Global to Local Narratives Exhibit - Besieged

Besieged, a photoessay about medical relief & pecebuilding in Palestine

Amineh Ayyad documents the work of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society's (PMRS) teams in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.  The essay captures the bravery and camaraderie of a group of doctors, community health workers and volunteers who are determined to reach the most remote villages under siege.   Amineh's essay reveals PMRS's commitment to peace and justice through health and medical relief collaborations with groups such as the Israeli Physicians for Human Rights. 

In addition, her narrative sheds light on the psychological impact of war on these medical teams, and her other global and local peacebuilding work with youth and mothers. 
 

PMRS Women's Health Mobile Clinic 2008

Amineh Ayyad's Biography

Amineh Ayyad is Palestinian-American UW graduate, public health worker, filmmaker and artist. Amineh’s work and research interests include international understanding and peacebuilding through health and cultural and art exchange programs. She is currently working on a Peace Through Health collaborative training curriculum for community health workers in Palestine. Ayyad founded and directs Adapt International, a nonprofit organization that aims to design, deliver and evaluate community-based psychosocial interventions serving refugee mothers and youth through art and cultural programs both in Seattle and in the Middle East.

Amineh’s current art projects include the Muslim Peace Mosaic, a project bringing together Muslim artists from around the globe. The mosaic will be displayed in Seattle in Summer 2011 during the One World 2011 Games on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks to foster positive relationships between people of the Muslim world and people of the United States. She also will be launching the first annual Intercultural and Intergenerational Community Storytelling Festival in Seattle in October 2010, an initiative to discover common humanity, awaken compassion and nurture cultural diversity in the Greater Seattle area. 

Amineh grew up in Syria and Kuwait, and worked & traveled extensively throughout the West Bank and Gaza in various years, and during the Israeli armed incursions in 2002. She studied economics and public health at UW, Hebrew at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Health and Human Rights, and Ethics in International Health Research at Harvard University.

Links:
www.peacesculpture.org
http://my.compassionateactionnetwork.com/photo/albums/middle-east-peace-sculpture

Related video clips by Amineh Ayyad

Dying to Live
Clips from Dying to Live, a documentary film by Amineh Ayyad about health and human rights in Palestine. Shot in 2002 during the Israeli incursions and siege.  Music composed and recorded for film by Seattle-based composer Semih Taren.  Interviews with Drs: Mustafa Barghouthi (Palestinian Medical Relief Society),
Eyad El Sarraj (Gaza Community Mental Health Program),
Salyha Ihsan (PMRS medical student volunteer),
and Ruchama Marton (Israeli Physicians for Human Rights). 

The film also addresses the role of local and international volunteers in delivering health service & humanitarian relief, and in the protection of human rights in war zone.

Related Pages

adaptinternational
Photojournalism
Refugee Art
Besieged
Sculpture
Sponsors
Support

5/16/2012 12:53:40 PM