[Netnews-action] 7 Sept: Palestinian olive farmers

[Manchester Campaigns]

>From: sarah at olivecoop.com
>PALESTINIAN OLIVE FARMERS IN MANCHESTER
>Olive Co-operative invites you to a rare meeting with producers of 
>Palestinian olive oil. Meet Taysir and Jihad from Al Zaytouna, Salfit, 
>Palestine on Wednesday 7 September, 6.00pm, Falafel Cafe, Wilmslow Road, 
>Rusholme, Manchester.
>Jihad Abdo and Taysir Arbasi are from Salfit, Palestine and are visiting 
>the UK for a week to build awareness of issues on the ground in Palestine 
>and to strengthen solidarity networks. Jihad is a founder member of Al 
>Zaytouna, working on pioneering co-operative methods of agricultural 
>organisation. He acts as consultant for the organic olive oil 
>co-operatives, is director of the Co- operation Department in the Farmers 
>Union, and a lecturer at Al Zababda agricultural institute. Taysir is the 
>representative for Zaytoun in Palestine and is working through Al Zaytouna 
>supporting new co-ops in Qalqilya and Tulkarem. Taysir has worked 
>extensively with communities who are on the route of the illegal wall and 
>is currently working on several agricultural capacity building programmes 
>in Palestine.
>Olive Co-operative, Zaytoun and Al Zaytouna are working together to 
>develop new markets for Palestinian olive oil and are keen for the voice 
>of Palestinian olive farmers to be heard in the UK. Olive Co-operative and 
>Zaytoun import and distribute fairly traded olive oil from Palestine. We 
>use the olive oil as a medium to communicate issues faced by farming 
>communities in Palestine.
>
>Al Zaytouna works with agricultural co-operatives in Palestine to help 
>them protect the olive groves from threats such settlement construction 
>and the route of the annexation wall, and to market its produce. As grass 
>roots initiatives, we work together to enable Palestinian farmers to sell 
>their high quality produce and support them in the face of the long 
>running and brutal Israeli occupation.
>
>Falafel cafe serves a wide range of fresh Palestinian food and drink. For 
>more information contact <mailto:info at olivecoop.com>info at olivecoop.com  , 
>phone 0845 456 1472 or 0161 273 1970, or visit 
><http://www.olivecoop.com>www.olivecoop.com .
>
>Olive Co-operative Ltd
>Responsible tourism, trade and education in the Middle East
>+44 (0)161 273 1970 or 0845 456 1472 (UK local rate)
>www.olivecoop.com