Visitors from Galilee come to Witney

Peace between Israel and Palestine may seem as far distant as ever, BUT a group of people in Witney recently heard about one inspiring way forward!

Samia Nasser (left) and Hadas Lahav with some of their olive oil

At a breakfast meeting, jointly sponsored by the Witney Area Fair Trade Action Group (WAFTAG) and the West Oxfordshire Branch of the United Nations Association (WODUNA), a group of over 40 people met Samia Nasser and Hadas Lahav from SINDYANNA of Galilee on April 4th in the Burwell Hall. There they heard the two women (Samia is an Arab and Hadas is Jewish) explain how Sindyanna of Galilee is a Fair Trade association, aiming to build bridges between Israelis and Palestinians.

They are touring the country telling groups about the work of the women-led Co-operative in the Galilee region of northern Israel. It is a non-profit organization, established in 1996 to market agricultural products (and especially, olive oil) from Arab farmers in Israel and the West Bank on Fair Trade principles.

Hadas Lahav said "We strive to provide economic opportunites for Arab women - only 17% of whom are in full-time paid employment. We believe that working together like this is the only way forward".

Sindyanna relies on co-operation between Arabs and Jews, based on a mutual belief in equality and the right of the Palestinians to self-determination. In an area that suffers from wars, occupation and fundamentalism, it is a real ray of hope. Sindyanna is a member of the International Fair Trade Association.

Samples of their products were available to try and to buy, and a Fair Trade breakfast was served.