Ramallah

Oxford and Ramallah signed a formal Twinning Agreement in 2019. This signing recognised a 15-year friendship link created by the Oxford Ramallah Friendship Association. Oxford Ramallah Twinning coordinates events and activities to increase cultural awareness and understanding between the two cities through individual visits and organisational exchanges, some of which are documented here.

Aleksandra Magdziarz joined Oxford-Ramallah Friendship Association three-and-a-half years ago. Through her photography and videography, she wants to promote Palestinian cultural and natural heritage and to further campaign for urgent political change in the region.

Nikki Marriott's aim in these photographs is to try to capture moments of connection between people in Oxford and Ramallah; her images bear witness to times when we learnt a little about life in Palestine and the hardships of living under occupation.

In 2008 a group of eight young people took part in a (self- funded) visit to Palestine and met our friends in Al Amari Refugee Camp. They visited the Women's Program Centre in this United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) camp and participated in a women and photography workshop with eight women from the camp.

In 2018 a group of young women, dancers of Dabke, visited Oxford with a full programme of performances. Dabke is a traditional dance form which combines circle dance and line dancing. It is widely performed throughout the Levant at weddings and other celebratory occasions. As an energetic expression of Palestinian culture, it also acts as a demonstration of resistance to the occupation.

The success of the 2018 dance visit sparked the process of Oxford working towards the official Oxford Ramallah Twinning link, which has now been achieved.