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| Polly Mann of Women Against Military Madness introduces Dr. El-Farra |
A t-shirt read “We Are All Palestinians”…and now imagine your daughter/son or granddaughter/grandson playing with their peers with the sound of gun fire in the background and the sight of war ships in the Mediterranean Sea. That is the insecure and life-threatening day-to-day environment of children growing up in Gaza/Palestine.
On Monday, June 25 at 7 pm Dr. Mona El-Farra spoke at SJA on the life of children in Gaza-Palestine. Introduced by Omar Tesdell, a young local Palestinian and a member of the Coalition for Palestinian Human Rights, Dr El-Farra explained her work as a physician, human rights leader and director of projects for MECA [http://www.mecaforpeace.org] in Gaza-Palestine.
As Dr. El-Farra explained, MECA is a nonprofit humanitarian aid organization founded in 1988 and based in Berkeley, California. MECA carries out its work on behalf of children through:
- Direct aid including food, medicine, medical supplies, and clothes as well as books, toys and school supplies. Since 1988, MECA has sent or delivered more than $9 million in aid to children in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq
- Financial support and professional assistance to community organizations in the West Bank and Gaza that help meet children's needs, including: clinics, kindergartens, counseling centers, libraries, accessible parks and playgrounds, sports teams, and dance, music and art programs
- Educational and cultural programs in the US to increase understanding about the lives of children in the Middle East and the impact of US foreign policy on people in the region
- University scholarships for Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank and the US.
Imagine again the life for families in Gaza when a woman in labor has to go through 59 check points to get to the Al Wada hospital to give birth, or children playing in the ruins of the local mosque or the neighborhood grave yard. But hope survives!
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| Phil Klees, aka Dr. Phil, is a licensed psychologist with clinical expertise with adolescents, adults and, couples and families. He has been nomadic in his career working in Anchorage, AK, Little Rock, AR (shook Bill Clinton’s hand—YES!!!) and Miami, FL. Three years ago he returned to his home state of Minnesota. Phil has been emotionally connected to SJA for 20+ years and an official member since returning to Minneapolis. Phil can be contacted at psklees@yahoo.com.
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During the question and answer period facilitated by Polly Mann, Dr. El-Farra was clear about the life-giving hope that peace groups like WAMM and the Coalition for Palestinian Human Rights give to the people in Gaza and the West Bank—they are windows to the outer world for Palestinian families in Gaza, and a vision of hope.
A free-will collection for MECA was taken toward the end of Dr. El-Farra’s presentation.
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