Nur Arafeh Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network 8 Dec. 2015

I.Conceptual Framework. II.The Social and Economic Dimensions of a “Resistance Economy.” III.The Backbones of a “Resistance Economy.” IV.Historical and Present-day Experiences of Economic Resistance in Palestine. V.International Experiences of Economic Resistance.

 “Resistance economy” is a development strategy that is part of a new development model that rejects neoliberal development policies.  A counter-hegemonic strategy.  Understanding development as a political, economic, and social process of resistance.  The vision of a “resistance economy”: a free Palestine, in which an emancipated society lives.

 The goals of a “resistance economy” in Palestine: 1.Maintaining Palestinians on their land, by resisting land occupation and expropriation. 2.Ending the dependency on the Israeli economy, by resisting economic integration and unity with Israel.

The Social Dimensions: - “Resistance economy” as an emancipatory development strategy. - Based on indigenous and grassroots participation. - Important to demystify the concept of “participation” by highlighting how each sector in the Palestinian society can participate in a “resistance economy.” - Consequences : It asserts Palestinian agency, subjectivity, identity and dignity.

The Economic Dimensions One of the main economic objectives of a “resistance economy” is the enhancement of the capacity of the Palestinian economy, by: 1.Supporting productive sectors. 2.Limiting and even suppressing the flow of goods between the Palestinian and the Israeli economies=> Boycott. 3.Re-orienting investments. 1.Breaking free of the Paris Economic Protocol

A. The agricultural sector -A strategic role in maintaining Palestinian land and water under the use of Palestinians. - Enhances Palestinian productive capacity  transformation of the society from a consumerist to a productive society + food security. -Ability to generate jobs.

It is vital to ensure the recovery of the agricultural sector by: 1. Increasing the share of agriculture in the PA budget. 2. Establishing an agricultural development bank (UNCTAD- TDB, 2012). 3. Rehabilitating water infrastructure. 4. Focusing on plants that do not depend on irrigation (Mansour, 1983). 5. Strongly opposing the PA’s attempts at building industrial zones on cultivable land.

B. The industrial sector C. Deepening Palestinian trade links: The promotion of “north- north” relations (Khalidi, 2014). D. Culture/tourism industries. E. Educational Sector: - “Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” (Paulo Freire, 1970).

A.Historical experiences 1. The 1980s’ sumud muqawim development model. 2. The “economic warfare” (Gabriel, 1988, p.198) of the first Intifada. A network of grassroots committees was established. Widespread boycotts of Israeli products. Tax resistance. “Shops war.” Labor boycott.

B. Present-day experiences of economic resistance: 1. Gaza’s “agricultural resistive economy” 2. “Id’am ihtilalak” Campaign

A new economic model in Rojava, within the larger system of “democratic autonomy.” Establish independent and social communal economies by constructing self-reliance and self-sustainable structures. Economic model is based on production, and thus land (agriculture) and animal husbandry. The Agriculture and Livestock Institution. Establishment of cooperatives and communes. Small units of production and product diversification.

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