PALESTINE-RELATED EVENTS in the SEATTLE AREA FEB. 12-20
For information about history, issues, and our Seattle Divest from Israeli
Military Occupation campaign, please see www.palestineinformation.org, the
Palestine Solidarity Committee’s website.
E-mail us at palestinejustice@aol.com.
We try to limit this listserve to Seattle area events and news about the
International Solidarity Movement to End the Occupation. PSC is the local
support chapter of the ISM.
THIS WEEK:
WOMEN IN BLACK ***SIDEWALK EDUCATION***CONG. ADAM SMITH REPORTS ON MIDEAST
TRIP***MEET OTHER WA GROUPS ORGANIZING FOR PALESTINIAN HUMAN RIGHTS***
PALESTINE IN YOUR LIVINGROOM? BRING SPEAKERS AND VIDEOS TO YOUR FRIENDS ANYTIME
-- CALL PSC FOR MORE INFO 206 633-1086***
WOMEN IN BLACK. Stand against occupation and war every Thursday at Westlake.
4th & Pine. 5-6 pm. Wear Black. Men can support.
Feb. 12, 12-2 pm. SIDEWALK EDUCATION FOR PALESTINIAN HUMAN RIGHTS. Usually
every 2nd Saturday from 12-2 pm. We have info, banners, signs, and welcome
all anti-racists to join us. Palestine Solidarity Committee. More info:
palestinejustice@aol.com. Check our calendar for updates. Call 206 633-1086
if you need to confirm a location. Westlake Park: 4th & Pine, downtown Seattle.
Feb. 13, HEAR CONG. ADAM SMITH REPORT ON HIS TRIP TO ISRAEL/PALESTINE; MEET
OTHER WA GROUPS ORGANIZING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN PALESTINE. Below is an
invitation to attend a meeting with Congressman Adam Smith of the 9th WA
district and the US House International Relations Committee, mainly in a listening role,
that will occur at a church in Lacey, WA on Sunday, February 13. The meeting
was arranged by the Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project and the Rachel Corrie
Foundation for Peace and Justice and they have been kind enough to allow the
rest of us to attend. Below the invitation from those groups, please see an
additional invitation from the Northwest Middle East Peace Forum in
Tacoma/Pierce
County and the Palestine Solidarity Committee--Seattle to attend a statewide
meeting of Palestine-interested activist groups just subsequent to the meeting with
Congressman Smith and in the same location.
*
Invitation from Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project and Rachel Corrie
Foundation for Peace and Justice: As many of you know, Rep. Adam Smith recently
returned from a trip to observe the recent Palestinian elections. You may also
know that Sarah Simpson, Rachel's sister and a constituent, gave him a letter on
behalf of the Corrie family which was to be delivered to Ariel Sharon. The
letter was hand-carried by Adam and delivered to Sharon as promised. The
Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project and the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and
Justice have requested a meeting with Adam to hear about the trip and to have
an open and constructive dialogue with him about our concerns for our friends
in Palestine and Israel. This will be the first time that Adam has met with
members of ORSCP and/or RCF and we want to be sure our time with him is
constructive, respectful and productive.
If you are interested in participating in this conversation with Adam Smith,
please join us:
Sunday, February 13th
1:30-2:30 pm
St. Benedict's Episcopal Church
910 Bowker St. SE, Lacey, Washington
*
Invitation from Northwest Middle East Peace Forum and Palestine Solidarity
Committee--Seattle:Please join us from 2:30 to 4:00 for a facilitated meeting
of WA groups working towards an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine and
a just resolution of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The purpose of the
meeting is to inform each other about who we are and what projects we are
working
on, and to begin to figure out ways in which we could work together on
various important media, Congressional or other projects that could benefit from
a
coordinated statewide push. There will be an opportunity for informal
networking at the end. Please pass this on to appropriate colleagues.
*
Directions from I-5 North
Take the MARTIN WAY exit- EXIT 109
Turn RIGHT onto MARTIN WAY E.
Turn RIGHT onto CARPENTER RD SE.
Turn RIGHT onto 7TH AVE SE.
Turn LEFT onto BOWKER ST SE.
End at 910 Bowker St Se, Lacey, WA 98503-1212
*
Directions from I-5 South
Take EXIT 114 toward NISQUALLY.
Stay STRAIGHT to go onto MARTIN WAY SE.
Turn LEFT onto CARPENTER RD SE.
Turn RIGHT onto 7TH AVE SE.
Turn LEFT onto BOWKER ST SE.
End at 910 Bowker St Se, Lacey, WA 98503-1212
UPCOMING: *** ISM DISCUSSION CAFE ***ELLEN O’GRADY, AUTHOR/ARTIST, REPORTS
ON SIX YEARS IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES ***PALESTINE IN YOUR LIVINGROOM? BRING
SPEAKERS AND VIDEOS TO YOUR FRIENDS ANYTIME -- CALL PSC FOR MORE INFO 206
633-1086***
March 2. ISM DISCUSSION CAFE at the B&O Espresso, Belmont and Olive on
Capitol Hill. Drop by anytime between 5 and 8 pm to learn more about the
International Solidarity Movement to End the Occupation. Every first Wednesday
of the
month. More info: 206 633-1086.
Apr. 9 Ellen O’Grady, artist, writer who spent six years living in the
Occupied Territories will discuss her book, Outside the Ark, and current
conditions
in Palestine at Elliot Bay Bookstore, downtown Seattle, 2 pm.
PALESTINE IN YOUR LIVING ROOM: As always, Palestine Solidarity Committee
would love to help you discuss this issue with your community. Invite friends
over
for dinner or tea and show a video and host a speaker who’s just back from
witnessing the occupation. All for free. Let us know if you’re interested: 206
633-1086, palestinejustice@aol.com.
PALESTINE SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE/ISM SEATTLE NEWS
* Next Palestine Solidarity Committee Meeting: Feb 22, 6-9 pm
* Next ISM Seattle subcommittee meeting: Mar. 2, 7-8 pm
* Next ISM Seattle Discussion Cafe: Mar. 2 , 5-8 pm (every first Wed.)
* Next Sidewalk Education,Feb. 12, 12-2 p.m.
* Next Theatre meeting: call 206 633-1086 for info.
* Next ISM pre-training: April (call if planning to go: 206 633-1086)
* Next ISM Palestine Campaign: --www.palsolidarity.org
* National Day of Action against Caterpillar: April 13
* Palestine Film Festival: 2005
Call 206 633-1086 for locations, dates, times.
PSC now has a copy of the new Media Education Foundation video, "Peace,
Propaganda and the Promised Land: American Media and the Subversion of Peace"
(75
minutes) that you can borrow to show in your living room or community hall.
We previewed the video and found it extremely informative as a tool for
understanding what is really happening in the Occupied Territories and why
Americans
don't know about it. For more details on the video, go to the website of
the Media Education Foundation at www.mediaed.org. To borrow the video, email
woodwend@earthlink.net with your request. For information about other videos in
PSC’s lending library, contact: palestinejustice@aol.com
ONGOING CAMPAIGNS
JOIN THE RESPONSE NETWORK ***STOP THE WALL CAMPAIGN ***OLYMPIA-RAFAH SISTER
CITY PROJECT*** SEATTLE DIVEST FROM ISRAELI MILITARY OCCUPATION
CAMPAIGN***PALESTINE ONLINE STORE ***
STOP THE WALL CAMPAIGN
The Wall is higher than the Berlin Wall, will take millions of American tax
dollars to build, and cuts the West Bank in two: confiscating some of the
richest Palestinian farmland and many wells for Israeli use. For more info:
John Reese, jreese@scn.org, 206-568-7110 or Community Action Network
can@drizzle.com
SEATTLE DIVEST FROM ISRAELI MILITARY OCCUPATION CAMPAIGN: Ask Seattle City
Council to divest its pension funds from American companies selling war machines
to Israel. Includes Caterpillar and Boeing. More info:
www.palestineinformation.org; 206 633-1086.
OLYMPIA-RAFAH SISTER CITY PROJECT
Although Rachel Corrie’s life was cut short, many of us were inspired by her
and have resolved to carry out her project. Beginning with a small core
group, we have steadily expanded since our formation last Spring. A number of
our
members have gone to live in Rafah, building connections with people and
institutions there. We have begun a Fair Trade exchange for Palestinian artwork
through the Union of Palestinian Women, we support a Center for Disabled
Persons, we have sponsored cultural exchanges, and we offer translation between
English and Arabic for our pen-pal program. You can find out more about us, or
contact us, through our website at http://www.orscp.org/. (360) 867-0290 or via
email at tomwright59@comcast.net
AN INITIATIVE FROM THE PALESTINE SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE: PSC RESPONSE NETWORK
This is an invitation to participate in a new Response Network being
organized by the Palestine Solidarity Committee of Seattle. The purpose of
the Response Network is to provide opportunities regularly for participants
to take action on important issues related to Palestinian human rights. The
network will allow concerned citizens from all over Washington State to act
in a coordinated way to influence U.S. foreign policy with regard to
Israel/Palestine and the occupation.
We believe that those of us who oppose the Israeli occupation of Palestine
and U.S. support for Israeli policies must work together more closely in
order to influence U.S. foreign policy and media coverage of
Israel/Palestine. In working more effectively for justice for Palestine, we
are confident that we can increase the possibility for a broader peace
throughout the Mideast.
If you are ready to take part in this initiative, please sign on by
responding to us with as much of the following information as you wish to
share: your name, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address. To
make the response network function via e-mail, at the very least we need
your e-mail address. But the more of this information you provide for us,
the more we will be able to include you in various activities such as
meetings with political officials or with representatives of the media.
When the Response Network is activated, you will receive action bulletins
from us regarding the most urgent issues once or twice a month. We will call
your attention to an issue, suggest talking points, and provide you with the
contact information for the appropriate government official or major media
outlet. At that time, we hope that you will participate by contacting your
representative or news editor, as the case may be. We also encourage you to
send us copies of your postings so that we may learn from your work -- and
so that we can keep track of the effectiveness of the project.
As we develop our technical capabilities, our action bulletins will be
posted and archived on the Response Network section of our web site (see
below), with information about the volume of response and the effectiveness
of the project. In this way, we hope to make a voice for peace and justice
in the Middle East heard more clearly in Washington D.C. and in the editorial
offices of
this region's media!
To sign up and receive action alerts, please write to us at
outreach@palestineinformation.org. If you have questions, suggestions or
requests for us, please let us know. Also, we would very much appreciate your
help in forwarding this letter to other potential participants in this response
network.
To learn more about PSC—Seattle and the education and response network,
please visit our website at www.palestineinformation.org
Reminders:
1) Please write even if you only have time for a brief note. Numbers count.
If you are not published, you will be helping someone with a similar viewpoint
get into print.
2) The word limit for letters that are intended for publication is usually
200.
3) Don't forget to begin your letter with a reference to the title and date
of the article or opinion piece to which you are responding. Example:
"Regarding William Safire's Friday column ("Sharon shifts Middle Eastpolitics")....
4) Personal experiences and/or qualifications, when relevant, can be helpful
in establishing your authority. However, you can also establish your authority
by writing factual, logical, respectful letters. When possible, include a
reference to your source, such as, "according to the Israeli human rights
organization, B'Tselem,..."
5) Don't try to respond to every problem with the piece in question. Just
pick one or two points to concentrate on.
6) Include your full name, street address and contact phone numbers. The
paper needs these to verify that you are actually the author. Only your name
and
city will appear in print.
7) Please bcc us at alerts@palestineinformation.org or forward your letter to
that address. This is for our media monitoring records.
8) To unsubscribe from this list, please send an email with "unsubscribe" in
the subject line to outreach@palestineinformation.org. To subscribe, please
send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to
outreach@palestineinformation.org . You can contact the response network with
questions or comments by
emailing us at outreach@palestineinformation.org .
***SUPPORT PALESTINE WITH YOUR SHOPPING!***
The Palestine Online Store features an extensive product selection. Please
consider doing your shopping here, to support Palestinian relief projects,
Palestinian artisans and their families, and Palestinian efforts at raising
awareness about the struggle for freedom. The wide selection of items includes
Palestinian traditional embroidery, handmade olive wood carvings, delightful
music
CDs, feature and documentary films, books, calendars, kaffiya scarves, pins,
and much much more! Please take a few minutes to browse
www.palestineonlinestore.com today!
Among the beneficiaries of this project are: KinderUSA's Emergency Appeal
Fund for the children of Rafah, the Children's Cultural Center in Dheisheh
refugee camp (Bethlehem), Palestine Aid Society, the Ghassan Kanafani Cultural
Foundation, MAMA (humanitarian relief in Nablus), artisans and their families in
Bethlehem and the refugee camps of Lebanon and Jordan, and Solidarity Design.
During these difficult times in Palestine, and for Palestinian refugees
elsewhere, every little bit of help makes a difference.
www.palestineonlinestore.com
CALENDAR & INFO: To have us post an event on this calendar, please email
lindabevis1@aol.com. For more general news and analysis on the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict without a pro-Israeli-government bias, please see:
palestinechronicle.com, electronicIntifada.net, btselem.org, miftah.org and
other sites listed
on our website.
To send a letter about anything you learn here to your congressional rep:
http://www.truemajority.com/index.asp?action=2174&ms=irqpeace. To
unsubscribe, email palestinejustice-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net. To acquire
books or
buttons or kaffiyehs for tabling, try www.palestineonlinestore.com
This is the listserve for the friends of Palestine Solidarity Committee, based
in Seattle. You can find out more about PSC by replying to this email address,
emailing us at palestinejustice@aol.com, going to www.palestineinformation.org,
or by coming to one of our events. We welcome all anti-racists working for
justice and human rights all over the world, including Palestine, to work with
us. To unsubscribe, please email palestinejustice-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net
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