Bedouin of the Jordan Valley: Here to stay

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JV Bedouin Conference Feb 2010 (7)Bedouin communities from all over the Jordan Valley met together on 9th February 2010. They developed a plan of the support and infrastructure they need to resist Israel's ethnic cleansing and stay on their land. After many years of grassroots resistance (such as building their own homes, schools, health clinics, road and playgrounds) the Palestinian Authority have now pledged to provide practical support to develop the infrastructure they need to survive.

JV Bedouin Conference Feb 2010 (1)JV Bedouin Conference Feb 2010 (8)More than 700 people attended the conference, held at Ka'abne community school, north of Jericho - an historic location in itself. Ka'abne is one of many Palestinian communities in the Jordan Valley that are denied the right to build, renovate or repair homes or other permanent structure by Israel's racist apartheid policies. Following the experience of other communities such as Al Jiftlik and Fasayil, the local people built the school without a permit - knowing that if they applied for a permit it wouldn't be granted. They were not surprised to receive a demolition order from the Israeli military, but are determined to resist this attempt to deny their children the right to education. The conference planted trees around the school to show their determination that it must remain.

JV Bedouin Conference Fev 2010 (9)Salam Fayyed, Palestinian Prime Minister, applauded the steadfastness of Bedouin communities, despite attempts by the occupation authorities to remove them from their land. He reiterated the importance of the Jordan Valley and Jerusalem, stating that there can be no solution, no state without them.

Those at the conference put together a clear plan of action for the area, that will start straight away with two key events.

• On 20th March a health day will be held in Al Jiftlik for women from local communities.
• On a larger scale, a mass wedding of 50 couples is planned. Houses will be built for them to overcome the constant problem of houses built by newly wed couples being demolished by the Israelis to pressure them to leave the area.

During the conference workshops identified the needs of people in the region, which focussed on water, health, education, roads & transport, construction & housing, farming and animal welfare.

Water

• Run water pipes to bedouin communities
• Construct of resevoirs to collect rainwater
• Construct new wells
• Provide water at affordable rates to remote communities and the means to make it safe for drinking

Health

• Provide regular mobile health clinics to bedouin communities, with specialist medical crews and provision of vaccines
• Provide health advice, including information about typhoid, fever and sexual diseases
• Sponsor training of local people to train in medical professions and return to their communities to practice
• Provide affordable health care in local clinics and hospitals

Education

• Establish nurseries and kindergartens in local communities
• Establish schools that are accessible to all communities
• Ensure schools are equipped with books, computers and other essential materials
• Provide transport and subsidised fees to ensure all children can go to school
• Ensure education is relevant to the students culture and is both acedemic and vocational
• Provide scholarships for vocational courses and university education

Roads and transport

• Construct and surface roads to local communities
• Ensure people in the area have permits to travel
• Provide scholarships to enable Bedouins to get a driving licence

Construction and Housing

• Build new housing in areas where this is possible
• Support renovation of existing homes, especially those that are built of wool, fabric and tin
• Provide portable baths that suit local people's needs

Farming and animal welfare

• Provide a mobile vetinary clinic with vaccines and necessary medicines
• Enable farmers to re claim Value Added Tax on purchases
• Ensure animal feed is available at affordable rates
• Establish a factory for manufacture of the animals products. For example: dairy products & cheese, spinning and weaving of wool, provision for recycling waste products, tanks for collection of the milk
• Encourage consumption o local produce by the PA and security forces
• Establishment of grazing areas
• Support projects with seeds distribution and cultivation
• Support the existence's of the Bedouin in the face of Israeli attacks by rebuilding, adopting the cases and giving compensation to those affected
• Develop model farms