SEPTEMBER 2021
Policy workshop
We organised a policy workshop to take place on September 23rd, 2021. Members of the project team presented three policy briefs. The briefs focus on issues of wellbeing, gender and the legal complexity of house demolitions. The workshop was attended by both national and international policy makers with Palestinian government officials in attendance along with UN representatives, legal aid organisations, NGOs and UNESCO.
SEPTEMBER 2021
Youth conference
The youth conference, held over two days from September 21st-22nd 2021, at An-Najah University, Nablus, brought together young people both online and in person to discuss and display their own experiences of house demolitions. The project team presented their research, asking participants to reflect on the chosen methods and findings to date. Young Palestinians were given an opportunity to present their visual responses to house demolitions with twenty six young people showcasing their artistic responses as part of the conference.
JULY 2021
EADI Conference
In July 2021, members of the project team presented at the EADI General Conference: Solidarity, Peace and Social Justice. Their presentation was entitled ‘Youth Empowerment in the Occupied Palestinian Territories: Quiet Solidarities, Witness and Testimony’. The team presented relevant findings from the project virtually to a global audience.
JUNE 2020
JLAC Webinar
In June 2020, the project team ran an online webinar with Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Centre (JLAC) looking at the legal complexities of challenging demolition orders across the West Bank. The webinar was attended by legal scholars, law students in Palestine, NGOS and civil society organisations.
June 2020
UN Report
On 19th June 2020, the project team submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner in response to a questionnaire on Covid-19 responses with data gathered from the project and perspectives from civil society organisations.
June 2020
PDC conference workshop
On 15th June 2020 members of the project team presented the project methods and approach to a group of global design scholars online as part of the Participatory Design Conference workshop and panel.
March 2020
Covid-19 contingency plans
After Palestine and UK announce Covid-19 lockdown measures, the project team work together to plan for remote fieldwork.
September 2019
Project team meeting and workshops, UK
Project team come together in UK to present fieldwork and findings and plan for the next stage of the project.
JULY 2019
Fieldwork continues
The research team held meetings in Ramallah and Bethlehem, travelling to the Hebron and Jericho Governorates to work alongside in-community research assistants. Follow-up interviews with these collaborators were conducted. Research began at this time in some communities in the Bethlehem Governorate.
July 2019
RGS Presentation and Panel, UK
The project team present preliminary findings and a panel with international experts on housing demolitions at the Royal Geographical Society Conference.
June 2019
HCD Conference Presentation UK
Members of the project team present early findings as part of an international conference on Human-Centred Design, City, University of London.
MARCH 2019
Fieldwork continues
In March 2019 members of the project team worked alongside research assistants – many of whom live in demolition-threatened areas – to develop and produce young engagement kits for use in communities. These were tailored to specific contexts, for instance focusing on pastoral activities in rural areas, or settlement interactions in those areas in close proximity to settler communities. The research team also travelled to Ramallah, Jenin and the Jordan Valley to speak with civil society actors engaged with demolition-threatened communities. A workshop on the theme of ‘Demolitions and Legal Assistance’ was also held during this period that included key stakeholders and law students at An-Najah University.
March 2019
British Academy Presentation
Project team members present the first fieldwork data and research approach at the British Academy, London.
December 2018
Meeting collaborators and fieldwork begins
Project team meets with potential collaborators and begins fieldwork. Over a two-week period the team travelled in the West Bank to meet with civil society actors – NGOs, community organisers, emergency response teams, legal aid providers – to discuss project objectives and how they can be aligned with the needs of communities and those who need support. These activities were valuable for identifying vulnerable areas, some of the challenges that young people were facing and for developing questions relevant for partners. Fieldwork began in the Hebron and Jericho Governorates.
September 2018
Project start
Project starts and fieldwork planning begins with collaborators. The project team organises regular online meetings and starts to plan the first phases of research with collaborators.
Young Palestinians' Responses to House Demolitions 