Union of Agricultural Work Committees

The Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) is a Ramallah based Palestinian non-profit organization that was established in 1986 to improve the performance and professionalism of Palestinian farmers. The Union also aims to help Palestinian farmers market their produce and provides agricultural employment opportunities through a framework of cooperation with domestic, Arab, and international agricultural development institutions.[2]

"UAWC" redirects here. For other uses, see UAWC (disambiguation).
Union of Agricultural Work Committees
Founded at1986[1]
TypeAgricultural development institution[1]
Websiteuawc-pal.org

Established in Jerusalem in 1986 by a group of agronomists loosely affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)[3] it is one of the oldest Palestinian non-governmental organizations.[4]

In 1993, UAWC developed its organizational structure, consisting of a general assembly, board of trustees, general director, and two executive directors; one for the West Bank and one for the Gaza Strip.[5]

UAWC initially focused on forming Agricultural Cooperatives and Committees in the different Palestinian rural areas of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.[6]

UAWC is a member of the Palestinian NGOs Network and supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel.[7]

Funding

UAWC receives funding from governments and aid organizations, including the European Commission, World Vision Australia (WVA), AusAID, and FAO. UAWC has worked with international and local organizations like Action Against Hunger, Oxfam,[8] Save the Children,[8] NARC, and LRC.

In February 2012, the Israeli law organization Shurat HaDin alleged that UAWC was a front for PFLP and that WVA and AusAID were providing financial aid to PFLP. Letters sent to these organizations warned them that they were "personally, criminally and civilly liable under Australian and US law" which could include "liability for future terrorist attacks carried out by the PFLP."[8] A spokesperson for WVA said that there was no evidence to support the allegations but that WVA had suspended its dealings with UAWC pending the outcome of an investigation into the matter.[8] UAWC denied that it had any links to PFLP.[9]

WVA and AusAID resumed working with UAWC after an investigation into the allegations found them baseless.[9] Shurat HaDin, however, continued to threaten legal action against WVA.[9] In a letter to Shurat HaDin, WVA described its allegations as unsubstantiated and in some cases defamatory.[9]

Affiliate of PFLP

In July 2020, the Dutch government announced that it had suspended funding to UAWC over allegations that it has links to PFLP. The allegations came from the Israeli NGO Monitor, a group that examines nongovernmental organizations involved in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. According to the allegations, UAWC has used money to pay two men Israel accuses of carrying out a bombing in the West Bank that killed an Israeli teen.[10][11]

Awards and honours
  • UAWC won the Food Sovereignty Prize in October 2014[12] which is awarded by the US Food Sovereignty Alliance, an American NGO established to mobilize and educate US and international activists on the "food crisis".
  • In November 2014, the UAWC won the Equator Prize for its role in sustainable development and fight against poverty through its Seed Bank project initiative.[13] The award was given by the United Nations Development Agency (UNDP) in New York.

Notes and references

Citations
  1. European Youth Portal.
  2. Goals
  3. Robinson 1997, p. 54.
  4. Hass 2009.
  5. http://www.uawc-pal.org/
  6. and Resistance.php Establishment and Resistance
  7. Palestinian civil society applauds UK Co-operative movement decision to end trade with companies involved with Israeli violations of international law
  8. Le Grand 2012.
  9. Pollard 2012.
  10. The Times of Israel 2020.
  11. Pfahler 2020.
  12. http://foodsovereigntyprize.org/the-honorees/
  13. http://www.equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=818&Itemid=1031&lang=en#union-of-agricultural-work-committees-–-palestine

Sources
  • Pfahler, Lennart (2020-07-26). "Terror im Westjordanland: Rina (†17), ihre Mörder und das Geld aus Europa". DIE WELT. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  • "Netherlands suspends aid to group that employed suspected Palestinian terrorists". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  • "Union of Agricultural Work Committees". European Youth Portal. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  • Hass, Amira (January 22, 2009). "Palestinian farmers are being treated like criminals". Haaretz. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
  • Le Grand, Chip (February 18, 2012). "World Vision to investigate terror link". The Australian.
  • Pollard, Ruth (October 19, 2012). "Australian aid projects in Gaza under threat". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  • Robinson, Glenn E. (1997). Building a Palestinian state: the incomplete revolution. Indiana University Press. p. 54. ISBN 9780253210821. union of agricultural work committees palestine.
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