Something inside so strong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otuwNwsqHmQ&NR=1

(the song sung by Camden kids to the Palestinian kids at Netley School)

One of the songs

My land is in pain
It has had enough
Haram
We have had enough tragedies and promises and words
Children from schools, bells from the churches and the voice from the minarets
All of them are praying
For there to be peace.

Tuesday 25th June - Weds 26th

This was the last photo in London, after spending the morning in Camden Lock and before getting on the tube to Heathrow.

It took about 24 hours for the visitors to travel to Heathrow, then to Jordan, then to the Bridge, then to the Palestinian isteraha in Jericho, then back home to Abu Dis.

All are safely back now

حمد الله لسلامتهم

Monday 25th June

Just an amazing day, in Brighton

The sun shone

The girls from Abu Dis and their Camden buddies were there, with Ahmed and his family, Sirat, Shuma and Nandita and our great friends from the Brighton-Tubas group - Many thanks to them.

And all was good and very happy - the beach, the pier, the Sealife Centre, and lots of time to talk about what we had done and what next.

There will soon be more photos on the website, but meanwhile here is an article from Al Jazeera:

http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5BD4120A-BD8E-4D48-BC49-9FCB8AD049D2

For people who can't read Arabic, it talks about how much the English girls learned from their Palestinian friends, and about the Palestinian girls' experiences in London, including noticing that their country didn't appear on maps here. (yet)

Sunday 22nd June 2008

The kids went to Camden Lock first thing - Then there was the Youth Festival which had lots of lovely parts to it (thank you everyone who was involved in this) and then to an Interpal party with London Palestinian kids, held in their honour. Back by train and stopped to see the London lights from the top of the Heath.

They are having an amazing time.

Singing in school + now a day off...

This is a photo from a couple of days ago.

Today the kids went to Camden Saturday Music and then to Hampstead Heath for a picnic, despite the threat of rain. In fact it was green and the day was beautiful ...

Later the concert ... Also beautiful....Photos to follow, I hope...

From the children:

I asked them, "If someone asked you what is the biggest difference between here and Palestine, what would you tell them?" (thinking it could be any of the massive cultural differences).

The answers were "No army" - "No checkpoints" - "You are free to go where you want and not worry, we have to stay in the house" - "No Wall."

Friday 20th June

Today was so full...

Assembly at LSU - Their year 8 (did I get this right?) did a great assembly for Refugee Week including lots of information about Palestinian refugees - Which then led into a great performance by Ahmed and the girls.

Two hours of very different things at Maria Fidelis - dance, art, discussion with the students and various sorts of nice food.

Music assembly at Primrose Hill and a chance for the girls to work with Primrose Hill girls on some amazing instruments from simple materials that might be able to be built in Abu Dis in the autumn.

A green time on Primrose Hill itself, and the sky clouding over but the rain keeping light - The Palestinian girls enjoyed playing and then we had a walk round the edge of the zoo before...

King's Cross Youth Club slow at first, but then their kids came to join in discussion with the visitors and seemed quite interested

Calthorpe Centre where they made great food, and where we talked to people in their lovely garden

Beesan and Aseel meanwhile went to the Camden Fencing Club and apparently beat all of their opponents

And everyone hopes for a bit more sleep tonight, and all of us need it... MOre photos on here when there is a minute.