In Support of Palestine Nottingham Jenin Friendship Group present: Palestine Week in Nottingham November 27th to 2nd December

As part of the first visit from our friends in Jenin we have organised a number of events

Wednesday 29th November Public Meeting with Eye Witness Reports from our visitors from Jenin and Helen Bowler, recently returned from a weeks long visit 7.30pm, Mechanics Institute, 3, N Sherwood St

Thursday 30th November Palestinian Music and Food evening Featuring traditional music from Jenin +3 course meal, £15 / £10 unwaged Ticket only – to book Tel 07970401496 The Palm Tree Restaurant 10, Arkwright St, Nottingham. 7.30pm for a 8pm start

Saturday 2nd December Benefit Evening with Music, Food, Dance, Refreshments, bring your own drinks St Johns Church Hall, Watcombe Circus Carrington. 7 – 10.30pm Entrance £5

Organised by Nottingham Jenin Friendship Group For details of these and other events tel 07970401496 For more information contact : nottmpsc@yahoo.co.uk

The Nottingham Jenin Friendship Group was launched in April 2006 when three delegates from Nottingham went to visit Jenin where they met the Mayor, Governor and representatives from several community groups.

Jenin is situated in the north of the West Bank and has a large refugee camp. The town is surrounded by fertile agricultural land where farmers co-ops produce olive oil, couscous and sundried tomatoes. Jenin is frequently subjected to attacks by the Israeli army. In 2002, bulldozers and tanks destroyed hundreds of homes and displaced thousands of people. Unemployment in Jenin is 62% with over 70% of the population living in poverty.

The Friendship Group is an ongoing project to link organisations and community groups here in Nottingham and Jenin. It’s a way of sharing ideas, experiences and showing solidarity at a grassroots level. Twinning aims to link hospitals, schools, colleges, religious and community groups, women’s organisations, trades unions, arts groups…the possibilities are endless. It might be exchanging emails, providing a venue for visiting delegations, going to visit Jenin, organising fundraising events and so on. Most importantly, the people of Jenin need to know that even though they are physically isolated, they have friends here in Nottingham.

NJFG includes individual people who live and/or work in Nottingham, representatives from trade union branches, organisations, groups and students. All of us wish to work together to raise awareness within Nottingham of human rights issues in Jenin and show our support of the people of Jenin by making links on a grassroots, people to people level.

We would welcome membership from people and organisations who support our aims. For further details, please contact us on 07869 145637 or 07970401496.

November 2006 The National Twinning Conference is being held in London on Sunday 26th November. Five delegates from Jenin will be attending the conference and spending the following week in Nottingham.

As well as the public events listed our friends from Jenin will be visiting the Nottingham Council House and meeting the Deputy Lord Mayor, visiting a number of Trade Unions including UNISON and NUM, The Pakistani Centre, Sutton Centre Youth Club and a number of Women’s Arts, Youth and Community Organisations.