Feeling at home in Ireland and Palestine
This morning Facebook reminded me that three years ago today (26th June 2019) fifteen girls from Gaza and their teachers sang 'Oh my home' under the oldest olive tree in the world in the small village of Al Walaja - near Bethlehem, Occupied Palestine. This was at the end of the girls first ever trip to the West bank where they had performed their winning plays ('The living song', 'One world different stories', and 'The play of the play') from the Hands up Project's Remote Theatre competition.
Regular followers of our work will know that ‘Oh my home’ is also the name for the online link ups we do between families around the world. We absolutely love doing these sessions at the Hands up Project!
Last Sunday morning we had a very special one between a group of teachers and their families in Ireland, and a group of teachers and their families in Gaza.
People shared all kinds of things: musical performances, Celtic knots, pictures done by children, a tour of a garden and of a classroom in Ireland..
As always in these sessions we found more things in common between us than things that are different. Sean in Ireland showed a map of Palestine from the 1890’s that someone in Palestine had given him when he’d visited, and this promoted a discussion about history and borders. Amal in Gaza shared a souvenir of Ireland that she’d bought there (see below). I think you’ll agree that the words of the blessing are beautiful to us all wherever we are, and whoever we are.
We hope that this was just the beginning of a long story of collaboration and shared experiences for young people and teachers in Palestine and in Ireland. More things have already started to happen..
On Tuesday we were warmly welcomed into an assembly in a primary school in Ireland (via Zoom) where the children there were shown a video of a Hands up play about being a refugee. They then had a chance to meet the children in Gaza who’s performed it and to talk to them. The session ended with a lovely remote performance of a poem by the children in Ireland.
Moments like these remind us why we chose to call these sessions, “Oh my home” in the first place. We all want to feel at home in our own homes and to be welcomed into others’, and we’ve been made to feel so welcome in Ireland since the beginnings of our connections there. Watch this space for more exciting events to follow..