Welcome to The National's weekly newsletter Beshara, where we share the most positive stories of the week.
From the Cannes Film Festival’s red carpet to the meadows of the occupied West Bank, resistance and symbolism are overarching themes in this week’s roundup of powerful stories.
Cate Blanchett's Jean Paul Gaultier custom white, black and green dress made headlines this week against the red carpet at Cannes as it was interpreted to be a message of solidarity for Palestine.
Other forms of support were more loud and clear, like Norway, Ireland and Spain’s official recognition of a Palestinian State.
But beyond the global headlines and away from the public eye exist other forms of resistance that are worth highlighting as they leave a direct, long-lasting positive impact on the lives of those affected.
Without further ado, please meet the heroes of the week who are fighting back against injustice in more ways than one.
Yours truly,
Fatima Mahmoud
‘Agricultural resistance’
Young Palestinians in the West Bank are farming in greenhouses as an act of resistance amid a rise in settler attacks and army raids on villages near the separation fence with Israel. Hundreds of fresh graduates have created agricultural co-operatives to make a living, reconnect with their roots and harvest their land under occupation. More than 700 co-ops have sprung up in the West Bank so far. They employ more than 40,000 people amid a wave of youth unemployment.
“Working on the land is rooted in resistance to the occupation: if we remain steadfast, the occupation finds it much harder to take it from us,” Adham, a young farmer, tells The National.
Read the full story here.
QUOTED
'I am a female scientist who had a very modest upbringing and I have had to work very hard to take on these challenges. Now girls from rural areas will believe even they can do this'
Salma Bougarrani is a Moroccan entrepreneur and scientist whose company, Green Watech, uses low-tech methods to clean household waste water for thousands of people living in rural villages. She was announced the 2024 winner of the prestigious Cartier Women’s Initiative prize for the Middle East region
Empowering displaced children through coding
Local NGOs in south Lebanon are organising coding and robotics classes for displaced children who have been out of school since October amid hostilities with Israel. The classes are held at the Hotel Montana, in the village of Marwanieh, where the owner is hosting displaced families free of charge. Teachers say the classes help children pick up critical digital skills and build logical thinking while also giving them a chance to disconnect from the daily anxieties of living in an active conflict zone. Medical experts have reported seeing an increase in anxiety disorders and depression among displaced people in south Lebanon. Around 100,000 people have left their homes amid the fighting.
‘Definitely it is getting them away from the stress they are living in … and learning things they never learnt in schools,’ says Rania Said of humanitarian aid charity World Vision.
Read more here.
On letting go and learning from the past
Egyptian world No 2 Nouran Gohar speaks to The National about what finally helped her clinch the squash World Championship title after losing three consecutive finals and despite starting off the season with an injury.
“I had reached a point where I was like, ‘I’m OK if I end my career today without winning a World Championship’. So I think it took off some pressure that I was putting on myself,” she told The National. "Not thinking about it too much this year, and thinking about the process itself of winning matches, that definitely helped me big time."
The athlete also said she's "grateful for everything" - the good and the bad - as it all "paid off in the end".
Full interview here.
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SNAPSHOT
Discover the stories behind the most captivating photos of the week
IMPACT ON INSTAGRAM
HIGHLIGHTS
| UAE schools win awards for training teens in mental health first aid | |
| AI checks detect cancer twice as quickly as humans | |
| UAE's floating hospital provides treatment for 180 Gazan patients |
