Picture Power in OPT

Picture Power in the occupied Palestinian territory

Christian Aid secured funding to work with their partners PARC and YMCA on a community-led resilience programme, supporting communities to identify and manage the risks they face in a way that prioritises community participation.

Reporters from the West Bank communities of Jub al-Dhib, Beit Skariya, Qosra and Amuria agreed to take part in a Picture Power study and document the work that they and their communities have done to address the risks they face on a daily basis, from lack of water and electricity, to unemployment, and controls and restrictions on their access to land by Israel as the occupying power.

The photographs taken by community reporters start by looking at the lives of individuals, then widen to look at their communities, their relationships with organisations and institutions, and the occupation. After spending three weeks taking the photographs, community exhibitions were held and their friends, family and neighbours invited to look at and discuss the pictures.

Ferial from Amuria took this photograph of her two grandmothers and her Aunt. One of her grandmothers had recently completed the Hadj.

Individual empowerment

“The scheme developed the income and the status of women in the village. We women proved we are capable of doing this; with due respect to the men, we proved that we can do a lot for our village.”

Fatimah, Jub al-Dhib

The participatory approach taken by the programme puts power into the hands of communities to identify the risks they want to address and how they want to do this. Many community reporters, particularly women, felt empowered by the project and the freedom it gave them to take control of the decisions that affect their lives.

Fadia, from Jub al-Dhib, used funds from the voluntary savings and loans scheme set up as part of the project to pursue her aim of becoming a wedding DJ. She purchased speakers and equipment, and now has regular bookings in the area.

The strength of working together

“To be successful you should have a unified word, you need trust within your group and you should communicate well with your community to understand their needs, and then to be the voice of the community.”

Itadel, Jub al-Dhib

Reporters and community members felt that the strongest change was through the strength of the community in working together to take on issues collectively and gain greater control in making decisions that affected their lives. Women also pointed out that they felt more involved in community life and in decision-making.

In Jub al-Dhib, and in many other communities involved in the PPA programme, communities have opened co-operative shops to increase their independence and remove the need to travel to other town for goods. Fatimah took this picture of their shop, which was funded by a number of NGOs under the supervision of the community.

Identifying and managing daily risks

“Since YMCA began working in Beit Skariya a further 15 organisations have started working in the community. This created some issues around accountability and transparency, such as the duplication of work, like houses being renovated more than once. This led the community to create a system to address these issues and co-ordinate NGO efforts through a committee.”

Hussein, Beit Skariya

There was hope and confidence that the effects of the occupation could be addressed through the work that was being carried out. There was pride in what had been achieved so far and a feeling that communities had more control over relationships with NGOs and local authorities, largely through a better understanding of their rights.

‘Older children in Amuria have to go to school in Luban, which is about 6km away. It is near the main road and there have been car accidents involving settlers, and the children have also been attacked. We tried to contact the politicians but they didn’t respond to us so we turned to the media. We talked to a TV programme about the situation and the Ministry of Transportation has since started a bus service to take them to school.’ Ferial, Amuria

Control over resources

“We are not allowed to get to our land and olive groves here without military permission. During the olive harvest season we are only allowed to harvest on one day, for a specific time.”

Taghreed, Qosra

The ability to take control over resources is of huge importance for communities. By breaking down risks and tackling the effects of the occupation, smaller changes represent an achievable form of empowerment. Issues such as transport and access to resources such as water and electricity are of the utmost importance. But the loss of land remains the most pressing concern to many people.

Taghreed showed how terracing hillsides and planting olive trees in Qosra means that the land they live on can no longer be taken, allowing them an element of control. In the distance, illegal settlement factories are now hemmed in by olive trees, which is hoped will prevent expansion.

Daily life

“In the past, with decision making, men were more in control. Now women are getting education there is more equality in families and in civil life. Our society is changing.”

Ferial, Amuria

Of course, the majority of the photos did not look at the project at all! Daily life was there and documented, here is a selection of photographs taken across all four communities…