2010 Beit Ummar Summer Camp
19th July - 1st August

This two-week camp experience is situated in the Palestinian village of Beit Ummar and is a partnership project between the Palestine Solidarity Project (PSP) and Green Olive Tours. The Camp is hosted by Mousa Abu-Maria, his wife Bekka, founders of PSP, and Green Olive Tours Director Fred Schlomka.

Beit Ummar is home to the PSP, a movement that conducts non-violent resistance activities against the settlements and the Occupation. The organization also manages social and economic development programs in the village.

The community of Beit Ummar is nestled in the hills south of Bethlehem and surrounded by a pastoral environment of olive groves and fields. The villagers have lost a great deal of land to the surrounding Israeli settlements, and the local economy is devastated due to the restrictions of the Occupation. 

The camp is designed to enable international visitors to express solidarity with the villagers, and provide tangible assistance through a variety of productive activities within the community.  

In addition there will be briefings, meeting with families, tours to several cities the West Bank, and opportunities to participate in a non-violent civic action (optional) against the Occupation.

Many of the evenings will include featured Palestinian and Israeli speakers and discussion. Wireless internet is available at the PSP office.

Community work will include building a greenhouse, repairing olive grove terraces, fruit picking, activities with youth, and tutoring in English. There is also a woman's embroidery project which is available for participation by women only. . . . . . more information & itinerary

Other Multi-day Tours for 2010

Three multi-day tours are now offered to introduce visitors to Palestinian culture and the realities of life under Occupation. All tours include an introductory briefing with maps and analysis.

3 Days in a Palestinian Village
Visitors are embedded in the village of Beit Ummar, in the heart of the Gush Etzion settlement block south of Bethlehem. The program includes visiting villagers and farmers who have had land confiscated,and a trip to the South Hebron Hills to witness the situation among the poorest of Palestinians who are under continual threat by the settlers.
. . . . . learn more

4 Days - Introduction to Palestine
This tour is based in Beit Sahour, Bethlehem where the guests stay with a family and take daily tours to various cities in the West Bank. The itinerary is designed to give a comprehensive overview of the political situation, visits sites of historical importance, and includes an evening of discussion at the Alternative Information Center in Beit Sahour. . . . . . learn more

7 Days - Palestine Experience
A combination of the two previous tours, this program provides an intensive experience of touring the West Bank, interaction with local people, and a steep learning curve about the ongoing Occupation. There are opportunities for further involvement through the people and organizations included in the itinerary. . . . . learn more

April 2010

Dear friend,

We are now 'Green Olive Tours'.

After consulting with clients and colleagues the new name was selected. However the new website address, www.greenolivetours.com, still brings you to the toursinenglish.com website. Over the coming months a new website will be built for Green Olive Tours.

Our ongoing relationship with the village of Beit Ummar has resulted in our first formal summer camp. Please forward the details to your friends and place links to the camp information page on your blogs and websites. Contact me if you are interested in placing a camp banner on your site. We hope to see many of you here this summer. Details below.