The speech of Florence GIARD

Speech of Florence GIARD

 

I am going to present you the French NGOs Platform for Palestine. We thought it was important to share the information about the Platform because it is the leader of the program. When I say “leader”, I doesn’t mean “the boss” who decides everything. As a leader, the Platform is coordinating the program but is also the contracting party regarding the French MoFA so has the responsibility of the good functioning of the whole program (administration, financing, coordination, relationships between the partners and so on…).

Some of you know the platform, sometimes for other activities than the program coordination, so I will give you a global view of the work of the platform.

 

1-    What is the Platform?

 

The French NGOs Platform for Palestine is a network of 41 associations: humanitarian and development associations, awareness raising associations, human rights organizations and of course organizations working in the educational field.

 

2-    Why the Platform was created and its main fundamental objectives?

 

2.1 The creation of the Platform

 

In 1993, ten French associations decided to work together to follow and assist the creation of a Palestinian State by promoting the principles of self-determination, development and solidarity. These ten associations which were working for a long time in partnership with Palestinian NGOs, decided to set up the French NGO Platform for Palestine. By this way, they thought that they would increase the efficiency of their work.

 

2.2 The main fundamental objectives

 

The context in Palestine of course has changed a lot since 1993 but the fundamental lines of the action of the Platform remain the same ones: development, solidarity and promotion of the international law.

 

5 Objectives:

- To support the development of the Palestinian Territories through partnerships with the Palestinian NGOs;

- To follow up and strengthen the partnerships with Palestinian NGOs;

- To be a center for exchanges of information about the situation in Palestine, for meeting and synergy among French NGOs;

- To raise awareness among French public opinion about the rights of the Palestinian people;

- To dialogue with the French government and the European Union in order to strengthen their involvement to promote the respect of international law.

 

Regarding these 5 main objectives, the platform takes on three kind of missions in its daily work.

 

3-    The 3 principal missions/activities of the platform today

 

3.1 The first one is to spread the information among the network of the members associations of the platform.

This is done through regular newsletters, through our website, the resources guide on Palestine we publish…

 

3.2 The second one is the advocacy campaigns.

Since the Platform was first set up, it has led and supported campaigns to raise awareness among the French public regarding the consequences of the occupation and colonization of the Palestinian Territories.

The Platform also regularly lobbies the French and European authorities to press them to take concrete initiatives against the violations of the international law by Israel in the Palestinian Territories.

The Platform through its campaigns calls for the French government to:

Recall, particularly within the European Union and the Council of security, the primacy of international law and the respect of United Nations resolutions related to the Occupied Palestinian Territories and to Palestinian refugees, as well as the IVth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilian populations in times of war.

 

Some examples of campaigns that the platform implemented:

-         In 2000, on the association agreement between UE and Israël, and of course we are working again now on this issue because of the upgrading of this agreement.

-         We support during years the Stop the Wall campaign (with a focus on Jerusalem).

-         And, last May, we organize a big meeting in Paris for the 60 years of the Nakba with 4500 people, singers, politics, journalists… 60 years after peace though rights.

 

From the start, the Platform produced a strong process that fostered consultation, proposals and action. It has become today in France:

-         A place for thought and action, in solidarity with Palestine;

-         An essential spokesman for a great number of national and regional and local associations as well as for individuals such as students and journalists;

-         A place for discussion and debate with Palestinians and Israelis partners when they are in France;

-         A structure that is active at the European level in the campaigns of the European Coordination on the Palestinian issues.

 

3.3 And the third aspect of the work of the Platform is the coordination of programs on the ground. Objective you all know much more than the other ones.

From 1996 to 2000, the Platform coordinated a first inter-NGOs program. One of the aspect of this program was focused on childhood field. For example, this first program supported actively the creation of the Canaan Institute in Gaza.

Since 2001, an evaluation of this program has been done, then a survey on the childhood context in Palestine.

And now… today we are here to launch together this new Inter-Associative Program, the PIA.