Category: Past Events Published Date
Date: 07 Mar 2008
Title: In the Shade of the Olive Tree
Speakers: Taysir Arabasi (Zaytoun, Palestine)
Event Details:
Taysir Arabasi is a olive farmer from Palestine. In working with marginalized farming communities from the West Bank, Taysir works to support olive farmers market their oil to international Markets. He is a founder member and project director of Zaytoun and continues to play a crucial role in its development. In liaising with Farming co-operatives, Agricultural NGO's and Palestinian trade unions Taysir has played a pivotal role in helping farmers in their ongoing struggle to access international trade markets and secure their access to food, water and trade.
Taysir began participating in non-violent resistance in the beginning of the second intifada (2001) volunteering with a group of friends and fellow farmers to challenge the checkpoints and the Israeli Government's oppression against the livelihoods of the Palestinian people. Whilst working as a campaigner and community organiser against land and water confiscation and the Apartheid Wall, Taysir became introduced to international solidarity groups, many of whom are still working to highlight the brutal impact of the occupation and the devastating impact the Apartheid Wall is having on communities there.