Olive trees have been a major part of Baha’s practice as an educator and community organizer. His talk will focus on the significance, history, and place of olive trees in Palestine, as well as the different methods used by the state of Israel to destroy this ancestral staple and tradition. Baha will share his project Preserve, which is curated by Emily Jacir, and supported by CHRA. Preserve focuses on the preservation and repair of the olive terraces at Dar Jacir, an arts and education center in Bethlehem.
Baha Hilo is a native Palestinian and a graduate of Birzeit University with a degree in Sociology. He has worked with human rights, and advocacy groups including the United Nations, the Badil Centre for Residency and Refugee Rights, the National Council of the YMCA in Sri Lanka, and the Silver Bay Association in NY, amongst others. He is co-founder of The Citadel – 1865, a cultural space in Beit Sahour. As an educator, Baha runs “To Be There,” an initiative that offers educational programs about the history and culture of Palestine, including the annual Olive Harvest, Palestinian Land Day, Christmas in Palestine, and more.
Moderated by Fouad Asfour, University of the Witwatersrand
Olive trees have been a major part of Baha’s practice as an educator and community organizer. His talk will focus on the significance, history, and place of olive trees in Palestine, as well as the different methods used by the state of Israel to destroy this ancestral staple and tradition. Baha will share his project Preserve, which is curated by Emily Jacir, and supported by CHRA. Preserve focuses on the preservation and repair of the olive terraces at Dar Jacir, an arts and education center in Bethlehem.