The South Hebron Hills, also known as Masafer Yatta, is a rural area of the occupied West Bank. The majority of residents lead a rural traditional lifestyle, earning their living primarily from agricultural work and sheep herding. They are routinely subject to unrelenting violence at the hands of Israeli policy, including limited access to resources (water, electricity, etc.) regular demolitions of their homes, and state and settler violence.
The Storytelling Project was founded in 2018, in response to requests from the residents of the South Hebron Hills, and their need to effectively communicate in English about their experiences under occupation to journalists, tour groups, and international activists who frequently visited the region. Through learning foundational English and the art of storytelling, Palestinian activists aim to represent and advocate for their communities to outside audiences, defying the Israeli occupation’s efforts to silence Palestinian experiences. The craft of storytelling is crucial for community organizing and relational connection across differences, making it an important tool of resistance to the occupation.
In the past months, since the horrific events of October 7 and the beginning of the war in Gaza, settlers have been exploiting the lack of public attention to escalate their campaign of violent attacks in an attempt to forcibly transfer Palestinian communities all over the West Bank. During this period, no fewer than 16 herding communities in Area C of the West Bank have been displaced. Many more are in danger of being forced to flee, including in the South Hebron Hills. The storytelling project has enabled the residents to raise awareness about their situation through social and traditional media, including an op-ed in the New York Times.
At this crucial moment, supporting Palestinians in raising their own voices is more important than ever. In order to run this program in the upcoming year, we are aiming to raise $15,000 dollars from supporters in Canada. This will help cover the cost of salaries and transportation for the two teachers who conduct the Storytelling classes. We thank you for your support.
This campaign is now closed.
This project will be implemented by Breaking the Silence, an organization of Israeli veterans who aim to end the Israeli occupation. All donations to this project will be used exclusively for project costs.