Nabila Espanioly is awarded the 2022 Individual Human Rights Award by the New Israeli Fund UK

We are proud to announce that Nabila Espanioly received this year's Individual Human Rights Award from the New Israel Fund UK. Since 2007, the award has been given to individuals and organizations that work for justice and respect for human rights in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. Nabila was particularly honored with the award for her tireless work for the rights of Palestinian women citizens of Israel and her support of the Palestinian community. In her boundless commitment to the empowerment of women, the equality of the Palestinian citizens of Israel, and peace in the region, she is a source of inspiration to all of us.

Click here to watch a short film about Nabila Espanioly and the Individual Human Rights Award 2022

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Nabila Espanioly's children's book "The Butterfly of Nazareth" (Farashat al Nasera) was awarded by the 2022 honour list of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY).
The book was published by the Al-Tufula Center in 2020 and describes the childhood of the writer May Ziadeh. She was born in Nazareth before 1948 to a Lebanese father and a Palestinian mother and is called the “butterfly of literature”.
The IBBY’s Honour list constitutes one of the most prestigious international children’s book awards and consists of a biennial selection of books, writers, illustrators, and translators focusing on children’s literature. The winning books are not only among the best in their country, but they are also considered to have international appeal and to provide insights into diverse cultural, political, and social aspects of children’s lives.

Have a look at the honour list 2022
 

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If many people in many places in this world take small steps for a better future, then we can change the world.
Nabila Espanioly was invited to #PeaceOnEarth in Paderborn (Germany), an international prayer for peace. Several hundred people prayed together for peace in various conflict regions around the world, focusing particularly on Ukraine. The concert was accompanied by singer and artist Michael Patrick Kelly and various international guests.
In her moving speech, Nabila Espanioly spoke about her peace work in Nazareth and on the Israeli-Palestinian situation: “For more than 50 years I have been active for peace - and still we are far from peace. But I always say that as a Palestinian, I am not able to give up - yes: I do not have the privilege to give up.” But she also encouraged the people to continue working for peace, pointing to the many small successes she and the Al-Tufula Center have had through their work, and explained: “I believe that if many people in many places of the world take small steps for a better future, then we can change the world and give hope for peace in the Holy Land and for peace in all war zones of the world.”

Read Nabila Espanioly’s speech (in German):

Watch the peace prayer of #PeaceOnEarth (in German)

 

 

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Diversity in Times of Stress

The Al Tufula Center has published a comprehensive report detailing the challenges faced by Palestinian children in the occupied territories. This report sheds light on the various sectors where these children fall systematically, The second section of the report focuses on the creation of emergency kits for Palestinian children affected by the war in 2015. This initiative was deeply necessary, especially in the wake of tragic events that led to the death of two children in Nazareth. This report is a poignant testament to the resilience and determination to offer assistance even during the tumultuous times of war.

Click here to view the document

Abdullah Qawariq, the illustrator of Nabila Espanioly’s children’s book “The poet of al-Birwa” (Sha’ir al-Birwa), was awarded by the 2020 honour list of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY).
The book was published by the Al-Tufula Center in 2017 and focuses on the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish and the village of al-Birwa. The illustrations of The poet of al-Birwa are outlined with black ink and coloured using digital techniques.
Abdullah Qawariq was born in Kuwait in 1983 and is a Palestinian artist and illustrator of children’s stories and book covers. Several books illustrated by him have been published by institutes and publishers, both locally and abroad.
The IBBY’s Honour list constitutes one of the most prestigious international children’s book awards and consists of a biennial selection of books, writers, illustrators, and translators focusing on children’s literature. The winning books are not only among the best in their country, but they are also considered to have international appeal and to provide insights into diverse cultural, political, and social aspects of children’s lives.

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During a difficult time of lock down, Al-Tufula Center supported various target groups within the community.  Read the article to learn more.

 

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 Read the article published in the Jerusalem Post on the misconceptions and excuses for murdering Arab Women.

 

 

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(Haifa, Saturday, 19 May 2018). Protests have erupted all over the world in recent

weeks in response to barbaric and inhumane military attacks by Israeli forces against

unarmed Palestinian civilians protesting in Gaza in the “Great March of Return”. The

actions of the Israeli military, which has employed live ammunition (over 3,500 rounds),

have resulted to date in the killing of 106 Palestinians, including 15 children, and the injury

of over 12,000 more. Protests in solidarity with the Gaza victims have taken place in Israel,

and the city of Haifa has experienced the highest number of cases of police brutality against

demonstrators, in addition to arrests of activists and students. Demonstrators have been

gathering daily to peacefully exercise their right to protest and stand in solidarity with the

“Great March of Return” victims. As the protests in Haifa have continued, police have

escalated their use of violence against protesters (https://972mag.com/open-up-or-well-tase-you-police-arrest-activists-behind-gaza-protests/135587/), culminating in mass

arrests and widespread brutality witnessed yesterday evening, Friday, 18 May 2018.

Police officers and Special Forces arrived to the protest armed and equipped to disrupt

the peaceful demonstration. Police rapidly barged in and charged the crowd, beating the

demonstrators without provocation and making sporadic arrests, as is clearly evident from

video documentation and photographs taken at the scene.

 

Twenty-one people were arrested in Haifa. Many, if not all, of the detainees (reports are

still incoming) were brutally beaten by the arresting officers while in custody at the police

station and in interrogation rooms, some while handcuffed. Some of the victims were taken

to the Emergency Room (ER) and four are hospitalized for serious injuries. Amongst the

hospitalized, Jafar Farah, Director of the Mossawa Center, who was rushed to the ER with a

broken knee and severe blunt trauma injuries to the chest and abdomen sustained during a

brutal attack on him by police officers while in custody.

 

The undersigned Palestinian civil society organizations in Israel wish to express our

deepest concerns and outrage at this brutal conduct by the Israeli police against unarmed

protesters, and demand the immediate release of all detainees. We also request a full and

independent investigation into the unjustified arrests and beatings of protesters while in

police custody.

 

Israel has increased its systematic suppression of the basic rights of citizens to freedom

of assembly, protest, and expression, some of the most fundamental human rights, in

response to peaceful demonstrations launched in solidarity with the Gaza protests in Haifa

and elsewhere. It is the state’s responsibility to protect these rights, in accordance with

international human rights laws, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If

Israel refuses to protect the basic human rights of its citizens, then the international

community has a duty to intervene and take a firm and decisive stand against these

violations.

 

Bilal Zidani

Mahmood Taha

Said Swidan

Yoram Bar Chaim

Jafer Farah

Naif Shaquor

Bisan Farah

Majd Azzam

Ali Mawassi

Ammar Abu Qandeel

Maher Salamy

Mohammad Kayal

Emad Kayal

Anan Odeh

Bashar Ali

Fadi Andraus

Najwan Abu Alala

Oz Marinov

Shady Kassis

Osama Tanous

 

 

Mossawa Center

Women Against Violence

Al Tufula Center

Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel

Kayan – Feminist Organization

The Arab Association for Human Rights (HRA)

The Arab Center for the Development of Social Media

Ad’ar – Forum of Professionals to Oppose the Murder of Women

Assiwar - Feminist Arab Movement

Masar Instiute for Education

Entema wa Ataa

Galilee Institute

Al Mashghal

AWC – Arab Women in the Center

Association for the Defense of the Rights of the Internally Displaced (ADRID)

The Follow Up Committee of Arab Education Issues

Muntada – The Arab Forum for the Sexuality of Individual and Family

Tishreen – Al-Muthalath

Humanity Crew

CEGAS

Aswat – Palestinian Feminist Center for Sexual and Gender Freedoms

I’lam – Arab Center for Media, Freedom, Development, and Research

Baladna – Arab Youth Association

Al-Zahraa – The Organization for the Advancement of Women

Ma’an – The Forum of Arab Women’s Organizations in the Negev

Intima Wa Amal

Mahpach Taghir