from Denny Cormier in Gaza: The power outage is only one of the ugly realities that Palestinians have had to confront each day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for many years now. A whole generation has been born and grown up in darkness - a generation that has witnessed three wars in less than six years. It is also a generation that has been left alone in its personal struggle to overcome the trauma and psychological damage caused by the 51 days of Israeli aggression. Meanwhile, their parents are denied the right to rebuild let alone deal with their own loss and pain. On the eve of a donor-reconstruction conference held in Cairo in October 2014, Oxfam reported that Gaza would need 50 years to rebuild itself if the Israeli blockade were not lifted. The same warning came from the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, who stated that achieving stability meant “lifting the closure on Gaza” and also putting an end to “the half-century occupation of Palestinian land”. Four months after the end of the slaughter in Gaza and three months after the donor conference, the blockade is still in force and reconstruction in limbo, leaving thousands of homeless victims sheltered in UN schools or sleeping in tents on the ruins of their homes. On a personal note - Just as I was about to post this essay, my power went out. My reaction - based on what I hear day after day from colleagues - THIS IS GAZA! After a nearly 10 year siege and international difference, what other response can WE give.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 21:57:45 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015