In collaboration with Cllr Blacklock, Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and Sebastian Fischer, Artists for Gaza call for the twinning of Edinburgh with Gaza City to show solidarity and develop cultural link.

Scotland is a country that has known political and cultural oppression, and which has fought hard (and continues to fight hard) to maintain it’s cultural identity. As such we feel the need to express our support for Palestinian Culture and independence.  Twinning our capital with Gaza is the perfect way to do this. Artists for Gaza has a petition of some 150 signatures for the twinning campaign, and we feel confident that we could raise many more.

Text for petition under development:

We, the undersigned, believe support for the human and national rights of the Palestinian people requires a world-wide solidarity.

We call on City of Edinburgh Council to reach out to the Palestinian people by develop twinning links between the citizens of Edinburgh and Gaza City.

Through twinning links, Edinburgh Council can create opportunities for community groups, schools, businesses, arts and cultural groups, health agencies and church groups to develop lasting cultural, educational and economic links between the people of our cities.

As part of the Council’s review of its twinning, partnership and international links, we call on elected councillors to lead a twinning campaign with Gaza City with cross-party support.

From the Minutes of The City of Edinburgh Council Meeeting Thursday, 30 April 2009 at 10.05 am:

By Councillor Blacklock – Twinning Link with Gaza
“Council acknowledges Edinburgh’s proud history of international
solidarity. Just as Edinburgh Direct Aid in the 1990s led a humanitarian
campaign to support the victims of the Balkan Bosnian war,
Edinburgh’s citizens have again taken immediate action in protesting
against Israel’s war and in supporting the efforts of charities to help
rebuild hospitals, water supplies, schools and public services in Gaza.
For example, ‘Artists for Gaza’ was formed in Edinburgh just a few
months ago and has to date held two benefit concerts to raise funds for
electricity generators in Gaza; Oxfam and Medical Aid for Palestine are
other charities through which Edinburgh people support the people of
Gaza.
Council recognises that the peaceful resolution of the Middle East
conflict will take many more years of negotiations but during this time
Edinburgh Council could take a lead to build links between our
communities in Edinburgh and those in Gaza. Council also recognises
that twinning arrangements can do much to educate, help dispel
prejudice, build cultural understanding and bring humanitarian aid.
In addition, Council is encouraged by the Scottish Government’s recent
allocation of f420,OOO for Gaza relief via several Scottish charities.
As the Council is reviewing its existing twinning, partnership and
international links with other countries, Council also agrees to consider
twinning with Gaza and include this consideration within this
forthcoming report in order to develop our links with the people of
Gaza.”

Below are some examples of positive outcomes from the movement to twin with Palestine:

1.) WORCESTER TWINNED WITH GAZA:

Taken from the Daily Mail Online 26th February.
One is a picturesque cathedral city in the heart of England, famed for its china and the tangy sauce that shares its name.
The other is a grief-stricken war zone in the Middle East run by a group listed as a terrorist organisation by both the EU and the U.S.
They may not seem best suited as twins, but Worcester, birthplace of Sir Edward Elgar, could become the first British city to be twinned with Gaza City.
A motion calling for the twinning association to consider the link was passed by 29 votes to nil, with six abstentions, at a meeting of the Tory-run council.
Labour councillor Alan Amos, who first suggested the twinning, said: ‘Like many I have watched the plight of the people of Gaza, seeing them get bombed and bombed by Israelis with advanced military weapons.

‘But rather than sit there thinking, “Isn’t that terrible” I really wanted to do something about it.
‘We wanted to bring people together to show a gesture of solidarity – so Gaza could look at us and see that the whole world isn’t against them, there are people who understand their plight and think what is happening to them is unacceptable.
‘We are optimistic this will go ahead. And it is a humanitarian gesture and not a political move.’
Tory councillor David Tibbutt, who supported the move, said the link with Gaza City should be more than a gesture.
He added: ‘It is important that we concentrate on how we can really make a difference in the areas of culture, mutual learning, social activity and in some cases humanitarian aid.’

2.) Edinburgh University Students Association (EUSA) twinned with Birzeit University Student Council 2005

Edinburgh University Student Association (EUSA) passed a motion in 2005, to twin with Birzeit University Student Council.  The twinning agreement acts not only as an institutionalized form of solidarity between the two student governments, but also as a commitment from EUSA to support all Palestinian students and teachers who are struggling to live, work and study under the Israeli occupation.  So far EUSA has demonstrated this support in various ways, including  organizing a delegation to visit Birzeit in 2005, setting up a Masters’ scholarship for a Birzeit graduate to study at Edinburgh University for a year and raising awareness on campus of obstacles to Palestinian education under military occupation, including the hosting of an annual  “Right to Education” week.

3.) Taken from the Twinning with Palestine Website:

www.twinningwithpalestine.com

In the words of Husam Zomlot from the Palestinian Delegation,”Town twinning is one of the most practical forms of solidarity. It transforms solidarity to friendship and transcends beyond verbal support, reaching out for the other community with a sense of shared destiny”

In the words of Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, “Londoners can benefit enormously from personal links with people of other cities round the world and I hope will be enriched by the experience of closer contacts with the people of the towns and cities of Palestine. I hope these friendships help create a better understanding of the issues of peace and justice in Palestine that are important for so many communities in London and for all those who believe that justice is the key to lasting peace in the world”.

From members of the Abu Dis Camden Committee in Palestine: “This is a beautiful project. You give us the hope and the power to continue. We should all work harder for the friendship between us.”

4.) This taken from the website of the Dundee – Nablus twinning association: www.dundee-nablus.org.uk

“Proud of the contribution their respective cities have made to international friendship and understanding the Lord Provost of the City of Dundee and the Acting Mayor of Nablus wish to reaffirm the twinning treaty. By the reaffirmation of this treaty the cities of both Dundee and Nablus pledge that together,
They will actively co-operate to ensure the continuing development of close
relationships between the citizens.
They promise to facilitate the creation of direct links between institutions
and organisations wishing to partake in twinning activity.
They will encourage exchanges between young people to ensure succeeding
generations learn the history of the relationship between the cities and the
role that each has played in its own national history.
They will take every opportunity to share skills and knowledge to the benefit
of their respective citizens.
They undertake to convene regular meetings between representatives in order to
evaluate co-operation programmes.”

Please refer to the website for further information on the ongoing projects and positive outcomes of the action to Twin Dundee with Nablus.