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TAKE ACTION
Contents:
Latest action alert - Call Madison Market re:
boycott. Sign petition.
Palestine in your
living room
Letter-Writing
Guidelines
Contact
Your Representatives
Free
Gaza Campaign
Ways
of Visiting Palestine/Israel
Archives of Past
Action Alerts
Welcome to the Action section of PSC's
web site. This page explains the work of the outreach committee of PSC-Seattle
and invites you to become involved.
There are two main aspects to our work: action alerts and a speaker
bureau.
To receive action alerts, sign
up to participate in our Response Network by writing us at outreach@palestineinformation.org.
Once you sign on, you will receive periodic alerts that will prompt you to write
to a newspaper or to your Congressional representatives. We also encourage you
to send us copies of your letters. You will find letter-writing guidelines below
[click here].
In addition to posting action
alerts, we also coordinate state-wide appearances of speakers familiar with the
Palestinian struggle for self-determination. Many of our speakers have spent
time in Palestine and Israel, often with the International Solidarity Movement
(ISM). If your church, school, or community group would like to sponsor a
presentation, please get in touch. We are also prepared to provide video/DVD
films with our presentations.
Possible topics we can discuss
include:
» History of the
conflict
» Palestinian resistance to
occupation
» U.S. support for the occupation
» Current
events (Gaza disengagement, construction of the Separation Wall,
etc) » Divestment
» Christian
Zionism
» Israeli and international solidarity
activities
» What you can do
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PALESTINE IN YOUR LIVING ROOM OR ON YOUR SIDEWALK
Palestine Solidarity Committee would love to help you discuss this issue with
your community. Invite friends over for dinner or tea and show a video and/or
host a speaker who’s just back from witnessing the occupation. All is free of
charge.
PSC will also conduct a SIDEWALK EDUCATION about Palestine and human rights if
you or your neighborhood peace group, or other social justice minded community,
would like to educate folks in your area, place of work, religious community,
park, etc.
We have signs, banners, free standing text and picture displays, flyers, DVDs,
books, and more. We can advertise your sidewalk education on this list.
For more information e-mail us at info@palestineinformation.org or call (206)
633-1086.
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PSC
UPDATED ALERT-CALL MADISON MARKET!Central
Coop/Madison Market has decided to suppress discussion of Israel’s human rights
violations. We need your help right away to show Central Coop that people in
our community care about human rights.
PLEASE DO TWO THINGS:
1. SIGN OUR ONLINE PETITION TO CENTRAL COOP/Madison Market
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/bdscentralcoop/
2. TELL CENTRAL COOP THAT YOU SUPPORT A BOYCOTT OF ISRAELI PRODUCTS, AND THAT
THE STATUS QUO IS ANTI-HUMAN RIGHTS.
(contact info is below following background information)
As part of the international campaign to bring economic pressure to bear on
Israel to abide by international human rights standards, Palestine Solidarity
Committee - Seattle (PSC) has proposed a boycott of Israeli products to Central
Coop/Madison Market, a local, consumer-owned food coop in Seattle. PSC was
cooperating with a Central Coop subcommittee process to investigate, consider,
and make a recommendation to the Central Coop Board of Trustees. Along the way,
Stand With Us, the local chapter of a national group that demands special
treatment for Israel, heard of the campaign and has used their considerable
financial and personnel resources to oppose the boycott. They mounted an
email/phone campaign, crowded into subcommittee meetings, and have stacked the
Central Coop subcommittee with new members, all demanding silence on this
issue. As a result, the Central Coop Board of Trustees has violated its own
customary procedures and ordered the subcommittee to end the investigation and
discussion. The Coop is characterizing this action as "maintain[ing] a neutral
position".
Central Coop, which considers itself a progressive organization and community,
recently quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the Coop Newsletter: “A time comes
when silence is betrayal.” Will they listen to those words, or ignore them when
there is controversy? We need to tell Central Coop that neutrality is false
when it passively supports war crimes and apartheid.
Stand With Us has recognized that this is a major campaign that can reverberate
nationally and beyond. WE NEED YOUR HELP IMMEDIATELY. They were able to
generate 300 calls and emails against this boycott. We had specifically chosen
to avoid this kind of pressure on the limited personnel of Central Coop, but now
WE NEED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THERE IS AN EVEN LARGER COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS
JUSTICE AND EQUAL RIGHTS.
1. TO SIGN OUR ONLINE PETITION go to:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/bdscentralcoop/
(You may get a pop-up window to make a donation when you sign--this is a
donation to the IPETITIONS website, not to PSC. You do not have to donate to
sign on).
We need several hundred names on this petition and we are mounting a campaign to
get them, so spread the word: this is an important opportunity to vote locally
for justice and equal rights globally.
2. CALL OR EMAIL (or both!) CENTRAL COOP.
-- TELL THEM YOU SUPPORT A BOYCOTT OF ISRAELI GOODS.
--TELL THE COOP THAT THE STATUS QUO VIOLATES PALESTINIAN HUMAN RIGHTS AND IS NOT
"NEUTRAL."
You don’t have to be a member of the Coop; they are open to hearing from
everyone. We suggest you avoid bullying tactics; be courteous but be firm.
Will you shop at a store that considers itself progressive but suppresses debate
when the subject of Israel comes up?
Central Coop phone number: (206) 329-1545
Email: info@centralcoop.coop and board@centralcoop.coop or email from the
webpage: http://madisonmarket.com/index.php?page=contact
For more background on the Central Coop campaign, read our letter of complaint
to the Central Coop Board of Trustees at http://www.palestineinformation.org/CCLett2Board.htm
The website of the Palestine Solidarity Committee is
www.palestineinformation.org . You can contact the response network with
questions or comments, or subscribe to receive other action alerts about
Palestine, by emailing us at outreach@palestineinformation.org.
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GUIDE FOR WRITING LETTERS:
Many of our alerts will be in
response to biased reporting that negatively portrays Palestinians as the cause
of the conflict. We will ask you to
write in, pointing out the flaws in those articles. It's also very important to write in to
support positive reporting. In
either case, you can email editors with an opinion or a correction of
content. In just a few lines you
can get your view across.
For example: "On Wednesday, December 8th,
you published (“title of piece”). In this article you stated that a
relative period of calm had just ended in Israel. Are you aware that
according to the Israeli human rights organization, B'Tselem, there have been 30
Palestinians killed by Israeli forces during this period of 'relative
calm?' Eleven of those killed were under the age of 16, and 22 were
noncombatants. There is never a 'relative calm' for Palestinians living
under Israeli military occupation."
Please keep the following in
mind:
(1) Write
whatever you have time and energy for. If you can
dash out a sentence or two, please do.
If you want to craft something longer and more detailed, please do. Most
newspapers have a word limit for letters to be published: Seattle Times and
Seattle PI both have limits of 200 words, for example. If
you want to write more than that and don't want to edit down, send it anyway.
(2) In your opening
sentence refer to the news story, column, or previously published letter you are
responding to by its headline (or author if it's a letter) and the date it was
published, for example: "Thank you
for covering the event at Westlake ‘Remembering the Dead’, Dec.1."
(3)
Keep the tone of your letter respectful. Passion is fine,
especially when backed up with solid facts, but avoid needlessly harsh language. Be
positive whenever possible.
(4) Resist the temptation
to respond to every point in the article, and pick one or two points to focus
on.
(5) If the article was generally positive towards Palestinians, but
you are responding to misrepresentation or bias, e.g., the paper using
“disputed territories” instead of
“occupied territories,” or stating there’s been a “period of
relative calm” because no Israelis have died in a period of time when
Palestinians have been killed, thank the paper for publishing the
article to encourage more coverage, and then make your critical points.
(6)
Send your letter to the address that we will provide in our alert. Be
timely. Responding within 24 hours is best, though within 2 or 3 days is
still okay, and letters are still noticed even after that. Include your
full first and last name, street address, and day/night telephone numbers.
Only your name and city of residence will be included if your letter is
published.
(7) Newspapers will not always publish sources or links in the
body of your letter. If you want to include references to support specific
facts, do so but be aware that they might not be included.
(8) Use
whatever relevant authority you have, for example, if you’ve had personal
experience living or traveling to the Occupied Territories, if you are
knowledgeable about the Middle East, etc. However, authority can also be
established by using correct facts and by writing a polite, logical,
well-written letter.
(9) Proofread your letter for errors. If
possible, have someone else read it for objective input.
(10) BCC or forward your
letter to us separately at alerts@palestineinformation.org.
It's important to us to know what response is generated by our efforts.
Don't
be discouraged if your letter is not printed. Every time you submit a letter you are
educating the editorial board of the paper, and you are weighing in on the side
of justice when it comes to tallying how the public received a published
piece.
If you do get published, the same paper will probably not publish you
again for a month or two. However,
please continue to write letters to the editor as numbers always count and you
will be helping another person with a similar viewpoint get
published.
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HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES:
Phone numbers and e-mail
addresses for your U.S. Senators:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Phone numbers and e-mail addresses for your Congress
members:
http://clerk.house.gov/members/index.html
E-mails
to most Congress members must be sent via their web sites. To access these
sites, enter the URL supplied below into the address bar of your browser.
Senator
Murray’s Foreign Affairs aide:
Ben McMakin in Washington: (202) 224-2621
To
fax or e-mail Senator Murray: Fax: (206) 553-0891;
E-mail: murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm
Senator
Cantwell’s Foreign Affairs aide:
Sebastian Budoh in Washington: (202)
224-3441
To fax or email Senator Cantwell: Fax: 206-220-6404;
Email:
cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html
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===========================================================================================
BREAK
THE SIEGE: FREE GAZA CAMPAIGN
The
Free Gaza project, which aims to send ships of exiled Palestinians, banned (by
Israel) internationals
and
Israeli activists working against the occupation to the Port of Gaza in May of
2008 to
deliver
much-needed medical supplies and show support and solidarity to the people of
Gaza.
http://freegaza.org/
2008: Sixty Years On
May 2008 marks the 60-year anniversary of the
Nakba, "the catastrophe", when the overwhelming majority of
Palestinians were forcibly evicted from their ancestral homeland to create the
state of Israel. In contravention of International law, human rights, and basic
principles of morality, Israel continues to deny these refugees and their
descendants their right to return home. Israel has neither acknowledged nor
attempted to amend this historic injustice that gave birth to the Jewish state.
Instead, more than 5 million Palestinian refugees languish in refugee camps,
while their homes, farms, and properties are inhabited by Jewish immigrants who
arrived in Palestine from around the globe.
The historic illegal appropriation of Palestinian land, home and heritage is at
the heart of the Middle East conflict. It has given rise to the largest ongoing
refugee population in the world. It paved the way for subsequent land theft in
1967, and the ongoing ethnic cleansing that has squeezed Palestinians in the
West Bank into ghettos and bantustans surrounded by 27-foot walls, sniper
towers, and military guards. It has created the open-air prison of Gaza with an
impoverished and overcrowded population of 1.4 million inhabitants.
This tragic event has dispossessed and disinherited Palestinians all over the
world; and a destitute population of refugees with only their memories of
Palestine, crumbling property deeds, and an undaunted will to return.
Mission Statement
We want to break the siege of Gaza. We want to
raise international awareness about the prison-like closure of the Gaza Strip
and pressure the international community to review its sanctions policy and end
its support for continued Israeli occupation. We want to uphold Palestine's
right to welcome internationals as visitors, human rights observers,
humanitarian aid workers, journalists, or otherwise.
Who are we?
We are these human rights observers, aid workers, and journalists. We have years
of experience volunteering in Gaza and the West Bank at the invitation of
Palestinians. But now, because of the increasing stranglehold of Israel's
illegal occupation of Palestine, many of us find it almost impossible to enter
Gaza, and an increasing number have been refused entry to Israel and the West
Bank as well. Despite the great need for our work, the Israeli Government will
not allow us in to do it.
What are we going to do?
We've tried to enter Palestine by land. We've tried to arrive by air. Now we're
getting serious. We're taking a ship.
For
more information, visit the Free Gaza site at http://freegaza.org/
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SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO VISIT ISRAEL AND
PALESTINE
There are many different ways to visit Israel and the Occupied Territories: with
tour groups, on professional visits, and with activist organizations. Besides
the brief list below, see our ISM section. Also, go to the U.S. Campaign to End
the Occupation's page:
http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=95
to see an updated list of tours.
NOTE:
Although an entry below may occasionally appear out of date, it's always
worthwhile to check out each organization's web site, as a most accurate way of
finding out what is being planned.
For another up-to-date listing of ways to visit
Palestine and Israel, see also the relevant section in the web site of the US
Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation: http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=95
American Jews for a Just Peace Health and Human Rights
Delegation http://www.hahrp.blogspot.com/
January 2-16, 2010
The Health and Human Rights Project (HaHRP), a project of American Jews for a
Just Peace (AJJP), announces its next delegation to Israel/Palestine, and we
encourage all who are interested to apply! The delegation will divide into two
tracks. In addition to meetings,
the health and mental health track will have the opportunity to work with health
care providers in different settings for a few days at a time.
The human rights and activism track will consist of meetings together as
a large group and customized to participants’ individual interests and
expertise. Please write to healthandhumanrights@gmail.com for more information
or to request an application. The application deadline is Friday, October 16,
2009.
Fifth Annual Bil’in Conference on Popular Resistance
- April 2010
The fifth annual Bil’in Conference on popular
resistance will be taking place on the 21-23 of April 2010.
On the week of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, the
Palestinian Popular Committees made the decision to start implementing the
International Court of Justice decision and dismantle the Apartheid Wall.
Join us on April 21st in Bil’in to network and strategize on ways to support
and strengthen the popular struggle to free Palestine and end the Occupation.
A detailed program for the conference will be sent out in the upcoming month.
For more information please contact: committee@bilin-village.org
For details on previous conferences, see: http://www.bilin-village.org/english/conferences
BIRTHRIGHT UNPLUGGED http://www.birthrightunplugged.org/
Are you thinking of going to Palestine/Israel this
summer? Are you interested in meeting Palestinian families, activists, community
leaders, and political figures, and learning about life under occupation? Are
you committed to turning education into action and working for justice? Then
BIRTHRIGHT UNPLUGGED is for you!
Announcing Birthright Unplugged’s Summer 2010
Program
Since 2005, Birthright Unplugged has facilitated travel in Palestine for
numerous multiple groups of people. We do this because we have found that when
people have firsthand experiences of and relationships with Palestine, it
strengthens their resolve, credibility, and accountability to do sustained
justice movement work.
Our 2010 program will include seven days of travel and a one-day institute.
Together, these elements are designed to support work related to the 2005 call
from Palestinian civil society for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against
Israel (BDS). This call seeks to bring about the end of apartheid in Israel, end
the occupations of Gaza and the West Bank, and implement the right of return for
Palestinian refugees. It is a non-violent strategy that has been critical to
bringing about the end of other systems of oppression, most notably apartheid in
South Africa. To date, we have worked with student activists, faith-based
organizers, and community organizers to help develop and strengthen their
respective BDS campaigns.
2010 Travel Component:
In seven days, we will visit Palestinian cities, villages, and refugee camps in
the West Bank and spend time with internally displaced Palestinian people living
inside Israel/’48. Throughout the journey, we will help participants develop
an understanding of daily life under occupation and apartheid and the history of
the region from people profoundly affected by these realities who are otherwise
under-represented in Western discourses, and learn about the dispossession and
occupation of Palestinian people.
2010 Institute Component:
For the past several summers, we have offered a short institute as a complement
to our travel program following the trip. Our workshops are designed to support
the 2005 Palestinian call for BDS by helping participants begin to integrate the
knowledge they gain on the trip and preparing them to engage in campaign work in
their home countries. There will be sessions for participants to share campaign
work currently taking place in their own communities, build organizing skills,
and develop strategies that are specific to the work they hope to do when they
return home. It is our hope that institute participants can learn from and
contribute to ongoing grassroots justice campaigns and movement work, and that
they might especially become able to invigorate current campaigns already
ongoing in their own communities.
Dates:
July 9, 2010 - July 17, 2010
Includes: 7 days of travel, 1 day of organizing workshops, and some breaks
For more information contact info@birthrightunplugged.org
(Please, note
Birthright Unplugged is in no way affiliated with Birthright Israel).
CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKER TEAMS DELEGATIONS TO PALESTINE/ISRAEL:
http://www.cpt.org/
Delegates meet with representatives of
Israeli and Palestinian peace and human rights groups in Jerusalem and Bethlehem
to gain perspective on the conflict. They will tour the "security
wall" separating Israel from the West Bank. They travel to the
tensely divided city of Hebron, where CPT has been based since June 1995, and to
the village of At-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills, where CPT has had a team
since 2004. They will visit Palestinian families whose homes and livelihoods are
threatened by expanding Israeli settlements. They experience firsthand
CPT's work of violence deterrence and human rights documentation and challenge
the structural violence of the Occupation through nonviolent witness.
Upcoming
Delegations:
April
6th to April 19th
July
20th to August 2nd
November
16th to November 29th
For more information or to apply,
contact CPT, (PO Box 6508,
Chicago, IL 60680; phone
773-277-0253; fax 773-277-0291; e-mail
delegations@cpt.org <mailto:delegations@cpt.org>
) or see CPT's
website at: http://www.cpt.org/.
CODEPINK: Women Say No to War http://www.codepinkalert.org/article.php?id=4817
CODEPINK is organizing its Peace Delegations to
Gaza, entering through Egypt.
The delegation looks at the effects of the 22-day invasion and ongoing siege,
from the devastating economic impact to the physical and mental trauma.
Participants will hear about efforts at rehabilitation and reconstruction by the
UN, NGOs and government agencies, and will lay the groundwork for the January 1
Gaza Freedom March.
COMPASSIONATE
LISTENING DELEGATION
JOURNEY
TO THE HEART ~ A COMPASSIONATE LISTENING DELEGATION
with
Leah Green & Yael Petretti.
For
more info: http://www.compassionatelistening.org
.
Experience Travel Tours http://www.rediscoveringpalestine.org.uk/Members%20-%20Experience%20Travel%20Tours.html
In
order to strengthen the voice of the international community, Experience Travel
Tours (ETT) encourages people to visit the Occupied Territories and Israel to be
eye-witnesses to the situation on the ground. No amount of reading, attending
lectures or watching films can convey an accurate understanding of the “facts
on the ground”, which are crucial to any program of advocacy. Our tours
provide a unique opportunity to gain first-hand, in-depth knowledge of some of
the latest analysis.
The tours are undertaken in conjunction with the Israeli Committee Against House
Demolitions (ICAHD).
We offer participants:
·
special opportunities to be guided by Jeff Halper, Angela
Godfrey-Goldstein, Yahav Zohar and others, right at the heart of ICAHD
·
unique access to key people - Jews, Christians and Muslims - and to
places unavailable to the lone traveller
·
in-depth analysis that examines several aspects of life today in Israel,
Jerusalem and Palestine bringing greater understanding of what is required to
achieve a just and sustainable solution for both people groups
ETT tour programmes are a rich mosaic of the political, historical and cultural
and several geographical areas are visited – the desert, the mountains, the
plains and the coast along the Mediterranean Sea.
The itinerary for each study tour varies as we attempt to respond to the current
situation on the ground.
Study tours for 2010 take place in May and November.
A specialist in-depth tour for clinicians is also scheduled for November 2010
and participants will study health care in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
For further information or an application form please contact info@experiencetraveltours.org
or telephone Pam on 0044 1235 764 754.
ETT was established in 1999 and has provided a unique experience for the
hundreds of people worldwide who have joined the tours. Numerous recommendations
are available on request from satisfied participants.
FREE GAZA MOVEMENT
http://www.freegaza.org/en/hope-fleet
Free Gaza Movement will again challenge Israel's illegal closure of the Gaza
Strip and collective punishment of its civilian population.
GLOBAL
EXCHANGE'S DELEGATIONS TO PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Global
Exchange's delegations to Palestine & Israel provide first-hand exposure to
the daily struggles and realities of Palestinians living under Occupation. The
delegations strive to further the US public's understanding of the conflict by
listening to the aspirations and frustrations of Palestinians, by examining the
dimensions of the human rights crisis under Israeli rule, as well as learning
from Palestinians and Israelis who are working for a just peace and an end to
the Occupation.
Upcoming
Tours:
July
3rd - July 13th, 2010
October
1st -11th
December
4th-14th
For more information you can contact Global Exchange
See
also http://www.globalexchange.org/tours/byCountry.html#15
and
http://www.globalexchange.org/tours/957.html
(800-497-1994 x. 251) or email
palestine@globalexchange.org
GREEN OLIVE TOURS http://www.toursinenglish.com/
Daily tours to all parts of Jerusalem and
the West Bank. A mix of cultural and political tourism that will bring you to
the heart of Palestinian society. Many of the tours visit refugee camps,
settlements, and see sections of the Separation Barrier. Participants have the
opportunity to meet with Palestinians, spend time in villages, volunteer, or
visit the Bedouin.
Pick from scheduled day-trips:
http://www.toursinenglish.com/2008/01/israel-west-bank-palestine-alternative.html
or book a private tour:
http://www.toursinenglish.com/2007/11/private-tours.html
- one day or a multi-day experience.
Serving Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah, Jenin and more.
Contact director Fred Schlomka
http://www.toursinenglish.com/2007/11/contact-tours-in-english.html
with your questions. Tel +972-54-693-4433
Fred Schlomka
Director
Green Olive Tours
www.greenolivetours.com
www.toursinenglish.com
A social enterprise in Palestine • Israel • West Bank
INTERFAITH
PEACE-BUILDERS DELEGATIONS TO ISRAEL AND PALESTINE
http://www.ifpbdel.org/upcoming.html
Fellowship of Reconciliation Interfaith Peace-Builders Delegation Fellowship of
Reconciliation's Interfaith Peace-Builders sends delegations to Israel and
Palestine so that U.S. citizens can see the conflict with their own eyes.
Participants have the opportunity to learn directly from Israeli and Palestinian
nonviolent peace/human-rights activists, to spend time in Palestinian and
Israeli homes, and to experience the situation of Palestinians living under
military occupation. Visit the Fellowship of Reconciliation for more
information.
Upcoming Delegations
July 24th - August 6th, 2010
October
30th - November 8th, 2010
See:
http://www.interfaithpeacebuilders.org/upcoming.html
Apply today: http://www.ifpbdel.org/upcoming.html
For more information, contact the IFPB office directly by phone
(202-244-0821) or email office@ifpbdel.org.
INDIGENOUS YOUTH DELEGATION TO PALESTINE
The Indigenous Youth Delegation to Palestine is a project of a collective of
grassroots youth groups in the U.S. and Palestine. We have been committed to
connecting Native and immigrant youth in the U.S with youth in Palestine by
creating remote forums for us to reflect together and bridge our struggles. This
first-ever cross-continental exchange is an opportunity for youth to learn first
hand from each other by sharing tools of empowerment and education. Our journey
to Palestine is part of an on-going process of connecting the shared experiences
of Indigenous peoples across the world for the ultimate goal of land rights,
justice and peace. Our trip is planned for August 2-17, 2009.
For more information: http://indigenousdelegation.wordpress.com/
INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT
The International Solidarity Movement
(ISM) is a Palestinian-led movement
committed to resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using
nonviolent, direct-action methods and principles. Founded by a small group of
activists in August, 2001, ISM aims to support and strengthen the Palestinian
popular resistance by providing the Palestinian people with two resources,
international protection and a voice with which to nonviolently resist an
overwhelming military occupation force.
International Volunteers stand side by side with villagers in places like Bil'in
as they continue their struggle to save village land from Israel's apartheid
wall.
For further information on the ISM, go to the ISM website www.palsolidarity.org
and http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/about-ism/
E-mail: contact info@palsolidarity.org
ISRAELI
COMMITTEE AGAINST HOUSE DEMOLITIONS DELEGATIONS TO
ISRAEL/PALESTINE
Every year hundreds of Palestinians are forced from their homes, homes built on
land they own. They watch helplessly as Israeli bulldozers and pneumatic drills
destroy in minutes both the physical structure called home and all that a home
provides to a family. The Israeli government claims that these houses are
illegal because they have been constructed without building permits; however,
the Israeli authorities refuse to grant building permits to Palestinians. In
reality the destruction of these homes facilitates Israeli territorial expansion
and construction of the Wall, both illegal under international law.
Annually since 2003, ICAHD has made it possible for internationals and Israelis
to join together with Palestinians in Anata, East Jerusalem, to resist the
Occupation and rebuild the demolished home of a Palestinian family.
ICAHD organizes numerous projects designed to engage the Israeli and
international public with the issues of occupation and the path to peace.
Through a combination of grassroots political activity, people-to-people
programs and informational campaigns, we are able to influence public policy.
Projects include House Rebuilding, Public Information, Alternative Tours,
Exhibits, and Organizing a Civil Society Presence.
ICAHD's 2010 Summer Rebuilding
Experience takes place from July 19-August 1, 2010.
In addition to construction, there is a full program including field trips and tours, cultural events, such as films and dance, meetings with activists, artists, intellectuals, and leaders, and so much more.
For more information go to http://www.icahd.org/eng/
See also "Experience Travel Tours" above
JOINT
ADVOCACY INITIATIVE
The
Joint Advocacy Initiative has initiated campaigns to highlight the daily
oppression and injustice suffered under Israeli occupation. These campaigns
target local and international partners to help raise awareness and solidify our
partnership in the struggle for peace and justice. By sponsoring an olive tree,
participating in the Boycott - Divestment - Sanctions call or purchasing local
Palestinian products, you can help the Palestinians Keep Hope Alive.
www.jai-pal.org
Among other activities, the Joint Advocacy Initiative of the East Jerusalem
YMCA and YWCA of Palestine (JAI) and the Alternative
Tourism Group (ATG) organizes an Olive Picking Program in Palestine.
See http://www.jai-pal.org/content.php?page=695
MECA
DELEGATION
Middle East Children's Alliance Delegation to Palestine/Israel
On MECA's delegations take you on a geographic, political, historical and
cultural tour of Palestine/Israel by MECA staff people. We travel by van to
witness the impact of the Israeli occupation and visit organizations working for
justice and equality. You learn about refugees, land confiscation, political
prisoners, women's initiatives, mental and physical health issues, civil rights
in Israel, and the lives of children. Group generally stays at the guesthouse of
MECA's long-time partner Ibdaa Cultural Center in Dheisheh Refugee Camp, near
Bethlehem. Ibdaa is a lively place in the heart of the community with great food
and comfortable accommodations.
For more up-to-date information on upcoming
activities, see http://mecaforpeace.org/article.php?list=type&type=52
Contact: Deborah Agre at 510-548-0542 or Deborah@mecaforpeace.org
THE
PALESTINIAN SUMMER CELEBRATION
Come
to Palestine
Palestine is the place to visit, learn, share, and be a witness
Come and celebrate Palestine! The Palestinian Summer Celebration is a
unique annual program that gives people from all over the world the chance
to encounter the life, culture, and politics of Palestine. Learn Arabic and
study Palestinian history at Bethlehem University, spend time with local
families and volunteer with a community organization.
June 13th to August 9th, 2010
For more information please visit: http://www.sirajcenter.org
George S.
Rishmawi
Coordinator, Siraj, Center For Holy Land Studies
Beit Sahour, Schoold Street
P.O.Box 48
Palestine
Email: george@sirajcenter.org
Tel: +972 2 274 8590
Fax: +972 2 274 8774
Mobile: 0599 180 872
USA number: 1 989 607 9480
SABEEL/FRIENDS OF SABEEL
FAITH-BASED TRIPS AND CONFERENCES:
ABOUT SABEEL: Sabeel is an ecumenical grassroots liberation theology movement
among Palestinian Christians. Inspired by the life and teaching of Jesus Christ,
this liberation theology seeks to deepen the faith of Palestinian Christians,
promote unity, justice and love. Sabeel also works to promote a more accurate
international awareness regarding the identity, presence, and witness of
Palestinian Christians as well as their contemporary concerns. It encourages
individuals and groups worldwide to work for a just, comprehensive, and enduring
peace informed by truth and empowered by prayer and action.
For
a listing of faith-based travel and conference opportunities see Sabeel's site:
http://www.fosna.org/conferences_and_trips/AlternativeTravelOpportunities.html
Upcoming activities include
Sabeel's Fifth International Young Adult Conference
July 21st to August 1st 2010, Jerusalem
Application Deadline June 1st, 2010
Our Vision: To provide young adults with an alternative pilgrimage experience
For more information go to http://www.sabeel.org/pdfs/2010%20Conference%20Flyer.pdf
Contact: Sabeel-Jerusalem
youth@sabeel.org
P.O.B. 49084 Jerusalem 91491
www.sabeel.org
PALESTINE
SOLIDARITY PROJECT
PSP is envisioned as a project dedicated to supporting
Palestinian communities resisting the Israeli Occupation. We also believe firmly
in the concept of sumoud—steadfastness—as a form of resistance. For
many of the communities we work with, simply remaining on their land in the face
of intimidation, violence, economic strangulation, and a history of forced
displacement, is an act of resistance.
What We Do
1) Demonstrations against the continuing construction of the Apartheid
Wall, Israeli-only roads and Israeli settlements in villages in southern
Palestine.
2) Removing illegal roadblocks and other structures designed to isolate one
Palestinian community from another, and preventing Palestinian freedom of
movement.
3) Joining farmers as they work their land which is in constant danger of being
“confiscated” by Israel.
4) Replanting Palestinian crops that have been destroyed by Israeli settlers,
with the aim of enabling those Palestinian communities directly affected by
settler violence to remain on their land.
5) Working closely with families affected by frequent violence from nearby
settlements by documenting the violence and providing an international presence
to deter settler assaults
For information on how you can participate, see http://www.palestinesolidarityproject.org/,
http://palestinesolidarityproject.org/about/,
and http://palestinesolidarityproject.org/join/
SIRAJ CENTER FOR HOLY LAND STUDIES
Siraj is a non-governmental organization
based in Beit Sahour, Palestine.
Siraj aims to create links between
Palestinian people and people from around the globe through educational tourism,
interfaith and ecumenical dialogue, and culture and youth exchange programs.
Through its many local connections, Siraj
works directly with communities and organizations in Bethlehem and the West
Bank.
Through its connection with the
Rapprochement Center and the Greek Catholic Church, Siraj has broadened its
impact, reaching out to grassroots communities throughout the Holy Land.
Come and celebrate Palestine, learn Arabic, study history, know the people and
their culture, share some time with local families and volunteer with a local
community organization.
Programs include: studying Arabic, History and Theology at Bethlehem
University, living with local families, volunteering with local community
organizations in addition for touring Palestine and enjoy its beauty and culture
and have a firsthand experience of the political situation.
Participants will have the chance to have Palestinian Cooking classes,
Palestinian Debkeh Dancing training, and during the program, eight films will be
screened in the Siraj office.
For more information and listing of many opportunities to vist Palestine:
http://www.sirajcenter.org/
STUDENTS BOYCOTT
APARTHEID
July 2010 -- apply by May
28th!
From: Hannah Mermelstein <hannahmermelstein@gmail.com>
Date: May 14, 2010
Subject: [hannahreports] Students Boycott Apartheid summer 2010 delegation
Dear friends,
My colleague Lubna and I (in cooperation with many others!) will be facilitating
another Students Boycott Apartheid program in Palestine this July. Below is more
information and attached is the information and application. Please pass on to
anyone you think may be interested - the application deadline is two weeks from
now, on Friday, May 28.
Thanks!
Hannah
Students Boycott Apartheid delegation to Palestine
Apply by May 28, 2010!
In the summer of 2010, Students Boycott Apartheid (SBA) will run its second
delegation to Palestine of university students, faculty, and staff who are
committed to supporting the Palestinian civil society call for boycott,
divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Israeli apartheid.
We have been inspired by the growth of powerful activism on campuses throughout
the US and beyond in the past year, and we look forward to thinking and planning
with you to make this program as useful and strategic as possible to you and to
the movement as a whole.
WHO:
We hope to travel with about two people from each of several college and
university campuses. Participants should be students, faculty, and staff who are
connected to an activist community or organization that is committed to or has
been doing BDS work on campus. Participants should have at least one year of
studies left and/or plan to be involved in the campus community for at least
another year, preferably longer. We especially encourage newer students to
apply. We encourage you and your group to think strategically about who would
benefit from this experience and most effectively use the connections made on
this trip to promote BDS on campus. For example, does it make sense on your
campus to send two people from two different campus organizations? What about a
student senator? A faculty member or advisor?
WHAT:
We will travel throughout the West Bank and ’48 Palestine (Israel), and have
conversations with activists in Gaza and those in exile as well. Through our
meetings and visits, we will come to understand the many ways that Israeli
apartheid functions, using the framework of the BDS call which highlights
Palestinian people living under military occupation, Palestinian citizens of
Israel, and Palestinian refugees. We will also meet with supportive Israelis.
We will also participate in a global student activist conference organized by
the Right to Education campaign at Birzeit University. We will network about BDS
and other student activism with Palestinian students and others from around the
world, and we will end with workshops for our group in order to think
collectively about how to make the best use of the experience upon return to
North America.
WHEN:
July 17-31, 2010
WHY:
· To strengthen individual student and faculty activists’ commitment to BDS work
and to further develop their skills and knowledge through first-hand experience;
· To strengthen the connections between students and other activists in the
North America and in Palestine;
· To help advance BDS work on university campuses in the US, strategically
promoting collective BDS and Palestinian advocacy in connection to the larger
Palestinian rights movement.
COST:
The cost will be approximately $800-$1,000 per participant. This does not
include airfare to and from Palestine. We encourage each campus to think of this
as a group investment, and to help fundraise to send people.
FACILITATORS:
Hannah Mermelstein (co-founder of Birthright Unplugged and BDS activist in NY)
and Lubna Alzaroo (Bethlehem University student), two of the founders of the
Students Boycott Apartheid program last year, will facilitate this summer’s
program.
APPLICATION:
If interested, please e-mail
studentsboycottapartheid@gmail.com for an application. Application deadline
is Friday, May 28, but please e-mail us as soon as you know you are interested,
so we can begin to get a sense of which schools are represented.
Please do not let any ID/citizenship issues stop you from contacting us. We will
try to work with you to make this possible if it seems like a good match.
We’re excited to hear from you and work with you!
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