Ekumeniska Följeslagarprogrammet till Palestina och Israel

Some examples of main results achieved during 2023 are : Outcome 1: Protection through Presence This outcome includes monitoring of access to education, access to land and livelihood, and access to worship. A total of 2828 combined monitoring of activities took place from Jan October 2023. In addition Through an additional grant from the Humanitarian fund of UN OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), EAPPI has been enabled to enhance its capacities and provide training on accompaniment to various other organizations, thus positioning itself as an expert for another accompaniment actors. This is seen as an important way to diversify the way in which EAPPI conducts and promotes protective presence, as strengthening other actors is particularly important during periods when the possibility for international protective presence may be constrained. Rabbis for Human Rights was one of the organizations that received training and was able to provide protective presence during the war period after 7th October 2023. Outcomes 2: Protection through documentation of Human Rights Violations (HRVs) & information sharing and coordination with other organizations. Output 2.1. Human rights and IHL violations as well as their gendered impacts are gathered, analyzed, and shared at a local, national, and international level. 2493 Of the incidents reported during the reporting period, the vast majority. related to violence, followed by incidents related to access restrictions, or displacement. The information regarding human rights and IHL violations was shared through, for example, advocacy initiatives, social media campaigns, seminars, and public fact sheets produced by the WCC. EAs also conducted thirty informational meetings with consulates or embassies, and 246 coordination and informational meetings with NGOs, partner organizations or UN agencies. EAs also observed selected peaceful demonstrations (including Wall Prayer in Bethlehem, and Women in Black in Jerusalem) during ninety-two occasions. EAs also hosted foreign visitors delegations on twenty-six occasions. EAs engaged in women to women conversations (between a female EA and a female community member). Outcomes 3: protection through awareness raising and advocacy. In 2023, advocacy efforts continued to be strengthened through the contributions of the Jerusalem based advocacy officer in close coordination with the WCC Geneva communications department. This included the production of material during the yearly Easter advocacy campaign, the production of fact sheets, urgent alerts, and World Council of Churches statements. The work of the advocacy and communications team also included updating materials for training of EAs. Since the onset of the October war, the WCC has published several statements. The Swedish national coordination translated one statement that called for immediate ceasefire, release of hostages, respect for the international humanitarian law, and a path forward for a just and sustainable peace based on reconciliation and accountability. During 2023, 459 advocacy and awareness raising activities were logged to the global EAPPI internal reporting system. Most of those activities have been conducted by EAs in their respective home countries, and the most common type of activity are public speeches, meetings, online articles and letters. The Swedish based advocacy and awareness raising works to increase engagement among the target groups engaged, opinion leaders, and decision makers through an increased awareness of the situation in Palestine and Israel based on an IHL framework, and to lift voices and actors working for peace with nonviolent means. The Swedish EAPPI had a larger media exposure during 2023 than previous. years. On total, EAPPI Sweden had exposure in 110 media publications, including news articles, radio, TV, and podcasts, compared to twenty-five publications. during 2022. The higher number in 2023 was due to a larger number of homecoming EAs conducting information and advocacy tasks, including media appearances, and the high interest in the region after the 7th of October.

The aim of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) is to ensure that the rights of Palestinians living under occupation are protected, respected and promoted, to contribute to improved accountability of duty-bearers, to decrease the level of violence and increased resilience among the targeted communities through protective presence. The method of accompaniment builds on different interlinked approaches; - protective presence of vulnerable groups and communities, - the reporting and documentation of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, - international advocacy for increased accountability and - solidarity with those actors working with nonviolent means for a sustainable peace to enhance resilience. EAPPI focus on the most vulnerable areas such as East Jerusalem, Hebron and several places in Area C including the Jordan Valley and the seam zone, where the population is very exposed to and affected by settler and military violence on a day to day basis and to various human rights restrictions that they face under occupation. This focus is aligned with the priorities defined in the Swedish strategy for development cooperation with Palestine 2020-2024. This will be achieved through working in partnership with a range of individuals, communities and local as well as international organisations in Palestine and Israel as well as internationally.