huridocs-tech Internet Centre Opened in Deheishe Camp

Marwan Tarazi is a good friend of mine and this is the
result of hard work on his part!!!
-Debra

Edited/Distributed by HURINet - The Human Rights Information Network
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## author     : msanews@msanews.mynet.net
## date       : 30.07.99
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Organization: Birzeit University
Email: "Adam Hanieh" <ahanieh@admin.birzeit.edu>
Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1999 15:44:58 +0300

LAUNCH OF ACROSS BORDERS PROJECT
FIRST INTERNET CENTRE OPENED IN DEHEISHE CAMP
Website online at http://www.acrossborders.org

25 July, 1999 - Over 150 people attended the launch of The
Across Borders Project yesterday in Deheishe refugee camp at
the Ibdaa Centre. The Project was initiated in January 1999
by the Birzeit University Information Technology Unit and
aims to bring Internet technology into Palestinian refugee
camps across the Middle East. It will see the creation of
bilingual (English/Arabic) camp websites, including on-line
news, oral history and stories from Palestinians refugees.
The Across Borders Project also aims to facilitate the
connection of refugees with each other.

The pilot phase of the project was launched in Deheishe
Camp, near Bethlehem at the Ibdaa Centre. A fully-equipped
computer lab was opened in Deheishe and 10 camp residents
have recently completed a 36-hour training course at Birzeit
University. Courses in basic computer use and internet
training will begin within one week at Ibdaa.

Marwan Tarazi, Director of the Birzeit University IT Unit
began by reciting a poem by Kamal Nasir, which discussed the
idea of right of return and the importance of keeping the
memory of Palestinian history alive particularly for the
younger generation. Tarazi stressed the importance of this
project in this respect - as a way of recording and telling
the history of Palestinian disposession since 1948 through
the eyes of Palestinian refugees.

Muna Muhaisen, one of the co-ordinators of the project, said
"We aim to create an information bank on refugee issues on
the WWW. Deheishe is the first step, and the project will
now extend to Gaza and other camps in the West Bank. The
camp websites will offer more than just text, utilizing
video and audio technology while online photo-galleries will
enable a visual sight of relatives separated by distance and
time but connected by technology."

Also launched on Saturday was the project website at
http://www.acrossborders.org. The website provides
information about the project and about refugees in general.
As camps come online they will be added to this website to
form a "refugee ring".

Many messages of support have been received for the project
from all around the world. Muna Muhaisen and Adam Hanieh
concluded the opening ceremony by reading some of these
messages from countries such as Lebanon, Kuwait, USA and
France.

Dr. Salman Abu Sitta, a researcher on refugee issues sent
one message, "I learnt with great interest the news of your
new website 'Across Borders'. This is an excellent medium to
unite the Palestinian refugees, separated by barbed wire,
closures and geographical separation. Although the
Palestinian people have been forcibly transferred from their
land, they have largely remained a monolithic social
structure against so many odds. 'Across Borders' is an
electronic 'ingathering of the exiles' until their Right of
Return to their own homes is achieved. I have no doubt that
the return will take place, however long and hard it will
take. Your effort will take us one step further. I wish you
all success."

Following the speeches, visitors and camp residents spent
hours in the new computer centre exploring the internet.
Young people who had completed the training program at
Birzeit University answered questions and assisted people in
using the computers.

The first phase of the project has been made possible
through the assistance of the Canada Fund, Palestine On-line
and several generous private donations.

Anyone interested in supporting the project should visit the
Across Borders website at
http://www.acrossborders.org/support.html. For more
information about the project, please contact Muna Muhaisen
at muna@alquds.net or Adam Hanieh at
ahanieh@admin.birzeit.edu

For pictures of the launch see the Birzeit News Story at
http://www.birzeit.edu/bzunews/1999/July/24.html







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