Monday 11th July, 6pm

O’Reilly Lecture Room

Belvedere College, Great Denmark Street, Dublin 1

Entry to this event is free; donations welcome

“Keep hope alive – Plant an olive tree!”

Olive trees in Palestine are a symbol of resistance and resilience. They are often the unfortunate casualties of the occupation, but have come to encapsulate the strength of the Palestinian spirit.

Muhanad Qaisy, the Palestinian coordinator of the JAI Olive Tree Campaign, is travelling from the West Bank to Dublin to give a voice to the often-unheard stories of Palestinian farmers, their experiences under the occupation, and the ongoing confiscation of their land.

The JAI Olive Tree Campaign supports Palestinian farmers suffering from the various Israeli policies that place their land and property under the threat of confiscation. It also sponsors the planting of new olive trees compensating for those that were uprooted in confiscated lands. The campaign consists of education and lobbying to target the existing policies that adhere to the ongoing confiscation of Palestinian land.

“In spite of the destruction of the very foundations of their existence, and in spite of the ever-increasing violence in the Holy Land, Palestinian women, men and children are committed to rebuilding their society and its structures without the use of violence. They do need your support and involvement.”

Muhanad will also give a talk after the opening night performance of the ‘The Olive Tree’ (Tuesday 12th July, 7:30pm The New Theatre) on the significance the olive tree holds in Palestinian heritage, enterprise and culture.