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During the last two days of August, the Egyptian authorities permitted approximately 3,300 people to cross the Gazan border at Rafah into Egypt ‘for humanitarian reasons’.

Those who entered Egypt included Gazan patients, students, and an undisclosed number of Egyptians who had been stranded inside the Gaza Strip. The sight of more than fifty busloads of travelers heading out of Gaza may have given the impression that movement restrictions are finally easing inside the Gaza Strip. But almost 900 other Gazans on board the buses were turned back at the border. Amongst them was twenty year old Nevin Abu Taima from Rafah - who is still desperately trying to return to the US in order to resume her political science degree.

‘My family lives in the Brazil refugee camp, in [the south of] Rafah’ she says. ‘Our house was destroyed by the Israelis in 2005, and we spent the next six months living in a local UNRWA school. We are a big family of eleven children, and some of my brothers and sisters also have families of their own – all of us were living together in one classroom. Can you imagine that?’ (more…)

It seems the U.S. State Department has reversed the decision to deny the seven Gaza students Fulbright Grants. And while this is good news in principle, it should not be praised out of context—or too early.

The spokesman for the Israeli Defense Ministry’s department of civilian affairs, Major Peter Lerner (whom I dealt with regularly when arranging coordination in and out of Gaza), says that each of the the Palestinian students will face security check before being allowed to leave Gaza.

Fine. This sounds very reasonable… but I am skeptical that these students will actually be granted permission to leave. Since June 2007, approximately 670 students have been unable to pursue higher education abroad due to the total closure of the territory by the Israeli military. (more…)

It could be called one of Africa’s tragic historic ironies. Centuries after the last slave had been put into bondage and sold to Latin and North America as well as the Caribbean on Africa’s infamous slave coast, which are nowadays the shores of Togo and Ghana; what has been called the twenty century equivalents of slavery victimize too many of the youngest and most vulnerable citizens of these countries: human trafficking, which often results in forced and monetarily uncompensated out-of-household labor.

Meet Karine Assilatanon, 15 years old, from the village of Davié outside of Lomé, located in a region in which malnourishment among children is widespread and poverty hinders most children from pursuing the three years of pre-school education, which the Togolese government officially provides. Countrywide, 39 percent of all girls are not enrolled in school, a condition that serves as a breeding ground for child exploitation, particularly of girls. Approximately 11 years ago, Karine’s mother, who is widowed, was informed about the possibility that her daughter could work in neighboring Ghana. Knowing that Ghanaian wages, although still beneath international standards, were higher than in Togo, her mother decided that she should work there. However, promises of a salary turned out to be empty, and Karine had to press fruits for juices without receiving any payment. According to estimates of CARE caseworker Rose Adjowoa Kpogli, working shifts for girls like Karine can last up to 22 hours, with as few as 2 hours off for sleeping in extreme cases. All too often, these girls become victims of rape or sexual harassment. (more…)

What better way to punish Hamas than by punishing Gazan students?

The American State Department recently withdrew the Fulbright Grants for Gazan students hoping to pursue higher education opportunities in the United States. And on what grounds?

Well, it seems that because Israel isn’t letting them out anyway, it’s better not to waste money on students condemned to a future of imprisonment. The politics of accomodation work yet again, but this time the hopes of seven talented students have been drastically crushed by this moral cowardice.

True, the money can be used elsewhere, but why not take a moral stand against the collective punishment of Gaza? First, there is no guarantee of Israel policy regarding Gaza and simply assuming that Israel will never allow these students to leave the Strip is tantamount to supporting Israeli oppression in the first place. (more…)