What is Not a Stranger by the Palestinian Vision Organization?

“Not a Stranger” is a youth initiative that was executed by the Palestinian Vision Organization.^[1]The initiative came about as part of a wider program funded and supported by Denmark Church Aid (DCA) and the European Union in which Palestinians in Jerusalem are empowered to defend their political, social and economic rights as guaranteed by the International Humanitarian Law.

What is the Purpose of Not a Stranger by the Palestinian Vision Organization?

The initiative aims at educating both tourists and inhabitants of Jerusalem about the history of the city while raising public awareness about historical and influential figures of Jerusalem. The initiative also aims at reinstating the Palestinian Jerusalemite culture and identity, both of which have been long fought by the Israeli policies that deny the Arab character of the city.

About the Initiative:

The initiative is centered around a group of young adult Palestinians who dress up as important historical figures from Jerusalem. The young adults then reenact historical occurrences throughout the city from the Roman, Byzantium, Umayyad, Mamluk, Ottoman, and modern eras of Jerusalemite history. The young adults interact with individuals in different locations of the Old City, such as the Sadeiah neighborhood, the Sultan Tekieh, the Orphanage School, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Hebron Gate and, finally, the Damascus Gate. Audience members watched the reenactments and even took pictures with the group.

Jerusalemite Wanders is a tourism initiative undertaken by two amateur Palestinian researchers: tour guide Robin Abu Shamseiah and history teacher Sahar Zamamiri. Their project was launched with a series of informative tours to Jerusalem landmarks.^[1]

The tours focus not only on the old city of Jerusalem and the religious and historical sites inside and outside of the wall, but also on the towns, neighborhoods and villages of Jerusalem. They explore the Arab history and identity of the city and its surroundings as a response and challenge to to the tourism and narratives supported and controlled by the Israeli government.

The initiative aims to involve young residents and visitors to the area in the Palestinian narrative surrounding the city’s religious and archaeological sites. It has official pages on social media that describe the tours’ line and provide rich information on the history, nature and culture that fills the city.