Credit: PaliRoots
https://www.paliroots.com/blogs/explore-palestine-like-never-before/the-first-intifada-the-story-of-an-unparalleled-unity

On the surface of the collage remains two hands that are reached out to each other however, barely meet. This is my interpretation of the Oslo I Accord, as Palestine and Israel seemed so close to making a decision, yet so far. Everything was literally just a spark of hope that was quickly scorched. Beneath the placement of the arms, are two photographs of the agreement made between Yasser Arafat and Yizhak Rabin through a handshake, that was quickly let loose which I attempted to demonstrate with my 3D arms. 

Finally, at the bottom of the collage lies photographs of the partition wall of which was reconstructed in 2000, to provide an insight of what is currently remains between Israel and Palestine. A wall. This concrete 60-kilometer wall divides Israel and Gaza, for Israel it is a security border. As for Palestinians, it is an invasion and breach of security.  

As for my poem, I wrote a piece from the Palestinian perspective. I collected a few stories from OCHA’s (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), 50 Stories of Palestinian Life Under Occupation and incorporated them into my poem. My poem revolves around my emotional connection with those who are living on occupied land for the past 50 years, and every day has just gotten more and more difficult for them to survive. Often times, media does not do justice in reporting incidents that are taking place in areas like Palestine, Syria, Yemen, China, Rohingya and much more. Although this poem is directly connected to Palestine, it carries the universal concept of the human right to be free. 

"They cannot intimidate us into silence about the occupation." Wow.