Sunbula Newsletter
July 2007, Vol. 1
Welcome to the first issue of Sunbula e-Newsletter, connecting craft lovers and fair trade supporters around the world with Palestinian handicrafts and artisans.
SPRING BAZAAR
A great success!
Sunbula had our first ever Spring Bazaar on May 20th, and it was a great success, attended by 15 vendors and hundreds of shoppers. Thank you very much for those who came, and look forward to seeing you at the annual Holiday Gift Bazaar in November (stay tuned for the exact date).
Following everyone’s positive feedbacks, we plan to make the Spring Bazaar an annual event. Our bazaars provide an additional opportunity for craft groups to market their products, and for people to interact directly with artisans.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Visit Sunbula at these summer events in Palestine
Bir Zeit Heritage Week
July 27, 28
5pm - 10pm
Bir Zeit village
Music, food, cultural exhibitions and Sunbula's crafts at this fun summer night festival at the historical old quarter of Bir Zeit village, near Ramallah.
For more information, contact Raed Saadeh at therozana@gmail.com or 0545 696 220.
Sunbula Photography Exhibition
"Celebrating the Craft Heritage of Palestine"
August 1st - 15th
French Cultural Center
Nablus
Opening: Wednesday, August 1st. 6PM
Lecture on traditional Palestinian embroidery by Mohammed Atallah, followed by reception
Exhibition Hours
Sunday through Thursday, 9AM - 7PM. Saturday, 2PM - 7PM. Closed on Fridays.
This will be the final desination of Sunbula's nationwide exhibition tour, and a last chance for those who haven’t seen these beautiful of images and stories about our partner organizations.
This exhibition was produced in 2006 on an occasion of Sunbula’s 10th anniversary, to celebrate the work of Palestinian artisans that carry out the cultural heritage of this land. The photography is the work of Steve Sabella, one of the most prominent photographer artists in Palestine. Sponsored by French Consulate of Jerusalem, the exhibition has toured around the French Cultural Centers in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Gaza, since September, 2006.
For more information, call French Cultural Center in Nablus at 09-238-5914
PRODUCERS UPDATE
Idna Ladies’ Association attacked by Israeli army
Idna Ladies' Association, one of Sunbula's 14 partner organizations, was attacked by the Israeli forces during the raid on Idna village in the early morning on May 22nd.
The army's target apparently was the children's center housed on the second floor of the same building where the women have their sewing workshop on the first floor. The children's center teaches English, computer and the Quran, etc., and the Israeli allegation was that they were linked to Hamas, which is not the case. They forced their way into the building, and ransacked the Association's premises.
Nuha, one of the 3 women in charge of the Association, was awoken at 5:30am by her neighbors who informed the attack on the center. When the women arrived there, they found their place in a terrible state --- the metal door at the entrance badly damaged, their embroidered products scattered across the floor and stomped on, furniture and equipment turned upside down, and glasses scattered everywhere. The Israelis went through their bookkeeping records, tearing up receipts and invoices, and destroyed the wall that separated the kitchen from the back of the building. The women speculate that the soldiers were looking for weapon storage. In any case, as they left, they took with them the Association's computer, and the embroidered map of Palestine that hang on the wall.
Idna Ladies' Association is one of our most successful producers and our customers' favorite. They moved to the current location less then a year ago to have a place of their own, after many years of sharing a tiny space with a daycare center in the village. Now they are unsure how safe it is to continue operating out of this place, which has charged to been marked as suspicious by the Israeli army.
Sunbula is happy to report that there has been an overwhelming response to our emergency appeal on behalf of Idna. Our heartfelt thanks to those who made a personal contribution, to Welfare Association and Arab Thought Forum for in-kind donations, and to Church of Scotland and Presbyterian Church of USA for financial support.
NEW PRODUCTS
Coming soon! Stylish creations from our training program
Baby blankets quilted with the moreh cotton from Syria, beaded wall-hanging charms, straw accessories made with traditional basket weaving technique, and pillow cases with 'almond flowers' embroidery from pre-1948 Jerusalem area villages --- these are a few of new products coming soon to Sunbula. They are made by women artisans from Balata refugee camp (Nablus) and YWCA of Palestine (Jalazone refugee camp, Ramallah), who have been undergoing the product development training by Sunbula this spring and summer.
Since the spring of 2006, Sunbula, in partnership with Hamada Atallah, a Jerusalem-born and Paris-trained fashion designer, has been training our partner organizations to develop new, more fashionable, and higher quality items aiming to boast their sales. Developing marketable products is crucial for craft cooperatives, who are faced with ever-increasing economic hardship of families in the occupied Palestinian territories. The women have been trained to the use different materials and techniques, encouraged to expand their creativity, while re-introduced to some of the traditional artisan techniques that have become near-extinct. The result has been fantastic so far -- products from the 2006 training, made by Idna Ladies' Association and Women's Child Care Society, have been very popular at Sunbula.
Stay tuned for our next e-newsletter for the exciting new products!
SHOP ONLINE AT SUNBULA!
Did you know that exquisite Palestinian crafts are only a click away at Sunbula’s Online Craft Market no matter where you live? From embroidery to wood-carving to olive oil soap, our Online Craft Market carries more than 100 items produced by Sunbula’s 14 partner organizations. And the sales go directly to support the artisans and their families. Read how easy to stroll and shop online with us. Happy shopping!
NOTICE
Sunbula Craft Shop closed for the summer
Sunbula craft shop in Jerusalem will be closed from July 15 to first week of October due to the renovation of St. Andrew’s Guesthouse, where we are located. Apologies for the inconvenience.
Our Online Craft Market will be operated normally during this period.
