For the past few months, the IntraPal team have been busy planning for the next stage of the Encompass-IntraPal programme. Set to take place in Palestine, this programme will bring together over 50 young Palestinians from diverse backgrounds for a series of facilitated group sessions. These sessions will be designed for participants to identify the challenges their communities face on a local and national level, and to explore the solutions that are within their capabilities and reach. The session will also be used to discuss the various elements of the Trump Deal as well as how the deal will potentially and uniquely affect different Palestinian communities. The ideas generated during these discussions will be collated and used to write a response to the Trump Deal, written by a committee of dedicated participants shortly after the programme’s initial meeting. 

The programme’s first meeting will be a three night stay at a Palestinian venue in Jericho, followed by three overnight meetings over a nine month period in different areas of Palestine. We have decided to have all our meetings in Palestine this time as we feel it is important for us to support the Palestinian economy.

While the initial meeting was set to take place at the end of March, it has now unfortunately been postponed due to the global Coronavirus outbreak, with the Palestinian Authority – along with Israel – implementing quite strict international and local travel bans. Our participants’ health and safety is the most important consideration at this time, so we must make this responsible decision. The new IntraPal programme will be rescheduled as soon as the situation has been deemed safe. We are keeping in touch with our participants via our Whatsapp group, where we share news and use humour to lighten the spirits of our nearly 60 members. 

We are thinking of all of those who are suffering directly or indirectly from the virus and especially for the healthcare workers who exceptionally put themselves at risk every day. Meanwhile, all we have to do is stay at home!