Occupation End Notes | August 23, 2007
Volume 5 Number 4
Occupation End Notes, August 23, 2007
Volume 5 Number 4
In this issue...
1. US Campaign Update:Join us for our 6th Annual National Organizer’s Conference in Arlington, VA September 7-10, 2007; National BDS Conference Call Teach-in report back
2 Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions:Why Israel?;Pushing in Ann Arbor for boycott of Israel; Boycott movement targets Israel; US Lutherans Consider Israel Boycott
3 Member Group Update: New Member Groups; Institute for Palestine Studies Policy Note No. 19: Courting and Countering the Christian Zionists; Palestine-Israel Action Group of the Ann Arbor Friends Meeting New Divestment Resource; Join ADC’s Delegation to Lebanon: 25th Commemoration of the Sabra & Shatila Massacre
4. Resources & Events: Foreign Policy In Focus is excited to announce the launch of US Policy World;BUSTAN U.S. speaking tour in October 2007
5. Opportunities to Visit
1. US CAMPAIGN UPDATE
* Join us for our 6thAnnual National Organizers’ Conference in
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Two weeks from this Friday, on September 7, the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation will hold its 6th Annual National Organizers’ Conference at This
year’s conference will be an extremely important one. We’ll be
deciding upon next steps forward in our anti-apartheid framework and
boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaigns, as well as laying
plans to commemorate next year?s 60th anniversary of al-Nakba. For a complete draft agenda, click here. |
Time Is Running Out to Pre-Register for the Conference
Please
help us save resources and money by registering and paying for the
conference now. Because we need to give our caterers and printers an
accurate head count for food and conference materials, we need you to
register and pay for the conference by Friday, August 31 at noon eastern. To register and pay for the conference, please click here.
You
can still register for the conference after the August 31
pre-registration deadline; however, if you do register after that date we cannot guarantee that we will have food or conference materials for you. So register today by clicking here.
Deadline for Submission of Proposals is Aug. 27
The
US Campaign is currently accepting proposals for the conference from
member organizations in good standing. Please note that the deadline
for submitting proposals in approaching quickly. Proposals will not be
accepted after midnight Eastern on Monday night, August 27.
In addition, proposals will not be accepted from the floor of the
conference. Now is the time for your organization to submit a proposal
by clicking here.
Lobbying Day Info Ready
On
Monday, September 10, US Campaign conference attendees will take to
Capitol Hill for a grassroots lobbying day. Lobbying day information
is now available by clicking here.
Please
note that conference attendees who plan to participate in the lobbying
day must schedule their own meetings with their Members of Congress. The US Campaign does not have the capacity to set up meetings on your behalf.
Don’t worry if you’ve never set up a meeting before with your Members of Congress. Anyone can do it. Learn how to do it by clicking here.
Member Groups Must Be in Good Standing to Vote at the Conference
Member
organizations of the US Campaign must be in good standing in order to
vote, submit proposals, and nominate candidates for the Steering
Committee at the conference. “In good standing” means that your
organization must have paid its annual dues in 2007. Dues are assessed
at between $100-$1,000 (or more) per year based on the size and budget
of the organization.
To pay your dues, click here or send a check to US Campaign,
If
your organization is not on the list of organizations in good standing,
you will not be able to vote on behalf of your organization at the
conference unless your group pays its membership dues.
Please
make membership payments arrangements today. These payments are an
important component of the US Campaign’s revenues and help us organize
these annual conferences.
More Conference Information On-Line
For
additional logistical details, FAQ’s about the conference, information
on how to reserve a table and/or a room for a workshop, to read the
annual report, and much more, click here.
Don’t forget to register for the conference today by clicking here.
* National Conference Call on Boycott, Divestment, Sanction movement within the
The
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation conducted a successful
conference call teach-in to its member groups on August 20th, 2007 that
provided some background on Boycott, Divestment, Sanction (BDS)
campaigns and the current state of the BDS movement within the
We had three presenters on the call with a Q&A and discussion. Nancy Murray of the Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights (BCPR) gave an overview of the BDS movement the
2. BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT, SANCTIONS:
* Why
Jason Kunin, ZNet, August 19, 2007
In
January 2007, a group of us who are active in District 12 of the
Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) tried to pass a
motion supporting the international campaign of boycott, divestment,
and sanctions (BDS) against Israel. Since I was the mover of the
motion, many people afterwards became angry with me. Others were
merely confused. Everyone, however, wanted to know the same thing: Why
Israel? After all, they would correctly point out, there are so many
terrible countries, so many other human rights abuses in the world –
some of them here in
Click here to read more!
* Pushing in
The
People’s Food Co-op is no longer just a grocery store. It is now where
a historic vote will take place to boycott all Israeli products.
Horrified by the Israeli army’s destruction of
The voting will take place inside the store, starting September 1. The boycott ballot box will close on September 30.
Click here to read more!
* Boycott movement targets
George Bisharat, Can Francisco Chronicle, August 15, 2007
When does a citizen-led boycott of a state become morally justified?
That question is raised by an expanding academic, cultural and economic boycott of
Click here to read more!
*
Haviv Rettig, The
On
Saturday, the assembly, the church's top legislative authority, passed
a resolution calling to work toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and urging investment in the Palestinian Authority.
Click here to read more!
3. MEMBER GROUP UPDATE:
* The
Peace
Action-Wisconsin is a peace and justice organization which works for a
world where human needs are met, the environment is preserved, and the
threats of war and nuclear weapons have been abolished. They are
committed to non-violence as a way of life and offer their members
opportunities for education, lobbying and public witness.
Click here to learn more about Peace Action Wisconsin!
FairPlay
Media, the creative arm of Strategic Assessments, connects the personal
to the political by developing and delivering sophisticated
entertainment content to a variety of US based media platforms. With
the primary mission of transforming
Click here to learn more about FairPlay Media!
By Nadia Hijab
Notwithstanding its apocalyptic agenda, Christians United For Israel, the newest pro-Israel group on the
Click here to read more!
The
Palestine-Israel Action Group (PIAG) of the Ann Arbor Friends Meeting
has produced an ongoing review on different sectors of society that
have adopted divestment resolutions throughout the world.
Click here to download the survey!
Click here
to read more about Palestine-Israel Action Group, a subcommittee of the
Peace and Social Concerns of Ann Arbor Friends Meeting.
* September
6-14, 2007: Delegation to Lebanon: 25th Commemoration of the Sabra
& Shatila Massacre sponsored by American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
I would like to invite you to join me in a delegation to
Itinerary Highlights will include:
·Attending a presentation by the Arab NGO Network for Development
·Meeting with representatives from Lebanese and Palestinian NGOs
·Visiting Palestinian Refugee camps, including Sabra and Shatila
·Meetings with Mayors of major Lebanese cities and towns
·Participating in a cultural evening at the
·Meeting with Lebanese government officials
·Meeting with Palestinian popular committees and activists
·Joining the commemoration ceremony at the mass Graveyard in Shatila Camp. Followed by meetings with survivors of the massacre
·Visiting women’s cooperative centers in the camps
Each participant will be responsible for all expenses including round trip ticket to
4. RESOURCES AND EVENT
* Foreign Policy In Focus is excited to announce the launch of US Policy World
USPW is a web-based project designed to develop progressive policy papers with broad expert and public participation.
FPIF invites you to participate in US Policy World. There are many ways
to get involved – from writing an article to updating basic
information. The richness of USPW depends on the contribution of
informed and concerned individuals.
USPW will be a collaborative space for the progressive community to:
1. Develop common positions, language, and messaging around the key foreign policy issues; and,
2. monitor the positions of the 2008 Presidential Candidates
Need help or would like more information? Email Erik Leaver at IPS: erik@ips-dc.org
*BUSTAN
When: October 1st-15th, 2007
Who: Outgoing BUSTAN Director, Devorah Brous and New BUSTAN Director, Ra'ed Al-Mickawi
Devorah and Ra'ed will discuss the political ecology of the Negev, and
help us recognize what is 'unrecognized' this marginalized part of
Israel - an area populated by Jews and Bedouin. How are
"environmentally-conscious" development projects to remap the blueprint
of the
If
you can offer any help---in reaching out to possible venues, raising
funds to cover the costs of the trip, can help publicize the tour, or
any other ideas about how to make it a success, please see the info
flier below, and contact BUSTAN at info@bustan.org or www.bustan.org.
BUSTAN is an organization that confronts social and environmental issues in the
5. OPPORTUNITIES TO VISIT
*Spring - Fall 2007 Schedule: October 27th – November 10th: Interfaith Peace-BuildersDelegations to Israel/Palestine
Interfaith Peace-Builders (IFPB) sends delegations to
* Summer – Fall 2007 Schedule: August 12th – 22nd, December 2nd – 12th: 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
For more
information you can contact Global Exchange (800-497-1994 x. 251) or
email palestine@globalexchange.org.
August 12 – 22, 2007
December 2 – 12, 2007
* MECA Delegation August 2007: Come with MECA to Palestine/Israel! 
For seventeen years, MECA has taken small groups to the West Bank,
For information, please contact:
Deborah Agre or Josie Shields-Stromsness deborah@mecaforpeace.org, josie@mecaforpeace.org
510-548-0542
Occupation
End Notes is the US Campaign bi-monthly newsletter, designed as a tool
for activists. For this newsletter to be successful, we need your
participation. Use us to promote events, give feedback on recent
actions, recommend resources, or just learn from other activists in the
movement. If you or your organization are planning an event aimed at
ending the occupation, or you have information for the Newsletter,
please contact the US Campaign at office@endtheoccupation.org.