WHO WE ARE

We used to call ourselves by ‘Palestine Peace and Solidarity’ in South Korea but we’ve changed our English name to ‘BDS Korea’ to menifest our commitment to BDS movement.

This is the English Blog for BDS Korea. Korean speakers, please visit: www.pal.or.kr

We are group of feminists who volunteer for Palestine solidarity activism.

BDS Korea was formed in 2003. Since that time, we have been trying to make a bridge between Korean civil society and Palestinian civil society.

Though this blog is not oftenly updated, we are very active and new comers are always welcomed.

Shukran!

23 thoughts on “WHO WE ARE”

  5. Palestinian civil society initiates campaign to reform international aid in run up to Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness

    For more information, see http://www.dalia.ps/advocacy and sign the petition (please!) at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/daliaassociation.

    Ramallah, Palestine—Dalia Association and other Palestinian NGOs join the global movement for aid reform by launching a campaign to enable Palestinians to claim their rights to self-determination in development. Palestinians’ rights to self-determination are already denied by occupation, colonization and dispossession. Campaign organizers argue that international aid, which is supposed to help, should not be delivered in ways that further undermine local priorities, capacities, ownership and rights.

    Dalia Association considers advocacy to reform the international aid system among its core objectives because aid-dependence undermines self-reliance, philanthropy and local decision-making, which are core objectives of community foundations. However, this campaign is Dalia Association’s first effort to seek support around the world.

    “The campaign aims to raise awareness among Palestinians and internationals that we do have rights in the aid process and that respect for these rights is tied to development effectiveness,” says Saeeda Mousa, Dalia Association’s acting executive director. “We also want to cultivate tangible support for aid reform among southern civil society organizations and northern allies. This is the first step in a longer process of engaging constructively with donors and international NGOs to change the policies and practices that perpetuate aid dependence and disempower local civil society.”

    The advocacy campaign began with the launch of Dalia Association’s research with community-based organizations entitled, Appeal by Palestinian Civil Society to the International Community to Respect Our Right to Self-Determination in the Aid System. The report expresses the complaints and recommendations of grassroots civil society in Palestine and gives rare and valuable insight into how recipients experience the aid system.

    Specifically, participants in Dalia Association’s research objected that:
    1. Most donors fund relief, not development;
    2. Use of intermediaries can harm local civil society’s effectiveness and sustainability;
    3. International aid organizations often impose unrealistic and unfair procedures;
    4. Many international aid organizations impose agendas rather than respond to local ones;
    5. Applying for grants often takes too much time and effort;
    6. Proposals and reports usually cannot be in Arabic, which is the local language;
    7. Most donors fund using political criteria;
    8. Many funding schemes are designed not to cover all costs;
    9. There is insufficient local leadership in agenda-setting and decision-making;
    10. Anti-terrorism clauses are unacceptable; and
    11. Aid actors do not always fulfill their contractual obligations.

    Workshop participants also made recommendations about how to improve the international aid system. These included:
    1. Select and evaluate civil society grantees fairly and transparently;
    2. Fulfill commitments;
    3. Respect local priorities and capacities;
    4. Follow up…genuinely;
    5. Don’t fund through unprofessional intermediaries;
    6. Give aid on professional, not political, criteria;
    7. Make the aid process more accessible and less burdensome;
    8. Enable sustainability through longer and more flexible funding; and
    9. Invest in local capacity, not in INGOs at Palestinians’ expense.

    Changes like these will not only directly improve aid programs, but leverage local insight and capacity, thus providing donors with greater value for their contributions.

    The campaign also includes circulation of a petition to Palestinians and allies all over the world, release of two forthcoming short films highlighting grassroots voices, and cooperation with other NGOs, donors and international NGOs to innovate solutions to the problems identified.

    The campaign is timed to correspond with the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, Korea at the end of November. The High Level Forum is the most influential venue for global discussions about aid policy; the Paris Declaration and Accra Agenda for Action being the outcomes of the last two Forums.

    “Participating in the High Level Forum is a huge honor and responsibility,” says Saeeda Mousa. Dalia Association is the only Palestinian NGO participating and only one of eight civil society representatives from the Arab world. Dalia Association will be exhibiting its innovations in local-international cooperation to the 2500 global aid policymakers, speaking on a panel about aid to conflict areas in the civil society forum, and facilitating a cross-sectoral workshop about reforming aid on the main agenda of the global meeting. Dalia Association previously signed on to Better Aid’s “CSO Key Asks” and the Make Aid Transparent Campaign.

    Although Palestine’s political context is unique, the challenges it faces as a result of aid dependence are similar to the challenges faced in other aid-dependent regions. For this reason, both the problems – and the solutions – uncovered by the campaign in Palestine should be of interest across the globe. “We encourage our international allies to read and disseminate the report and sign the petition. We also invite civil societies in other aid-dependent regions to contact us with ideas about how we can cooperate in this effort,” says Saeeda Mousa.

    Interested parties can also subscribe to eNews from Dalia Association.

    Reply

  8. I’m a solidarity activist, have lived in Gaza for 2.5 years and am currently here in Gaza. I keep the blog: In Gaza (ingaza.wordpress.com) and worked with the ISM from November 2008 to June 2010 in Gaza (see my blog for reports, photos and videos).

    I have spoken widely in Canada on Palestine. I would like to return to South Korea (I lived there from 2003-2005) to speak on Palestine. My presentation includes first-hand footage with farmers and fishers being targeted by the Israeli army. Also, I have photos and videos from the 23 day Israeli war on Gaza in 2008/2009. I have many photos and anecdotes on life in Gaza under siege.

    Please contact me to discuss speaking events, I’d really like to see the solidarity movement in Korea thrive.

    Salaam,

    Eva

    Reply

    1. hi eva, nice to hear from you..hope all is well on your side.
      ive been trying to look for your email add on your blog but i cudnt find em.. can you attach your email address here so we can have some exchange of ideas or what not in regards of your request above..

      thank you! hope to hear from you soon.

      Reply

  10. This is surely an amazing blog that supports Palestine, although why didn’t S.Korea vote for Palestine in the UN recognition? Just want a clear response because I can’t find any. thanks, keep it up~

    Reply

    1. Thank you for the comment. South Korea’s position on Palestine has changed considerably since the 1970’s and 1980’s when South Korea supported Palestine and called for the withdrawal of Israel from the Occupied Territories (including East Jerusalem).In the years following the Oslo Accords, though, South Korea’s official stance on Palestine has moved from one which recognised and condemned the Israeli occupation to one which frames the occupation as a conflict. South Korea has regularly abstained from voting on important issues regarding Palestine in the UN. For example, SK abstained on voting to send a fact-finding team to investigate Israel’s assault on Gaza in 2008-2009. The South Korean Government’s intial public statement on the massacre emphasized “Hamas’ recent attacks and Israel’s following strikes”, suggesting that Hamas was at fault, and that Israel was justified in carrying out the massacre.

      We believe that the South Korean Government should adopt a foreign policy approach more supportive of Palestine, and more strongly against the occupation. Especially considering Koreans and Palestinians share a history of military occupation and colonisation. I would recommend you read our for further information. Thank you. ~

      Reply

  11. I hope you will join us and get many others also to sign up. There are no supporters from South Korea – yet.

    STAND BY PROFESSORS JAKE LYNCH AND STUART REES of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney

    BECOME A CO-DEFENDANT!
    Support Free Speech and Human Rights!
    Support Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) of Israel!

    http://www.change.org/petitions/supporters-of-free-speech-and-human-rights-defend-free-speech-and-human-rights-and-support-the-bds

    The Israeli Law Centre (Shurat HaDin) has not proceeded with its threat to take legal action against Professors Lynch and Rees but has instead lodged a complaint against Prof Jake Lynch with the Australian Human Rights Commission alleging racial discrimination and racial hatred under the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 because of their academic boycott of the Israeli Hebrew and Technion universities.

    This academic boycott is justified as Israel’s Technion and Hebrew Universities are complicit with Israel’s illegal military occupation of Palestine and its daily violations of international law:

    Hebrew University of Jerusalem

    Michael Federmann,Chairman of Elbit Systems ( the largest privately owned armament maker) is on the Board of Governors of Hebrew University. Elbit is “one of two main providers of the electronic detection fence” in the West Bank, judged to violate international law by the International Court of Justice. All Israeli military colleges and training facilities are under the academic auspices and responsibility of the Hebrew University and “In terms of BW [biological warfare] research, development, and deployment, Israel maintains reticence and ambiguity about its activities and capabilities. several other institutions, including Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, and Technion also publish select agent research.”
    Technion University Haifa

    Technion University has a well documented history of collaboration with Israel’s major weapons manufactures;Elbit Systems Ltd., Rafael Industries, IMI, IAI, in research programs on armament and drones development that have been tested in Israeli military operations in Gaza.

    Reply

  12. Hi,
    I’m a gay Palestinian who had to escape from Gaza together with my male friend to Israel. We don’t have problems in Israel because the law protect us and we got permanent visa to stay and live. Few months ago we moved to Seoul to find work. we can’t going back to Gaza because as you know there is no such human rights for gays in the Palestinian community and Hamas may kill our families if we will try to return.
    I will be happy if we can meet friendly Palestinian community here in Seoul.
    Thanks, Hamid.

    Reply

  14. This book (linked below) stops violent conflicts, small or large.
    The book’s title is: “Coming Home” and it stops the fighting.
    It truly does.
    Because it stops the fighter—in the USA, Iraq, or anywhere.
    See for yourself.
    Click: http://www.changesahead.net/theBook
    The book comes in safe .pdf format. It’s 228 pages. It’s free.
    And it stops the fighting.
    Best regards,
    Olaf
    (Olaf Egeberg)

    You might want to start on page 127: “Beyond war,” or start on page 153: “The Peace Place,” or start at the beginning on page 11.

    Reply

  17. So because South Korea has Israeli missiles, and Israel is engaged in a political struggle with Palestine that sometimes has use of force, you are interpreting South Korea as your military enemy?

    So you are not political at all, but are rather militant in mindset?

    Terrorist.

    Reply

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