Accomplishments 2008-2010
Accomplishments since returning to Palestine 2008-2010:
- Wrote the book on “Popular Resistance in Palestine: A history of Hope and Empowerment” to appear in English this November from Pluto Press. An Arabic version (a bit more expanded and focused to an Arab audience) is in final editing.
- Taught courses for undergraduate and graduate students at Bethlehem University and Birzeit University
- Supervised masters students doing research on various aspects of biology/biotechnlology
- Set-up an operational cytogenetics (chromosome) lab that now provides support for research, teaching, and clinical services. We created new jobs and employ two technologists doing outsourcing work for a laboratory in the US
- Hosted and gave talks and guided tours to over 150 visiting groups ranging in size from 2 individuals to 150.
- Helped a number of local groups in various capacities including being on the board and strongly supporting Al-Rowwad Center in Aida Refugee Camp and the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People in Beit Sahour
- Participated actively in local popular resistance (especially in the Bethlehem district and in particular Beit Sahour and Al-Walaja popular committees)
- Worked as a consultant with ARIJ and completed a study for UNESCO and the Ministry of Higher Education on the status of Research and Development in the occupied Palestinian territories.
- Documented life in the occupied territories via video (dozens of videos produced) and written words and shared these widely via the internet to over 50,000 individuals (including over 1000 key media professionals, editors and journalists)
- Worked diligently during the attacks on Gaza in Dec 2008 and Jan 2009 including with daily vigils, demos, media work, political work etc.
- Traveled to several countries (Azerbijan, Austria, Italy, Jordan, Turkey, US, etc.) to give talks on life under apartheid
- Published over 30 articles and interviewed over 120 times in various fora and on various topics
- Made a collection of hundreds of photos and video clips for a project to make a documentary on 130 years of popular resistance in Palestine
- Befriended thousands of people and learned from each one new meanings of sumud (not translatable but is a combination of persistence, strength, endurance, dignity)
- In the words of Dorothy Day “comforted the afflicted and made the comfortable less comfortable” :-) (my philosophy is if everyone is happy with you then you must not be doing much).
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