Questions about ORSCP? Get the FAQs here!

The Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project is proud to offer a series of pastel works created by artists in Rafah though the Palestinian Artists Association.

Welcome to the Olympia-Rafah
Sister City Project’s official website

For the last three years, community members in Olympia, WA, and Rafah, Palestine, have been working togehter to create a lasting, sincere partnership to better foster understanding between people who have not traditionally had a chance to get to know one another. It is our belief that by forming such bonds between communities, misunderstandings can be overcome and distances and differences whether they be cultural, linguistic or political can be bridged. We believe these sorts of humanistic, people-to-people connections are vital to creating a world in which all people are treated with respect.

Learn more about:

Life under occupation

(Culled from Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer)

The people of Rafah and all Palestinians in the territories of Gaza and the West Bank, for that matter — live under Israeli military occupation. They are not citizens of Israel or of any state, and have no rights of protest or redress. The occupation is a violent daily reality, in which Israeli soldiers, checkpoints, tanks, helicopter gunships, and F-16 fighter jets control every aspect of Palestinian lives, and have brought social, family and economic life to a virtual halt. What we often hear described simply as “the violence” in the Middle East cannot be understood without an understanding of what military occupation means.

Be Rafah’s pal

Are you one of the scads of people out there lurking on myspace.com? If so, consider becoming a myspace friend with The Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project and displaying it’s myspace profile proudly on yours in your “top 8″ section.

Meetings in Oly

Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project meetings are on the 1st Thursday of each month at The Olympia Center (222 Columbia Street) at 7 p.m. Get updates, find out how to participate and share your ideas. Contact ORSCP.