About This Event
What does it mean to maintain civil society, public health, and social infrastructure under total blockade and catastrophic destruction? How do Palestinian grassroots organisations continue to combat systemic poverty and sustain human dignity when basic survival is targeted daily?
Join us at Cross St Chapel on Tuesday 13th October at 7:00 PM for an urgent, direct, first-hand public meeting featuring Mohsen Abu Ramadan, one of Palestine’s foremost specialists in civil society, economic development, and human rights.
Having lived through months under the ongoing military campaign in Gaza, Mohsen Abu Ramadan brings invaluable first-hand testimony on:
- Civil Society as Infrastructure: The vital role of non-governmental networks, mutual aid, and humanitarian response in Gaza—including the legacy and modern operations of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and the Dr Haidar Abdel Shafi Centre.
- Gaza Before and During the Crisis: A critical historical and economic analysis of life under siege prior to October 2023, compared with the catastrophic reality on the ground today.
- Combating Poverty & Systemic Deprivation: How civil society attempts to address unprecedented poverty, food insecurity, and social collapse under total blockade.
- Organising Solidarity: What civil society globally, and communities across the UK, must do to turn awareness into effective action and political accountability.
Following the presentation, there will be an open Q&A session with the speaker.
About the Speaker
Mohsen Abu Ramadan is a leading Palestinian economic researcher, human rights defender, and civil society strategist with decades of experience in development work across the Gaza Strip. He is the Director of the Dr Haidar Abdel Shafi Centre for Culture and Development in Gaza and former Director of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organisations Network (PNGO)—a coalition representing hundreds of Palestinian civil society groups.
Event Schedule
- 6:30 PM: Doors Open & Registration
- 7:00 PM: Welcome & Opening Remarks
- 7:10 PM: Keynote Address by Mohsen Abu Ramadan
- 7:50 PM: Audience Q&A / Panel Discussion
- 8:25 PM: Closing Remarks & How to Get Involved locally
- 8:30 PM: Networking & Event Close
Accessibility & Venue Information
- Venue: Cross St Chapel, Cross Street, Manchester, M2 1NL.
- Transport: Located in central Manchester, easily accessible via St Peter’s Square or Market Street Metrolink stops.
- Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible with accessible facilities on site.
- Safety & Support: All attendees are asked to respect the space and participate in a spirit of solidarity and respectful dialogue.
