English Articles Archives - Page 6 of 13

Arab Council Australia’s Launch of Strategic Plan And Reconvened AGM 2016

on April 11, 2016

By Marcelle Mansour

Arab Council Australia (ACA) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and launched the Strategic Plan 2016-20120, on Thursday 31 March 2016 at ACA Bankstown. In the presence of: The Honourable Mr David Clarke MLC- Member of the Legislative Council-Parliamentary Secretary for Justice and representing the Minister Hon John Akaka-for aging-Minister for Disability Services-Minister for Multiculturalism; His Excellency Mr Ahmad Ait Issa-Minister of the Embassy of Morocco Canberra; Superintendent Dave Eardley-Commander Bankstown Local Area Command; Ms Melissa Johnston-Principal of Granville South Creative & Performing arts high School; and Ms Don Issa-Dupty Principal of the same school.

More than a hundred people of Council members, guests, and heads of organizations, business owners, writers and artists, media representatives and community supporters attended the function.

Marcelle Mansour (Visual Artist and Writer of this article) performed the Master of Ceremony (MC). She gave an elaborate introduction to the Arab Council Australia’s history and reflected on the efforts made in the past years. Marcelle explained how she is connected with this dynamic organization and its people for a long time, and described how the Council has grown significantly over the years and has taken new directions and initiatives that are responsive to the changing community environment.

The event commenced with the launch of Council’s Strategic Plan 2016-2020 by the honourable David Clarke MLC, then the reconvened the 2015 AGM. The first part was held on 16 December 2015. On 31^s of March 2016 was the second part of the 2015 AGM and Council reconvened it to present the full report about Council’s activities and elect a new Board and to launch Council’s new Strategic Plan for 2016 – 2020. Hopefully, the Council will hold its AGM 2016 in the final half of this year.

Summary Reports were prepared and delivered by The Chairperson of Arab Council Australia, Ms. Fatima Ali, before and after the Strategic Plan Launch, followed by the Treasurer Mr. Amir Salem, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ms. Randa Kattan. After the adoption of 2015 Annual Report, The election of the new Board of Management was conducted, overseen and reported by the Returning Officer, Dr. Emad Berro, Pathologist, and Microbiologist.

The Hon Mr. David Clark MLC spoke about how the Arab Council Australia has carried a heavy load in recent times, especially in the time of the increasing number of the Australian Arabic Speaking Communities who came from the most civilized culture of the world. For the Arabic world is the cradle of science, medicine, astronomy, and literature. In literature, for example, Gibran Khalil Gibran is the third most widely read in the history after Shakespeare and Lao Tzu. Arab Council always welcomes and caters for everybody in need regardless of origin or religion. The Hon Mr. Clarke also expressed his delightfulness for viewing such a great comprehensive strategic plan which has an inclusive clear vision and properly filled with fine details. The Hon Mr. Clarke congratulated Arab Council for their remarkable achievements and inclusiveness.

Ms. Randa Kattan CEO talked about the achievements and the challenges faced by the Council during the past years and the council efficient performances towards the objectives and goals. She stated that Council has proved to be playing a significant role in presenting the interests of Arab Australians and in providing various services to the community. It is also worth mentioning that, Randa has been recognized as one of the top 21 Influential Women in 2015. Ms. Kattan thanked and congratulated the staff and the Board for the commitment and hard work over the past year, looking forward to further achievements from this Council in the upcoming year and beyond.

The audience was entertained by displaying a video of the performance that was presented by the talented students of Granville South Creative & Performing Arts High School. Participants received token gifts of appreciation that say “Thank You”, including the Hon Mr. David Clarke MLC, Ms. Melissa Johnston-Principal of Granville High School, Dr. Emad Berro and Marcelle Mansour.

Marcelle took the opportunity to congratulate the staff and the new Board and thanked everyone who came along.

Refreshments were served and the event proved to be very successful due to the dedicated organisers, professional participants, and wonderful attendees.

An Inevitable Shift in Contemporary Thought

on March 7, 2016

by Marcelle Mansour

Contemporary Australian society is characterized by cultural diversity and openness to the world. Australia has proved to be successful in its commitment to the preservation of multiculturalism, and therefore we see Australia shows more sympathy and interaction with humanitarian issues and oppressed peoples than any other countries in the world.

Australia adopted the application of contemporary social philosophy based on the principle of multiculturalism or cultural diversity since the early seventies, which replaced the policy of “White Australia” or “Anglo-Saxon”. Australia accepted and absorbed immigrants from all different countries around the world, of diverse races and nationalities, religions and cultures, in the hope of integration into the Australian society and expecting those cohorts of immigrants to become an active part of its ingredients. Not surprising, if we know that Australia today has more than 220 ethnic origins speaking 225 different languages that all compose cultural diversity. This undoubtedly requires all to live in peace and mutual respect for others within the atmosphere that allows freedom, democracy, and equal opportunity, as a means to promote harmony among all people irrespective of their religion and ethnicity.

On the other hand, the Australian government expects from those ethnic communities to loyally respond, by acting real good citizens and being able to engage and adapt in today’s new Australian nation and making positive contributions to building their new home Australia.

With the worsening of conflicts in the Middle Eastern countries, and the emergence of extremist fundamentalist groups, and terrorists, we have witnessed an increase in the fissures between ethnic communities in general, and the gap began to widen in the whole one society, even among Muslims themselves. At present, there are some indicators that draw attention to the emergence of extremism in some places like schools and centers of prayer and also to the rapid growth of extremist ideology. This growing phenomenon is observable in the number of young (teenagers) Australians who want to travel abroad, to Syria and Iraq to join the ranks of terrorists of Daash. It has already become a concern to the security authorities in the country, which compelled to suspend their actions from traveling outside Australia or return to it.

Therefore, we (Australians) firmly believe that there is an urgent need to re-examine the social, political and cultural aspects, including educational and religious curriculum, as well as recognizing the importance of arts, literature, and music to bridge the knowledge gaps and to bring communities together. That is why it has become more important than ever – in this turbulent era – that we certainly need a radical change, in terms of having the ability to rethink and to be more creative, in making new collective efforts to revise the curriculum in terms of religion, citizenship and humanity in order to build mutual trust, and to give hope to young people, to achieve security, harmony, love and peace.

It should be noted here, to highlight the importance of the Australian Arab solidarity in this area, and how much we need to have a moderate responsible leader of Arab origin, especially if we know that the number of Muslims and Christians constitute together more than half of the world’s population (%55). It is certain now that a great part of the world’s future will depend on the success of interfaith dialogue between religions, in order to effect transformation in the human mentality and to make the change occurs at both the individual and collective levels, to what be recognized as suitable to our contemporary time.

Talking about our contemporary time, may raise more than one question: How can transformation happen? Transformation of what? Transformation to what? Why? How can we change? How can we move from old thought to new thinking? How is it possible to remove the old black extremist thought and make the rebirth of moderate bright one? Are these ideological thoughts which prevail at present will shrink the concept of cultural diversity, and perhaps will be phasing it, especially some community members tend to stick to the traditions of the mother country at the expense of Australia’s new home? This is followed by a later question?

How has the Arab community affected the Australian society in terms of cultural diversity? And how they interacted and to what extent? And if so, was it positive or negative impact? Has the Arab community in Australia brought about contemporary thinkers/theorists/ scholars/ philosophers to discuss the concepts of “freedom” or “democracy”, “justice,”, ” equality “,” respect for others “, for example? How to defeat terrorism ideology? Or talk on the issue of absorption of the concept of “contemporary”? So much need today to innovate, to rethink for foreseeing a new vision that can take the best of both (old and new) and recreate them in a new mold, like producing fresh juice, that is suitable to nourish the emerging contemporary generations.

Australia has always lead the way to drink from cups that full of important and necessary concepts in our lives, such as high values that already mentioned above, and we have to work together to blend this new juice with the contemporary spirit. This will enable us to shift from backwardness to progress, from freeze state to dynamic. We can weave a new fabric of thought to fit our present time, and to produce a new mixture of juice to drink until it becomes a new blood runs in our veins, and grow in our bodies, and renew our minds and our souls.

United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week 2016 at the UPF Embassy

on February 7, 2016

By Marcelle Mansour

I attended the seminar of United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week 2016, which was hosted by the Universal Peace Federation Australia (UPF) , during the Ambassadors for Peace bimonthly meeting at the Oceania embassy in Sydney, on Monday 1^st February of this year, with its slogan of “Interfaith in Action: Working Together for the Common Goods”.

As we know, the United Nations has designated the first week of February of every year to be the World Interfaith Harmony Week. It is worthwhile to mention here a bit of history – for the sake of knowledge – that the World Interfaith Harmony Week has been proposed between religions for the first time in the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, 2010, by His Majesty King Abdullah II, King Jordan. Then the United Nations decided unanimously on October 20, 2010, to be celebrated since then onwards in the first week of February, that is (1-7 Feb) to be known as “World Interfaith Harmony Week”. The aim is to simply initiate mutual understanding and effective dialogue between religions as a way to promote harmony among all people regardless of their religion. It began harbingers in 2007, where Christians and Muslims leaders were called on to engage in the primary two common core religious commandments dialogue; the love of God and love of neighbor, for These commandments, are the hub of the three large monotheistic religions without prejudice to any of their own religious principles. Thus providing a solid foundation for joint action on love and cooperation among people of goodwill and promote a message of interfaith harmony in churches and mosques around the world, and synagogues and other places of worship, on a voluntary basis in accordance with the religious traditions of their own cultures. This will hopefully encourage and help these groups to be aware of each other, and promote the movement of construction through mutual relations that far outweigh their differences, thus providing a strong dose of peace and harmony in their communities.

I would like to express the extent of my admiration to all the speakers who addressed the importance of the topic that began with the UPF president Greg Stone’s words – with the UPF Introductory Video – where he said: “Our presence here as ambassadors for peace, we come from all over the world in order that we encourage one family of all religions under one God, to seek together towards goodness and unity and break down barriers, for all religions should work together to address the issue of conflict and achieve peace in the world.

Mr. Greg Johns, Vice Director of Soak Gakkai International Australia and manager of their Peace, Culture, and Education portfolio, delivered a significant speech explaining the vital role of the Buddhist religion in peacemaking, and responsibility entrusted to us towards each other and towards humanity as a whole, that go beyond the extremism towards our interests and work to help others, particularly that depression issue is a big problem in this country and other countries. Buddhism has long been celebrated as a religion of peace and non-violence always aspiring for the need of achieving higher humanism in respecting individuals and people through the symphony of heart to heart dialogue that share the suffering of others through connecting together and bringing friendship respect. This followed by the speech of guest speaker Ms. Anne Lanyon, from the Columban Mission Institute Centre for Peace, Ecology, and Justice and the Faith Ecology Network, where she spoke about the urgent goals in regards to the religious traditions of mutual engagement of the environment, its defense and protection.

Ms. Aila Wilitts, MC made the welcoming remarks with her calming presentation and the event was closed with a peaceful musical presentation.

I attended the bi-monthly meeting as usual and liked the subject and its content. I was also surprised with the attendance of the high number of the audience including the Ambassadors of Peace who have come from various backgrounds except for the Arabic ones. The fact of the matter is that we, the Australian Middle Eastern are the ones who really with the most in need of this kind of knowledge for many reasons. For I believe that our presence is beneficial to encourage and promote this kind of topics and functions.

Undoubtedly, mutual understanding and dialogue among all religions and beliefs constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace as a way to promote harmony and cooperation among all people irrespective of races and religions, especially we live in the midst of political and religious crises, intolerance, terrorism, social, humanitarian troubled and other problems in this puzzling era. It is important to participate in the multiple aspects of the broader discussion, for the convergence in the exchange of views, and dissolving dissonance in different views may help to promote the method of approach to understanding and respect between religions and generations and to accept the ‘other’. This will work on healing the wounds of violence and also healing the rift between religious and sectarian groups. It will certainly work to challenge the risk of cultural conflicts, to change our lives for the better, and to build peace in the world.

Thank You God

on November 30, 2015

In the realm of the revered survival

That flooded the heart of infinity spiral

It was that day in my kitchen

When the heat melted the ice like fiction

On Wednesday, November eighteen

Two thousand and fifteen

At five sharp, before the sun went down

While preparing the evening meal began

The NutriBullet blender suddenly swayed

The rubber ring seal came off the blade

Fell out of place and flew in the air

The smoothie spilled, sprayed on tiles spread everywhere

A puddle of silky banana berry covered the floor

All of a sudden caused me a slipping fall

With steel kettle in my hand tore my forehead

My Injury shockingly horrid

My first memory is a cut with blood splashes to the tiles

My body turned into screaming piles

Muscular burses in both knees and shoulder

A sore arm and a swollen finger

Oh boy, all that I recall?

The ride in the ambulance

The accidence of short walking distance

Hospital, nurses, doctors, how glorious being conscience

Feeling the stitches like dissolving pain

Surviving the fall is a wonderful gain

Saving my soul regain proclaim

Grateful to God sustaining my brain

No missing limb no fracture no ugly burn

Protecting the realm of existing domain

To gracefully ever remain

In reality aware, remembering the accident with no one to blame

For I believe, I receive, in blessing Jesus Name

Reflect on family and friends with immaculate loved flame

To heal my wound with your touch of holy fire to empower

When the sound of music awaken the songs of guardian angel choir

Rebuke the world of evil satire

For eternal promise will never retire

And the Holy Spirit forever inspire

Championship arena shire

What did Samson in his miraculous birth acquire?

A piece of modest gauze on my frontalis is more precious than sapphire

Thank you, Lord, for granting me power

To embrace Metamorphosis for the new beginning of rising birth

Making peace on earth with joyful mirth

Stepping forward and walking miles

For a new life and keeping smiles

Thank you to Father in Heaven I declare

That love and hope defeat despair

Thank you for the infallible Presence of the Greatest Care

Filing the human spirit with world’s joy to share

An Afternoon with George Gittoes At the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies

on November 14, 2015

By Marcelle Mansour

On Thursday 12^th November 2015, I was fortunate to be invited by the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPACS) to attend the event of “An Afternoon with George Gittoes”, which was held at the CPACS Centre at the University of Sydney.

George Gittoes AM is a distinguished Australian and International Visual Artist of War and Peace, Photojournalist and Film Maker, who has been awarded the 2015 Sydney Peace Prize on Tuesday 10 November at Sydney Town Hall. “Australia’s only international peace award, “for exposing injustice for more than 45 years as a humanist artist, activist and filmmaker; for his courage to witness and confront violence in the war zones of the world; for enlisting the arts to subdue aggression and for enlivening the creative spirit to promote tolerance, respect and peace with justice.” The 2015 Sydney Peace Prize Jury’s citation stated. “The Jury felt his unique approach to peacebuilding and social justice should be recognised and applauded.”

The Master of Ceremony was performed by Mr. Mujib Obid. George Gittoes gave an interesting talk about his journey as the war and peace artist. He started his talk holding his Angel of Peace puppet, and then he spoke about the conception and the significance of his art and the conflict with a brutality that has shaped his work. Particularly in Jalalabad, in eastern Afghanistan where Gittoes has survived war, death threats and a pet monkey where he has established the Yellow House Jalalabad (YHJ).

George Gittoes said: “Art proved that creative people create things rather than destroy stuff. So all my life I’ve been going to war zones. I saw the destruction of Baghdad, I’ve seen the destruction of Gaza and all this destruction through war and for me it’s been enough just to create in the face of it, to be making stuff.”

George’s speech was followed by Q & A with the help of his wonderful partner, Helen Rose, a talented singer, and actress from Sydney, who shared George answering some of Q & A dialogue with the audience.

In my turn, I made a short spontaneous unwritten speech and a poem about my experience of special friendship with the artist George Gittoes over the years, and the following is graphically what I said:

“Good afternoon everyone: I feel privileged the day that I am invited to meet the great Artist George Gittoes together with his partner the amazing Vocalist and Performer Artist Helen Rose. I would like to thank the Committee Members of (CPACS): Dr. Wendy Lambourne-Deputy Director and Post Graduate Research, Dr. Ken Macnab-President Council, Juliet Bennett-Executive Officer, Katie Pokorney-Acting Executive Officer; for providing me with this wonderful opportunity.

I have known the amazing Artist George Gittoes since the late 1980s and early1990s when I was a regular contributor to the An-Nahar Australian Arabic newspaper as a journalist and a weekly communist. When I came across his name in the English newspaper, I visited his art exhibition where I first met him and I wrote about him and introduced his arts to the Arabic speaking communities. I still remember his incredible art exhibition titled “The Realism of Peace“at S. H. Ervin Museum and Art Gallery in 1996 where I accompanied a group of Australian Lebanese and Palestinian community members to view his artworks and to listen to his marvellous talk, where we realized that Gittoes witnessed war conflicts and destruction in Rwanda, Somalia, Cambodia, Bosnia, Congo, Yemen, Lebanon, Gaza/ Palestine and other countries.

At that time we both displayed in a group exhibition at Barry Stern Gallery, Paddington. Then I invited the Artist George Gittoes to the Australian Palestinian Club where he commended my community artworks of the Past, Present and Future triptych that depicts the story of the Palestinian cause, 48′ Nakba and Diaspora. In 1998 I had a nicely written article about my work, titled “Paintings from the Heart”, by the Art Historian and Critic G. Dalton, in my book of Shifting Waves p5. In 2002 George Gittoes headed to Gaza my birthplace where he was embraced by my relatives who coincidently were the point of connection.”

Then I said: “George Gittoes is totally a complete hero, he was exposed to death and threats all his life. I know for sure that he has a strong faith, where he always creates artistic Guardian Angel moppets; and there is no doubt that God amazingly protects him from all harms.”

“Last year I attended George Gittoes Art Exhibition of ‘Vincent and the Snow Monkey’ and his book launch titled ‘George Gittoes I Witness’ on 31 Jul 2014 at the Art Equity Gallery where he signed for me his unforgettable words “Peace and Freedom for Palestine”.”

“The Palestinians are still living under the horror and terror of the Israeli occupation for 67 years and the peace process’ failure is persisting for 21 years with only bloodshed and hatred from both sides which offer no logical resolution in ending the occupation and war or making peace with justice. The United Nations designated 2014 to be the ‘International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.’ 193-nation body had expressed the hope that, by now, the State of Palestine would be a sovereign and independent Member State of the UN. The majority of the world is on the side of justice with Palestinians, but not “power of veto” nations. Israeli Ministers are totally and permanently against a Palestinian State. This rejection does not count as ‘Justice’ or “Human Rights’. I had my ‘Threshold’ art exhibition and seminar of light and perception last week at the Parliament of NSW, and I explained how we creative artists highlight the notions of humanity, freedom, peace, and justice in our work so that we may lay the foundation for modern critical political thought by working on changing the mentality of politicians who lead the world nations so that they may cross the threshold of transformation towards recreating the reality of our world.”

Therefore, George Gittoes’ words are just perfect of what we want to happen: “Peace and Freedom for Palestine.” Today I would like to congratulate the artist George Gittoes on receiving the 2015 Sydney Peace Prize and to present him with the portrait I have painted of him that is accompanied with my poem. This is my tribute to the amazing artist George Gittoes.” as follows:

A Cry Out for

“Peace and Freedom for Palestine”

These unforgettable glorious words

Are so precious and worthy to be voiced

To be heard by all the leaders of the world

What the Australian Artist George Gittoes wrote

When he signed his book for me with his heart of gold

‘George Gittoes I Witness

The extraordinary Artist of Peace and Anti-War

Who documented the history and revealed the truth

Wishing Peace and Freedom for Palestine and All

Marcelle Mansour, Thursday 12 November 2015

At the end I spontaneously pulled a ‘Kofeyye’ Palestinian scarf out of my handbag and proudly put it on around George’s neck, reading what it says: ‘Return to Jerusalem.’ Coincidently my tiny hairbrush hooked with the scarf and George humorously asked me to comb the knots on his hair which I pretend doing it. George Gittoes certainly has a great sense of humor that makes him survives the brutality of a war he witnesses around the world. George said he will be hopefully heading to Palestine very soon.

The event ended with gathering for refreshments and drink, socializing and networking. It was a good afternoon with a wonderful insight into an amazing creative world of peace.

The Annual Celebration of the Palestinian National Day

on November 12, 2015

Cheers at the Palestinian National Day at the NSW Parliament 11/11/2015

Marcelle Mansour & Family at The Annual Celebration of the Palestinian National Day at NSW Parliament 11/11/2015

By Marcelle Mansour

A Genuine Warm Cheers for the Celebration on the Palestinian National Day annual function, organised as usual by the President of the Council of Australian Palestinians, held at the Parliament of NSW, Jubilee Room on Wednesday, 11 November 2015. In the Presence of the Senator the Hon Bob Carr, former Premier of New South Wales and former Australian foreign minister (Labor NSW), H. E. Mr Izzat Abdul Hadi-Head of the General Delegation of Palestine to Australia, the Hon John Ajaka MLC MP – Representing Mr Mike Bird, MP, the Premier of New South Wales, the Mr Luke Foley MP-the Leader of the Labour Party in NSW, Mr Jihad DIB MP-Member of the Lgislative Assembly/ Member of Lakemba, Ms Julia Finn MP- Member of the Legislative assembly/ Member for Granville, Prominent political, diplomatic and academic, Media Journalists, various community leaders and public officials as well as a crowd of the Palestinian community members.

The ceremony started by playing the two national anthems of Australia and Palestine. The Hon. Peter Thomas Primrose introduced all the speakers.

The President delivered an introductory speech with a brief history of the Palestinians and their continuous struggle against the Israeli occupation that is currently stealing their land and water and deteriorating the peace process.

The Hon John Ajaka MP spoke a word on behalf of the Premier Mike Bird MP and said that multicultural Australia has 220 ethnic origins who speak 225 languages. Around 1 in 5 Australians were either born overseas or have at least one parent born overseas. Communities are embracing our diversity and differences to be able to unite, to live in harmony and to build a mutual respect to be able to develop communities of shared values. The Minister Ajaka mentioned that he himself is of Lebanese descent and he strongly supports the common goal of achieving an independent free Palestine and encourage the two-state solution.

The Hon Luke Foley MP mentioned Edel McKenna, his Irish-born wife whom he married in 2005. As they making trips back and forth to her farming family in County Tyrone, he saw her neighbour raising the Palestinian Flag several times. He certainly knows how important to be committed to solidarity and support for freedom and justice. The MP Foley declared that he issued orders to Labour MPs to visit the occupied Palestinian territories if they need to visit Israel, stressing that the Palestinian people are suffering from injustice at the hands of the Israeli occupation that kills Palestinians including young children.

Former Australian Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Bob Carr, who has regularly been attending the Palestinian National Day commemoration for decades remains very supportive to the Palestinian cause and concerned by the failure of negotiations and finding a solution and recognising the Palestinian rights. Carr stated that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that has lasted for 48 years and the peace process for more than 22 years. On May 15, during the Nakba, Zionist forces exiled 750,000 Palestinians from their homes, committed 31 slaughters, and destroyed 531 Palestinian towns. Carr has made it clear that he is completely against the Israeli policies of apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and illegal settlement. The reality of the situation now is that 500,000 settlers will never depart, rather Israel aims to achieve their goal of greater Israel and Israelis are opposing a Palestinian State solution. Carr, the patron of Palestine, noted the inevitability of Palestinian resistance.

The Ambassador Izzat Abdulhadi made an extensive speech in which he thanked the audience in celebrating the Palestinian National Day, and stated that Palestinians mark their National Day on November 15, the anniversary of the Palestinians’ unilateral declaration of independence proclaimed by Yasser Arafat in 1988 where he reaffirmed the declaration of independence of the State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital, the right of the refugees to return and the right of self-determination. Today marks the 11^th anniversary of the passage of the immortal Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat passed away on the 11^thof November 2004 and today, the 11^th of November 2015 also marks the Remembrance Day National Ceremony of the Australian War Memorial.” We are paying tribute to the selfless struggle of all. The Ambassador Abdulhadi spoke about the persistent struggle of Palestinian people for freedom and justice despite the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, their ongoing demolishing Palestinian house and expansion of existing illegal settlements, their violent attack on Gaza and Jerusalem and Netanyahu keeps hindering peace process. There are formal agreements between the Australian government and the Palestinian Authority; in particular, the Labour Party has issued a decision to recognize a Palestinian state, hoping that Australia will join the 140 nations who have already recognized Palestine as a state whom Palestinians feel grateful to their support. The Ambassador Abdulhadi highlighted the ability of the Palestinian commitment to tirelessly working towards the support of Palestinian statehood during the current difficult times and to be determent and hopeful in the future.

The distinguished speakers, who always do their best efforts to focus on the Palestinian human rights and freedom, delivered significant speeches. They shared their views, experiences, analysis and hopes to the Palestinian cause.

The event ended with genuine warm cheers for the celebration and gathering for a drink, socializing and networking.