Workers Unite for a Free Palestine

Al-Shati (Beach) Refugee Camp in Gaza City. Photo: Sara Bell, Fagforbundet. March 6th, we were invited to drink tea in Emad Seyam’s house in Al-Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza City. The camp was established in 1948, and counted more than 87 000 people in 2006.   Mahmoud Hamada. Foto: A. Stranden Mahmoud Hamada, programme leader at   Norwegian People’s Aid in Palestine, kindly interpreted the interview. Mahmoud grew up with Emad in Al-Shati, and they're the same age. Emad’s wife and daughters were in the women’s room, and did not enter the sitting room whilst we were visiting. Emad Seyam is Head of a family of ten people. He has three sons and five daughters. He is 49 years old. Q: How do you manage the obstacles of your daily life? A: The real struggle started after 2000, with the second Intifada. I used to work in Israel in tiling and construction, I built bathrooms. When there were no more jobs for us in Israel, I decided to become a fisherman, as my family...

Fagforbundets Palestina-ambassadører skal bære vitnesbyrd om samarbeidsprosjektene og folkene som bruker dem for medlemmer og tillitsvalgte i Fagforbundet. På Fagforbundet Hordalands fylkesmøte benyttet jeg anledningen til å minne delegater til landsmøtet i oktober 2017 på at det er viktig å fornye samarbeidsavtalen. Jeg gjengir den her: Jeg hilser dere fra våre kamerater i Gaza. Fra ungdom som gjennom Fagforbundets solidaritetsprosjekter med Folkehjelpen får tale- og debatt kurs, sånn at de kan kreve mer plass i det sivile samfunnet, fra unge, venstreorienterte og rasende godt skolerte kvinner som har fått skolering i å stille til valg – i egne partiorganisasjoner, og i lokalvalg, hvor de konkurrer om plass med mørkemenn fra Hamas. De løfter seg selv, vi stiller med litt støtte, men frigjøringskampen fører de for egen maskin. Jeg hilser dere fra Gazas fiskere og bønder, fra barn som lever uten vann, uten elektrisitet og uten hus. Det er ikke ofte jeg blir stum, men det ble...

Speech for the International Women’s Day 2017 in Gaza Introduction of myself – my name is Sara Bell, I am here visiting Gaza with NPA and NUMGE/Fagforbundet, and I represent Fagforbundet’s solidarity work in Palestine for my region on the West Coast of Norway­. Fagforbundet is a trade union that organises almost 360 000 workers, and between 75-80 % of us are women. I am 40 years old and I am the leader of the biggest Fagforbundet branch in my region. Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude to the UPWC for letting me speak on behalf of Fagforbundet in this demonstration. Before I start talking about the importance of the Women’s movement, I would like to convey a couple of greetings to you on behalf of the Women’s Front in Norway and from Ship to Gaza Norway. From the Women’s Front in Norway, who visited several women’s committees in Gaza in 1983, I send respect, love and sister solidarity. Ship to Gaza Norway, whose political platform is to...