De Israelische Terreur 269

'The Sabeel Conference in Boston focusing on Israeli Apartheid over the weekend was a huge success with nearly 1000 attending. This quote from Bishop Desmond Tutu is relevant "From my experience in South Africa I know that truth-telling is hard. It has grave consequences for one's life and reputation. It stretches one's faith, tests one's capacity to love, and pushes hope to the limit.... No one takes up this work on a do-gooder's whim. It is not a choice. One feels compelled into it. Neither is it work for a little while, but rather for a lifetime - and for more than a lifetime. It is a project bigger than any one life. This long view is a source of encouragement and perseverance. The knowledge that the work preceded us and will go on after us is a fountain of deep gladness that no circumstance can alter." Bono adds a relevant point "History will be our judge, but what is written is up to us: Who we are, who we've been, what we want to be remembered for. We can't say our generation didn't know how to do it. We can't say our generation couldn't afford to do it. And we can't say our generation didn't have reason to do it. It's up to us. We can choose to shift the responsibility, or we can choose to shift the paradigm." Peace rallies over the weekend were successful and it was great to see such good turnout. Whether you were there or not, it is time to escalate our involvement/activism and there is no more relevant issue than this item below to bring peace - not only in Western Asia.)------------

Global Nakba Plans and ActionsA number of groups and coalitions have designated 2008 (beginning with November 29, 2007) as a year of Commemoration for Al-Nakba (the catastrophe of Palestinian ethnic cleansing and dispossession) AND a year of action for justice (the only route to a durable peace). From November 29, 2007 to November 29, 2008, we ask you to join groups and individuals (or create your own group) to engage in meaningful actions that creatively relate the history and the consequences of the Nakba and ensure refugees are returned for peace with justice. This includes educational actions, demonstrations on key dates, solidarity trips to Palestine, media work, lobby actions, and others. Several local groups began planning a central mass mobilization in NYC in May 2008 US national event and other events are being planned around the world. The gravity of the moment demands real collective action from many different organizations concerned with justice. Your participation and your ideas and leadership are needed now more than ever. To facilitate your involvement, this message lays out the background, statements and actions on this critical year. This is just a beginning but it can only work to bring peace (and we know it can) if EVERYONE participates and creates local actions and/or joins other actions to say "60 years of colonial oppression and ethnic cleansing are enough: Time for justice/time for peace".In this message:I) Links and background on Al-Nakba II) Call to action from Badil, Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights.III) American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee Resolution on the issue of Nakba (adopted June 2007)IV) International Coordinating Network on the Question of Palestine adopts significant resolutions that include among other things a year of Nakba commemorations and actions (Aug 2007)V) Proposal adopted by the US Campaign to End the Occupation for a year of Nakba Commemorations (adopted September 2007).VI) Palestinians in the US preparing for a conference (Palestinians are called to join in the preparatory meeting Nov 9-11, 2007 and the main meeting in August 2008)VII) Wheels of Justice planned actions and call for participation in coordination in Nakba year. You and your group can join this growing network.-------------------------------------

I) Links to background on Al-Nakba:http://www.iremember1948.org (Excellent Testimonial)
http://www.palestineremembered.com/Articles/General/Story2129.html (Short video done immediately after the expulsion of Palestinian Refugees)
http://www.acrossborders.ps/portal/Reflecting.cfm (Reflections)http://www.theunrecognized.org/ (on the continuing tragedy of Unrecognized Villages)http://www.qumsiyeh.org/chapter4/ (Background Chapter on refugees)http://www.zochrot.org/index.php?id=582 (Israeli statement on Nakba and ROR)http://www.jewishsolidarity.info/ (Jews in Solidarity)http://www.nakbainhebrew.org/index.php?id=228 (Video of Arab Women testimonies on Nakba)http://www.qumsiyeh.org/henrylowi/ (Excellent article on Partition emailed 13 October 2007)AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE WEBSITES ON THE ISSUEShttp://www.palestineremembered.com---------------------------------------II) Badil, Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights. Call to actionIn 2007 the Occupation turns 40In 2008 al-Nakba turns 60"Let's make 2007 – 2008 into 'the campaign of freedom and return'. Not just the return (al-awda) of the refugees, but also a return to the rule of law and respect for human rights."http://www.badil.org/call-en.htm

Zie ook: http://qumsiyeh.org/