In April, we organised a partner meeting in Manila with Solidagro and KIYO to evaluate a joint programme. This was also an opportunity to invite three representatives from our Palestinian partners. It created an atmosphere of solidarity and learning, making it an extremely enriching week for everyone.
«You have been struggling for so many years in total silence at the international level,» Ubai (Palestine) on Philippine partners.
From surprise to indignation, via respect and admiration
It was astonishing to see how little our Filipino and Palestinian partners knew about each other's working and struggle conditions. The Filipino partners were obviously aware that the Palestinians were living under occupation, but they could not imagine the extent to which this affected the Palestinians« health. The documentary »Exit Denied", which deals with the Israeli authorities' refusal to issue medical visas to people from Gaza who need medical treatment outside the Gaza Strip, caused a great deal of outrage among the Filipinos.
Our Palestinian partners, for their part, had no idea of the countless human rights violations that exist in the Philippines. The long struggle of Philippine social movements for greater social justice commanded the respect of the Palestinians. «You have been fighting for so many years, and in total silence at the international level,» said Ubai, surprised and admiring after listening to the Philippine partners present the situation in their country.
The deadly silence surrounding human rights violations is a sad reality that we are fighting against by facilitating the participation of our partners and their networks in international forums.
Powerful and enriching encounters with human rights activists
Our partners also had the opportunity to attend some interesting meetings during their stay. The first meeting was with Charles, president of the nurses« union at the Manila Public Orthopaedic Hospital. He recounted the successful fight against attempts to privatise the hospital in 2014. The secret to this victory? »You have to adapt your strategies to your objectives,« he explained. »To do that, you need to know exactly whose support you need and who you can count on to win your fight. We succeeded because we had the support of patients and their families, journalists, other hospitals, the Church, and international organisations that stood in solidarity with our struggle. Without all of that, we would not have had enough leverage.".
Our Palestinian partners also spoke with victims of human rights violations. Hanan was particularly moved by the testimony of one mother. Her daughter disappeared in 2006, probably murdered, but her body was never found. «This is something that doesn't happen in Palestine. We are arrested and imprisoned without trial, we cannot see our loved ones, but at least we know they are alive and they know we are alive too. My heart broke when I heard Sherlyn's mother's story.».
Another fascinating encounter was with political prisoners, with whom the Palestinians had a lively discussion about how Palestinians organised themselves in prisons, how they were able to continue their studies, how prisoners could better organise and represent other prisoners, how they could help each other, etc.
Finally, the partners were able to meet farmers fighting for a better and fairer redistribution of agricultural land. Some landowners own hundreds of hectares, while the farmers who work the land have no access to the fruits of their labour, let alone a say in what is grown. Some have therefore decided to band together and occupy the land while pursuing legal action to win their case and obtain a plot of land.
Solidarity that continues beyond the meeting
Before the Palestinians left, their Filipino partners took a photo of solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners who were on hunger strike in Palestine at the time. They have since held several meetings to discuss how best to strengthen the bonds of solidarity between the two countries.
Philippine partners led a workshop on the situation in the Philippines and how to better support the Philippine social movement in the face of threats to human rights defenders.
International solidarity is an important aspect of the struggle for respect for the rights of all. We cannot keep our struggles isolated because they are rooted in similar inequalities and injustices, no matter where in the world they occur.
Long live international solidarity!
