The International Center of Bethlehem (Dar Annadwa) and the Swedish Christian Study Centre in Jerusalem (BILDA) are preparing once again to welcome young, arts-focused Palestinians and Swedes to Ad-Dar Hall for the annual Dandanat Music Festival. From its beginning in 2005, Dandanat has been a place of cultural and artistic exchange between young people from Palestine and Sweden. Each year, a new group of young artists gather together to interact  

May 2008 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the Nakba - Arabic for catastrophe, the expulsion of the Palestinian people and creation of the state of Israel. However, the Palestinian Diaspora decided to commemorate it with a different image: sharing and performing hip-hop. A commemoration concert was recently held here at the Civic Center Plaza and it was free and open to the public. 

The third annual Ramallah Contemporary Dance Festival begins this weekend, and features a varied line-up of both traditional modern performances from local and international dance troupes at several venues throughout the city, as well as in Jerusalem, over the next two weeks. The festival opens on Thursday, April 17 and runs through May 6. 

The giant eucalyptus tree in front of the spacious yard of the Centre Culturel Francais (CCF) - or French Cultural Centre - in Gaza is symbolic enough. One of the last such trees that remain in the city, it stands in living memory of Palestinian appreciation of foreign cultures and in testimony to nineteen years of genuine French cultural partnership and cooperation with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. 

The Palestinian musical group Sabreen was established in 1980 with the vision of focusing on the development of the Palestinian modern song that reflects the humanitarian and cultural reality in general and the suffering emanating from the political situation in particular. Sabreen's music is derived from local sources as well as from international sources. This unique blend of musical genres and cultures continues to distinguish Sabreen's music. 

The overflow crowd in the biggest Palestinian music hall jumped to its feet, cheering and whistling as the curly haired star took to the stage. Hardly your typical vibe at a poetry reading. Poet Tamim al-Barghouti gets rock star treatment like that. The 30-year-old Palestinian-Egyptian is bedazzling audiences with texts written in classical Arabic, but packed with modern-day politics. His appeal is part charisma, part hopeful message and part proof of the survival of an old Arab art form. 

When the 2004 United States National Bench Press Champion Ahmed Abukhater competes for the world title this fall, he will be lifting under a different flag. In 2006, Palestinian-born Abukhater broke new ground as the first power lifter to represent Palestine in the World Association of Benchers and Deadlifters (WABDL) World Championship. Lifting 407 pounds, he placed fifth in the world and set a new Palestinian national record. 

A visit to the Edward Said Conservatory camp in Bir Zeit makes one think how much both Israeli and Palestinian children would benefit if they could spend their summers together, making music. During the summer, hundreds of Israeli children and teenagers take their musical instruments, say goodbye to their parents and leave home for a variety of music camps scattered around the country.