Our children and families may be among the greatest source of happiness in our lives. They provide a sense of belonging, a feeling of home, a space of nurturing – at least ideally. Friends become our family, pets may provide company and patient ears, but the need for community has been deeply engrained in us since the early days of our evolution, and familial and social connections are necessary to secure our well-being and survival. Resources need to be available, therefore, when our families become a source of misery rather than nurturing. Whereas in the West, family relations seem to be decreasing in importance, this is much less the case in Palestine! How families interact, how they tackle the challenges they face, and how society and government aim to support Palestinian families and foster their well-being is the theme of this issue.
We would like to express our thanks and appreciation to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) for its sponsorship of this issue. Thanks go as well to our distinguished authors, including Palestinian Prime Minister Dr. Rami Hamdallah; director of PCBS Dr. Ola Awad, Birzeit University professor Islah Jad and author Penny Johnson; director general of the Galilee Society Baker Awawdeh, Deputy Minister of Social Development Daoud Al Deek; Secretary General of the Union of Arab Statisticians Ghazi Rahho; head of the Jerusalem Office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation Cristina Natoli; UN Women justice analyst Hanan Kamar; senior researcher at the Institute of Law at Birzeit University Dr. Mustafa Mari; vlogger (video blogger) and social and environmental activist Morgan Cooper; and last but not least, the Applied Research Institute Jerusalem (ARIJ) and the Polish Center for International Aid. Thanks also go to ARIJ, the Educational Bookshop, and UNDP for their contribution to our sustainability.
Safiya Khalid Al-Ali and Yasmeen Mjalli are our personalities of the month, Yalalan Group is featured as artist of the month, Salt Houses by Hala Alyan is our book of the month, and The Tower by Mats Grorud is the film of the month. Where to Go invites you to Jerusalem, and in TWiP Kitchen, the Palestine Hosting Society presents the third Family Dinner with dishes from Rummana Kitchen in Ramallah. Enjoy the many events listed, some of which are taking place abroad.
We would like to draw your attention to Kalimat, the literature festival that is being held this month. And on Thursday, November 29, join the world in celebrating − or commemorating − the annual International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
From the entire team at TWiP we wish you a beautiful fall.
