Olive Harvest Celebration at ConU

Amnesty International Brings Plight of Farmers to Montreal

NewsMarilla Steuter-Martin — Published November 8, 2011

The annual Palestinian olive harvest was celebrated at Concordia last Sunday to highlight the struggles of olive farmers in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Amnesty International event, entitled ‘Let My People Grow,’ featured a photographic exhibition, a guest speaker, a film screening of a documentary and some musical performances.

The difficulties farmers in the West Bank face trying to access their lands due to the security wall built by Israel in 2002 was the focus of the night.

All proceeds from the $10 tickets were donated to Project Hope, which provides creative and educational opportunities for young Palestinians.

Jay Eidemiller, a mature student at Concordia, came to show her support for the Palestinian cause. “I’m quite concerned about what’s going on in Palestine right now,” she said. “The news media is so one-sided and it’s important to see both sides.”

Diana McKenzie, an Amnesty organizer at Concordia, explained how tickets were modeled after real work permits issued by the Israeli government. “We wanted to put more of a human face on the issue,” she said, “to humanize the people who are suffering.”

McKenzie also emphasized the importance of the replica wall, which was constructed for the event, calling it “a true symbol of the occupation.”