Posted on: 2015

By Terry Ahwal

In June of this year, more than 800 families from the United States of America will be coming to Ramallah for
 its fifty-sixth annual convention. This will mark the first time that the Ramallah people will host their annual convention in their ancestral homeland. I can’t tell you the excitement that has been generated by our members who are coming to Ramallah. For the first time in the history of the federation, the board voted unanimously to support hosting the convention in Ramallah.

Some of the people who are travelling to Palestine are second- or third-generation Ramallites who have never travelled outside the United States. Others will be arriving after leaving Ramallah decades ago. Those of us who frequently travel to Palestine can’t wait to see the joy these people will experience upon their arrival to our beloved homeland. The old saying, “that you can’t go home again,” does not speak for the people who are going to Palestine. As a coordinator of Project Hope, a programme that brings young American-born Palestinians to volunteer in Ramallah, I witness and hear the words of first time travellers to Palestine saying again and again, “I feel like this is home.” Indeed this is how many of us who live in the diaspora feel. Palestine is home. It is in our hearts day in and day out. To set foot in it is liberating and magical.

I left Palestine as a teenager. My parents sent me to the United States for fear that I may end up in jail for speaking out against the brutal Israeli Occupation. My distance from Palestine did not stop me from loving it, nor did it stop my speaking on behalf of the people who are and continued to be oppressed. I am not alone; the majority of us have never forgotten our roots. In fact, we draw on our heritage to make us better Americans. Our rich roots give us the strength to stand up for the rights of people regardless of their background. Since we experienced injustices and war first-hand, our voices are at the forefront in opposing oppression in all its forms.

As Palestinian-Americans, our work does not stop only with speaking out on behalf of the injustices bestowed upon the Palestinian people. Collectively and individually, we live, breathe, and work to maintain our rich Palestinian culture. For example, for the last 64 years the American Federation of Ramallah Palestine has been developing cultural programmes on the national and local levels to ensure that our Palestinian culture stays alive despite the distance. We’ve developed dabka programmes to teach our children the art of Palestinian folklore. We have also developed Project Hope and the Federation Medical Mission, so that our people can travel to Palestine and volunteer their time and talents in Palestine. Some of our local clubs have established Arabic classes to teach young students the language of their ancestors. We have programmes for all age groups. Our aim is to connect people to each other so that they can bond with their ancestral homeland. We are proud of our Palestinian and American heritage and work diligently to bridge the gap between the United States and Palestine.

For years, we have waited to hold our convention in Palestine in hopes that Palestine would be free from the shackles of the Occupation. We still dream and work for a free, viable Palestine. Our decision to have our convention in Palestine is a decision of solidarity and commitment to the Palestinian people. In conjunction with putting on a great convention in Ramallah, we are working with the State Department in the US to push for a genuine and just peace, not only in Palestine, but also in the region. Although the road to justice has many obstacles, we believe that colonialism will never succeed.

As the prodigal sons and daughters of Palestine, we are coming to visit you and hope to learn from you the power of hope and perseverance in the face of a powerful oppressor who refuses to see your humanity. We are eager to see and touch the olive trees standing tall, despite efforts to remove them from their sacred grounds. We are eager to hear the vendors selling hamleh and bouza Rukab. We are salivating at the prospect of eating fresh knafeh Nabulsia. We are fervent about the possibility of kneeling at the holy places to pray with you for peace and justice in our homeland. We are coming with our families to share with your our experiences and learn from yours.

Our journey to Ramallah for the convention will be about connecting, experiencing, and learning. When you see us on the street, please tell us your story.

* Terry Ahwal was born in Ramallah and immigrated to the United States in 1972. She served as the executive director of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and was an assistant county executive. She is currently the president of TA&M Consulting Solutions. She holds certifications in leadership from Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business and a BA in political science from the University of Michigan. She has served on numerous non-profit boards and is a past president of the American Federation of Ramallah Palestine.

Source:

http://archive.thisweekinpalestine.com/