Bridges Instead of Walls: A Six-Day Seminar in Palestine

Meet the resistance. Understand the issues. Make a difference.

If you would like to sign up for Bridges Instead of Walls or request more information, contact Ika Audano at ikarabix@gmail.com. The deadline to register for the seminar is March 30, 2019.

This year, the Alternative Information Center (AIC) will hold its yearly Bridges Instead of Walls seminar over the course of six days, from April 29, 2019 to May 5, 2019.

AIC is a joint Israeli-Palestinian resource centre that has served as a hub for local and international social movements and activists since 1984. Our organization disseminates information and supports actions to address social, political, cultural and economic issues in Palestinian and Israeli societies in view of ending the occupation. The AIC’s work is grounded in respect for international law and progressive values, including democracy, equality and justice.

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The six day seminar Bridges Instead of Walls includes lectures and meetings with civil society leaders, political figures and organizations, as well as tours of the West Bank and present-day Israel. Participants will be exposed to an intensive and critical overview of the political and economic aspects of the Israeli occupation, alongside an understanding of Palestinian and Israeli societies. Specific topics that will be addressed in-depth include: the history of the conflict and peace process; the political and economic strategies of the Israeli occupation and their impact on Palestinian life; the Palestinian political landscape; Palestinian grassroots activism and organizing; and the international community and its role in the struggle for Palestinian rights. Seminar attendees will be based in the town of Beit Sahour, a town just outside of Bethlehem in the West Bank. Each day the group will take day trips with the exception of one overnight stay in the West Bank city of Nablus.

Tuition for the program is 900€, which includes housing, food, and local transportation in addition to all programming and events. Students and unemployed people will receive a 200€ discount and those learning about Palestine in solidarity with another social movement will receive a 300€ discount. Prior to arriving in Palestine, the AIC requires a 150€ deposit, which can be refunded until four weeks prior to the start of the seminar. Participants will share a room with one or two other people who are also in the seminar. If a participant would like to arrange to have a private room, they must contact the AIC tour guide in advance to reserve the room as well as pay a fee of 12€ a night.

Participants learn about the differences between Areas A, B and C in the West Bank as a part of Bridges Instead of Walls. Photo credit: Alternative Information Center.