Update | 2.10.2019

It has been a busy month for the Good Shepherd Collective.

Most importantly, we convened a meeting in South Hebron with a delegation of Palestinian representatives of 12 different villages, associations, and organizations to bring together a coalition to deal with the onslaught of Israeli settler violence and annexation. As the coalition moves forward with tangible advocacy actions for you to take, it will be paramount that you stay engaged. Please make sure you not only Like our Facebook page, but that you Follow it as well.

Furthermore, the campaign we are preparing to launch will rely heavily on social media, and as such, we will be spending money on paid advertising to make sure our advocacy initiative goes as far as possible. If you can make a donation this cause, that will help our effectiveness and outreach. We hope to be rolling out the campaign in 2 to 3 weeks. It will be during that time, particularly in the initial phases, that we will most need your help.

This week we’re hosting a professional photographer, Steve Pavy, this week for a special project documenting the life in Um al-Khair, which we are very excited about.

We are starting a pilot project with a university in the UK to take a look at how local communities resist violence and oppression, as well as the emotional impact of Israel’s ongoing colonization of Palestinian lands.

The Good Shepherd Collective hosted representatives of the British Council in Um al-Khair for a briefing on the ongoing Israeli settler violence and the annexation of Palestinian lands in the South Hebron Hills.

Israel’s ongoing program of displacement and colonization continues essentially unabated with the recent bisection of Masafer Yatta.

We’ve made substantial progress in rehabilitating the original caves in Um al-Khair, making improvements on our infrastructure relating to international visitors and their interests in spending significant time in the South Hebron Hills.

We’ve continued to have support regarding our work days, cultivating the land in the southern valley of Um al-Khair in the face of ongoing settlement encroachment. The continued investment into the southern area not only represents a project that can generate revenue for the embattled community, but also stands as an act of resistance against the annexation of lands.

Also, to ensure that our emails get into your address box rather than spam, please add the following emails to your address book: cody@goodshepherdcollective.org, tariq@goodshepherdcollective.org, awdah@goodshepherdcollective.org and eid@goodshepherdcollective.org.

In solidarity, the Good Shepherd Collective