We, the children of Nablus, address you in an appeal on behalf of our right to education. Today, we almost mark two years of the Israeli siege on our town, villages and refugee camps. Despite the increasing restrictions imposed on our teachers and fellow students, we have been able to manage. However, this changed after several military invasions and raids on our town, villages and refugee camps, in April 2002.

We hardly finished the academic year. We hardly got through our final examinations. Those of us who studied for their high school examinations (Tawjihi) had to avoid the presence of Israeli soldiers and tanks, occupying our town. Since June 21, 2002, we have been stripped completely of our right to education.

We, the children of Nablus, are not addressing you today about the massive destruction inflicted upon our town by the occupier, about the loss of life, destruction of homes, history, water and other basic infrastructure. We, the children of Nablus, are not addressing you today about hunger and poverty or the deteriorating health conditions.

We, the children of Nablus, address you about the collective arrest of our people in their homes. During the past three months, the curfew imposed on Nablus was temporary lifted for 70 hours only. Three weeks ago, we were excited about the new academic year, which initially was to start on August 27. However, we have been stripped of our right to education.

Our parents and others have started alternative education, taking place in various neighborhoods of our town, with primitive facilities and lack of qualified teachers. Despite the curfew and occupation, our defiant challenge to the occupier, involving high risk to the lives of all involved, in particular to us, the children of Nablus, we are determined to claim our right to education.

Yet, our right to education is not fulfilled. We know that education must be both available in sufficient quantity and physically accessible, within safe physical reach. This is and can not be a replacement of proper teaching at schools.

We, the children of Nablus, who have learned a tough lesson in human rights, feel that you need to take responsibility and intervene on behalf of the children and their future. We cannot break the curfew alone. We want to open our schools. We want to feel safe when we go to school. We want to learn and play with no fear.

We appeal to those who are brave enough to safeguard universal human rights to intervene swiftly and decisively. Time is running out.

The children of Nablus, 10 September 2002