The Edina- Gaza Twinning Association (EGTA) was launched today on 1st April 2022. It is a membership-based association and open to all who seek to build bridges between the people of Edinburgh and Gaza City. Join EGTA to start working for friendship, understanding and commerce between Edinburgh and Gaza City citizens right now. This association is open to all who care about Gaza, whether they live in Edinburgh, Gaza City or elsewhere.
It is modelled on the highly successful Dundee-Nablus Twinning Association, one of the oldest in the UK (Dundee has been twinned with Nablus since 1980). EGTA will seek to come under the umbrella of the Britain Palestine Friendship and Twinning Network (www.twinningwithpalestine.net )
EGTA will be bound by the constitution, a draft version of which can be downloaded here. The Inaugural General Meeting (IGM) of EGTA will be held by Zoom at 10:00 (UK Time), 12:00 (Gaza Time) on Sunday 10th April to approve the draft constitution (available here ). The meeting will be on Zoom and will last no longer than one hour. At the IGM we shall approve our constitution and elect a chairperson, secretary, etc.
We will not charge any individual or group to join EGTA; we will operate largely on the internet using Zoom. We have already spoken to the Secretary of the Dundee-Nablus Twinning Association (which we shall mould ourselves upon- see Dundee-Nablus Twinning Association (DNTA)) and he is going to advise and support us initially.
We are setting up EGTA even though we do not have the formal support from the City of Edinburgh Council to twin with Gaza. We will continue to operate even if the Council reject the petition to twin the cities when next the Policy Committee meets to discuss it (likely in June 2022).
The objectives of EGTA would be as laid down in the constitution and as follows:
- To promote and foster friendship between the people of Edinburgh and those of Gaza City.
- To broaden mutual understanding of the cultural, recreational, educational and commercial activities of the linked cities.
- To encourage visits by individuals and groups to and from the linked cities, including children and young people and the development of personal contacts.
- To organise fund raising activities to foster the aims of the Association.
- To promote and encourage twinning projects between Edinburgh and Gaza City particularly of an educational and commercial nature.
- To endeavour to ensure that at least one twinning project goes ahead each year.
Those joining EGTA can be as involved as they wish. Like any group, there will those who are active and those who are passive. But all are welcome to join.
More on our Edina-Gaza Twinning Association page where you can see how to join