Occupation End Notes | July 26, 2007
Volume 5 Number 2
Occupation
End Notes, July 26, 2007
Volume 5
Number 2
In this
issue...
1. US Campaign Update:Join us for our 6th
Annual National Organizer’s Conference in Arlington, VA September 7-10, 2007
; REMINDER: July 30, US Policy & Crisis in Palestine
Teach-In
2. Boycott, Divestment,
& Sanctions: U.S. Unions Organize Against British
Boycott; Protest at CAT Annual Shareholder Meeting a Huge Success!
3. Member Group Update: US Campaign’s
Steering Committee Phyllis Bennis on Bush’s New Middle East Plan; Institute for
Palestine Studies Policy Notes No. 18 Why Does Bush Talk About Israel’s Negev
and Galilee?; Tuesdays Open Gaza
Campaign, sponsored by the Rebuilding Alliance
4. Opportunities to Visit
1. US CAMPAIGN UPDATE
* Join us for our 6thAnnual National Organizers’
Conference in
The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation is
excited to announce its 6th Annual National Organizers' Conference, September
7-10 in
Each year,
delegates of member organizations of the US Campaign come together to network,
strategize, decide upon priorities for the upcoming year, and elect a new
Steering Committee to guide the work of the coalition.
It's not
too early to start making your plans to attend this year's conference.
For conference FAQ's, logistical details, registration, a draft agenda, a list
of member organizations in good standing, and a form for Steering Committee
nominations, please click here.
DRAFT AGENDA
This
year's annual conference will be extremely important! All member groups of the
US Campaign should start making plans to send delegates today. We'll be
discussing the political situation and its implications for our work in the
United States, next steps forward on the Anti-Apartheid Framework and Boycott,
Divestment, and Sanctions work, the 60th anniversary of al-Nakba, the
functioning of the coalition and much more. For a complete draft agenda, click here.
VOTING & MEMBER GROUPS IN GOOD
STANDING
Please
note that while individuals and member groups of the US Campaign are encouraged
to attend the conference, only delegates of member groups in good standing are
allowed to submit proposals and vote at the conference. "In good
standing" means that your group has paid its membership dues for
2007. Annual membership dues are set at between $100-$1,000 or more
depending on the size and budget of the group. To check to see if your
group is in good standing and will be able to submit proposals and vote, click here. To check to see if your group has joined
the US Campaign, click here. If your group would like to join the US
Campaign, click here. If your group needs to pay membership
dues to be in good standing, please contact Omar Masri, Office Manager, at
202-332-0994 or office@endtheoccupation.org
to make payment arrangements.
STEERING COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS
At each
National Organizers' Conference, voting delegates elect four new members to the
US Campaign's 12-person Steering Committee for a three-year term. The
Steering Committee is the highest decision-making body of the US Campaign in
between conferences.
To read
more about the responsibilities of being a member of the Steering Committee and
to submit a nomination, please click here.
LOGISTICS
As you
make your plans to attend the 6th Annual National Organizers' Conference, be
sure to check out the logistical pages that we've posted to our web site.
To read our Frequently Asked Questions about the conference, click here. You can also find directions for how to
get to the conference by clicking here. We've reserved a bloc of motel rooms
across the street from the conference at a special group rate. For more details,
click here. Also, if you'd like to share housing or a
ride to the conference, be sure to post your information to our housing board and ride board.
REGISTRATION
Registration
for the US Campaign 6th Annual National Organizers' Conference is now
open. To register, click here.
We look
forward to seeing you in
* REMINDER:National Conference Call on
Monday, July 30
9:00 pm EST
NOTE: If you have
already registered, please do NOT register again. The
The U.S.
Campaign will present a telephone teach-in on Monday, July 30 at 9:00PM EST to
provide some basic background on the political crisis going on in
We will have two presenters, and then opening up for about an hour of Q&A
and discussion on the call.
NADIA HIJAB, from the Institute for Palestine
Studies, will provide an overview on the Palestinian dimensions of the crisis.
Hijab serves on the US Campaign Advisory Board;
PHYLLIS BENNIS, from the Institute for Policy
Studies and the US Campaign Steering Committee, will look at the role
Please RSVP to attend this call. Space is
limited!
To
register, send an email to office@endtheoccupation.org
with:
·Name
of participant
·Organization
·Primary
phone number
·Email
address
·City/State
For
background information on the
http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/publish/article_863.shtml
http://palestine-studies.org/final/en/bn/viewbndetails.php?bnid=30
GROUNDRULES
1. If you are not speaking or asking
to speak, please mute yourself. On
many phones you can mute by pressing 6 or the mute feature. Just before it is
your turn to speak, unmute yourself by pressing 6 or the mute feature again.
2. Stack: When we begin the Question &
Answer section, the facilitator will ask who would like to be on the stack.
That's conference call lingo for "who has a question?" Since she/he
can't see you raise your hand, please call out your name (e.g. "James,
stack"). The facilitator will make a list of people who want to speak,
then she/he will call off names from the list. When your name is called, it is
your turn to speak. When all the people on the list (stack) have had a chance
to speak, the facilitator will ask if she/he should start another stack (if
there is time), and we repeat the process. The facilitator may decide to take
several questions at a time before asking panelists to respond. To ensure that
a range of voices are heard (race, gender, geography, organization, etc.), the
facilitator will use her judgment as to whether to change the order of the
stack or ask people to step back.
3. Questions: To give the widest number of
people the chance to ask questions, please limit your question to 30 seconds
maximum. Also, if it is your turn to ask a question, please do ask a question rather
than make a comment or launch a polemic (we've all been in meetings where
that's happened!). The facilitator reserves the right to ask for conversations
better suited for another forum to be moved to US Campaign's discussion list.
4. Help your facilitator: Facilitating a conference call
with tens of unseen people is not an easy task. Please support your facilitator
by respecting his/her judgment as to how to proceed. If the facilitator needs
help and you have a suggestion as to how to proceed, please call out your name
(e.g. "James, procedural suggestion").
Talk to
you Monday, July 30!
2. BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT,
& SANCTIONS
*
Leaders of
some of
Click here to read more. (http://www.forward.com/articles/11251/)
Click here
to read more about how your union can held end Israeli Apartheid! (http://www.endtheoccupation.org/downloads/AAF%20Unions%20.pdf)
Click here
to read more about how to get involved in the Boycott campaigns around the
* Protest at
Protesters gathered this year inside and outside the
Annual Caterpillar Shareholder Meeting on June 13 in
Click here for full
story recounted by activist, Joe Carr
Click here for
full text of Sydney Levy's speech
3. MEMBER GROUP UPDATE:
* July 24th, 2007:
Bush Launches a New
By Phyllis Bennis, Fellow
of the Institute for Policy Studies. Her newest book is Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli
Conflict: A Primer available at http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?list=type&type=142
The New
York Times' senior correspondent Steven Erlanger immediately acknowledged
that Bush's latest "vision," a U.S.-Israeli-Fatah alliance creating a
model
Click here
to read more! (http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=22&ItemID=13369)
* July 27th, 2007:
Institute for
Why Does Bush Talk About Israel’s Negev and
By Nadia
Hijab, Senior Fellow
It is
unusual for the president of one country to take an interest in regional
development in another country. Yet
Click here
to read more! (http://palestine-studies.org/final/en/bn/viewbndetails.php?bnid=32)
* Tuesdays Open
Gaza Campaign, sponsored by the Rebuilding Alliance
Dear End the Occupation Members,
It has been over month since the historic rally in Washington DC and one of the
speakers, Mr. Husam El Nounou, cannot yet go home. He is stranded in
Husam El Nounou came to the
We need your help to end the blockade of
(1) Call Congress on Tuesday, and every Tuesday until the blockade is
lifted, to open
(2) Help Gazans show the world their determination to build, not
destroy. Donate
now to rebuild the next home in the Rachel Corrie Rebuilding Campaign in
Click here for more
info about the “Tuesdays Open Gaza Campaign” sponsored by The Rebuilding
Alliance.Starting tomorrow, join a
weekly planning meeting via teleconference, every Friday at Noon pacific, 3pm
Eastern. Sign-up here
for the toll-free number.
Sincerely,
Donna Baranski-Walker
Executive Director, The Rebuilding
4.
OPPORTUNITIES TO VISIT
*Spring - Fall 2007 Schedule: July 28th-August
11th; October 27th – November 10th: Interfaith Peace-BuildersDelegations
to Israel/Palestine
Interfaith Peace-Builders (IFPB) sends delegations to
* May 24th
– August 16th, 2007: Join Middle East Fellowship for
Middle East fellowship, in partnership with Holy Land Trust invites you to participate in the
fourth annual Palestine Summer Encounter, a two month Arabic-training and
volunteer program, starting on May 24th, 2007.
The purpose of the program is to create a dialogue between
Palestinians and members of the global community. During the program,
participants will learn beginner or intermediate conversational Arabic through
language immersion and class and partner with Palestinian non-profit
organizations as a volunteer. Click here for more detailed information.
* August 20th-25th,
2007: Birthright Unplugged Delegations to Israel/Palestine
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!
Join us for a 6-day educational trip through the
Birthright Unplugged trips will run from JULY 20-25, 2007
and AUGUST 20-25, 2007.Dates are
subject to change.
The application deadline is Tuesday, MAY 15, 2007.Trips run every summer and winter.
While Birthright Unplugged is designed primarily for
Jewish people, we welcome people of all backgrounds on our trips.We also welcome individuals of all ages, and
have traveled with people ages 9-70.
For more information about the itinerary, costs, trip
leaders, and application materials, visit www.birthrightunplugged.org.
* 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 <http://www.globalexchange.org/tours/803.html>
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.
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