Palestinian teenagers come to Wales as part of youth exchange project

Martin Shipton

Eight teenagers from Palestine and leaders from the Beyond the Checkpoints project arrive in Wales on Wednesday September 24 to begin two weeks of youth exchange.

The visit includes meetings and events, bringing their stories of survival under Israeli occupation to young people and adults in Welsh towns and cities.

Their trip will begin with an evening of music, talks and dance in Machynlleth and peak on Sunday September 28 in the Valleys town of Treforest and the Falastin Football Fest.

Aged between 14 and 16, each teen is set to experience an exchange trip like no other, organised by the Camden Abu-Dis Friendship Association (CADFA), promoting cultural interaction between Palestinian and British children and young people, while raising awareness of the ongoing human rights crisis in Palestine.

The larger context of the genocide in Gaza, as confirmed by the UN’s recent Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, along with the continued ethnic cleansing and enforced apartheid in the West Bank and Jerusalem will be reflected in the discussions throughout the visit.

‘Ambassador’

One of the young participants, Kinda B said: “My aim is to improve myself and spread the word about my people and to be the best ambassador for my country.”

The CADFA lead, Nandita Dawson, said: “After so many months of fundraising and planning and the disappointment of having to delay them in June because of the Israel-Iran war, we’re so much looking forward to the young people arriving.

“We know this will be an amazing visit that will open the world to them but will also touch the hearts of so many people that they will meet in their two weeks here.”

Due to the contributions of international footballers, including an in-person visit from current Cardiff City and Denmark international star Yousef Salech and a video message from ex-Cardiff City and Netherlands forward Anwar El Ghazi, special focus falls on Falastin Football Fest. Organised by Rhondda CynonTaf Palestine Solidarity Campaign and running from 2:30pm – 5pm, the free entry event will bring the professional sportsmen of Palestinian and Moroccan heritage together with both the local community and the visitors arriving from both the West Bank and Jerusalem.

‘Lasting memory’

The lead organiser for the event, Liz Holyoak, said: “This visit is so important as it is an opportunity for young people in Wales to hear about what is happening in Palestine from their peers. The constant stream of videos and news about Palestine can sometimes mean that the humanity of our fellow human beings is lost.

“We hope that getting local teens together with the Palestinians will create a lasting memory and a deeper understanding of the world around them. Human rights are for everyone and we need to do more to support the people of Palestine.”

The afternoon sees the Palestinian and Wales-based young people share in skills games, craft activities and the opportunity to hear from the famous players. El Ghazi’s contribution to the day will be greatly anticipated after his outspoken support of Palestine resulted in German Bundesliga club, Mainz, terminating his contract in late 2023. He challenged and won this case in court and continues to advocate for Palestinians.

The visiting group of young people from the West Bank communities of Al Walaja and Hebron and the Silwan district of East Jerusalem have been meeting regularly with each other, using Zoom through the Beyond The Checkpoints project, but will meet in person for the first time when they land at Manchester Airport, prior to a short journey to Chester for their first evening in the UK.

‘Human rights’

Yaman M said: “I like football and I’m interested in human rights. I recently joined the Beyond the Checkpoints project and enjoyed meeting friends from different areas of Palestine. We hoped that we would manage to meet each other but our project was on Zoom.”

Travel through the military checkpoint system in occupied Palestine and onwards to international territories has become an increasing challenge since conflict intensified, making the poignant trip a rare opportunity for an open exchange of experiences and mutual learning.

The event is part of a wider tour of Wales, organised by CADFA and local partners in Machynlleth, Knighton, Newport, Cardiff and other locations. The tour ends in London on Sun October 5 where the Palestinian group will collaborate on the creation of exhibits for a Palestinian Children’s Museum in Camden.

The full schedule of public events taking place as part of the visit to Wales and the border towns of England can be found here