Operation Dove / Operazione Colomba is the Nonviolent Peace Corps of the Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII Association. Since 2002 it has been carrying out unarmed civilian protection and accompaniment in Palestine, at the beginning in the Gaza Strip and then in Masafer Yatta (south of Al-Khalil/Hebron).
During these 21 years, hundreds of volunteers from Operation Dove have lived 24 hours for 365 days a year standing by the Palestinian civilians and those communities who chose nonviolent resistance to fight the human rights violations perpetrated by the Israeli army and settlers.
During these 21 years, we have observed, documented and reported these violations by thousands of hours of video footage, hundreds of press releases, dozens of meetings with Italian and international institutions, dozens of articles on national and foreign press, thousands of public meetings.
During these 21 years, we have built strong trust and friendship relations with hundreds of Palestinians and Israelis. Together we are helplessly witnessing the events with deep concern and immense pain, mourning the dead ones. Their request for ending decades of Palestine’s occupation to achieve a just and stable peace is now more than ever unheard and silenced by the deafening noise of weapons.
We now feel that these 21 years efforts are at risk of being definitively crushed and betrayed by the violence of weapons and the arrogance of those who have never acted to stop it, even though they could.
It saddens us to witness this distorted media attention, which talks about the Palestinian issue only now that bloodshed is happening causing an increasing number of deaths day after day, on both sides. Media are not telling that the humanitarian catastrophe for the Palestinians in Gaza has been persisting for decades, it did not start today.
Now and as long as necessary, we keep on staying where it is right to be that is exactly where we have been during these 21 years: alongside those who suffer and stand against violence.
Operation Dove / Operazione Colomba
[Foto: Yahya Hassouna/AFP]
OPERAZIONE COLOMBA
