Keeping hope alive

22 November 2005

By Lewis Turner, a volunteer with the East Jerusalem YMCA / YWCA of Palestine Joint Advocacy Initiative

The olive tree is an ancient symbol of peace which, for Palestinians, also symbolises their connection to their land.

And because one olive tree produces on average 9 kg of olives, or 2 litres of oil, and can grow in poor soil, it is a vital source of food and income too.

So the destruction of huge numbers of olive trees is not only an affront to Palestinians’ culture and identity – it’s economically disastrous.

Uprooted olive trees

Since the start of the second Palestinian Intifada in 2000, over 1 million Palestinian trees – over 450,000 of them olive trees – have been uprooted by the Israeli Army. Many of them were destroyed as punitive measures against families and communities. Others have been uprooted for the expansion of settlements, or the building of the separation wall.

This explains why the East Jerusalem YMCA, Y Care International’s partner, and the YWCA of Palestine are taking action to replant olive trees where they have been uprooted and destroyed, or in areas where the fields are threatened by land confiscation by the Israeli occupation army or settlers.

Campaign to replant trees

Their ‘Keep Hope Alive’ campaign – which has the backing and sponsorship of YMCAs and YWCAs, as well as churches and other groups and individuals around the world – aims to replant 50,000 olive trees in the Palestinian Territories.

The campaign started in 2002. In the first planting season, 2002-2003, all of the planting took place in the Bethlehem area. 2,105 trees were planted, with sponsorship from Europe, the US, Japan and Jordan.

In the second season of planting, the number of trees planted nearly doubled, to 3,940. The planting expanded to different areas across Palestine, such as Ramallah, NablusHebron. The campaign received funding from new areas of the world, like Australia.

Increase in sponsored trees

In the most recent planting season, 2004-2005, the number of sponsored trees increased dramatically, to 6,600 in 36 fields. As with last year, the sponsorship started coming from as far afield as Algeria and Peru.

International campaigners can join locals to plant the olive trees donated through the campaign during the Joint Advocacy Initiative’s (JAI) two international planting days each year. The 2006 planting days will be 4 February and 13 March.

Volunteers helping local farmers

Volunteers have been quick to help local farmers pick the campaign’s fruits, through the JAI’s olive picking programme which takes place every October. This year's programme was a great success, with 34 international volunteers from Europe, America and AfricaPalestine by listening to farmers’ stories and meeting local people. taking part. They used the experience not only to do their share of the physical labour, but to increase their understanding of the situation in

The Olive Tree Campaign has planted over 12,500 trees so far – a great feat, but a fraction of what has been destroyed. But by supporting the campaign international volunteers are not only supporting Palestinian livelihoods, their solidarity is keeping hope alive.