Dear Ayman, my good friend. Thank you for sharing a little of the many complexities that students and learners, families and teachers, are facing in Gaza.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming months, with the promised joint efforts of Hamas and Fatah: to work together and to govern together. How will this affect the access and quality of the education system, and the freedom of academic movement. Because one thing you do not touch so much upon, is the enormous consequence brought upon the education system in Gaza by utter mismanagement and misplaced ideology by Hamas (and similarly by Fatah in the West Bank). Many problems stem from corruption and inefficiency, and lack of oversight/demands by donors and the international community. This is partly due to the political game to 'divide-and-rule' orchestrated by the occupying force (Israel), but we cant let the Palestinian Authority off the hook either.
Another interesting issue that you bring out is the power of social media and campaigning. You demonstrate this power by recounting your own story and that of your wife, for traveling to Spain and Australia. Fascinating stuff! But I wonder if one could reflect a little more on how to make it a more generalized social-media advocacy campaign, made by and for Gazan students and bloggers, online and thus transcending the walls and barbed wire. What initiatives are there and how they be up-scaled, if necessary? What support is needed from outside? From inside? How can it connect to the ongoing Boycot, Disinvestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel? How can it join an electronic intifada? What are the dangers and what are the possible gains, apart from the enormous potential for dialogue and for Gazans feeling recognized and heard?
Thanks again for you personal and professional courage and for sharing your story. Peter
Dear Ayman, my good friend. Thank you for sharing a little of the many complexities that students and learners, families and teachers, are facing in Gaza.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming months, with the promised joint efforts of Hamas and Fatah: to work together and to govern together. How will this affect the access and quality of the education system, and the freedom of academic movement. Because one thing you do not touch so much upon, is the enormous consequence brought upon the education system in Gaza by utter mismanagement and misplaced ideology by Hamas (and similarly by Fatah in the West Bank). Many problems stem from corruption and inefficiency, and lack of oversight/demands by donors and the international community. This is partly due to the political game to 'divide-and-rule' orchestrated by the occupying force (Israel), but we cant let the Palestinian Authority off the hook either.
Another interesting issue that you bring out is the power of social media and campaigning. You demonstrate this power by recounting your own story and that of your wife, for traveling to Spain and Australia. Fascinating stuff! But I wonder if one could reflect a little more on how to make it a more generalized social-media advocacy campaign, made by and for Gazan students and bloggers, online and thus transcending the walls and barbed wire. What initiatives are there and how they be up-scaled, if necessary? What support is needed from outside? From inside? How can it connect to the ongoing Boycot, Disinvestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel? How can it join an electronic intifada? What are the dangers and what are the possible gains, apart from the enormous potential for dialogue and for Gazans feeling recognized and heard?
Thanks again for you personal and professional courage and for sharing your story. Peter