BuildPalestine: Under the Olive Tree BuildPalestine

In this episode, we explain the BuildPalestine Fellowship Program, alongside some of the internal discussions we had earlier this year around whether or not it was the most impactful thing for our team to be doing, given the genocide in Gaza.

Ultimately, we decided to move forward with our 2024 cohort, and received over 100 applications from across Historic Palestine, including 7 applicants from Gaza. (Note this is a correction as the audio states 120 applicants)

Our people continue to develop solutions everyday, and we are grateful that we are able to nourish them through the BuildPalestine Fellowship Program.

Stay tuned for stories from our Fellows, which will be in both Arabic and English.

Learn more about the Fellowship Program: https://buildpalestine.com/fellowship/

Sign up to become a member of Under the Olive Tree: https://buildpalestine.com/join/

Kathrine Tinggaard Nicolaisen, a marketing strategist and founder of Olives and Heather, shares her experience living in Palestine and the importance of social impact. Kathrine is originally Danish, with more than 10+ years of experience from London, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Palestine, in the fields of technology, culture, innovation, and impact.

She discusses the need to bridge traditional development work and commercial efforts to create sustainable change in Palestine. Kathrine emphasizes the importance of understanding the local culture and building relationships with Palestinians. She advises those considering moving to Palestine to assess their motivations and contributions, stay open-minded, and say yes to new experiences.



To connect with Kathrine's marketing agency: https://www.olivesandheather.com/



To connect with Kathrine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrine-tinggaard-nicolaisen/



To sign up to become a member of Under the Olive Tree: https://buildpalestine.com/join/

In this episode, we feature Omar Murra , the founder of Menabeast, an activewear brand, blending technical expertise with a love for sport to craft gear that inspires strength and resilience. The vision for Menabeast extends beyond clothing; it's about fostering a community of champions, dreamers, and believers.



** Episode is in a combination of English and Arabic**



Learn more: https://menabeast.com/



Become a member: https://buildpalestine.com/join/

For this episode, our featured member is Lina Barkawi, founder of Lina's Thob. Known creatively on Instagram as @linasthobe, Lina Barkawi is a tatreez (Palestinian embroidery) practitioner, preservationist, and educator based in Brooklyn. She fell into the artform by way of her Panamanian mother and delved head first into creating her first handmade thobe in preparation for her Katib Kitaab (wedding ceremony) in the fall of 2022. After learning about the ancestral tradition of embedding individual stories through tatreez, she launched Lina's Thobe: a one-stop-shop Palestinian women in the diaspora to go from zero-to-thobe and create something truly unique and beautiful that tells their story on a handmade thobe.



Learn more: https://www.linasthobe.com/



Sign up to become a member: https://buildpalestine.com/join/

This episode, our featured member is Najla Abdellatif , a Palestinian environmental activist from Jerusalem, who is dedicated to equipping others with the knowledge and drive to live consciously and sustainably. Through her initiative, Zero Waste Palestine, Najla raises awareness of environmental issues and inspires households to adopt waste-free and sustainable practices in the MENA region.


Learn more: https://www.zerowastepalestine.com/



Become a member: https://buildpalestine.com/join/

In this episode, we share what it means to become a member of "Under the Olive Tree" If you:

- believe in the mission of BuildPalestine

- believe in your individual role

- believe in our collective power

then we want to invite you to join!

We also share the upcoming podcast episodes that are featuring members in the community: Najla Abdellatif, Lina Barkwai and Omar Murra.



Join here: https://buildpalestine.com/join/