The Role of Social Institutions in Enhancing the Culture of the Right of Return /Yafa Cultural Center at Balata Refugee Camp as an example

Abstract

This study focuses on one of the essential questions in the life of the Palestinian refugees, it is the role of social institutions in enhancing the culture of the Right of Return. In this matter, the Jaffa Cultural Centre is an eloquent example. We will analyze its objectives, activities, and the programs it offers for the achievement of such objectives.

The study’s aim was to obtain knowledge on the role of the Jaffa Cultural Centre through its activities and actions offered since its establishment, in order to know the impact they had on the participating individuals. Thus, this analysis enabled us to get an insight into the participants feelings, thoughts, and behavior with relevance to their attachment to their homeland. On the issue of the fate of the refugees, the Israelis have nourished their future on the consideration that “the Old will die and the Young will forget”, causing the breach between the refugee and his homeland.

Among the numerous activities that the Centre proposes we have selected a few which constitute the backbone of its programs: the group tours, like the “Know your Land” program, the exhibitions of photos and cultural heritage, the internet communication between children refugees and those in the Diaspora, theatre plays, popular arts, such as the ‘A’edoun group’, the talks, the seminars and the workshops, the festivals and public manifestations.

The Questionnaires used were built around three themes: 1) basic data about the participants; 2) their degree of participation in the Centre’s                activities; 3) the effects of these activities and actions on enhancing the   culture of the Right of Return as expressed in their feelings, thoughts and behavior. The questionnaire aimed at obtaining data about the degree of their participation in the activities, their interaction with them and the type of activity which appealed most to the participants.

The results from this survey were the following:

The activities of the JCC have a great effect on the culture of the Right of return of the Palestinian refugees in the Balata camp at the levels of their feelings, thoughts and behavior. Data obtained revealed a strong                 involvement on the part of the participants at all levels and in all activities (93.67%). Feelings held the first place in this rating, then the thoughts and then behavior.

The greater their involvement in the activities the stronger was their attachment to the Right of Return accentuating their feelings and their behavior concerning their homeland

The activities in general, of whatever kind, have a deep effect on strengthening the attachment to the Right of Return

Discrepancies were found at the level of the thoughts and behavior between the two genders. The male participants reached higher scores in thoughts and behavior, however, at the level of feelings the scores revealed no significant differences.