Negev Tours The NCF offers guided tours for international and local journalists, members of the public and students to visit Bedouin communities in the Negev. During the tours, participants meet with community leaders and experts and visit unrecognized villages. Participants learn about the various problems facing the Negev Bedouin population as well as possible solutions. The Multaka-Mifgash Cultural Center in Beer Sheva Numerous activities are held in the Multaka-Mifgash such as movie screenings, poetry readings and discussions. Examples of activities during 2009 include: Seminars on topics such as the unrecognized villages and the Bedouins of the Negev; 53 years after the Kfar-Kassem massacre, "The Israeli Left – Where is it heading?” and whether the Islamic Movement a Social, Religious or Political Phenomenon? A critical review of the Goldberg' Committee recommendations; Screening of ‘Jerusalem Moments: Small Moments of the Other Jerusalem’ (in cooperation with Ir-Amim); May First – The Workers` Holiday: Time to Unionize, Workers` Unions – Testimonies (in cooperation with Ma’an, Koach La Ovdim – Democratic Workers’ Organization and Zach) Poetry reading by Mahmoud Darwish, “Land like Language” (in cooperation with Herzog Center in Ben-Gurion University of the Negev); May First – The Workers` Holiday: Time to Unionize, Workers` Unions – Testimonies, in cooperation with Ma’an, Koach La Ovdim – Democratic Workers’ Organization, Zach. Celebration of Iftar, a common meal at the end of the day in Ramadan fast; Spoken Arabic and basic English courses for activists; Debka lessons. Printed and Email Newsletters: We produce one or two printed newsletters and three to four electronic newsletters every year to provide an overview of recent events in the Negev, relevant to co-existence, and NCF's activities. The newsletters are published in Arabic, Hebrew and English. Email list Over 1,000 supporters from Israel and abroad subscribe to receive notices about upcoming NCF activities and other significant events in the Negev. Most notices are published in Hebrew, English and Arabic. International lobbying The NCF works to heightens awareness among the international community through the United Nations (UN). NCF has presented numerous reports to the UN and has been represented before the following sessions: Ferial Abu Nadi attended the 23rd session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations to present the report ‘Bedouins and the Rights of Indigenous People’ prepared by Ilana Boteach (in 2005 in Geneva); Ferial Abu Nadi attended the 23rd session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations to present the report ‘Bedouins and the Rights of Indigenous People’ prepared by Ilana Boteach (in 2005 in Geneva); Ariel Dalumi and Ferial Abu Nadi attended the 24th session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations (in 2006 in Geneva); Ariel Dalumi and Ferial Abu Nadi attend the 69th session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (in 2006 in Geneva); Ferial Abu Nadi attended the 5th and 7th sessions of the UN Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues (in 2006 and 2008 respectively); Advocate Rawia Aburabia attended the 8th and 9th sessions of the UN Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues (in 2009 and 2010 respectively in New York). During the 9th session, Rawia meet privately with Special Rapporteur, Professor James Anaya, to update him on the situation in the Negev and read out a statement before the assembly; NCF board member, Khalil Alamor, attended the 3rd session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (in 2010 in Geneva); and NCF board member, Khalil Alamor, attended the 99th session of the UN Human Rights Committee’s review of Israel under the ICCPR to present the shadow report prepared by the NCF (in 2010 in Geneva).

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_PUBLISHEDON: 2006-05-04 (1251 _READS)