Presentation on CAPT (Israel/Palestine Experience) November 2011 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Supporting Rural Communities

Presentation on CAPT (Israel/Palestine Experience) November 2011

Charmain Jones and Sharon O’Toole

Project outline and participants

CAPT (Communities and Policing In Transition)

• It’s overall aim:

“ To facilitate structured and meaningful engagement between communities and Policing (on a local cross community and cross border basis) to assist the development of a safer and more peaceful society”

• Participants included the PSNI, Gardai, Republican

and Loyalist exprisoners, community, voluntary and statutory agencies within NI and across the border regions

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Benefits to RCN and the Wider Community

RCN Benefits

• 3 rural enablers and CSI Officer have taken part in

conflict related study visits to different regions – great for networking, understanding, breaking down barriers and prejudices.

• Publicity

for RCN and the Rural Enabler Programme Wider Community

• Increased linkages and co-operation within and

across communities/cross the border, opening up pathways that were not already there, discussions which would otherwise have not taken place.

Outcome and opportunities

– Rural enabler joint project between Tandragee and Kilkerley, PSNI contact. – Working with Charter NI in relation to women’s network in Portadown – PSNI links with North Belfast – urban – CSI Officer and RE for Co. Tyrone – PSNI and Volunteer Bureau – Cookstown Clergy Forum – Good links with NIHE Branch Cookstown – Better linkages with Cookstown Council, invite to attend Flags Forum

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Presentation Themes

• Young people
• Flags and emblems
• Housing
• Interface / Shared

space

• Racism
• Community

Development/Commun ity Relations

• Institutions

Young People

• The Israeli government

force it’s young people to serve in the army - uniformed and carrying weapons.

• There are certain areas

in Israel that are Jewish owned, these young people will have never met a Palestine person

• Young girls in Muslim

societies, poor

• pportunities for

educational attainment and professional development.

• In Bethlehem at

6.30am in the morning, in the local primary school, children voices ringing noisily in play.

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Palestinian young people’s Art on the Wall of the West Bank

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Flags & Emblems

• Israeli Flag
• British Flag
• British in Israel
• Palestine Flag

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• Palestine Flag
• Irish Flag
• Irish in Palestine

Israeli symbols

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Painted Kerbstones At the British Embassy

Palestinian Symbols

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Housing

Israeli

• Build on high grounds
• verlooking Palestinians with

defence walls

• Water pumped directly into

houses

• Israeli settlements well

planned

• Clean and tidy homes
• Greenery visible
• Better service roads
• Good street lighting

Palestine

• Segregation into zones, A B

and C

• Water tanks given to

households

• Palestinian settlements, less

planning.

• Rubbish and Rubble, litter on

the streets

• Little greenery
• Windy road /longer journeys
• Lack of services
• Worse in rural areas compared

to Urban.

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Examples of housing

Israeli Red topped houses Palestinian road from Bethlehem to Ramallah Standard of living in most rural areas

Interface/Shared Space

• The Palestinians living in

Israel have developed strategies for living and sharing within the Israeli state.

• The Abraham fund is a

clear example of this, a Palestinian organisation that has developed direct links with the Israeli government

• Links and networks have

since being established.

• A lot of bottom up

approaches on both sides

• Community Policing for

Arabs in Israeli states in its infancy.

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Abraham Fund’s Art Gallery – One Initiative

Racism

• The Jews want an Israeli

Jewish state. The Jewish religion is exclusive, only to Jews.

• The human right of the

Palestinian people to rule themselves is not recognised, even though international agreements are in place

• There are levels of apartheid

clearly present

• Division and control

measures are in place that erode the basic human rights and the quality of life

• f the Palestinian people.
• Violence is still present

from both sides and a lot of non-militarised violence.

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Community Development / Community Relations

• A shared future is not on

the agenda

• Resources are used as a

control

• There is a proposed 2 state

solution agreed from 1960.

• Community development on

the ground is present on both sides but at a local, even regional level

• Israel

is surrounded by Arab countries/poor relations with Syria

• Leadership is not coming from

the Jewish Authorities, right wing religious pressures for a Jewish state only.

• Palestinian Political groups

such as the Hamas are still engaged in violence, the Fatah is corrupt and don’t have the support of the people

• International pressures such

as America support the Jewish state and thereby allow the human rights violation. The International community divided.

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Places of Interest

The garden of Gethsemane

The Wailing Wall The Mount of Olives

Institutions

• During the

transformation, a 6yr period was imposed on the Palestinian’s to build up their state

• institutions. In 2000

is period ended.

• Stalemate
• The State institutions

we visited were: 1) Palestinian Police 2) Minister of Interiors 3) Abraham Fund 4)Irish/British/American Embassy's

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Palestinian Chief Of Police pictured with PSNI officers

Palestinian Police Force

• The Palestinian Police

Force is a law enforcing agency with no political influences that affect them. It works in accordance with law, court and judicial degrees

• Occupation

plays a crucial role in the co-

• rdination of the police
• Daily invasion of Israeli

Police to Palestinian Cities, a curfew of Palestinian police ensues.

• Palestinian police force

police Palestinian people, to enter into B and C zones, approval must be given by the Israeli authorities.

• The type of arresting

by the Israeli

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Compare and Contrast to NI

• Similarities:

1) 2 opposing groups who want different resolutions 2) FEAR: Perceived fear of each other fuels the conflict and hinders the outcome. 3) Normalising of the abnormal for survival, The segregation that exist in both communities 4) Religion is used as a means

• f division and recognition

purposes

• Differences

1) the fighting has stopped, shows how far NI has come, we have lots of celebrate about 2) National and International pressures are not supporting a peace process, most work is coming from the ground. 3) A shared vision for the future is one which NI is prepared to work towards. 2 state solution with sharing of resources for Israel/Palestine

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Lessons learnt

• Injustice breeds conflict
• In the mist of such conflict,

the holy visits experience were one of peace.

• There are people working

endlessly on the ground from both sides, making a difference.

• There is a realisation by the

Palestinians that conflict won’t achieve want they want.

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• Leadership working towards

peace is essential

• International support

needed

• Building relationships and

trust key to creating understanding of each

• ther

Intercomm details

For more information on CAPT: Contact Michelle Wilson Intercomm, 290 – 292 Antrim Road, Belfast 02890 352165

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