Olive Trees For Palestine
Support Local Economies in the 3rd Oldest City in the World
The Boulder-Nablus Sister City Project (BNSCP) fosters relationships through cultural, educational and professional exchanges, inspiring lifelong friendships that promote understanding and peace through person-to-person “citizen diplomacy.”
Through ongoing conversations with our Sister City we have found that one of the largest requests from the community is the desire for olive trees. These trees are historically very important to local communities as they provide oil, income, cohesion, collaboration and cooperation among residents.
BNSCP chose the goal $5,430 as this is the elevation of Boulder. This amount will provide 815 one and a half year-old saplings to be planted in villages adjacent to Nablus. A collective of community partners are currently working on designating the right villages to plant the trees.
In March of this year, a delegation will travel to Nablus, Palestine and spend a day helping farmers to plant the olive tree saplings. You are welcome to join the delegation. Get more information here.
As a part of the International Sister City Program, BNSCP has been able able to cultivate relationships between communities in Nablus and Boulder through a whole range of projects since 2011. We have also taken dozens of Coloradans to the West Bank on delegations to meet with local residents and representatives.
For more information on the BNSCP please visit http://bouldernablus.org/ and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BoulderNablusSisterCity/
With your help we look forward to a better future.
Together let's support our friends in Nablus.
From Boulder to Nablus we thank you for your support!
Helping you to understand the dire situation in Palestine and why we need to plant more olive trees are the following articles:
Fact Sheet: Olive Trees – More Than Just a Tree in Palestine:
"Olive trees carry more than an economic significance in the lives of Palestinians. They are not just like any another trees, they are symbolic of Palestinians’ attachment to their land. Because the trees are draught-resistant and grow under poor soil conditions, they represent Palestinian resistance and resilience. The fact that olive trees live and bear fruit for thousands of years is parallel to Palestinian history and continuity on the land. Palestinians are proud of their olive trees; they take care of them with care and appreciation. Palestine has some of the world’s oldest olive trees, dating back to 4,000 years. Some families have trees that have been passed down to them for generations and the olive harvest season in October bears a socio-cultural meaning where families come together to harvest olive trees bearing in mind that their forefathers and mothers had tended to the same trees several years ago.
In addition to their symbolic meaning, olives are a main source of income for around 80,000 Palestinian families. According to UN figures, around 48% of the agricultural land in the West Bank and Gaza is planted with olive trees. Olive trees account for 70% of fruit production in Palestine and contribute around 14% to the Palestinian economy. 93% of the olive harvest is used for olive oil production while the rest is used for olive soap, table olives and pickles. Much of the olive production is for local consumption with a small amount of olives being exported primarily to Jordan. With the growing interest in organic food and fair trade, Palestinian olives are now also reaching European and North American markets."
Why Israelis have cut down 800,000 Palestinian Olive Trees:
"Olive tree felling is a longtime strategy of Israel’s occupation regime in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Since 1967, an estimated 800,000 Palestinian olive trees have been destroyed by Israeli authorities and settlers."
Destruction of Palestinian olive trees is a monstrous crime:
"Over the last 40 years, over a million olive trees and hundreds of thousands of fruit trees have been destroyed in Palestinian lands. The Israel Defense Forces have been accused of uprooting olive trees to facilitate the building of settlements, expand roads and build infrastructure.
The uprooting of centuries-old olive trees has caused tremendous losses to farmers and their families."
Palestinian olive harvest season: A symbol of resistance
"If the olive trees knew the hands that planted them, their oil would become tears," Mahmoud Darwish once said.
The olive harvest is a tradition as ancient as Palestine, and paints a poetic narrative of the relationship between the people and their land. Olive trees survive the toughest conditions and grow their roots deeply into the earth, which they call home.
For thousands of years, these trees have stood as a symbol of resistance, firm against all odds of nature; similar to the Palestinians themselves, who are standing firm against all the challenges of occupation and believing in the words of Mahmoud Darwish: "We have on this land what makes life worth living."
