Oxford Ramallah Twinning: Working Together for Human Rights
Oxford City Council and Ramallah Municipality officially twinned in 2019, with mayors Musa Hadid visiting Oxford in 2019 and Mark Lygo visiting Ramallah in February 2022.
“…Oxford Ramallah Twinning…raises awareness through bringing groups and individuals from Palestine to share their stories with residents of Oxford. City twinning is an act of city diplomacy which aims to give citizens the chance to engage with their respective cultures and foster friendship, understanding and networks.” Middle East Monitor (2019)
The mayors of Oxford and Ramallah contributed to the Mandala and Ashtar Artivism Youth Theatre Digital/Live Festival, 2021.
Mayor of Oxford, Councillor Mark Lygo: “The links between the cities of Ramallah and Oxford started before the twinning (2003), and it was these links that led to the cementing of our relationship by officially having Ramallah twinned with Oxford.”
Mayor of Ramallah, Palestine, Musa Hadid: "Our relationship with Oxford is special since it’s based on our communities…This shows how human bonds are stronger than any obstacle - be it viral or Israeli occupation…demonstrating a human solidarity that exceeds borders.”
Oxford Ramallah Twinning works in tandem with ORFA, and is pleased to be part of Oxford International Links.
Read more about how this historic twinning came about.
Recent events:
- Cllr Mark Lygo's visit to Ramallah
- Mandala Theatre (Oxford) visits Ramallah
- Sheldonian Event celebrating Oxford's Twin cities
Future plans:
- 2023: Visit from the Al Am’ari Refugee Camp Women’s Centre in 2023
- 2024: Supporting Mandala Theatre (Oxford) International Youth Festival
Ways to get involved
To contact Oxford Ramallah Twinning, email [email protected]