Abir's Garden: a Safe Place to Grow Photo Gallery
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Abir Aramin, a beautiful little girl
Abir Aramin was walking home from school with her sister and their friend in the West Bank town of Anata on January 18th, 2007. Israeli Border Police drove provocatively through the school zone on the Palestinian side of the separation wall, firing tear gas, stun grenades, and rubber bullets at the children. Abir was shot in the head and died 2 days later. She was 10 years old.
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Abir's father, Bassam Aramin
News of Abir's death created a wellspring of emotion worldwide, in part because Abir's father, Bassam Aramin, is an activist and founding member of Combatants for Peace. Responses to a condolence letter online written by Women of a Certain Age came from 58 countries. The Rebuilding Alliance contacted Bassam, who asked that efforts to organize on behalf of Abir be directed to the children of Anata, in the hope that the world would help Combatants for Peace provide them with a safe place to play.
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Parents Club, Abir's School meeting after tragedy
Following the tragedy, everyone attended the meeting of the Parent's Club of the Anata School for Girls. They discussed what happened, how to press for a fair investigation, how to get the soldiers away from the school zone when the children were walking home. They also began discussing plans for a play area in memory of Abir.
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Plans for Abir's Playground: a Safe Place to Grow
Here are the plans for the playground and garden, to be constructed in Abir's memory. A landscape architect who is a member of Combatants for Peace met with the family and the Parent's Club at the Anata School for Girl to develop these plans. We start with section 5a, next we'll do section 2b.
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Parents Club meeting 2nd view
Combatants for Peace joined the Parents Club at the Anata School for Girls for their meeting. Note that the Separation Wall is constructed along the edge of the schoolyard. The Separation Wall is 26 ft high, 2x higher than the Berlin Wall, and 4x as long.
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It starts with a sandy play area
This project starts by constructing a sandy play area where Combatant for Peace will work with parents at the school to install a merry-go-round, flying rooster, seesaw, and climbing structure on a sandy play area. Here's the Merry-go-round they've chosen.
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Abir's father, mother, sister and brothers
Abir's death has been very difficult for Aramin's family. "It's extremely difficult for our other children," Aramin says, "especially at night. And for my wife, too. But I am helping them to go on in every way I can. I can't change my mind about peace. I believe in this process, to protect all the children, on both sides of the fence."
-- By Amelia Thomas | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor, from the February 15, 2007 edition
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The schoolyard we seek to transform
Here is the schoolyard at the Anata School for Girls. Combatants for Peace plans to begin its transformation as soon as possible, working weekends to clear the area then assist the construction crew with building and planting.
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Another view of the school and school yard, today
Will you help Combatants for Peace and the Rebuilding Alliance transform this schoolyard into a play area, a garden of olive trees, and someday a memorial fountain?
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The flying rooster
Here's the flying rooster that will go in the play area!
With your help something creative and beautiful will spring from this tragedy.
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