NORWAY – Children throughout Norway to collect millions for Palestinian Children

ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS – School children throughout Norway will be sent out via “Operation Day’s Work” to collect millions for BDS NGO KFUK-KFUM Global (“Y Global”) to help mobilize protests against Israel.

Norwegian newspaper the Aftenposten reported that revenues from this year’s Operation Day’s Work, which will take place on November 1, “will go to support Palestinian youth”.

Operation Day’s Work is the students’ annual solidarity campaign where youth throughout the country work one day and earn income for different projects.

Representatives from schools across the country voted for the project under the Elevtinget,the Student Organization’s National Assembly or “Pupil’s Parliament”. It is the second largest country meeting in Norway, after the National Organization in Norway trade union association. At the meeting students from all over Norway meet to discuss “how Norwegian schools can be the best possible”.

The NGO’s application to the Student Organization’s National Assembly to be chosen for Operation Day’s Work states the project’s purpose to be “empowering youth for sustainable peace in Palestine.” It includes a detailed budget for disbursal of monies to projects like “Palestine, East Jerusalem, Gaza YWCA” costing 16,080,000 kroner, and various “evaluation”, “administration”, and “follow-up” items totaling a budget of 19,000,000 kroner.

“The entire program is based on a series of educational and awareness raising trainings and campaigns for the targeted youth.” The application states the program’s overall theme is “gender and human rights”, with extra emphasis on “transformation from passive subjects to active citizens and ending the occupation through promoting a just peace in Israel and Palestine.”

Another stated area of Y Global’s special emphasis is “challenging gender roles through transformative masculinity,” linking feminist agendas to subverting Israel by placing “a strong focus on liberation from oppression, especially for girls and young women”.

The program targets 10,900 youth (male and female) between 13-19 years old. “These youth will be both Muslims and Christians. The youth will be participants in the YMCA or YWCA, school students, members of scout groups and other youth groups. They will be from various districts of West Bank [sic], including East Jerusalem, and Gaza communities living in cities, villages, and refugee camps. In addition, some youth will also receive additional training and become trainers for others. These trainers are anticipated to reach even a higher number of youth.”