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The Olive Press

Lebanon: A Revolution — Inside/Out

Nov 14, 2019

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Messages from Lebanon’s youth I was in Washington DC last month for Anera’s annual gala on October 11. During my visit, I also participated in a series of strategic meetings and events. I had a very fruitful week there. I met young professionals who, like me, work in the field of development. I also met young…

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Update from Gaza

by Anera

Nov 13, 2019

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Conflict between Gaza and Israel is once again escalating this week. The following account of the current situation for civilians in Gaza comes from a call with an Anera Gaza staff member. “It was quiet for about 6 hours overnight but the bombing started again at around dawn. “We’re all so tired of this in…

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Wildfires and mass protests – an update from Anera Lebanon

Oct 25, 2019

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I am writing this from home because we haven’t been able to go to the office. This is now the ninth day of demonstrations. The day before yesterday the protests accelerated and there are now more roadblocks. Even if you live in Beirut you won’t be able to get from neighborhood to neighborhood in a…

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What Are Palestinian Refugee Camp Conditions Like?

by Anera

Sep 5, 2019

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Refugee Camp Living Conditions | Medicine in Refugee Camps | Education in Refugee Camps | Refugee Unemployment There are 58 official Palestinian refugee camps. They are located in Jordan, the West Bank, Gaza, Syria and Lebanon. Many of the camps were created in 1948 as a result of the first Arab-Israeli war. Other camps were…

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Working for Humanity: My Story with Anera

Aug 19, 2019

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From freelance writer to national communication manager. I have been working directly with refugee communities, both Syrian and Palestinian, for the past eight years. I have worked with numerous humanitarian organizations, large and small, local and international, and saw many inspiring things, and many disappointing things. I saw hardworking individuals giving their best to help…

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The Importance of Cooperatives in Palestine

Jul 5, 2019

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By Naser Qadous, Anera’s agricultural programs manager A cooperative is defined as a legal entity representing a group of individuals that come together to achieve a common objective. Their purpose is to serve themselves and their community and to work together as a team. The first cooperative in Palestine  – and in the larger Arab…

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It’s a state of emergency in Gaza

May 17, 2019

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By Sami Matar Conditions in Gaza now are worse than they have ever been. Across all the governorates, the percentages of people who are jobless, who don’t have enough to eat, is up. Seventy percent of people in Gaza are food insecure. I see it in my own neighborhood and it’s the same situation everywhere…

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Working to Empower the People and Environment of Palestine

Apr 19, 2019

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As an environmental studies graduate and a recent volunteer in the West Bank, where I saw firsthand the threats to the natural environment, I am reflecting on Earth Day this year through the context of the Palestinian natural landscape. The environmental situation in the Palestinian territories is devastating. A range of factors create an unhealthy…

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Letter to My Mother in Gaza

May 13, 2018

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Dear Om Mazin, it’s been more than five years since we were in the same room together and I miss that very much. Every passing day, I think about the joy of being in your company and in your eyesight. As a little boy growing up in Gaza, things did not always make sense. Back…

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How Music Therapy Helps Palestinian Children

by Anera

Nov 10, 2017

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By Buran Saada, Anera teacher trainer and music therapist When I was only a school girl, I discovered my voice. My music teacher noticed that I could adapt to different music styles, so she picked me to sing in the school choir. In high school, I joined a band called Al-Awda, meaning “the return,” alluding…

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