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Message from Leila Sansour As I prepare to return to Bethlehem for what I hope will be a special Christmas, I can look back on the last two months as the most intense of my life. The creation of Open Bethlehem has been a significant achievement for everyone involved. The project was launched on two fronts: first, to build a political campaign to raise awareness of the dangers facing Bethlehem and second, to create a city regeneration project establishing Bethlehem as a prime tourist destination, shaped by Bethlehem’s own citizens. It is difficult to believe that the campaign was born only nine months ago. It has taken a great deal of commitment from very many people to take us so far, so fast. I would like to express my personal thanks to our Director in Bethlehem, Carol Dabdoub who has been the best partner I could dream of, and to Jumana Al-Husseini in Jordan without whom this whole project would never have happened. I owe a very special thank-you to the JAC Trust in the UK, our very first supporter, and to The Swiss Development Agency for their unwavering support, and their commitment to new voices in Palestine. I would also like to thank Fadi Ghandour, a true friend of Open Bethlehem from the beginning; Nabeel Qaddumi, one of our most generous patrons; Louay Abu Ghazaleh and Bassem Al-Shahabi. Can Bethlehem survive its current crisis or will the world sleep through the destruction of the city of God? We cannot answer this question. One thing is clear, though: we have never taken the message into our own hands. We haven’t done enough to voice the most profound values of our city. At Open Bethlehem, we believe that our city may still have a future if we fight for it with all the energy and creativity it deserves. We must: for our own sake and for the world. Leila Sansour, Chief Executive, Open Bethlehem. ----------------------------------------- Into 2006 … Open Bethlehem begins the New Year with our presentation at the Middle East Travel and Tourism Summit in Jordan and our involvement in the planning of the crucial Palestine Development and Investment Conference to be held in Bethlehem in April 2006. We need to extend and strengthen our support base, and as we organise a major speaking tour of the States, we are looking for partner organisations to co-host events. We also need to strengthen our ties with the Diaspora, gaining from their experience and helping them effectively target the support of their adoptive nations. In addition to our US tour, we are warmly anticipating a tour of Chile and other countries in South America to meet our countrymen in their new homes. Open Bethlehem will continue to find partners within the travel industry to market the Open Bethlehem tour. We have already developed promotional films to market our city, and in the coming year we will shape promotional tools for all our potential markets world-wide. Open Bethlehem is building a historical archive of our city. We already have a rich collection of photographs spanning the earliest days of photography to the present day. In 2006, we will be planning an international travelling exhibition: Bethlehem, Past and Future and would like to invite all potential partners worldwide to contact us to make this happen. Finally, we are building a city pride campaign within Bethlehem, listening to the needs of our city and building on our own creativity, talent and our extraordinary historical and spiritual heritage. We promise, Christmas 2006 will herald a truly special year in the life of our city. Please Visit Openbethlehem.org ----------------------------------- Our Bethleham Headquarters: Open Bethlehem Bethlehem University Room 5 – Millennium Building Bethlehem Palestine Tel/Fax: ++ 972 (2) 274 1241 Ext: 2470 Email us: openbethlehem@bethlehem.edu Our London Office: Victoria Chamber 16 - 18 Strutton Ground London SW1P 2HP Tel: +44 (0) 207 222 7820 Fax: +44 (0) 207 222 5480 Email: openbethlehem@openbethlehem.org http://www.zaytoun.org/OB/Picture_Pope___Abbas.jpg |
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| 22/12/2005 | |