Epic bike-ride to aid Gaza
6 August 2009
The National Student - Five Students have overcome hypothermia to continue a 6,000 km cycle to Gaza.
Pathways to Palestine is a team consisting of Glasgow Caledonian and Robert Gordon University students who are currently covering the mammoth distance in order to raise money for neo-natal care and medical resources for burn victims in Gaza.
The much publicised Palestinian area's medical infrastructure has been heavily over-burdened since Israel's controversial air assault in January.
The initiative for the cycle, which is equivalent to nearly two Tour de France's, came from 21-year-old town planning student Eoghan Ó Quinn, a type-1 diabetic. After he learned of the restrictions on medical supplies reaching Gaza, he was keen to help out.
He said "As a diabetic, I am completely dependent on constant access to medicine. I wanted to use my fortunate circumstances to help those cut off from the outside world in Gaza."
The team's other members include John Maher, 30, a medical student; Law student, Gearóid Ó Cuinn, 29; and 21-year-old Ronan Sheehan, a pharmacy student.
They have been working with health care charity MAP (Medical Aid for Palestinians in an attempt to help the situation in any way they can. Even the teams support vehicle, driven by English and Irish students 23-year-old John Lyttle and 21-year-old Tom Watt, has been donated to a rehabilitation hospital that was partially destroyed in the January offensive.
Support team member Tom said: "Even as we prepare to reach Gaza we will continue in our efforts to raise money for our charity (MAP) via our website www.pathwaystopalestine.com All monies raised online go directly to our operations on the ground."
The students began their journey in Ireland on June 22, and aim to culminate their 16-country cycle sometime in the near future. The Gaza district they are looking to reach was bombarded by Israeli in a controversial air assault, with both sides claiming the higher ground in a conflict which has cost over 1,300 lives since January. The Israelis claim to be justified in targeting an area which they say has launched regular mortar attacks against their country; whereas the Palestinians believe the Israeli's military actions and blockade of the Gaza strip makes them morally correct. The dispute has been at the centre of Middle Eastern politics for quite some time, and will not be resolved quickly or easily, if at all. Since the conflict, university students across the UK have been active in protesting against Israel's bombardment.
Cyclist Ronan Sheehan said of the journey: "We are really looking forward to reaching Gaza. We have overcome hypothermia in France, several falls, some on busy highways where we narrowly avoided being hit by cars. We survived being chased by wild hounds in central Turkey. It's been tough, but epic."
While travelling, they have received support from around the world, including a formal motion of commendation passed by the Scottish Parliament and a reception in the Irish Parliament hosted by Irish MPs and Senators. Whilst in Israel, they met with a SPSC (The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign) delegation, who were on a fact-finding mission, and had the honour of meeting the Serbian State Secretary Marko Karadzic, part of the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, while passing through the Balkan country. Their meeting was shown across the area by public broadcaster Radio Television Serbia, the country's equivalent to the BBC.
