Appeal

The "Appeal" was set up by a group of friends here in the U.K., after the conflict that has blighted the people in Gaza. Surely, none of us can have failed to have been moved or almost brought to tears to see the sight of dead and injured children on our screens, and these are the real victims of war, especially in Gaza where, of the 1.5 million inhabitants of a land smaller than the Isle of Wight, some 60% are 20 years or younger. No wonder then, that of the more than 1400 killed and over 5000 injured during the conflict, some 30% are children.

Although it is not reported by the media, incursions are still ongoing, causing further deaths and injuries. The International waters and Borders surrounding this small country are still closed, resulting in ongoing lack of essential medical supplies, food, building materials and in fact everything that would enable the Palestinian people to lead a normal life.

As each day goes on, more and more children are suffering from malnutrition, internal organ failure, anaemia, acute psychological damage, bedwetting, nightmares, tantrums, obsessive aggression disorder and lack of concentration (affecting their education). Some children are so traumatised that they have lost the ability to speak. The list is endless.

It must be remembered that virtually every child has lost at least one or more family member and there are thousands of children who have lost one or both parents.

The "Friends of Gaza" are looking for your help to further enable us to set up a team of local Child Counsellors, to work with these children and their families. The aim is to assist the children to regain their God-given right to be a child. To further the effectiveness of this work one of our endeavours is to obtain and provide a large mini-bus and to equip it with books, toys, stationery, special drawing and handicraft materials. The bus will then hopefully operate as a mobile education/counselling facility, working in the refugee camps within the Gaza Strip, in order that as many children and families as possible may be reached; many are unable to travel any considerable distance due to the extremely difficult conditions which continue within this siege-stricken land. The work of the Counsellors could be more effectively utilised on this mobile basis, as obviously they would be able to reach more people and areas, rather than being restricted by working from a fixed location.

Let us remember one of our all-important Principles "The Brotherhood of Man".

Over the past 60 years the Palestinian People have continually suffered. Let us help today's children now - to have a better life and a happier future. Without taking sides or getting into the politics of the situation, one thing is clear and that is, that the children who are living through and getting maimed in this quagmire of hatred, on both sides, are the ones who will be suffering the most when peace hopefully comes back to the region.

One way you and your church or organization really can help us to make a difference, is by sending a donation to:
"Friends of Gaza"
Janette Brett, Treasurer
6 Fairford Road
Maidenhead
SL6 7AL
(Please make cheques payable to "Friends of Gaza")
All donations, however small, will be appreciated and gratefully received.

"We just need to reach out and touch another's soul and communicate: We can all do it.. we just have to want to do it"

  Sameh,A,Habeeb  Photojournalist,  www.gazatoday.blogspot.com, photos

March 2009

They all need our help today.

I knew that is was going to be much harder than I first thought leaving Gaza and the people behind. Knowing that I might not ever see again, the very people who I had become very good friends with. Who I shared food and drunk tea with, and stayed in their home. It was very painful for me to leave, all I could do was to pray for them, and keep praying that no harm would ever come to them. My friends there have already been subjected to so much in their lives, and I was leaving them.

Family and friends here in the UK have asked me why do I care so much about what's going on in Gaza, when there are so many other wars and conflicts going on all a round the world,

The answer is simple. When you are a part of someone's life and they are part of yours, when you have seen them at their best also at their worst, when you know what they like and what they dislike, when you have gone through their pain and suffering, lived with them and built up a relationship, you care even more because you understand everything about them.

I think back to 2005 when I got to know a Palestinian family on the Internet and over many months by talking to them, I got to know them.

We talked about everything from, day-to-day life and building friendships with trust, honesty and understanding. We talked about things like having holidays, culture, religion, and what it's like to be living in the Middle East, being a Muslim and other things like what it's like to be living in the west and being a Spiritualist.

It was always a pleasure to have those chats with this nice and gentle family who lived in a place called Gaza. Their names were Rassem and his wife Amal, who have two children Osama, and Rasha, his daughter. The wonderful thing was, we were both going to Egypt for a holiday later that year we did meet up. It was their first holiday in another country, they had never have been allowed to leave Gaza before. As it had been occupied by the Israelis for over 38 years.

Later that year we did met up and had a very nice time, sharing our holidays together. Then it was time for me to leave and come back home.

We agreed to meet again in Egypt if we could the following year; later in 2006 we did meet up again and had a great time.

When I got home, I decided to offer them the chance to come to England for a holiday the following year. Some months later I sent an invitation to come over as my guest. I think I sent the invite in February 2007. Receiving their Visa in May, Rassem was here in England by the 27th of that month.

He was here only 5 days when war broke out between the two powers Hamas, and Fatah. Rassem was very worried about his wife and children he tried to get back home as soon as possible, but the borders were closed and nothing was getting in or coming out of Gaza. We tried to get help from the British Government but there was nothing they could do to help him, and his family couldn't come here. I was informed that it is illegal to send someone back to their own country if there is a war going on there.

After being here for 19 months, we found a way to get Rassem back home again. It was then that I decided to try and help these people by visiting Gaza to see for myself and this brings me to the point where I first started the 'Friends of Gaza Appeal' in December 2008.

Although I first met Rassem and his family on-line in 2005, this was not really the beginning; it goes back even further to 2004 when one of my students told me that I would be going to Palestine - see the Journey of a Lifetime page.

Watch this space

The British Convoy is due to enter Gaza on the first anniversary of Israel's bombing and invasion of Gaza - December 27th, Leaving England on the 6th December to take much needed Aid for the People. Click Here for More.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Last Visit to Gaza-17 April 2009

I thought I would be mentally ready to go back into the Gaza strip so that I could be more effective in helping the children on the front line and to get on with a fact-finding mission to further assess the situation. Previously I had succeeded in visiting Gaza in early December, and at that time and from what I saw, I realised that urgent attention was needed to help the psychological disorders of the children who were, and still are, suffering from stress from the two-year siege in an area that has suffered greatly under its 42-year occupation.

Gaza is still the world's biggest prison camp: the borders are closed and the people have no freedom of movement. They rely on meagre handouts which the United Nations distribute when a few lorries are allowed to go through the borders, but these are not enough. Nothing else is allowed in through the gates to the 1.5million inhabitants in a stretch of land smaller than the Isle of Wight. This is among the most densely populated areas on earth where some 60% of the people are aged 20 or younger.

Coincidentally, as the Israeli forces launched a 22-day offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on the 27th December, that very same day I was returning back home to England to start up an appeal. Since the recent bombings, resulting in the almost total devastation of this tiny enclave, this need has been exacerbated and it is more important than ever that we progress with this work in order that the children of the area can at least look forward to a brighter future. Some 1417 people were killed in the raids, including 926 civilians, while over 5000 were injured, some 45% of whom were children.

I finally managed to get back into Gaza with the British convoy that left here on the 14th February with 230 British people and over one million pounds worth of aid. The convoy was taking in blankets, sleeping bags, medicines and toys for children, and so much more. The money and aid was raised within a few weeks and then we travelled over 5000 miles to our destination. The convoy was over 3 miles long and many other countries joined us as we went through Europe and the Middle EastEast. Before leaving the Gaza Strip all the trucks and ambulances were left behind for the locals to use.

The people on the convoy are just like you and me: Muslims, Christians, and other believers. The feeling that these people shared with me was from the bottom of their hearts; it simply didn't matter about religion or culture or even about politics.

Without taking sides or getting into the politics of the situation, one thing is clear and that is that the children who have lived through or been maimed in the quagmire of hatred, on both sides, are the ones who are suffering the most.

It is simply a crisis, an emergency situation where humanitarian action needs to take place and fast. It is about people caring about other people whose needs are greater than ours, letting the people in Gaza know that they haven't been forgotten, showing love, understanding, and brotherhood from their fellow man.

On my return to the region, I quickly realised that nothing could have prepared me for what I was going to witness. Once I arrived there, and after consultations with administrators of clinics and hospitals, it became clear to me that there were a large number of traumatised orphans with little hope for the future, having had their families wiped out.

Previously, I had met and befriended a policeman and his family, only to find that on my return, this father of three had been killed on the very first day of the conflict, leaving his wife and children with little idea of how they will survive in the future.

Similar stories are heard throughout the Gaza Strip, no-one has been spared from the pain and suffering - the very fabric of their culture and existence has been destroyed. However, despite the ongoing siege and the suffering that the Palestinian people are still experiencing, their resilience and depth of spirituality shines through in their determination to re-build their lives.

It is with this aim in mind that we need to help the children with their psychological long-term damage and post-war traumas from which they are still suffering. Our intention is to have a team of local professional child counsellors who will not only help the children, but will also work closely with their immediate families.

AS a newcomer to Spiritualism, I have started buying Psychic News and have noted that you receive many letters complaining of the negative reception experienced in some churches. On Saturday 30th May, a friend and I visited the Friendship Spiritual Centre at Kings College Road, Ruislip, and I was feeling quite sceptical. However, I was pleasantly surprised and overwhelmed by the hospitality and welcome we received on entering the centre, clearly demonstrating that it is aptly named. The committee seemed to be so well organised from beginning to end. I later learned that the evening was a special event to raise funds for the "Friends of Gaza" appeal.

David Cole opened the evening with a short introductory talk outlining the aims of the appeal and then performed an outstanding demonstration of mediumship along with Jane Davidson. Although I didn"t receive a personal message, responses from those who did proved to me without a doubt that it is possible for our loved ones to contact us and let us know that they are very much alive and close to us. In particular, I recall a message to a young man whose uncle gave proof of his survival. This was supported by a good description of the uncle, and information about how he used to deliver milk, and worked in a slaughterhouse. The uncle then spoke of the young man "walking on eggshells", and of a dramatic change, which had turned the young man"s life around. All this information was accepted, and the young man could also accept the description given of his uncle"s passing. This memorable evening was rounded off with an excellent buffet, which enabled everyone to socialise. To those who have had negative experiences in other churches, I suggest they visit the Friendship Spiritual Centre at Ruislip in Middlesex, where I am sure they will receive the same warm welcome that I did. I will most certainly be visiting again. May I take this opportunity to thank Psychic News for being very interesting and informative.

Mrs J .Chapman, Harrow, Middlesex