Abdelfattah Abusrour (PhD) is a poet, playwright, actor and director. In
1998, he founded the Alrowwad Arts and Cultural Center in a refugee camp in
Bethlehem, Palestine that provides a variety of arts-based and educational
services to children and women in the camp.

He will be speaking in Tacoma on Tuesday night, March 31st at 7:30 pm at
Fircrest United Methodist Church, 1018 Columbia Ave (South 19th near
Pearl), Tacoma 98466. All are welcome.

For more information, see Facebook Event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2800368716709176/

Sponsored by Tacoma Chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace and the Rachel Corrie
Foundation
www.facebook.com/TacomaJVP https://www.facebook.com/Tacoma.JVP/
www.rachelcorriefoundation.org
http://www.rachelcorriefoundation.org/?fbclid=IwAR1R93vb9gmMoNhQwSQ6FU2Owk4AE-7jzBZT8LsWE2qURxncfUo9eHNrCb8

There is no charge for this event,

March 31 Event Cancelled due to coronomavirus quarantine of Bethlehem.

FB post from Abusrour, whose trip to Tacoma in  now cancelled, with info
you won't get elsewhere:

Palestinian authority has declared the state of emergency in the West Bank
for 30 days and put Bethlehem under full quarantine for 30 days. Nobody is
allowed in or out of the city neither by Palestinian authority nor by
Israeli military.
Due to media propaganda, rumors and news a lot of confusion have been
disseminated and people fear multiplied and blaming of others have
increased.
Internationals were considered the primary source for the disease and have
been looked at by some as potential danger and some people started blaming
internationals and became afraid of them. Consulates have asked their
citizens to leave Bethlehem. The Palestinian police and tourism police have
been strict about procedures of quarantine and policies with hotels and
places where internationals have stayed, and with those who have been in
contact with them.
Hotels, guest houses we informed to do self quarantine for their clients
and those who have been in contact with them as well as all their families
and others who have been in contact with the workers in hotels or with the
tourists and visitors. There have been 19 declared positive cases in
Bethlehem from 3 hotels which have been put under quarantine. Families and
relatives of positive people have been also asked to be at home quarantine
or put in a specific quarantine hospital in Bethlehem.

Alrowwad has followed the instructions and guidelines of the Palestinian
authority Ministries of Health and tourism. So All reservations were
cancelled for the guest house, and the guest house was disinfected and
closed. All activities with children, youth and women have been stopped and
all other activities were halted until further notice.
Aida camp popular committee and Aida camp organizations and institutions
adapted also the guidelines of Palestinian authority and UNRWA and have
cancelled or future activities and festivals, and groups activities. An
emergency unit has been put in place to help coordinate things and deal
with people needs and fears.
All local and international volunteers have been requested to stop their
work in Aida camp.

The situation reminds me of the Israeli military seige of Bethlehem in 2002
for 43 days, but the fear now is of this invisible enemy under the name of
Corona Virus. Most people take this seriously and some others behave as if
there is no serious threat. Some members of some people tested positive
live a state of denial and escape the self quarantine... so this
complicates things for the community and the authorities which might
reinforce more strict measurements.

It is not clear how things will be organized in terms of daily life and
food management will be so we will see. There is emergency units with
volunteers. Police is spread in different areas to control that no one gets
in or leave the city.
WHat we know is that until April 6th 2020, Bethlehem is fully under
quarantine and we cannot receive any international or local from other
Palestinian cities within Bethlehem and obviously Aida camp.
We will keep you updated but for now 29 days remain for the “seige”

Abdelfattah Abusrour (PhD) is a poet, playwright, actor and director. In
1998, he founded the Alrowwad Arts and Cultural Center in a refugee camp in
Bethlehem, Palestine that provides a variety of arts-based and educational
services to children and women in the camp.

He will be speaking in Tacoma on Tuesday night, March 31st at 7:30 pm at
Fircrest United Methodist Church, 1018 Columbia Ave (South 19th near
Pearl), Tacoma 98466. All are welcome.

For more information, see Facebook Event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2800368716709176/

Sponsored by Tacoma Chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace and the Rachel Corrie
Foundation
www.facebook.com/TacomaJVP https://www.facebook.com/Tacoma.JVP/
www.rachelcorriefoundation.org
http://www.rachelcorriefoundation.org/?fbclid=IwAR1R93vb9gmMoNhQwSQ6FU2Owk4AE-7jzBZT8LsWE2qURxncfUo9eHNrCb8

There is no charge for this event,