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This is a mural that was painted by Break The Silence organization in
<br>
San Francisco in 1990.<br><br>
<a href="http://www.breakthesilencearts.org/images/missionmural_whole.jpg" eudora="autourl">http://www.breakthesilencearts.org/images/missionmural_whole.jpg<br><br>
</a>Marlene<br><br>
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"Palestine is as big an issue as South Africa was. What is going on
<br>
here is genocide."<br><br>
Palestinian youths speak out with art<br>
By Lawrence Smallman <br>
Thursday 05 August 2004, 19:01 Makka Time, 16:01 GMT <br><br>
<br>
Children in Bait Hanun can paint trees - but not climb them<br><br>
An America Jew has made sure at least some Palestinian children will
<br>
remember their land the way it was before its destruction by Israeli
<br>
bulldozers.<br><br>
Dr Susan Greene has repeatedly left the safety of San Francisco and
<br>
travelled to the occupied territories - armed only with a
paintbox.<br><br>
She has become a leading member of the Break the Silence Mural <br>
Project - an arts group that promotes a greater awareness of the <br>
complexities of the conflict in Palestine. <br><br>
"Although there is no real freedom of movement, friends got me to
<br>
Bait Hanun where the local children and I painted a mural of orange
<br>
trees," she told Aljazeera.net on Thursday.<br><br>
Anyone familiar with Bait Hanun, in the northern Gaza Strip, knows <br>
the town was once famous for orchards - especially its orange
trees.<br><br>
"Now it is a desert. The trees have been martyred ... so the mural
<br>
depicted martyred orange trees." <br><br>
Local support<br><br>
With more than 15 years' experience in Palestine, Greene has built up
<br>
a great relationship with countless parents and young people.<br><br>
"The children loved taking party and showed real enthusiasm. The
<br>
parents were just as pleased - though many joked that Israeli <br>
soldiers would probably knock down these trees too!"<br><br>
<br>
Palestinians of all ages took part<br>
in creating the huge mural<br><br>
The artist told me she laughed at the joke, but felt the tragedy all
<br>
too keenly. <br><br>
"As an American Jew I have the privilege to be able to speak out.
<br>
Americans need to get acquainted with what is happening here. <br>
Palestine is as big an issue as South Africa was. What is going on <br>
here is genocide.<br><br>
Breaking the silence<br><br>
"At night I couldn't sleep because of the gunfire and the F-16s
<br>
constantly making flights over the town. <br><br>
"But the children are accustomed to it - if you ask them whether
they <br>
have trouble sleeping, they will tell you 'the gunfire is like music
-<br>
we can't sleep without it'". <br><br>
<br>
Locals take cover during an air<br>
raid - the real Bait Hanun today<br><br>
"What Israeli soldiers do to Bait Hanun is horrible and
relentless."<br><br>
Break the Silence started work when four Jewish American women <br>
artists travelled to the West Bank city of Ram Allah and worked on a
<br>
series of community mural projects with Palestinian community members
<br>
and artists. <br><br>
Upon returning from that first trip in 1989, the artists presented <br>
their work and reflections on their experiences to approximately 100
<br>
audiences in high schools, universities, art galleries and community
<br>
centres across the United States.<br><br>
<br>
Aljazeera <br><br>
<a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/FE5BEF7F-2F1E-4BB1-B25E" eudora="autourl">http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/FE5BEF7F-2F1E-4BB1-B25E</a>-<br>
6680234EE1A8.htm<br>
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<font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
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