Week 4: Mushrooms, Beer and Acts of Resistance

"Welcome, welcome! Welcome to Palestine!" Moving into our second month here I am yet to tire of the warmth and welcome shown by complete strangers that we pass in the streets. With that said I'll attempt to make some sort of sense of the past four weeks and what we have been up to, living in a place which is capable of taking you from the brink of tears to laughter in just seconds. Such is the Palestinian experience thus far, a fragile balancing act between the natural beauty of the landscape, of the warmth, dignity and resilience of the Palestinian people we have met and the constant undercurrent that is Israeli occupation, which rears its ugly head at any given point and permeates almost all spheres of life here.

Jericho Mushrooms

We have had the pleasure and opportunity of visiting a number of interesting sights and projects, of which I'd like to focus upon two, a mushroom farm and a brewery (perhaps unsurprisingly). As part of a trip with the Tamayyaz project, we visited a number of sites linked to sustainable development and agriculture. The most interesting for me at least was this mushroom farm. Set up by a group of Palestinians with absolutely no experience in agriculture, they set out to become the only Palestinian producer of mushrooms, given that the only option available was to buy Israeli goods. Independence and autonomy are important themes which living under occupation makes nigh on impossible so ventures likes this are important both culturally, economically and as acts of resistance. Despite issues such as high taxes and restriction on imports (technological equipment) imposed by Israel, I'm pleased to say the farm recently sold its first batches. Moving onto the good stuff  (which thankfully involved a few tasters) - we visited Palestine’s only brewery. Home to 'the finest in the Middle East' the Taybeh brewery exports to a number of countries around the world. We were fortunate enough to meet the owners who discussed their vision for Taybeh and the role it plays both in the local economy and on an international scale by showing and offering Palestinian produce and by extension an image of Palestine which is perhaps not replicated in mainstream media, sentiment or thought. It's great stuff either way. Mushrooms and beer forming part of a rich and diverse culture of resistance. Excellent!

 

Taybeh Brewery

More on the projects we have been working on: the workshops are now starting to take some shape as relationships are developed between ourselves and our Palestinian friends. This week a set of debates were held which provided some interesting and lively discussion and developed important skills such as critical analysis, planning and public speaking. The Voice of the Youth project has started to formulate quite nicely with a solid social media strategy to raise its profile and plans for some good and varied content on the way. I am hopeful about the direction in which it is going. The aim is to empower and engage young people to discuss and act upon the issues that they face whilst sharing these stories to an international audience and against common perceptions of the Palestinian situation.

On the matter of our Palestinian friends last week myself and another of the volunteers were invited to play football. The evening that followed is one I'll likely remember for many years to come. A schoolyard along from one of the West Bank football stadiums situated not too far from an illegal settlement provided the pitch. Admittedly it was a surreal situation (here I am in the middle of the West Bank charging around a schoolyard playing football-  I’m sure the others were just as amused). After a couple of hours and a number of aches we were taken to a cafe, a proper gadgies (aka lads) cafe. The place was full of old men in cardigans, ties and flat caps smoking and playing cards not all too dissimilar to a British working men’s club. Brilliant.

Tamayyaz students in Jericho

Wednesday saw a visit to the Mahmoud Darwish Museum in one of the more grandiose areas of Ramallah to see the film 'Infiltrators' by Khaled Jarrar. The film manages to capture the inhumanity of occupation and the wall beautifully. This was perfectly encapsulated in a single scene where a mother, through a small gap under the wall, holds onto the hand of her daughter that she has been separated from and has no access to. A scene which resonated quite strongly with my own experiences of putting my hand through the letterbox of my grandparents’ house, I am fortunate in the sense that the door opening usually followed.

Anyway...that is probably sufficient for now. From the land where the 'simple' act of growing mushrooms is of political significance and the touch of a family member’s hand a privilege rather than a right, I wish you a good day.

Salam!