Tomorrow, 11 November, at 9:15 p.m., the Aula Magna of the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences of the Braga Regional Centre of the Portuguese Catholic University will host a meeting dedicated to the current situation in the West Bank, with the presence of Nicolas Ghobar and Hala Yacoub, two Palestinian Christians deeply involved in the reality of that territory.
The initiative is promoted by the Academic Centre of Braga, the Collective for the Liberation of Palestine, the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network - Portugal and the UCP Regional Centre of Braga itself. Admission is free.
Hala Yacoub, a journalist and human rights defender from the West Bank, has used writing and activism to raise awareness of daily life under occupation and the unshakeable faith of Palestinian Christian communities.
Her message seeks to bring peoples and religions closer together, inviting Christians around the world to unite in a common commitment to justice, dignity and peace.
Nicolas Ghobar, a member of the parish of the Church of the Annunciation in Beit Jala, near Bethlehem, is in Portugal to promote olive wood crafts from the Holy Land, an ancient tradition that helps to support several Christian families and religious communities in the region.
In the heart of Bethlehem, where more than two thousand years ago the Star that announced the birth of Jesus shone, 37 Christian families are dedicated to producing these unique pieces, transforming faith into art as a means of livelihood.
Each piece is much more than craftsmanship; it is a silent prayer, a seed of hope sown in the Holy Land.
The proceeds from the sale of these pieces go entirely to supporting and sustaining the small Christian community in Bethlehem, which today represents only 1% of the local population.
These pieces are available until Christmas at the parish of Nossa Senhora dos Mártires in Lisbon. On Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, the page/profile ‘Estrela de Belém Artesanato’ showcases the pieces and explains the charitable destination of the funds raised from their sale.
