Upon arriving in the country at the end of 2007, 117 Palestinian refugees brought their relief and hope. After residing approximately for five years at camp Ruweished near Jordan – since their forced departure from Iraq because of the war in 2003 – facing excessive cold and heat, dust storms, feeling constant abandonment and fear, a nation finally welcomed them. They were the last to be taken away from the camp before its devastation. In Brazil they were accommodated in Mogi das Cruzes, in the interior of Sao Paulo and in cities south of the country. Since the beginning, the resettlement program under the command of Acnur (the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) proved to be flawed. According to the Autonomous Committee of Solidarity with the Palestinian People of Mogi das Cruzes, “when they were rescued from Camp Ruweished to be taken to Brazil, many promises were made to them but weren’t kept.”
As a consequence, according to the group formed by Brazilians, “from then on, the majority has been going through many difficulties, five have already died, some aren’t able to pay their rent and face threats of eviction. And there are others who have no home or the financial means to support their most basic daily needs such as food and medicine.” For these Palestinians and many others – it is estimated that there are around eight million of these refugees in the world – the waiting for the right to return to their native land has been very difficult. The proposal is that they can give an account to participants of the World Education Forum in Palestine, which is taking place next October, concerning the challenges they face from the diaspora connection online.
How to Help
A solidarity network is beginning to form with a campaign launched by the Mogi das Cruzes committee. The group opened a bank account in order to receive financial donations that will be used to support the social inclusion of these people. The proposal is for citizens to contribute monthly or bimonthly financial donations of any size at Caixa Econômica Federal (Branch 0350, savings account 013, # 00020048-0) to meet the basic needs of the Palestinian refugees at first, and later to ensure their integration into Brazilian society.
If the campaign is successful in ensuring the independence of these families, for example, through cooperative training, they will be able to provide for themselves. More information can be obtained through Mauro Rodrigues de Aguiar, committee member, by e-mail mroag@ig.com.br