Stemming from its interest in the Palestinian diaspora community and seeking ways to support and encourage them to come to Palestine to visit, invest and contribute to its development, Bank of Palestine is preparing to sponsor the Second Bethlehem Diaspora Convention, which will be held at the Jacir Palace from 11-14 July, and the Second Nablus Diaspora Convention, which will be held at the Prince Turkey Ben Abd Al Aziz Theater at Al Najah National University on 15-16 July.
Both conventions will incorporate touristic activities, bilateral meetings, workshops, and parties and events that will gather Palestinians from the diaspora with their families in Palestine. The aim of the conventions is to encourage Palestinian diaspora communities to return to their roots, learn the details of Palestinian social and economic life, and change stereotypes about Palestine and Palestinians.
Mr. Rushdi Ghalayini, the General Director of Bank of Palestine, expressed pride in the bank’s main partnership in the Diaspora Convention, which will host many Palestinians who will be coming from abroad to visit their homeland. He pointed out that this convention is one of the many endeavors conducted by the bank to involve the diaspora community in social and economic activities and events. He stressed the bank’s belief in its national and economic duties, which go hand in hand with its social duty to contribute to building strong and fruitful relations between Palestinians in the diaspora and those at home. “We aim to build bridges of communication with our diaspora communities and involve them in our cultural, social and economic life, and remind them that Palestine holds the memories of our past and the future of our children,” stated Ghalayini.
For over 10 years, Bank of Palestine has been promoting its role to communicate with Palestinians in the diaspora. In 2008, the bank, alongside many Palestinian companies, participated in several promotional campaigns to the Americas, and managed to maintain permanent contact with Palestinians abroad, participated in their events and activities, endeavored to change stereotypes about Palestine, and supported several activities implemented by the diaspora communities, especially in the Americas. Events and activities sponsored and supported by Bank of Palestine include, but are not limited to, the Palestinian Sports Club (Club Palestino) in Chile, the annual charitable event “Maklubeh” and its relevant activities, the annual Ramallah Convention in the United States, the events and activities implemented by Palestinians in the United States, Europe and the Arabian Gulf, and Al Bireh and Deir Dibwan diaspora conventions.
Ghalayini also pointed out that these activities resulted in forming many partnerships and managed to attract and encourage Palestinians from the diaspora communities to contribute to various cultural, social and humanitarian activities in Palestine. These individuals also contributed to the campaigns launched by Bank of Palestine, including the Mobile Pink Clinic, the “I want to Hear” campaign for children with hearing impairment, and co-funded Al Bayara parks project, the Zamalah Fellowship Program, the Ibtikar Fund, and many relief and humanitarian projects implemented in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Bank of Palestine developed many services especially tailored for Palestinians in the diaspora, and assigned a specialized team to attract and contact customers and provide them with financial and investment consultations. “Our representative offices offer a comprehensive selection of services that respond to the needs of Palestinians in the diaspora and provide incentives to those willing to invest in Palestine,” added Ghalayini.
Bank of Palestine opened to representative offices abroad; one in Santiago, Chile and another at the Dubai International Financial Center, with an aim to communicate with the diaspora communities in Latin America and the Arabian Gulf, provide them services, and achieve all the aforementioned goals.
“Communicating with our families abroad will allow us to benefit from their expertise and financial, cultural and educational capacities and experiences,” stated Ghalyini. “”Encouraging them to visit Palestine to invest in their motherland and contribute to the development of small and big projects will undoubtedly improve the economic situation and increase growth rates,” he added.