The Dundee Nablus Twinning Association, DNTA, organized a one week event, on the occasion of the silver Jubilee of signing the Twinning agreement between the cities of Dundee and Nablus. The events were organized in the city of Dundee in Scotland, the city that witnessed the signing of this agreement twenty five years ago.
The initiative came as a reaction from some Scottish activists who condemned the aggressions against the elected Mayor of Nablus in 1981, Mr.Bassam Shaka who lost both his legs from a car bomb made by Jewish settlers. The Scottish delegation led by George Gallawy came to Nablus at that time and hosted Mr Shaka in Dundee where he got two plastic legs. This support and sympathy with Palestinian people continued before and after the signing of the twinning agreement. The Twinning agreement has taken different forms of support regarding social development and academic research.
The guests who went to participate in the Jubilee festivals represented organizations from the city of Nablus. The representative of An-Najah National University, Ala Yousef, the Coordinator of the Youth Exchange Program addressed the participants and spoke about the importance of signing this agreement with the Palestinian people who were suffering from being out of touch with the international community since the early 1980s. He added that the support from Scottish people encouraged Palestinians to believe that they were not forgotten and there is somebody on this globe who cares and would like to do something to reduce their suffering. Lord Provost of Dundee, Mr. John R Letford addressed the participants in the event who represented the Scottish NGOs and the local Scottish community confirming the willingness to go ahead in the cooperation with the Palestinian people in order to improve their living conditions and to promote peace in the Middle East.The festival was attended by the initiators of the twinning agreement, the old generation of people who worked to make twinning a reality. They expressed their happiness to participate in the Silver Jubilee of the twinning agreement that proves that both sides are willing to go ahead in the cooperation for better understanding between both cultures, and to encourage dialogue towards better interaction between western and Arabic cultures. A Scottish-Palestinian night was organized where some traditional folklore dances were presented and some songs for peace were offered.
Besides the official celebration, there were other meetings and presentations. Zajel gave some presentations on the right to education in Palestine, the History of Palestine and another presentation on the activities of Zajel Youth Exchange Program. The representatives of the Palestinian associations visited some sites of Scotland and its universities in order to empower the relationships between both sides. Dundee University and Dundee Abertay University were included in the tour as well as some charitable associations. Some other visits were also made to the Scottish Parliament where the Palestinian delegation was told about decision making and the democratic system there. Another visit was also organized to some school classes where the Palestinian delegation participated.
In 1980, the cities of Nablus and Dundee decided to join forces, and an association was formed for this purpose. The aims of the twinning agreement are: to promote friendship and understanding between the people of Dundee and those of Nablus, to encourage visits to and from the linked cities and the development of personal contacts, to organise fund raising activities to foster the aims of the association and to encourage joint projects, especially in the fields of education, culture, and commerce.
It has not been easy to maintain links over the past twenty five years; visiting each other has been difficult and the post is unreliable, however, the internet keeps communication links alive. Many important activities are supported through donated Twinning funds such as youth work shops, a