Hello, thank you for taking the time to read about my project.

I am going to volunteer my acupuncture services for 2 weeks in Hebron, Palestine in November 2011.  We are going to set up a free acupuncture clinic available to anyone who needs and wants treatment.  I am doing this through World Medicine which is a charitable organisation providing complementary and alternative healthcare to people around the world. It is non-political, non-religious, and non-profit-making.  They do incredible work, making a huge difference to people's lives and health all over the world.  To read more about them click here.

HEBRON, WEST BANK

Hebron is the largest city in the occupied West Bank, home to 160,000 Palestinians. It is also home to one of the first Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the only one right in the heart of a Palestinian city. Once a bustling hub of activity, the city centre now resembles a ghost town.

A colony of 600 Israeli settlers lives in the city centre, requiring a garrison of more than 2,000 Israeli soldiers to defend them.

The cultural and economic life of the town is being suffocated. It’s a war between neighbours where the main goals are to conquer one more metre of the city, keep the enemy at bay, and simply stand one’s ground.

Hebron has been divided in two; H1 a Palestinian controlled section & H2 an Israeli controlled

• The rights of the settlers to live in the city is not recognized by international law and their behavior is condemned by many
• In H2 Palestinian populations’ movements are heavily restricted
• As a result of these restrictions and over a decade of closures and segregation half the shops in H2 have gone out of business and 75% of Palestinians live below the poverty line.
• "Violence, arbitrary house searches, seizure of houses, harassment, detaining passers-by, and humiliating treatment have become part of daily reality for Palestinians”
• The UN counted more than 100 checkpoints in the Israeli controlled sector of the city in 2005
• Since September 2000, more than 1000 Israelis and 6000 Palestinians have been killed

For more information about Hebron and how we can help please see:

www.breakingthesilence.org.il

www.hrw.org