ACTION ALERTS!
----------------------------
Big public campaign - details on website, TheStruggle.org
Within a matter of days we have to get a big public
campaign going to put pressure on the Israeli
government to stop its threats against Dr. Mazin
Qumsiyeh. He is being targeted because he is active
in his home town of Beit Sahour, where Palestine is
trying to stop a Jewish-only settlement from being
built in his West Bank city.
Qumsiyeh is currently in the U.S. on a speaking tour.
However, on March 2 at 1:30 a.m. the streets around
his home in Beit Sahour were surrouned by Israeli army
vehicles and soldiers came to his house only to be
informed that he was out of the country. We fear that
when he returns this month he will be put in
"Administrative Detention," (months without charges or
trial under awful conditions).
For more details and a list of all the things we must
do, please go to website below. We should be able to
prevail. After all, our President has called for a
settlement freeze!!!
Go back to TheStruggle frequently as we will be doing
constant updates.
TheStruggle.org
THIS WEEK'S EVENTS
SUNDAY, MAR 7, 2010
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Ethical Society of the Boston presents:
POETICS &
POLITICS OF PRACTICE ENGAGEMENT IN AFRICAN ETHNOLOGY
Sunday morning, March 7 at 10:30am
Spiegel Auditorium,
56 Brattle St, Cambridge (Harvard Square T stop)
Speaker: MICHELLE KISLIUK, Assistant Professor,
University of Virginia at Charlottesville
Program is Free, Coffee and Discussion to follow.
We are in the midst of a post-colonial shift, a
zeitgiest, not only in arts, culture, and scholarship,
but in the politics of every day life. The speaker
will address how this shift bears on what we as
scholars & artists, teachers & everyday actors may do
by reflecting on her experience melding "fieldlife"
and "worklife" in her fields of study.
More info:
call 617-739-9050 or visit BostonEthical.Org
---------- Sunday ----------
The Community Church of Boston Sunday Speakers Forum
presents International Women's Day
Lebogang Ramafoko: 'The Challenges of Women Today: A Voice from the South'
Sunday March 7, 2010, 11am
Community Church of Boston
565 Boylston St. (Copley Square)
Lebogang Ramafoko is Senior Executive of Media at Soul City, a world
renowned South African-based not for profit that harnesses the power of
media for health promotion and social justice. Soul City pioneered an
innovative prime time television series that addresses various health and development issues. Linked to the television drama is a radio drama produced and broadcast in all the South African languages and various educational booklets. The television series, the radio series and the booklets all deal with the same social issues during each season. The media products are part of a broader health promotion and social change campaign that involves other key stakeholders, including government.
On a more personal level, Lebo is a single mother of two children and a
survivor of emotional domestic abuse. She spoke out about it in 2008, during the "16 days of no violence against women and children" celebrations on national TV. The story was also covered in the Mail and Guardian Newspaper during the same period (December 2008). As a known media person in South Africa (due to her other work in a youth sexuality programme called Take 5) her story was an inspiration to many women who suffer in silence.
This week's forum is co-sponsored with the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.
www.communitychurchofboston.org
---------- Sunday ----------
The Honduran Project and Centro Presente
invite you to an informative discussion about the
current situation in Honduras
Sunday, 7 March 2010 4:00 p.m.
Centro Latino de Chelsea
267 Broadway, Chelsea, MA
Join us to hear from Jesuit priest Ismael Moreno,
Director of Radio Progreso, a Honduran community radio
station that promotes the free expression of ideas and
provides a venue for democratic discussion in
Honduras.
There will be poetry and music by artists in
solidarity with the Honduran people.
Directions/parking info:
centrolatino.org/directions.php
For more information contact:
Tito Meza, Proyecto Hondureņo (617) 610-3784
Patricia Montes, Centro Presente (617) 959 3108
---------- Sunday ----------
MONDAY, MAR 8, 2010
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Trial of Vijah Shah's lawsuit against Secret Service agents for racial profiling (Shah v. Holloway and Czellenz)
starts Monday March 8, 2010, about 10am
Courtroom 1 - Judge Woodlock
Moakley Federal Courthouse, One Courthouse Way, South Boston
walk from South Station or take the Silver Line bus from South Station
After selection of the jury, the trial begins around ten.
[TJR team: Listeners need to fill the court!]
Vijay Shah was racially profiled and unlawfully detained by the Department of Homeland Security's Secret Service and Boston Police during an anti-war rally during the Democratic National Convention in 2004. The trial in Vijay's civil lawsuit against two of the Secret Service agents will be starting on Monday morning at the Moakley courthouse. Vijay would appreciate supporters attending the trial.
There is an article from the Boston Phoenix from 2004 about what happened to Vijay and others at the DNC at
http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/other_stories/multipage/documents/04097838.asp
There is a new article about Vijay's lawsuit at http://www.indiawest.com/readmore.aspx?id=2067&sid=1
For more info contact Vijay Shah
VSproject09@gmail.com
vijay888@lycos.com
---------- Monday ----------
Picket Line Rally Supporting Immigrant Workers Demanding Justice
Monday March 8, 2010, 12 Noon - 1 pm
at Popeye's, 21 Brookline Ave., Kenmore Square, Boston
In the past weeks the Popeye's workers have negotiated an agreement with representatives of the Kenmore Square Popeye's restaurant to pay the wages that the company owes them. Popeye's has not complied with the agreement they have signed and so the workers are returning to their campaign. They need your support!
Sponsored by Centro Presente
Supported by AFSC Project Voice and Jobs With Justice
More information:
Mariela Alvarez at Centro Presente (617) 629-4731 x225, malvarez@cpresente.org
www.massjwj.net/content/take-action-popeyes-workers
---------- Monday ----------
City of Boston Community Worskhop on Climate Action
Monday, March 8, 2010 4:30pm (registration & dinner)
5:30pm-8:30pm (workshop)
Boston Lodge of Elks No 10
West Roxbury Elks Club, 1 Morrell St., West Roxbury
Interpretation available on request in American Sign Language, Spanish and Vietnamese
Advance registration is required.
The City of Boston is organizing a series of community workshops on climate change to get citizen input for the new Climate Action Plan. The workshops will be interactive, with many opportunities to give feedback that the Boston Climate Action Leadership Committee and the Community Advisory Committee on Climate Action are supposed to use to make recommendations regarding the Climate Action Plan.
The Target Neighborhoods of the Mar 8 workshop are West Roxbury, Hyde Park, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain. While the City is targeting outreach by neighborhood, people may attend any workshop they would like.
Sign up:
www.cityofboston.gov/climate/workshops.asp
---------- Monday ----------
Peter Schumann 'Bread and Puppet Theater'
Monday March 8, 2010, 7pm-9pm
Bartos Theater, Wiesner Building (Building E15), MIT
20 Ames St., Cambridge
Five minute walk from Red Line 'Kendall Square' T station
Free and open to the public
MIT Program in Art, Culture and Technology
Spring 2010 Lecture Series
The Theatrical. The Performative. The Transformative.
Peter Schumann, legendary founder of Bread and Puppet Theater will present a short "fiddle lecture" illustrated with cantastoria banners. Moderator John Bell, long-time collaborator of Bread and Puppet Theater, will discuss with Schumann the theater's use of public space, technology, the concept of progress, and the relations between puppet theater and modernism. The evening will end with a drum and fiddle performance.
Peter Schumann studied and practiced sculpture and dance in Germany. He moved to the USA in 1961 and founded Bread and Puppet Theater in New York City in 1963. The company worked to address political issues through hand and rod puppet shows and giant puppet parades. Schumann moved to Vermont with Bread and Puppet Theater in 1970, where he continues to build puppets, create shows and giant outdoor spectacles and perform locally and internationally, and to bake bread, grow garlic and split firewood.
The lecture is moderated by John Bell, an ACT Program Artist in Residence, puppeteer, scholar, teacher, and former performer with Bread and Puppet Theater for over a dozen years.
More info:
theatricalfields.mit.edu
visualarts.mit.edu
vap@mit.edu
617-253-5229
---------- Monday ----------
TUESDAY, MAR 9, 2010
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"Inside the Activist's Study"
featuring Amy Goodman and David Goodman
Tuesday March 9, 2010, 6pm
Barnum Hall, Room 008, Tufts University, Medford, MA
Featuring Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now! and David Goodman, investigative reporter. This new series brings together prominent journalists, actors, filmmakers, and a wide-array of activist leaders. The Goodmans will have a lively discussion centered on how the promise of media can bring about social change. Modeled on the popular, similarly titled television series, Inside the Activist's Study will feature in-depth interviews and afford time for much audience participation.
Sponsored by Tufts University Peace and Justice Studies and the Communications & Media Studies Program
[The Truth & Justice Radio team suggests using critical thinking when listening to these well-funded semi-mainstream media figures.]
For more info contact:
Julie Dobrow (617) 627-4744 or Dale Bryan (617) 627-2216 dale.bryan@tufts.edu
ase.tufts.edu/cms/announcements.html
flyer: ase.tufts.edu/cms/Inside%20the%20Activist's%20Study,%203-9-10.pdf
---------- Tuesday ----------
The Palestinian and Arab Caucuses at HKS present:
Film: "Slingshot Hip Hop" (2008)
Tuesday,March 9th, 6:30-8:30 PM
Starr Auditorium, Belfer Building,
Harvard Kennedy School
Dessert will be served!
"Slingshot Hip Hop" weaves together the stories of
young Palestinians living in the occupied Palestinian
territories and inside Israel as they discover Hip Hop
and employ it as a tool to surmount divisions imposed
by the Israeli occupation and by poverty. From
internal checkpoints and walls to gender norms and
generational differences, this is the story of young
people crossing the borders that separate them.
In Arabic with English subtitles.
[TJR team recommends!]
This event is sponsored by KSSG and by the Palestinian
and Arab Caucuses at HKS.
cacboston.org/events-o.htm
More information about the film:
www.slingshothiphop.com
---------- Tuesday ----------
WEDNESDAY, MAR 10, 2010
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City of Boston Community Worskhop on Climate Action
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 4:30pm (registration & dinner)
5:30pm-8:30pm (workshop)
Metcalf Ballroom, George Sherman Union,
Boston University, 775 Commonwealth Ave.
Interpretation available on request in American Sign Language, Portuguese and Spanish
Advance registration is required.
The City of Boston is organizing a series of community workshops on climate change to get citizen input for the new Climate Action Plan. The workshops will be interactive, with many opportunities to give feedback that the Boston Climate Action Leadership Committee and the Community Advisory Committee on Climate Action are supposed to use to make recommendations regarding the Climate Action Plan.
The Target Neighborhoods of the Mar 10 workshop are Allston, Brighton, Fenway, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Kenmore, South End. While the City is targeting outreach by neighborhood, people may attend any workshop they would like.
sign up:
www.cityofboston.gov/climate/workshops.asp
---------- Wednesday ----------
THURSDAY, MAR 11, 2010
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Wadi'h Halabi presentation at China Study Group
Thursday March 11, 2010, 6:30pm
Center for Marxist Education, 550 Mass. Ave., Central Square, Cambridge
Wadi'h Halabi, Economics Commission, CPUSA: Report on recent conferences and discussion in China, and efforts to build US-China and worldwide union cooperation and necessary tasks.
We are fortunate to hear a presentation by Palestinian activist Wadi'h Halabi regarding his recent trips to China. Wadi'h visits frequently and has discussions with some high level policy people, . That's why his presentations are special. Save up all the questions you can think of -- don't be shy!
contact Duncan McFarland
mcfarland13@gmail.com
---------- Thursday ----------
Film: "Slingshot Hip Hop" (2008)
Thursday, March 11, 2010 7:30pm
Tufts University, Medford
Olin Hall Room 011
Free and open to the public
Come early to reserve your seat!
"Slingshot Hip Hop" weaves together the stories of
young Palestinians living in the occupied Palestinian
territories and inside Israel as they discover Hip Hop
and employ it as a tool to surmount divisions imposed
by the Israeli occupation and by poverty. From
internal checkpoints and walls to gender norms and
generational differences, this is the story of young
people crossing the borders that separate them.
In Arabic with English subtitles.
Part of the Layali Cinema Series at Tufts University:
Music of the Arab World.
[TJR team recommends!]
More information about the film:
www.slingshothiphop.com
campusmaps.tufts.edu/medford
---------- Thursday ----------
FRIDAY, MAR 12, 2010
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"Dirt!", The Movie
Friday March 12, 2010, 7pm
The Jamaica Plain Forum
First Church in Jamaica Plain Unitarian Universalist,6 Eliot Street, Jamaica Plain
ten minute walk from Orange Line Forest Hills or Green Street Station
It's under our feet and under our fingernails, but what is it? And how did it get there? Inspired by William Bryant Logan's acclaimed book 'Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth', find out how industrial farming, mining and urban development have led us toward cataclysmic droughts, starvation, floods and climate change. Dirt is a part of everything we eat, drink and breathe. Which is why we should stop treating it like, well... dirt.
Co-Sponsored by Independent Television Service
Contact: Liz Wambui
Phone: 617-477-8630 ext. 301
E-Mail: lizw@ips-dc.org
jamaicaplainforum.org
---------- Friday ----------
'A Celebration: The Radical Ideas of Howard Zinn'
Friday, March 12, 2010 -- 7pm
Community Church of Boston , 565 Boylston St., Boston, Copley Square
Program: Short video, a presentation by an anarchist activist and a socialist activist, music, and a lively debate to understand the revolutionary message of Howard Zinn.
Sponsored by the Sacco & Vanzetti Commemoration Society, BAAM, Anarchist Black Cross, Community Church of Boston, Mass. Global Action, Socialist Party Boston, May Day Committee, and Greater Boston Stop the Wars Coalition.
More info and downloadable flier:
www.saccoandvanzetti.org
---------- Friday ----------
SATURDAY, MAR 13, 2010
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Take to the Streets for Shuhada Street
Saturday, March 13, 2010, 1:00 pm to 4:10 pm
Location: TBD (see UJP's website)
Shuhada Street used to be the principal street for
Palestinians in the city of Hebron, including
residents, businesses and a very active market place.
Today, because it runs through the Jewish settlement
of Hebron, Shuhada Street is closed to Palestinian
movement and is a ghost town which only Israelis and
tourists are allowed to access. Hate graffiti has been
sprayed across the closed Palestinian shops and
Palestinians living on the street have to enter and
exit their houses by climbing over neighbor's roofs.
Actions around the world are demonstrating what it's
like for streets to be occupied. We won't rest until
Shuhada street is open and the occupation of Palestine
is over.
justicewithpeace.org/node/1094
---------- Saturday ----------
Celebrating a Century of International Women's Day
Potluck: ALL UNPAID LABOR PERFORMED BY MEN
The Democracy Center
45 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq T-stop)
Saturday March 13 6-9pm
$10 admission includes food, child care and short movies.
The overwhelming burden of unpaid labor in society
falls on the shoulders of women. At this event, all
food will be cooked and served by men, all child care
will be provided by men, and all clean-up will be done
by men. (We apologize ahead of time for bad food and
unruly children.)
This event should be a fun way to facilitate informal
discussion about socialism, women's liberation and
strategies for our movements in difficult times.
Host: Boston Socialist Alternative
---------- Saturday ----------
OTHER EVENTS
SUNDAY, MAR 14, 2010
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Film: "Just Married" (Israel, 2005)
A film by Ayelet Bechar
First Parish in Cambridge UU Church
3 Church St - Cambridge (Red Line Harvard Sq T-stop)
Sunday, March 14, 2010, 7:00 pm
Suggested donation $5.00
Film showing will be followed by a discussion of
Israel's apartheid practices.
"Just Married" is a documentary film about Israel's
apartheid marriage laws that discriminate against
Arabs and Palestinians. Israel's 2003 "Citizenship
Law" states that residents of the Palestinian
territories may not enter the Jewish state, even if
married to an Israeli. So what happens when a
Palestinian falls in love with another Arab -- who
happens to live in Israel?
Deftly managing to be intimate without being
intrusive, Bechar's award-winning documentary follows
the plight of two couples who fall into this legal
void and who struggle with myriad uncertainties after
deciding to marry despite the prohibition against
their living together in Israel. Among many
breathtaking and heart-wrenching scenes is one, worthy
of Orwell, in which an Israeli official delineates the
exact application process a couple must follow -- only
to casually mention how their application will then be
denied.
Sponsored by:
UJP Palestine Task Force
Justice in the ME Task Force at First Parish Cambridge
Code Pink Greater Boston
Jewish Voice for Peace, Boston Chapter
www.justicewithpeace.org/node/1053
---------- Sunday ----------
Jobs With Justice
Rally for Just and Humane Immigration Reform
Sunday, March 14
For time and location, go to massjwj.net
massjwj.net
---------- Sunday ----------
MONDAY, MAR 15, 2010
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City of Boston Community Worskhop on Climate Action
Monday, March 15, 2010 4:30pm (registration & dinner)
5:30pm-8:30pm (workshop)
Roxbury Center for the Arts,
Hibernian Hall, 182-186 Dudley St., Dudley Square, Roxbury
Interpretation available on request in American Sign Language, Spanish and Haitian Creole.
Advance registration is required.
The City of Boston is organizing a series of community workshops on climate change to get citizen input for the new Climate Action Plan. The workshops will be interactive, with many opportunities to give feedback that the Boston Climate Action Leadership Committee and the Community Advisory Committee on Climate Action are supposed to use to make recommendations regarding the Climate Action Plan.
The Target Neighborhoods of the Mar 15 workshop are Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, Jamaica Plain. While the City is targeting outreach by neighborhood, people may attend any workshop they would like.
Sign up:
www.cityofboston.gov/climate/workshops.asp
---------- Monday ----------
ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Boycott of Israeli Products and Services
(1) IDENTIFYING RETAIL PRODUCTS MADE IN ISRAEL
Examine the UPC ("Universal Product Code") section of the product's
label. (This is a bar code with 10-12 numeric digits at bottom.) If the
FIRST THREE DIGITS are 729, the product is made in Israel. (The "7"
will appear to left of the leftmost bar in the bar code.)
HTTP://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-israel.php
(2) LIST OF COMPANIES WITH CONNECTIONS TO ISRAEL:
26 prominent companies with links to info
http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-israel.html#list
(3) BRANDS & LABELS TO BOYCOTT:
123 prominent brands and labels with links to info
http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-brands.html
____________
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US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
How You Can Sustain the US Campaign
To generate more momentum and bring us closer to our
goal, we need sustained support. That's why we're
asking you to join our Olive Branch Club and make a
regular monthly tax-deductible contribution of $5-$200
per month.
____________
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Support MA Senate Bill (S931) on Fusion Center Oversight
Do you know about the Fusion Center?
It knows about you.
Please take a moment to ask your state legislators to
co-sponsor Senator Harriette Chandler's new bill -- An
Act Regarding the Commonwealth Fusion Center and Other
Intelligence Data Centers -- filed on behalf of the
ACLU of Massachusetts.
So what is the Fusion Center anyway?
In the aftermath of 9/11, then-Governor Mitt Romney
enlisted Massachusetts in a national plan to
centralize and expand the government's ability to
collect and retain detailed information on ordinary
Americans, for the professed purpose of preventing
terrorism.
Without public debate, Romney established the
Commonwealth Fusion Center, a multi-agency data-mining
hub which enables federal, state, and local law
enforcement agencies to comb through information about
Massachusetts residents and engage in domestic
intelligence collection beyond the bounds of ordinary
criminal investigations.
Take action now! Find and contact your legislators.
Urge them to support Senator Chandler's bill to
provide oversight of the Commonwealth Fusion Center.
Historically, unregulated database-driven policing has
led to broad surveillance of completely lawful
activities, including protected First Amendment
activity -- and it's happening again in Massachusetts
in 2009.
The Fusion Center operates today with virtually no
independent oversight, without adequate privacy
protections, and without necessary protections for
constitutional rights. With your help, we can -- and
must -- shine a light on the Fusion Center's
operations and insist that any intelligence operations
in Massachusetts be conducted in keeping with
established civil liberties principles.
ACLU Announcement on Fusion oversight bill.
____________
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The Employee Free Choice Act is critical to our
economic recovery. Good union jobs helped build
America's middle class. This legislation will rekindle
the American Dream by leveling the playing field and
empowering workers to form unions and bargain for a
better life.
That's why greedy CEOs are terrified of this bill. One
top executive has called it "the demise of a
civilization." And they're fighting with underhanded
tactics, misleading ads, shady front groups and, of
course, big budgets.
But we can win if enough of us get involved. Members
of Congress have a weeklong break this month, and
we've planned hundreds of lobby meetings at their home
offices. Imagine those workers handing over our
petition and being able to say, "Two million people
support the Employee Free Choice Act."
a href=http://freechoiceact.org>Move us closer to 2 million signatures--it just takes
one minute.
____________
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Disgrace for Democracy, Israel is detaining right now
40% of the Palestinian MPs who represent the people
Disgrace for Democracy: 51 Palestinian MPs and
Ministers are Detained in Israeli prisons along with
11.870 Palestinian citizens
A serious crime and new political slap in the face for
democracy is committed by the Zionist system against
representatives of the Palestinian people by the
abduction of the Palestinian ministers and MPs.
The latest of which was the arrest of MP Ahmed al-Haj
from the city of Nablus on 16/12/2007. Al-Haj is over
Seventy-years old.
Earlier on the 10th MP Dr. Maryiam Saleh Minister for
Women in the Palestinian government has been abducted
too. Dr Mariyam is a member in the Legislative Council
from Ramallah governorate.
The Minister of Palestinian Prisoner is in prison
since many years... for the fifth time.
There are more than 11,870 Palestinian prisoners in
Israeli prisons, 117 of them are mothers. Some give
birth while chained, and their children are forced to
live in the cells where they do not live their
childhood or play or go out.
I don't have to tell you about lack of healthy
conditions, or medical negligence. Some prisoners are
denied warm clothes sent to them by their families.
They are held in 30 different prisons, and detention
centers. 1189 prisoners are schools, collage, and
universities students of both genders, 330 of the
detained are children. Not only the students were
detained, but their teachers too, there are 107
Palestinian teachers in Israeli prisons. 1150
Palestinian prisoners suffer acute illnesses.
A large number of the detained are denied visits by
family members.
Thousands of Palestinian detainees in the Negev desert
prison and other detention camps such as Ofer prison
near the town of Ramallah, Hawara, Qadumim, Megiddo,
Nafha, Beer Sheva, Ashkelon and other prisons are
shivering from the cold under waves of rain and
snowfall coming from northern regions of the world
especially that some are detained inside tents made of
cloth surrounded by walls open to the cruel cold of
the desert, living in wet tents caused by snow falls
and rain, sleeping on boards made of wood which gets
soaked wet.
Soon, April 17th is the International day of
prisoners. I hope you can join in denouncing what the
Israeli government is doing to those prisoners, and
demand their release to join their families.
Do not rely on journalism to get the news, journalists
were the first to be attacked and harassed so that you
do not know what was going on.
The records documented 1147 aggressive attacks on
journalists by the Israelis. Only between 28th of
September 2000, and 31st of March 2007.
Please sign the petition and buy those prisoners some
happiness.
We are hoping to get at least 11.000 signitures, one
for each prisoner, and present this petition to
International Human Rights bodies like Amnesty
International, and United Nations. Please Circulate
this petition to all the people you can get the
message through to them. It is about time we show
solidarity for each other on human level.
Sponsored by:
Iqbal Tamimi Creator of Palestinian Mothers Network
____________
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Israel's recent war on the occupied Gaza Strip brought
death and destruction to Palestinians, and a windfall
for war profiteers. Around the world, people are
standing up and saying "No more" by boycotting and
divesting from corporations that profit from Israel's
human rights abuses. The people of Stockholm have
severed their contract with the transit/waste removal
corporation Veolia due to Veolia's involvement with
Israel's settlements, and British Telecom company
FreedomCall has ceased their cooperation with Israeli
counterpart MobileMax due to the war on Gaza.
Join this growing global movement for boycotting,
divesting from and sanctioning (BDS) those who support
Israel's military occupation of Palestinian
territories by becoming an organizer for our Hang Up
On Motorola campaign. Motorola makes a lot more than
cell phones - they also make at least four products
that directly support Israel's occupation of and
assaults on Palestinians. This is why we've created a
tool-kit for boycotting Motorola until its products
are no longer used by Israel to abuse Palestinian
human rights.
Why Motorola?.
Bomb Fuses: Motorola Israel sells fuses
that the Israeli Air Force uses in its MK-80
series of bombs. On July 30, 2006, during
its war on Lebanon, the Israeli Air Force
dropped an MK-84 bomb on an apartment
building in Qana, Lebanon, killing at least
28 civilians.
Communication Devices for Occupation:
Motorola's $100 million "Mountain Rose"
communication system enhances the
efficiency of Israeli occupying forces.
Patterns of human rights violations in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories include,
but are not limited to, the killing and
injuring of civilians, torture, extra-judicial
assassinations, deliberate destruction of
civilian infrastructure, acts of collective
punishment, and economic warfare.
Surveillance Devices for Israel's Illegal Wall:
Motorola supplies the "Wide Area
Surveillance System" (WAAS) to monitor
and maintain Israel's illegal wall,
constructed in violation of the July 2004
International Court of Justice (ICJ)
advisory opinion. This wall is perhaps the
strongest symbol of Israeli Apartheid,
carving the West Bank into Bantustans.
Surveillance Devices for Israel's Illegal
Settlements: Motorola has made $93
million providing radar detection devices
and thermal cameras for 47 illegal Israeli
settlements on Palestinian land.
Israel's confiscation of Palestinian land, its
illegal settlements, illegal wall, and
continued occupation would not be
possible without Motorola's compliance.
____________
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Film: "Occupation 101"
A "Must See" That Untangles the Web of Lies
The truth is buried about Israel's occupation of
Palestine through sophisticated repetition of
irrelevant rhetoric, distorted shuffling of time and
placement of people's histories and other devious ways
of keeping many afraid to form an opinion or act on
outrage.
Well, here's a good cure for that - pick up a copy of
Occupation 101 and you won't have to worry about being
on any fences in regards to this issue. This highly
informative video documentary will keep your mind
attentive and clear all cobwebs in the brain by
getting to the root cause of violence from the
occupier and resistance from the occupied, all
embellished with current examples and very pertinent
comparisons to Apartheid South Africa.
A thought-provoking and powerful documentary film on
the current and historical root causes of the Israeli
occupation of Palestine. Unlike any other film ever
produced on the conflict - 'Occupation 101' presents a
comprehensive analysis of the facts and hidden truths
surrounding the never ending controversy and dispels
many of its long-perceived myths and misconceptions.
The film also details life under Israeli military
rule, the role of the United States in the conflict,
and the major obstacles that stand in the way of a
lasting and viable peace. The roots of the conflict
are explained through first-hand on-the-ground
experiences from leading Middle East scholars, peace
activists, journalists, religious leaders and
humanitarian workers whose voices have too often been
suppressed in American media outlets.
The film covers a wide range of topics -- which
include -- the first wave of Jewish immigration from
Europe in the 1880's, the 1920 tensions, the 1948 war,
the 1967 war, the first Intifada of 1987, the Oslo
Peace Process, Settlement expansion, the role of the
United States Government, the second Intifada of 2000,
the separation barrier and the Israeli withdrawal from
Gaza, as well as many heart wrenching testimonials
from victims of this tragedy.
Tripoli Productions, DVD, NTSC all regions, 1.5 hour
plus bonus features.
leftbooks.com
____________
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From our activist friend Sandy Coy, who runs a weekly
vigil Thursday afternoons in Wayland:
I am writing to ask activists, as well as my family
and others who are not political activists, to join me
in a simple action to launch what the whole world
hopes will be a fresh start in a better direction. I
feel I must write after reading a book today that one
of my children gave me for Christmas, "Poems from
Guantanamo: The Detainees Speak."
Most of the detainees do not know these poems were
saved, declassified (much of their writing still has
not been), translated and published. But it has
happened, through the persistent work of many
volunteer legal advocates. In these poems, the
goodness of many souls and their hope in God and their
fellow men for justice comes through. Some of the
poems moved me to tears of both sorrow and shame.
But tears for them or anyone unjustly imprisoned will
do no good. Doing something as simple as writing a
brief card can actually help people who are being
unjustly imprisoned.
How? When prisoners receive volumes of international
mail, their jailers know they have lost the cover of
anonymity. This leads to better treatment for the
prisoner and ultimately their release, just to get the
public spotlight to go away.
So, here's what I am asking of myself, my family and
of you, which shouldn't take more than a few minutes:
Write out one or more cards for selected prisoners of
conscience from any of 12 countries (one is a
Guantanamo detainee) identified by Amnesty
International.
This card to a prisoner of conscience is probably
going to mean more than any other card we sent this
year.
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From the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between
People (via our correspondent Mazin Qumsiyeh):
So far hundreds of civilians have been killed in Gaza.
Five sisters in one family, four other children in
another home, two children on a cart drawn by a
donkey. Universities, colleges, police stations,
roads, apartment buildings were all targeted. The UN
Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied
Palestinian areas issued a statement that "The Israeli
airstrikes on the Gaza Strip represent s evere and
massive violations of international humanitarian law
as defined in the Geneva Conventions, both in regard
to the obligations of an Occupying Power and in the
requirements of the laws of war."
Twenty-five things to do to bring peace with justice:
1) First get the facts and then disseminate them.
Here are some basic background information
Israei Information Center for Human Rights
PNGO Condemnation of Gaza Attack
Middle East Peace
United for Peace
Electronic Intifada on Gaza Attack
2) Contact local media. Write letters to editors
(usually 100-150 words) and longer op-eds (usually 600-
800 words) for local newspapers. But also write to
news departments in both print, audio, and visual
media about their coverage.
In the US you can find
media listings in your country using search engines
like google.
3) Contact elected and other political leaders in your
country to urge them to apply pressure to end the
attacks. In the US, Contact the State Department at
202.647.5291, the White House 202-456-1111 the
Egyptian Embassy 202.895.5400,
embassy@egyptembassy.net and the Obama Transition
Team 202-540-3000 (then press 2 to speak with a staff
member).
4) Organize and join demonstrations in front of
Israeli and Egyptian embassies or when not doable in
front of your parliament, office of elected officials,
and any other visible place (and do media work for
it).
5) Hold a teach-in, seminar, public dialogue,
documentary film viewing etc. this is
straightforward: you need to decide venue, nature, if
any speakers, and do some publicity (the internet
helps).
6) Pass out fliers with facts and figures about
Palestine and Gaza in your community (make sure also
to mention its relevance to the audience: e.g, US
taxpayers paying for the carnage, increase in world
instability and economic uncertainty).
7) Put a Palestinian flag at your window.
8) Wear a Palestinian head scarf (Koufiya).
9) Wear Black arm bands (this helps start conversations with people).
10) Send direct aid to Gaza through the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
11) Initiate boycotts, divestments and sanctions at
all levels and including asking leaders to expel the
Israeli ambassadors (an ambassador of an apartheid and
rogue state).
See Palestinian call.
12) Work towards bringing Israeli leaders before war
crime courts (actions along those lines in courts have
stopped Israeli leaders from traveling abroad to some
countries like Britain where they may face charges).
13) Calling upon all Israelis to demonstrate in front
of their war ministry and to more directly challenge
their government.
14) Do outreach: to neighbors and friends directly.
Via Internet to a lot of others (you can join and post
information to various listservs/groups).
15) Start your own activist group or join other local
groups (simple search in your city with the word
Palestine could identify candidate groups that have
previously worked on issues of Palestine). Many have
also been successful in at bringing coalitions from
different constituencies in their local areas to work
together (human rights group, social and civil
activists, religious activists, etc).
16) Develop a campaign of sit-ins at government
offices or other places where decision makers
aggregate.
17) Do a group fast for peace one day and hold it in a
public place.
18) Visit Palestine (e.g. with Siraj Center for Holy Land Studies).
19) Support human rights and other groups working on
the ground in Palestine.
20) Make large signs and display them at street
corners and wherever people congregate.
21) Contact local churches, mosques, synagogues, and
other houses of worship and ask them to take a moral
stand and act. Call on your mosque to dedicate this
Friday for Gaza actions.
22) Sign petitions for Gaza, e.g.
Gaza: Stop the Bloodshed Petition.
23) Write and call people in Gaza.
24) Work with other groups that do not share your
political views (factionalism and excessive divisions
within activist communities allowed those who advocate
war to succeed).
25) Dedicate a certain time for activism for peace
every day (1 hour) and think of more actions than what
is listed above.
For support and contacts of people in Gaza or to
volunteer, please contact the Palestinian Center for
Rapprochement Between People, via gaza@imemc.org, or
call 989-607-9480 (from the US and Canada) or 972 2277
2018 (from other places).
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The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
(ICAHD) in Jerusalem has been informed that its
request for re-funding has been rejected, in high
probability because of pressure brought to bear by
right-wing Israeli neo-cons who have campaigned
obsessively against our funding while threatening
publicly to close us down.
Tax-deductible donations needed.
____________
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We have quietly been working away at TecsChange in Chinatown to refurbish computers. We recently sent one of our bigger shipments
of 15 computers to a series of radio stations in
Oaxaca, Mexico.
We work most Thurday evenings and Saturday afternoons
(1pm to at least 4 PM, usually longer)
We have one day a week where daytime volunteers come
in. Presently it's Mondays but it might change soon.
Please call if you are interested.
TecsChange Office
617-442-4456
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We now ship anywhere in the continental US; please see
our website for details . Olive Branch Olive Oil
comes directly from the Palestinian Agricultural
Relief Committees (PARC), a non-profit,
non-governmental organization in the West Bank. PARC
is a member of the International Fair Trade
Association, and is the only Palestinian organization
that has received the Palestine Standards Institution
certification for its olive oil.
Olive oil is the
backbone of the Palestinian agricultural economy.
Eighty percent of cultivated land in Palestine is
planted with olive trees, and the olive harvest
provides between 25 to 50 percent of a farming
family's annual income. As the political and economic
situation in Palestine worsens, olive oil has become a
matter of basic survival for many Palestinian
families. Buying this oil is a constructive and
tangible way to help alleviate poverty and build
peace.
Olive Branch Olive Oil is extra-virgin and
comes in 750 ml (25 ounce) green glass bottles.
Produced from the first pressing of the olives, extra-
virgin olive oil contains no more than 0.8% acidity,
and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be
no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil. Unopened
bottles of olive oil are generally good for up to two
years, and should be kept in a cool, dry place, away
from direct sunlight. Palestinian farmers
traditionally care for their trees without the use of
pesticides or sprays.
Olive Branch Olive Oil is an
outgrowth of a 2003 effort by Middle East peace
activists in the Boston area to support Palestinian
farmers. Since then, it has evolved into an ongoing
volunteer project to create a U.S. market for
Palestinian olive oil. Our goal is to make a tangible
difference in the lives of the farmers and their
families.
Any funds that are raised above and beyond the cost of
the oil, importing fees and administrative and
marketing costs are re-invested in purchasing more
oil. Out of that amount, 15% is donated directly to
worthy projects in Palestine. Past donation
recipients include:
Gush Shalom Emergency Relief Convoy
Badil
Palestinian Children's Relief Fund
Gaza Community Mental Health Program
Zochrot
Palestinian Medical Relief Committees
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
Birthright Unplugged
American Friends Svc. Comm. Middle East Crisis Fund
American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA)
Olive Harvest Coalition
Union of Palestinian Women's Committees
Ibdaa Cultural Center
Grassroots International
Taayoush
How to Order
On our website with PAYPAL
or send a check to P.O. Box 1064, Arlington, MA 02474.
Each case contains twelve (12) 750ml bottles.
Prices for local pick-up in Arlington or Cambridge:
Case price $170/case
Bulk price for 7+ cases: $150/case
Bulk price for 10+ cases: $145/case
Case price shipped within continental US: $195/case
3 Bottles shipped within continental US: $65/3 bottles
For more information.
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EVERY SUNDAY
---------- Every Sunday----------
12-1pm Amherst Peace Vigil
Town Common, Amherst
For more, contact Mark Watkins
---------- Every Sunday----------
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1:30pm Cambridge Peace Vigil
Mass. Ave., and Garden St., next to Cambridge Common.
---------- Every Monday ----------
11:45AM-12:15PM: Vigil for Gaza
Memorial Church in Harvard Yard
Harvard's Palestine Solidarity Committee will
be holding a vigil for Gaza from 11:45 am to 12:15 pm on the
steps of Memorial Church in Harvard Yard. All who care for
Palestine are invited to attend. Please wear black and spread
the word widely.
---------- Every Monday ----------
These are the meetings where we decide on events and
discuss strategies to end the war. Anyone is welcome --
from seasoned activists to beginners and we look
forward to building a dialogue with anyone opposed to
the war. Our main tenent is that we are independent of
both the Democratic and the Republican Party, such
that we can build an anti-war movement that survives
elections and continues to oppose the war, regardless
of which candidate is in
office.
---------- Every Tuesday----------
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Tuesday Weekly Anti-War Vigil 5:30-6:30pm Copley Square
---------- Every Wednesday----------
NOON-12:30 PM: Harvard-Cambridge Walk for Peace
Starts at John Harvard Statue, Harvard Yard.
Every Wednesday. All are welcome.
Meet briefly at the statue to exchange thoughts,
then walk silently around the Yard and nearby streets,
returning to the statue by 12:30pm.
---------- Every Thursday----------
5-6 PM: Antiwar Vigil in Newton
Corner of Beacon and Center Streets, Newton Center
Organizer: Newton Dialogues on Peace and War
---------- Every Thursday----------
5-6 PM: Veterans for Peace vigil
West Side Rotary, Augusta, Maine
---------- Every Thursday ----------
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9 PM: 911 Researchers Conference Call
Join the Boston Tea Party Conference call,
Participant call in: 402-756-9100; Access code: 680903#
---------- Every Friday----------
7-9 AM: Socialist Alternative Radio in Boston
Socialist Alternative Radio, 91.5 FM Boston
listen anytime on the Web at WMFO.org.
A democratic socialist, working-class view of politics and culture,
including solidarity announcements, interviews, music, and more.
Write to us at BostonSAradio@aol.com.
---------- Every Friday----------
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Noon-1PM in front of JFK Federal Building, Boston.
Join a Friday fast and/or protest in solidarity with
illegal detentions. The fast began in 2005 when Nobel Peace Laureates
Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Adolpho Esquivel, (Argentina), along with
others around the world, chose this method to seek the release of our
unjustly detained and tortured brothers and sisters.
In Boston, local activists Susan McLucas and Phoebe
Knopf have joined the Friday fast and will protest every Friday in
front of the JFK Building from noon to one. The action, which is rooted
in nonviolence, includes speakers, music, hand-outs and petitions to
create public pressure to stop all illegal detentions and to try those
responsible for the illegal treatment of thousands of detainees, most
of whom are Arab and Muslim men. Susan and Phoebe will be wearing
orange jumpsuits.
---------- Every Friday----------
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12:30 PM: Women in Black Vigil
Lithgow Library, Augusta, Maine
---------- Every Friday----------
4:30-6 PM: Protest AIPAC - every Friday
Kennedy Sch of Govnt
79 JFK St, Harvard Sq, Cambridge
Organized by AntiWar League
---------- Every Friday----------
6-8PM: *Chillin Against the Villins*
DeMilitarized Zone*
Corner of Mass ave and Boylston st!!!
On this day, Friday and from there on!, we hereby declare the
establishment of a new DeMilitarized Zone where all those who wish can
congregate to denigrate and repudiate the war machine and celebrate the
growth of the new movement from coast to coast willing to oppose the war and opression in
this country and around the world. Bring your signs, and minds, let's
chalk, talk, play music, paint art with caring and sharing and declaring
that we are "chilling *against* the villins" in this zone to show our
independence!!!!!
We declare our solidarity with the people of the Middle East who share
the misfortune of living on top of the largest oil reserves on the
planet which is the reason behind the current war on Iraq. We declare
our condemnation of those who support this criminal war commanded by
criminals who promote a criminal ideology with criminal intent and
crimes against humanity. We repudiate with prejudice the general assault
on our rights: abuses, excuses, jailings, raids, lies, spies,
xenophobia, torture, extraordinary rendition, and the general police
state system that says we must stand together and support this
generalized oppression. We are no longer the silent generation but are
now willing to Stand Apart and against the mass murdering villins who
are doin the real killin. Join us in the DMZ!!
Chillin against the villin's!!!
Our *DMZ* and our Independence.
---------- Every Saturday----------
Saturday Anti-War Vigils
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- 11-11:30am Weston, Old Boston Post Rd at School St
Traffic island with flowerpot, Contact person: Mary Shaw
- 11-11:45am Quincy City Hall
- Noon-1pm Natick Center (Rt 27 & 135)
- Noon-1pm Sudbury Town Hall
- Noon-1pm Coolidge Corner, Brookline Peace Works
- 12:30 PM Needham Center on the Green
- 1-2pm Park Street T station
---------- 1st & 3rd Saturday----------
11A-NOON:
1st Saturday of Month
Corner of Main & Moody Streets, by the Common.
Parking: On-street or the lot on Center St.
3rd Saturday of Month
Corner of Moody and Pine Streets, by Watch City Brewery.
Parking: On-street or Embassy Theatre lot on Pine Street
Useful Links (alphabetized)
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