thought Forum Jerusalem
Dr. Eyad al-Sarraj, Director, GCMHP Gaza
Rosemary Sayigh, Researcher Beirut
Muhammad Jaber al-Shadafan, Head/Higher Coordinating Committee
For Rehabilitation of the Handicapped-Palestine, Fawwar Camp
Adnan Shehade University lecturer 'Arroub Camp
Dr. Salim Tamari, Director,Institute of Jerusalem Studies Jerusalem
Muhammad 'Ata al-Titi 'Arroub Camp
Dr. Adel Yahya, Director, PACE Ramallah
Walid Yassin, Researcher, journalist;
Association of the Forty Haifa
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Please forward signatures to:
BADIL Resource Center, tel/fax 02-2747346; email: [log in to unmask];
With a copy to:
Oxfam Solidarity, fax: 0032-2-5142813;
email: [log in to unmask]
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