Arts festival commemorates Alrowwad's 20th anniversary

Alrowwad recently organized the third Aedon festival at the Russian Cultural Center in Bethlehem city, with the participation of three Palestinian arts crews as a conclusion to events Alrowwad has been organizing since the beginning of March to commemorate its 20 anniversary.

Head of Alrowwad’s administrative board Azhar Abu Srour welcomed the audience and stressed on the necessity of holding Palestinian cultural and arts festivals to support Palestinian culture and arts.

Azhar noted that despite the lack of potentials that art crews need to deliver their message to local and international societies, they are determined to use all means possible to spread Palestinian culture and arts.

The title of the festival ‘Aedon’ which means ‘we will return’ is to confirm Palestinians’ determination to return to their lands in which they were displaced from and to maintain the Palestinian culture and identity from all attempts to Judaize it by occupation, she added.

On the other hand, general director and founder of Alrowwad Abdulfattah Abu Srour said that Aedon festival is the third one that Alrowwad has organized for the third consecutive year, noting that it included performances by three different Palestinian arts crews from different areas of Bethlehem.

He said that the festival had a message to deliver which is reviving the Palestinian folklore dance and to confirm that Palestinian traditional dancing Dabka is still alive in the memory of Palestinian people.

The festival was concluded by Alrowwad administrative board’s gesture in honoring a number of Alrowwad’s partners and friends along with a number of governmental directorates.

The performances of the festival were carried out by three Palestinian arts groups of Alroowad, Shorouq and Juzoor.

Numerous other local leaders attended the event. These included director of ministry of culture’s directorate in Bethlehem Zuhir Tmizi; director of media directorate in Bethlehem Faiq Murshid; general director of local governance Rushdi Radaida; head of Dawha municipality Rafaat Jawabra; director of UN offices in the southern district Amjad Abu Laban; director of social affairs’ directorate in Bethlehem Badran Bdeer; director of ministry of interior’s directorate in Bethlehem Sameer Atta; UN director of Aida and Beit Jibreen refugee camps Ibrahim Abu Srour; representatives of social and local institutions and a large audience of residents of Bethlehem.