The UNRWA Reform Initiative (URI) was launched by The Center for Near East Policy Research, which has been conducting news investigations and producing films since 1987. Their current project focuses on policy change at UNRWA, The United Nations Relief and Works Agency. It is understood that the Arab-Israeli conflict is no where near an end, however, The UNRWA Reform Initiative’s objective is to p
ut an end to the humanitarian crisis facing descendants of Arab refugees from 1948, who wallow in UNRWA refugee facilities under the notion they will “return” to villages from 1948 – which no longer exist. UNRWA’s schools educate over half a million students with the sentiment that they must fight to take back their villages and land, by arms of force, a full contradiction of UNRWA’s slogan “Peace Starts Here.”
Recently in the Gaza Strip during a regular inspection, 20 missiles were found in an UNRWA school, making this the second account of weapons found in UNRWA operated schools. “‘UNRWA schools were established to educate children in Gaza, but instead they are providing a hiding place for rockets meant to kill children in Israel,’ said Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who also slammed the world body for returning the missiles found in UNRWA schools back to Hamas.”
Yet another account of rockets were found in an UNRWA school in the Gaza Strip, making this the third account of weapons founds in UNRWA operated schools. Israel has repeatedly stated that it’s been fired on from around UNRWA schools and considering UNRWA admits the presence of rockets in its facilities, it’s hard to deny the Israeli claim. The Center for Near East Policy’s July 2013 documentary, Camp Jihad received attention from news agencies world wide, politicians and UNRWA itself. In summer camps near Nablus and in the Gaza strip, The Center’s Palestinian TV crew captured UNRWA campers singing songs of martyrdom, UNRWA instructors describing Jew as “wolves” and UNRWA camp counselors leading campers in chants for the right to “return” to Israeli cities such as Haifa and Tel Aviv. The United Nations cannot change UNRWA programs unassisted. UNRWA operates under assistance of 38 donor nations, who could use their financial power to request that UNRWA reforms their programs and curriculum to rightfully reflect their slogan of “Peace Starts Here” and start to put peace and reconciliation on their agenda. In 2013, a total of $1,108,898,129 was donated to UNRWA. $294,023,401 of those 2013 donations were contributed by the United States. The agenda of URI is to petition legislators of all donor nations to ask that UNRWA funding be predicated on a change in UNRWA policy. In reality, every citizen of every donor nation can take the initiative to reform UNRWA, by asking each respective legislature to require that UNRWA; Not use textbooks or teachers that encourage children to engage in acts of war, stop support for designated foreign terrorist entities such as Hamas, cease promotion of the “right of return” through “armed struggle”, and adopt internationally accepted UNHCR definitions of refugee status, and not to bequeath refugee status on descendants of refugees from 65 years ago. The Center For Near East Policy Research will continue to dispatch experts in order to conduct high-profile briefings for legislators of nations that fund UNRWA, so that policy makers of these donor nations will become aware of the UNRWA war education curriculum and call for a reform.
