Gifts of Solidarity
The all-too-soon approaching Christmas season creates an opportunity for us to be intentional in our gift-giving, to spend money -- if we are buying gifts -- aligned with our justice work and our solidarity commitments. Opportunities abound to support Palestinian artisans and fair trade initiatives.
In a listening conversation that UCC PIN had last spring, Omar Haramy, Administrator, Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, Jerusalem, urged us to celebrate Palestinian culture. He cautioned us against regarding Palestinians simply as victims, and encouraged us instead to appreciate Palestinians as siblings in Christ who have much to offer us, spiritually, culturally, relationally, and artistically.
Here are sites for gifts that will help to spread that appreciation and be an expression of solidarity.
Canaan Fair Trade works with over 2,000 artisan family farms spanned across 52 different villages. They are engaged year-round with these communities, committed to long term partnerships with fair trade principles that ensure transparency, full direct payment, fair prices and purchase guarantee.
Zatoun is a non-profit volunteer organization registered in Canada to import and sell symbolic products from or about Palestine to create awareness for a just peace for Palestine-Israel.
Handmade Palestine is truly a labor of love to bring you the best of Palestinian handcrafts. They proudly showcase the work of 30 artisans, cooperatives, designers in Palestine as well as our own original designs.
Paltisana, an initiative of Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem, aims to revive the local community’s sense of beauty, strengthen Palestinian cultural identity, and cultivate local artistic talent.
Global Ministries Advocacy tools: Break Down the Wall replica, three wise women dolls, olive wood flight into Egypt, and more.
Women in Hebron is a Palestinian nonprofit fair trade cooperative under the Idna Cooperative Association for Embroidery and Handicrafts. Idna is a mid-sized Palestinian city of around 25,000 people, located to the southwest of Hebron in the West Bank.
The Palestine Museum, preserving Palestinian history and culture, telling the Palestinian story through the arts.
Shop Palestine is a project of the Middle East Children’s Alliance, a nonprofit organization working for the rights and well-being of children in the Middle East.
