I Have a Dream, by Ayman Quader

This is Ayman Talal Quader, a Palestinian living in the Gaza Strip, where its people have been besieged for almost 4 years. I was born in July, 1986. I received my education in the UNRWA schools since my childhood. Then I finished my studies from the Islamic University of Gaza from the English Department in 2008.

As a Palestinian who truly loves his homeland and believes that peace and justice will cover my people; I have been looking forward to helping my people especially in the cruel condition they are passing through in the present time. I have significantly been different fields' pre and post of my university studies for almost 4 years. I have worked as volunteer in civil societies where I practiced tasks to help people and educate children. Since August 2008, I have been dedicating my life to helping my needy people through joining one of the international humanitarian organizations that based in the Gaza Strip. Additionally, I have launched a blog peaceforgaza, through which I have been trying to bring my people suffering to be seen by people internationally.

Where and when have I granted the scholarship?

I have been recently accepted to an academic scholarship program at the Universitat Jaume I (UJI) in Castellón, Spain for the International Masters in Peace, Conflict and Development Studies (PEACE Master). I have been successfully granted a Spanish student visa in order to complete my academic program that begins February 2010 and runs all the way through to May of 2012.

What are the senses of suffering?

Since the first day on my acceptance in Nov 2009 at the university, the hardship starts. As the Gaza strip brutally lives under a total siege, I have been getting worried from the very beginning. The main cause that gravely makes me worry is how to get out from Gaza. I have been forcing myself several times to get myself calm down till I get the visa keeping in my mind the hardship that I will be passing through when I get the visa. I have been granted the student visa recently, then I have come to the really suffering entitled "Rafah Border".

Why am I deprived from my basic right?

All I aspire is my fundamental rights to learn and study; rights that are supposed to be guaranteed and recommended by all the international resolutions and the United Nations. I am not asking for a miracle, it is my reserved right. I am handling all my documents, visa, and acceptance letter from my university and supporting documents. Why I am being prevented from leaving Gaza and prevented access to Spain? I am actually paralyzed whom to ask and consult in regard to my exit from Gaza. I have been knocking all the doors, asking for help and advice to bring me out so as to receive my education in Spain.

The conditions of the borders have become extremely complex, making it almost impossible for Palestinians living in Gaza to leave under any circumstances, including for medical treatment, to visit relatives or on academic scholarship to study abroad. The borders, including the Rafah border - the only throughway between Gaza and Egypt - are all controlled by Israeli Security Forces, although Israel's control of the Rafah border is more indirect than the borders leading out of Gaza and into "Israel Proper" (as defined by the 1967 armistice lines; see UN Resolution 242). The Israeli government practicing a collective punishment of a civilian population, contrary to article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Conventions (1949), by neglecting much needed humanitarian aid and building supplies into the strip, pre and post Operation Cast Lead. The result is thousands of homeless and starving Gazans left with nowhere to turn but the international community.

I am growing increasingly worried as my studies are due to begin at the beginning of February and my flight is booked for February 1.

I am appealing and calling lawyers, politicians, journalists and all activists for human rights to join the fight for me and my right to the education that I have always dreamed of.

- Ayman Quader, in Gaza City

PHOTO OF THE DAY ~~ DIRECT FROM GAZA’S NEWEST ‘PLAYGROUND’

Children Smiling in a cemetery, with no much going on in Gaza in their lives, one wonders about human evolution.

These young children have a smiling face, they sure teach me alot about life, compassion & Hope




Photo by: Ayman Quader

Children Suffer The Most As A Result Of The Siege On Gaza

Children Suffer The Most As A Result Of The Siege On Gaza

Text and Photos by Ayman Quader, Gaza

January 8, 2010

Gaza, January 8, 2010 (Pal Telegraph)This is the story of Mahdi abu Zer, 14 years old, living in a very marginalized area called the Qarah district, Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip. His father was killed leaving the family in dire need of support. The re-marriage of his mother has made Mahdi's life even worse rather than better. Mahdi and his other two siblings were forced to leave her and live under the guardianship of their jobless grandfather along with their aunt. Mahdi's home was completely destroyed two years ago as a result of the ongoing incursions in their area . Since that time, the entire family consisting of 3 members has been living miserably in a tent of 17 square meters. To make things worse, reconstruction material has been denied access in Gaza due to the ongoing Israeli blockade on Gaza since June 2007, preventing building and raw materials from entering. Life here is really tough and unbearable for this tiny family. " I can never forget the days of the recent war. It was the time my home was completely bulldozed and bombed two years ago". "During the war we moved to be sheltered by our relatives who are not far from us".

Mahdi is now in Grade 8 and his education progress records are good but life always deprives him of its beauty. The living conditions of the family is gravely harsh and intolerable. As the family lives in a tent, they can not bear the cold weather in winter nor the heat in summer. Gloomily, they have become completely dependent on the aid that regularly offered from the social affairs and other such organizations. These agencies deliver basic requirements of goods such as ( flour, cooking oil, beans….. ) but no essentials containing calcium C which means Mahdi has not received vegetables, fruit, milk and other foods that contain calcium C. This affects Mahdi negatively in terms of health and education. As mentioned above, Mahdi is 14 years old. As a result of the lack of vitamins, particularly Calcium C, he recently lost two teeth. His body is critically weak as a result as well.

Concerning Mahdi's educational progress, it has been turned up-side down as he is severely suffering from malnutrition. His scholastic achievements have fallen due to the dreadful environment he is living in. Waleed Saqa, Mahdi's teacher of English, stated that " Mahdi's behavior is a significant result of the conditions surrounding him. He feels that the entire world is fighting against him which affects him negatively in dealing with his school mates. He plays violently with his friends. That is because of the deprivation that he is experiencing" the teacher stressed.

With very little sources of income, Mahdi and his younger brother Mohammed go searching for scraps of iron and aluminum to sell in order to raise funds for their school expenses, which are very low.

The childhood of Mahdi leaves a few unanswered questions.... Why must life be like this for his family? What does the future hold for him? Is there not a UN resolution about rights of children? Why should children in Gaza be treated in this manner? Will peace be prevail one day?

Mahi and his brother Mohammed in the tent they call home

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Ayman T. Quader
Blogger Based on the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip, Palestine
Mob: 00972599448628
E-mail: ayman.qauder@gmail.com
ayman.quader@yahoo.com
Skype: peaceforgaza
Facebook: ayman.quader
Twitter: peaceforgaza
Web: www.peaceforgaza.blogspot.com
www.paltelegraph.com
http:picasaweb.google.com/ayman.qauder
=============================

Peace For Gaza Online Multimedia Event

http://www.asitainformatica.com/events/readmylips/login.htm

Live Interactive Secure Multimedia Communication Multicast Connection Schedule

Status:

UPCOMING EVENT

Event:	Read My Lips LIVE "Peace For Gaza Online Multimedia Event "
About RML:	"Read My Lips" is a new interactive social media event with various themes & topics.
Event Details:	Details will be listed soon.
Dates:	To Be Announced, 2010
Location:	To Be Announced
Start	Worldwide Event Start Time(s)
Time:	To Be Announced
Links:	Peace For Gaza Blog
	http://peaceforgaza.blogspot.com
	Michael Heart's "Song For Gaza"
	www.michaelheart.com/Song_for_Gaza.html
	YouTube Video: Inside Story - Gaza Under Siege - 28 Dec 2009
	(24:26 minutes)
	Join us on FaceBook
	Youth Voices From Gaza
	Youth Initiative Canada
	Heart In Action Enterprise
	And on Twitter
	My Multicast
	Peace For Gaza

The Gaza Strip: still suffering from a 23-day war and the ongoing siege

The Gaza Strip: still suffering from a 23-day war and the ongoing siege

“I have no home left” – Deir Al Balah Refugees camp

By Ayman Quader.

Gaza Strip, Occupied Palestine

Gaza, December 22, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) One year has passed since Israel’s cruel 23-day war on the 1.5 million people of the Gaza. 1,400 people were brutally killed and tens of thousands were seriously wounded. It was 23 days that violated Palestinian human rights and put justice further out of reach. It was a war that utilized ‘state of the art’ phosphorous missiles to achieve levels of suffering and destruction that had not been seen in a generation. Tens of thousands of Gazans were made homeless and schools and hospitals were directly targeted.

The horrific 23-day bombardment of Gaza finished last January. However, the siege of Gaza and the suffering of its people continue. While UN and NGO reports describe the bombardment of Gaza and its aftermath in the abstract, talking to Gaza’s children provides an important reminder of the human side of the pain inflicted by Israel.

Anas’ Experience

Anas, a 9 year-old boy living in Bureij Refugees camp, narrated his own experience during the war.

"It was such an unbearable 23 nights of hell. Sometimes I had to hide forcibly staying under my mattress for almost 4 hours or more. I was terrified each time my father went to fetch bread for my family. My mother had to shout at my older brothers not to go outside our house so they wouldn’t be harmed by the continuing attacks. We were without electricity for up to five days at a time which made things even harder.”

“One day I woke up in complete shock, with my father’s voice shouting at us to close all the windows because an Israeli warplane fired a phosphorus missile that landed just by our home. My mother brought us pieces of cloth to cover our mouths so we didn’t breathe in the toxic chemicals.”

Research by the Gaza Community Mental Health Program shows that more than 70% of the Strip’s children remain traumatized and display symptoms of serious psychological difficulties. Understandably, Anas has found it difficult to adapt to life after the war.

He explained, “Recently I have had dreadful nightmares about the war. When I got back to my school in Bureij Refugees camp, I noticed the bad smell of gunpowder and missiles. I was really upset when I found out that five of my mates were killed and lots were gravely wounded”.

Like all of Gaza’s children, Anas is also fearful of the future, “It would be catastrophic if the Israeli government launches another war on us. I keep dreaming of a calm future for me and for children of the Gaza Strip. I hope this bad experience will never happen again".

Diana’s Memory

Diana, a 13 year-old girl, has also spoken about her experience fo the war.

“The war was very hard for our family because our house is made of asbestos. An Israeli missile hit our neighbor’s house and completely destroyed it. The shrapnel from the explosion was falling down around our house like rain and was flying around inside as well".

One year on, Diana has little hope for the future, and she does not look at her house as a place of safety and security. There are many children who have lost their houses and their source of comfort and security.

A war against humanity

During the military offensive, at least 280 schools and kindergartens were severely damaged, and 18 schools were destroyed. Six of the destroyed schools are in North Gaza alone, affecting almost 9,000 students who had to relocate to other schools according to UNICEF, UNRWA. Furthermore, six university buildings were destroyed, and 16 were damaged. Because of the ongoing drastic siege on the strip, it has been hard to rebuild the damaged schools.

According to Dr Hasan Zeyada, a psychologist with GCMHP http://www.gcmhp.net/ ‘children are victims of aggression with all its forms; killings, injuries, imprisonments, loss, and economic & physical siege. The generations of Palestinian children have accumulated, through years of exposure to long term traumatic experiences, negative psychological and behavioral reactions that pose a significant threat to their psychological well-being. http://www.gcmhp.net/

The harrowing experience of the siege prevents the children of the Gaza Strip from having any kind of normal childhood. Children become more acquainted with the names of the dead rather than the names of games.

Anas and Diana are two examples of children whose only crime was being born Palestinian in the Gaza Strip. They hope and dream of a time when they can live in peace and stability with a right to their childhood.

New house but made of fabric with no heating or real shelter.

His bag remains, all that is left of his home.

“Here is what we have to play with…destruction” – Nuserate Refugees Camp.

3 Ds in Gaza (Desperate, Deprivation, Depression )

Ayes Of Little Poor Girl Tells Her Story, Deir El Balah Refugees Camp

Pictures taken:

Ayman Quader

Gaza Strip, Occupied Palestine

Video: Christmas for Palestine

When celebrating Christmas, it would be a good idea to think about the birthplace of Jesus. What is like in the Holy Land under occupation, injustice and racism? How does Christmas feel when the Holy Land is under siege? .