Youth organizers from Palestine will speak about the fragmentation of their society and how it affects the lives of Palestinian youth.

Find a speaking engagement near you and learn how Palestinian youth are building connections with groups in the US working on Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), and especially the HP boycott movement.

Tour Dates

• Wed., March 4th – Sat. 7th – Philadelphia
• Sun., March 8th – Mon, March 9th – Omaha, NE
• Tues., March 10th – Des Moines, IA
• Wed., March 11th – Sat March 15th – Washington D.C.
• Sun, March 15th-Tues. March 17th – New York

Bios of Speaking tour participants

• Mary Azzam is 23 years old from Shafa Amer (Palestinian town inside Israel). She holds a B.A. degree in psychology and English literature, obtained from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She is a staff member of the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, and teaches philosophy to elementary school students in Jerusalem. She also volunteers with an NGO (non-governmental organization) that works with victims of sexual and physical abuse and violence. She is also an active member in the coalition to save Liftah, one of the Palestinian destroyed villages around Jerusalem. Mary has been active with AFSC’s “Palestine Youth: Together for Change” project and is currently living in the Palestinian West Bank town of Beit Jala.
• Ayah Bashir, 26 years old, lives in Deir El Balah, Gaza, where she obtained her B.A. degree in literature studies at the Islamic University. Prior to her current job as an advocacy assistant, Ayah was a lecturer at the Islamic University and Al Aqsa University. She currently lives with her parents and her four siblings. Ayah holds a master’s degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She is a member of the Gaza-based organizing committee for BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) against Israel, a member of the PACBI Steering Committee and a member also of the One Democratic State Group. Ayah has been active with AFSC’s “Palestine Youth: Together for Change” project. She has published articles on the Electronic Intifada, Palestine Chronicle, Mondoweiss and Middle East Eye. She was born during the 1st Palestinian Intifada (Uprising) and has survived the 2nd Intifada and the three Israeli assaults on Gaza between 2008 and 2014. Ayah has recently joined Al Shabaka (the Palestinian policy network) as a policy member, and made her first contribution in December 2014.  Ayah can be followed on Twitter at: @Ayah_Gaza.
• Tamara Tamimi is 26 years old. She completed her secondary education at the Friends School in Ramallah, and pursued her higher education at Birzeit University, where she graduated with a B.A. degree in biology and a double minor in translation and English literature. Tamara has sought various careers, in youth and women empowerment, in contemporary art, and in education. Currently, she holds the position of resource development officer at PalVision in Jerusalem. Tamara has been active with AFSC’s “Palestine Youth: Together for Change” project since the establishment of the project, which attracted her for its authenticity. She strongly believes in the power of youth using the platform to take decisions freely and develop their actions further. She lives in Jerusalem with her parents, and likes to read, swim and meditate.