September - October 2008
No. 20
North America
Americans for Peace Now held on 21 September 2008 in New York a presentation entitled “The Impact of American Politics on Israel’s Future” by Jeremy Ben-Ami, Executive Director of J Street and JStreetPAC. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.peacenow.org
ANERA –American Near East Refugee Aid issued a press release on 16 September 2008 alerting about the severe drought crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Families living in the districts of Jenin, Hebron, Bethlehem and parts of Ramallah have had no running water for weeks this summer. In Gaza, leaking sewage tanks are polluting the water table, the streets and the sea. ANERA is installing water tanks and building rain-collection cisterns. Since 2006, it has built 177 cisterns to store rainwater, giving over 1,000 people access to 11 gallons of water a day. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.anera.org
Foundation for Middle East Peace issued a press release on 16 September 2008 informing about the opening of the Washington, D.C. Office of B’Tselem – The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories; and a presentation on 25 September 2008 entitled “Protecting Human Rights, Protecting Israeli Democracy” by Jessica Montell, Executive Director of B’Tselem USA Outreach. For further information, contact E-Mail: Mitchell@btselem.org
Foundation for Middle East Peace issued its September-October 2007 “Report on Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Territories”. The report explores the contradiction between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s statements and his Government’s policy of expanding settlements and the “West Bank Population Growth, East and West of the Barrier”. For further information, contact E-Mail: info@fmep.org or visit the web site: http://www.fmep.org
Foundation for Middle East Peace & Middle East Institute will hold a discussion on 6 October 2008 entitled “The Jerusalem Old City Initiative” (JOCI), at the Carnegie Endowment of International Peace. The Initiative was launched to pursue creative governance and management options for Jerusalem’s Old City. For four years, it is working in close consultation with Palestinian, Israeli, regional and international experts and advisors.
Jewish Voice for Peace issued a press release on 15 September 2008 announcing a new campaign coordinated with Grassroots International, Global Exchange and Code Pink to raise funds for the International Campaign to End the Siege in Gaza. For further information, contact E-Mail: info@jewishvoiceforpeace.org or visit the web site: http://www.jewishhvoiceforpeace.org or http://www.globalexchange.org
The Institute for Palestine Studies (IPS) issued a press release on 22 September 2009 containing two interviews of Mahmoud Darwish from the archives of its publisher University of California Press. The interviews will be posted for three months. For further information, contact E-Mail: palestinestudies@mail.democracyinaction.org
Europe
The Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) announced a memorial to commemorate the life of Mahmoud Darwish on 9 October 2008, with the presence of eminent Arab and international cultural figures. Poet Samih al-Qassim will be the guest of honour. The event is supported by the Arab Club of Britain, Arab Media Watch, Arab Women Association, Federation of Arab Schools, International Arab Council, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Midlands Palestinian Community Association, Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Scottish Friends of Palestine. For further information, contact E-Mail: elguindi@tiscali.co.uk or visit the web site: http://www.caabu.org
Independent Jewish Voices issued a press release in September 2008 informing about the launching of the book “A Time to Speak Out”. The book explores issues related to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The organization is composed by a group of Jewish citizens in Great Britain. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.ijv.org.uk
Oxfam International issued its weekly update on 16 September 2008 regarding the situation in Gaza, including water, electricity supply and fuel. For further information, contact E-Mail: MAbuNajela@oxfam.org.uk
Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) and Jews for Justice for Palestinians will hold the National Lobby of Parliament for Palestine on 26 November 2008 at the House of Commons, to coincide with the UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on 29 November. This year the lobby theme will be “Justice for Palestinians”. For further information, contact E-Mail: info@palestinecampaign.org or wattg@caabu.org or visit the web site: http://www.palestinecampaign.org
Palestine Solidarity Campaign will hold a side event at the Labour Party Conference on 23 September 2008 entitled “Palestine: The Way Forward”. Speakers include: Sir Gerald Kaufman MP, Richard Burden MP, Palestinian Representative to the UK Manuel Hassassian, and Ismael Patel, Chair of Friends of Al Aqsa UK.
Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Architects & Planners for Justice in Palestine, the villages of Bil’in, Jayyous, Palestine Boycott National Committee, Adalah-NY, and Jews Against the Occupation posted an article on 9 September 2008 in the Guardian, calling on the British Government to revoke plans to rent its new embassy in Tel Aviv from a major donor to Israeli settlements. The article states that the settlement of Mattyahu East along with the wall, seized more than 50% of the village of Bil’in; and the settlement of Zufim seized two-third of the village of Jayyous’ agricultural lands and six wells, effectively annexing one of the West Bank’s most fertile agricultural zones.
Palestine Solidarity Campaign also sponsors the UK tour of the documentary “Jerusalem – The East Side Story” by Mohammed Alatar, director of “The Iron Wall”. The film exposes Israel’s policy to gain supremacy and hegemony over the city and its inhabitants and the future of the city, including interviews with Palestinian and Israeli leaders, human rights activist and political analysts. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.eastsidestory.ps
World Council of Churches (WCC) held a conference from 10 to 14 September 2008 in Bern entitled “Promised Land”. The conference aired different theological approaches of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and aimed at a better understanding of the question of land in the Bible. The Amman call, issued in June 2007, put forth the urgent plea from Christian Palestinians. The conference issued the “Bern Perspective” document. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.oikoumene.org
Asia
Australians for Palestine and Women for Palestine issued a press release on 13 September 2008 supporting the bike ride sponsored by Conchango and EMC Consulting employees and partners who will cycle 200 miles from London to Paris to raise funds for the Hope and Play, which plans to buy educational laptops for children in the refugee camps and villages of Gaza and the West Bank. The group aims to raise funds for 100 laptops. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.hopeandplay.org
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem
Badil Resource Center issued a press release on 11 September 2008 announcing the call for papers for the conference on “Israel/Palestine: One State or Two?” to be held from 22 June to 24 June 2009 in Toronto, Canada. Conference speakers will be selected to represent a range of opinion, including proponents of one and two state models. The conference is being planned by legal scholars from York University and Queen’s University. For further information, contact E-Mail: onestateortwo@osgoode.yorku.ca or visit the web site: http://www.onestateortwo.com
B’Tselem issued a press release on 16 September 2008 entitled “Israel denies Palestinian Access to land around settlements”. “For years, Israeli authorities have both barred Palestinian access to rings of land surrounding settlements, and have not acted to eliminate settlers’ piratical closing of lands adjacent and blocking of Palestinian access to them. Blocking access is one of the many ways used to expand settlement”. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.btselem.org
The Free Gaza Movement announced on 23 September 2008 that an international delegation of doctors, parliamentarians, and human rights workers will sail to Gaza aboard the “Hope” on 25 September. The delegation includes Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council; Jamal Zhalfa, member of the Knesset; and Mairead Maguire, winner of the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize. A press conference will be held at Larnarca port in Cyprus. For further information, visit the web site: http://FreeGaza.org
The Free Gaza Movement announced in September 2008 a postal service to Gaza. The Movement is also announcing two programmes for delivering mail to Gaza: Family & Friends, and Letters from the World.
Gisha issued a press release on 24 September 2008 entitled “Instead of Beginning his Studies Today at the University of Northern Virginia, Wesam is still Trapped in the Gaza Strip”. The press release states that “the brief opening of Rafah Crossing allowed a few dozens to leave Gaza to study abroad, but hundreds of others remain trapped”. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.gisha.org
Gisha submitted an appeal on 11 September 2008 to the Broadcasting Authority’s Appeal Committee against a decision to disqualify radio broadcasts by Yonathan Gefen, Alona Kimhi and Yossi Sarid stating that Gaza students should be allowed to travel abroad to pursue their studies. Gisha has also petitioned the Israeli High Court of Justice on behalf of an Architectural Preservation student from Gaza whom the Israeli army has prevented from travelling to Germany to pursue a Master’s degree.
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The NGO Action News is a bi-weekly newsletter issued by the Division for Palestinian Rights of the United Nations Secretariat and intended to provide information on worldwide NGO activities relevant to the question of Palestine. Organizations interested in sharing information about their activities through this newsletter may contact the Division for Palestinian Rights at:
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Room S-3350 Fax: (212) 963-4199
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Please be advised that the final decision with regard to selecting material for inclusion in the newsletter rests with the Division for Palestinian Rights. The Division cannot take responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided to it by contributing organizations.