New for 2008 - Introducing Birthright Palestine! (Thanks Qunfuz!)

Birthright Palestine is a unique program by native Palestinians for Diaspora Palestinians, so as to assimilate them back into their homeland via cultural immersion. It is meant to gather first-generation, western-born Palestinians (over the age of 18-years old) in their ancestral homeland, so that they can reunite and witness firsthand how their brethren are living under illegal Israeli military occupation, while assimilating them into Palestinian society. The program is made-up of four major components, education, tourism, hospitality, and volunteering, and was created to maintain Palestinian unity on an international level and to make foreign-born Palestinians feel at home in their homeland.



The First Annual Birthright Palestine program is to launch this summer, marking the 60th Anniversary of Al-Nakba. Moreover, Birthright Palestine will allow for the international Palestinian community, largely living in exodus, to become more closely knit, because this program will nurture relationships between participants of Palestinian ethnic origin whom were born in different countries around the world, as well as relationships between Diaspora-born and native-born Palestinians. Also, an exchange of ideas will take place, as local Palestinians will begin to better understand the situation of Diaspora Palestinians and vice versa - possibly leading to a cohesive consensus on core issues of importance to the Palestinian Nation.



Here are ten reasons why you should join! Click here to sign up now!

Who are we?

The concept was created by the Palestine Center for National Strategic Studies (PCNSS) is a new, non-profit, non-violent, non-factional, non-governmental organizational think tank based out of the Dheisheh Refugee Camp that facilitates student-based research guided by PhD mentors, so as to force Palestinian college students to be more critical of national political and socio-economic policies. Thus, we are primarily fueled by youth, specifically students. We also host and accommodate foreign researchers in conducting their studies in Palestine, and conduct social experiments of our own in the form of projects.This program is being implemented in cooperation and partnership with the Siraj Center of Holy Land Studies. Siraj is a non governmental organization based in Beit Sahour, Palestine, and aims to create links in between the Palestinian people with people from around the globe through travel programs, interfaith, ecumenical dialogue and culture and youth exchange programs. Through its local links, Siraj has been able to work directly with the local community in the Bethlehem area and around the West Bank. Its relationship with the Rapprochement Center have enabled Siraj to reach out to a wider community all over the Holy Land which makes the impact of it programs much wider and reach many of the grassroots communities.



What you can do to help:

Forward this e-mail to as many Diaspora Palestinians as possible, circulate our flyer at your local events and spread the word!



For more information:

Log onto: http://www.birthrightpalestine.com/

E-mail: info@birthrightpalestine.com



Call: +972-2-274-6955 George S. Rishmawi Coordinator, Siraj, Center For Holy Land Studies Beit Sahour, Schoold Street

P.O.Box 48

Palestine



Email: george@sirajcenter.org abusaliba@yahoo.com abusaliba@gmail.com abusalib@p-ol.com



Website: http://www.sirajcenter.orghttp//www.wusul.com/wusul/CommunityHomePage.faces

http://www.mepeace.org/profile/GeorgeSRishmawi

Tel: +972 2 274 8590

Fax: +972 2 274 8774

Mobile: 0599 180 872

USA number: 1 989 607 9480