A global network for Palestinians within Friends of Standing Together has recently been established. The network has approximately 140 members and extends from the United States and Canada via Europe to Australia. The network has held two virtual meetings so far and an action plan has been drawn up. It contains three themes for activities on which the network will focus:
- Clarify the group’s purpose and guiding principles in line with Standing Together’s goals from a Palestinian perspective.
- Through storytelling, both in physical contexts and digitally through various media, strengthen the Palestinian voices in Standing Together.
- Create a safe space for Palestinians who are involved in Standing Together’s work to jointly express opinions and thoughts without judgement.
A WhatsApp chat has been set up where various activities and information are shared within the network. The chat group has also generated exciting discoveries of family ties among Palestinian families that were split up after the Nakba ’48. The group’s members also share Palestinian traditions, such as Palestinian food recipes, music artists and tatreez (Palestinian embroidery), and about a newly opened Palestinian museum in Washington DC.
A European network for Palestinians is being established to increase the recruitment of Palestinians to Friends of Standing Together in Europe. If you would like to join these networks, please contact Laila Abdallah via FoST Sweden’s contact email.