The Bassam Aramin Appeal

Our Final Appeal on Behalf of the

Bassam Aramin University of Bradford Scholarship Fund

This remarkable, brave Palestinian Peace Activist seeks funds to study for his MA Peace Studies in September 2010. Two months to go –please help! PLEASE DONATE TO BASSAM ARAMIN SCHOLARSHIP FUND BY PHONE, ONLINE OR BY CHEQUE (SEE BELOW).

About Bassam Born in 1967, Bassam lives in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Since 1992 he has campaigned for a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestine Conflict. He is co-founder and tireless activist of Combatants for Peace (2005) and co-founder and Chair of Al-Quds Democracy and Dialogue (2006). He is the recipient of three peace prizes (2007;2008;2009).(google Bassam Aramin).

Personal History. The Israel-Palestine conflict has overshadowed Bassam Aramin’s life. Involved in the Palestinian resistance as a teenager, he spent seven years in an Israeli prison. Released in 1992, Bassam realised that the conflict could not be solved by violence and embarked upon an ambitious and ever growing grassroots dialogue project involving key players in Israel and Palestine. Aramin’s life collided tragically and brutally with politics, when his 10-year-old daughter Abir was shot and killed by an Israeli border policeman outside her school in 2007. This horrific event, a trauma for the entire family, resonated around the world. Despite this tragedy, Bassam strengthened his vision of a peaceful solution and remained committed to his activism.

Commitment to Peace. Aramin has demonstrated a lasting commitment to peace in the Middle East. His personal history of the conflict uniquely qualifies him to speak out for Palestinian human rights and self-determination while reaching out to former enemies as demonstrated by his tireless work for the remarkable organisation Combatants for Peace. His influence is apparent as a regular speaker in Israeli and Palestinian education institutes, invitations to speak in the Unites States, the far East and Europe including the European Parliament. He co-hosts with an Israeli former combatant a weekly dialogue radio programme. He writes and gives public talks and is the subject of an Israeli play, and films.

Benefits of Peace Studies (MA) at the University of Bradford. Having the opportunity to complete renowned Peace Studies MA at Bradford University will allow Bassam to further impact on conflict resolution in the political process, and even more powerfully with the struggle for peace in his home country and region. Ultimately, it is people like Bassam Aramin who will break down barriers and find solutions to end the conflict and we can help them achieve this.

Because of the death of their daughter, Bassam’s family will accompany him. Bassam has already secured half of the necessary funding: for donation details please click on: http://www.brad.ac.uk/giving-to-bradford/support-us-now/ and follow the steps below or over page:

- By phone: 01274 235743. Quote: D1926 The Aramin Scholarship Fund

- Online: To make an online donation, go to http://tinyurl.com/bassam1, and follow the steps on screen. Inserting Bassam Aramin and D9126 at the beginning is esential

N.B. Ensure you tick the box marked, I’d like to leave a message and copy the text: Please direct my donation to D9126 The Aramin Scholarship Fund into the field below.

- By gift aided cheque:

Making a Gift Aid declaration will increase your donation by 28%

The declaration below should only be signed by the donor if s/he pays UK income or capital gains tax at least equal to the amount of tax recoverable by the university.

I wish that this and any future donations to the University of Bradford be treated as Gift Aid donations until further notice.

signed:.............................................................

date:.................................................................

*Please make your cheque payable to “University of Bradford” and write Aramin Scholarship (d-9126) on the back of the cheque and post to;

d 9126 Aramin Scholarship
Maxine Douglan-Smith
Finance Dept, University of Bradford,
Richmond Road, Bradford. BD7 1DP