MOBILISING AROUND THE RIGHT OF RETURN Despite the systematic obstacles placed in their way, and the displacement that continues for almost a century, Palestinians remain committed to their right of return and to asserting this right. One of the most powerful demonstrations of this was the Great March of Return, a campaign launched in the Gaza Strip in 2018 to protest conditions in the Gaza Strip as well as to call for the implementation of the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their ancestral homes. From March 2018 to December 2019, every Friday thousands of Palestinians in Gaza would march in support of the right of return, in the face of live fire by Israeli forces. Globally, Palestinians have been organising themselves and their supporters to mobilise as well. BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights is one of these organisations, committed to defending and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons. Al-Awda, or The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, is a global network bringing together grassroots activists and campaigners to advocate for the right of return. There is also the Palestinian Return Centre, based in London, which plays an educational as well as organising role. And then there is the meticulous and tireless work of scholars such as Salman Abu Sitta, providing detailed proposals for the actual implementation of return.
We will not leave. We will not repeat the Nakba. We will not abandon Gaza as we abandoned Hirbiya. This time, we stay, no matter the cost. Saeed Salem, North Gaza resident
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