PHA-Exchange> Wall must fall: CALL FOR ACTION & PROVISIONAL CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES

[Claudio]

From: "Palestine Monitor" <palmon at hdip.org>
> CALL FOR ACTION &  PROVISIONAL CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES:
>
> Make the wall fall  : Let's make the 9th of November the International
> Day of Solidarity with Palestinians against the new Israeli Apartheid
> Wall
>
> October  2003
>
> The wall must fall!
> On November 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall - which truly epitomized the Cold
> War in Europe and, therefore, became the symbol of shame of the politics
> of division of the 20th century - was torn down.
> Now, a new wall must fall!
>
> Let's make the coming 9th of November a worldwide Protest Day against
> the new 'Berlin' Wall currently being erected by Israel across the
> Occupied Palestinian Territories.
> Such construction, now commonly known as Separation Wall or Apartheid
> Wall has become Israel's new stranglehold of Palestine and the latest
> assault by the Occupation: land confiscation, water confiscation,
> destruction of lives and livelihoods of Palestinians, all in a new drive
> to expand truly colonialist measures under the usual pretenses in order
> to achieve long-standing goals in a frightening fashion similar of
> 1948's events.
>
> Join those who share a belief that the absurdity of this medieval
> concept must soon succumb. The Palestine Monitor and the GIPP - Grass
> Roots International protection for Palestinian People movement - urge
> you to participate in this effort by organizing activities to raise
> awareness in your community about the impact and meaning of this new
> wall.
>
>
> We are urging people to come up with anything they think they can do in
> their own communities.  It could be : Pickets; Demonstrations; Vigils;
> lectures; conferences; debates; artistic events; fairs; festivals;
> theatric performances; other types of gatherings; Convoys;  marches or
> ANY  related activities to raise awareness in your community about the
> impact and meaning of this new wall. Some people who live in
> administrative capitals are choosing to demonstrate in front of Israeli
> Embassies, other are choosing to stage demos on public squares, others
> in community centers, churches, etc.
> It all depends on the expertise of those who are sponsoring the events
> (some events will be very loosely organized, some more formally thought
> through). Some are thinking about media advanced work. Some plan to
> erect a paper or plastic walls across roads or parks and then make the
> wall fall. Some are printing leaflets. Some are organizing boots and
> stands with info about the humanitarian impact of the wall (which can be
> easily downloaded from many websites). So, whatever you might propose
> must come out of your perceived capabilities. The ones who know better a
> community are the ones who live in it, so what works for a place may not
> be as productive for other setting or environment. So people at various
> places can come up with the best solution about what could mobilize
> their peers, their communities, their media outlets, etc. Any good idea
> or effort are welcomed, so we invite you to invite others to debate,
> share ideas and think of what would work for your community.
>
> After you had sorted out what you want to carry on, we would appreciate
> if you could let us know about more specific details:  description of
> planned activities, meeting points, schedules, people to contact and
> their contact details, etc. This is because we want to post a list of
> everything that will be going on everywhere at our website, so people
> can look for what will be going on in their own places and then join the
> activities!!!
>
> Provisional list of activities on the initiative for a global demo on
> November 9th against the Israeli Apartheid Wall:
>
>
> ACROSS EUROPE:
> European Jews for a Just Peace - EJJP,  have manifested interest in
> organizing activities.
> Contact: Sveva Haertter
> E-mail: shaertter at yahoo.com
>
> BAHRAIN:
> A new Bahraini society  called Women for Jerusalem is working to
> organize a lot of activities on Nov 9th in Bahrain.
> Contact: Naela Al Waary
> e-m: naelafayez2 at msn.com
>
> BANGLADESH:
> Contact: shibli
> lishibli14 at hotmail.com
>
> BELGIUM:
> A full week of initiatives - from the 2 till the 9 of November - and
> actions in the European Parliament , Bruxelles.
> Reference:  Luisa Morgantini tel. 003222847151
>  E- mail:  lmorgantini at europarl.eu.int
>
> BRAZIL:
> Rio de Janeiro:
> Place:  Largo das Neves, in Santa Teresa
> Informative outdoors exhibition of pictures, facts & figures, followed
> by poetry recital (poems by Mahmod Darwish) and, possibly, a choir
> recital (Coral de Maracatus)
> Contact: Andre Sena
> e-mail: pariforma at yahoo.com.br
>
> GERMANY:
> Under discussion, an international conference to be held in Berlin.
> Also, organizations from neighboring countries started considering a
> trip towards Berlin, raising awareness along the way. Details to follow.
>
> IRELAND:
> BELFAST- Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign  Belfast  will host
> activities leading up to Nov 9th and events on the day . They have been:
contacting all political/labour movement/feminist/human rights
> and community organisations with information about the wall and why it
> must fall.
> . preparing model resolutions for trade unions, condemning the
> wall
> . collecting signatures on petitions
> . approaching schools to see if the school students can produce
> artwork illustrating this matter
> . preparing street theatre for town centre
> . university students to put on display
> . seek media time/newspaper footage etc.
> . Organising meetings/lectures featuring people from here who have
> been out and protested about the wall in the West Bank + slide
> Contact:
> Caitlin ni Chonaill
> kath.connell3 at btopenworld.com
>
> DUBLIN - Activities are planned for Nov 9. More details later.
> Contact:
> russe14 at attglobal.net
>
> ISRAEL :
> So far it is not decided weather Israeli organizations will chose to
> have a radical event on the wall itself or to have a big event on the
> night before in some other location in Israel (or whether they will have
> enough human power to do both). But one idea that has been brought up is
> to broadcast for the participants at the event in Israel, a short report
> (on a big screen) from events that has taken place somewhere else in the
> world only a few hours before that.
> Their request to activists worldwide is to start arranging an event in
> your own areas, calling for Israel to demolish the wall of apartheid and
> to check if you can somehow , afterwards, transmit\send to them in
> Israel a short video of your event. Technical details can be arranged.
 Contact: Dani Grimblat
> dani-g at barak-online.net
> cellular number  +97252887185
>
> Also, if you wish to stay in touch, get the latest news, hear ideas from
> other people, and post some anti wall ideas of your own, you may want to
> look into these two Yahoo Groups:
> ***Mas'ha Camp against Apartheid Wall
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MashaCamp/
>
> Contacts of other Israeli anti-occupation organizations which are paying
> attention to wall issues:
> alwgodfrey at hotmail.com
> Rachel at btselem.org
> grimblat at netvision.net.il
> oren at gush-shalom.org
> naama at icahd.org
> yrosen at actcom.co.il
>
> ITALY :
> . Action for Peace Coalition in ITALY already started the campaign
> against the wall and are planning activities for the 9th of November.
> They are now trying to enlarge the group of organizers
> Contact: Alessandra Mecozzi
>                   internazionale at fiom.cgil.it
> . Youth organizations who are already active organizing meetings
> and having  direct experience in Israel and Palestine are also planning
> activities to be held across the country.
> Contact: Alda Radaelli
> mixarazz at mixa-razzismo.it
>
> NETHERLANDS
 Activities are in the process of being organized
> Contact: Hajo G. Meyer
> til.mey at inter.nl.net
>
> Following some controversy regarding the chosen date and following up
> requests from Jewish groups that another anniversary should also be
> brought to the fore (Kristallnatch, the "Night of Broken Glass" 09 Nov
> 1938), Mr. Hajo Meyer declared:
> " I speak as one of the few people still living and active, who,
> -as a fourteen year old lived through the 9th november pogrome in
> Germany, and who also
> -survived 10 months of Auschwitz and who also
> -survived for full 12 years the worst antisemitim ever, and I  feel
> justified to comment :  There cannot be a better day to demonstrate
> under the devise 'let the wall fall' than precisely the 9th of November.
> Only this date and Jewish participation at the demonstrations can make
> clear to the world that we are matured, wise and ethically- sane enough
> to realise that we, the Jews are not the only and eternal victim. That
> also we have become perpetrators of terrible crimes against humanity.
> Only if we show this to the world, all those who did not survive, have
> not died in vain. Only then their death can be given a positive meaning.
> That is what the German Jewish philosopher Theodor Lessing, who was
> already murdered by the Nazis in the early thirties, meant when he
> coined the phrase: 'Sinngebung des Sinnlosen' i.e. attributing sense and
> meaning to events which do not have any intrinsic sense."
>
> IN NORWAY:
> The Nablus Society, an NGO from the city of Stavanger in Norway (which
> has twinned with the city of Nablus), is currently planning for
> activities on November 9th. They want to have a demonstration with
> music, theater and information.
> Contact: Turid Øygard
> turid at hesbynett.no
>
> PALESTINE:
> Several activities all across the wall and within the communities nearby
> and in main cities.
> Contacts:
> Jamal - PENGON/STOP THE WALL CAMPAIGN research at pengon.org
> Ms. Bahia Amra - GIPP   e-mail: bahiaamra at hotmail.com   mobile phone:
> +972 55 378262
>
> In Ramallah:
> The cultural department of Ramallah Municipality will hold cultural
> activities like: children's drawing competition entitled "Apartheid
> Wall" and writing texts activities on the same theme for raising
> awareness on the issue amongst students.
> Contact:
> Nahla Quorah
> Head of Cultural Department/Ramallah Municipality
> Ramallah Public Library
> e-mail: library2 at palnet.com
>
> SWITZERLAND:
> An Association working for Palestinian Rights in the Lausanee area is
> discussing a series of activities.
> Contact:
> Tatiana Honegger , near Lausanne, Switzerland
> tatiana.honegger at hispeed.ch IN Zurich:
> Shraga Elam
> elams at dplanet.ch
>
> UNITED KINGDOM:
> . London:
> A possible action/demonstration in front of the Israeli Embassy Details
> to follow.
> . Other activities also under consideration.
> Contact: The Palestinian Solidarity campaign
> e-m: info at palestinecampaign.org
>
> UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:
> (Two events before Nov 9th which will also focus on the wall) :
> - Major (peace) demonstration in San Francisco on Sat 28 Sept. called by
> ANSWER coalition & Un for Peace & Justice (UFPJ).
> - Another demonstration in NYC on Oct 25.
>
> - Middle East Children's Alliance along with Voices in the Wilderness,
> Al-Awda and Affiliates of ISM have launched a national bus tour calling
> for the end to the Occupation of Palestine and Iraq. Part of the
> travelling infomation will be a replica of the Wall that our office
> built, as well as facts and info from PENGON . Wherever the Bus is on
> November 9,  it will have an action  specifically oriented to the Wall
> and its implications.
> Soon to follow more info on the Wheels of Justice Tour and the Wall
> actions.
>  Contact: Uda Walker
> Education and Action Coordinator
> Middle East Children's Alliance
> 901 Parker Street, Berkeley 94710
> Tel:510-548-0542
> Fax:510-548-0542
> e-m: uda at mecaforpeace.org
>
> Los Angeles -
>  WOMEN IN BLACK , together with Palestine AID SOCIETY, are organizing a
> huge demonstration for November 9th. They are hoping to erect a large
> wall at Venice or Santa Monica Beach, with lots of publicity and many
> other groups and individuals joining.
> Contact: Mary
>
> Seattle -
> Stop the Wall Campaign had built a model of the wall  to use in several
> occasions :  about half scale so almost 12 feet -  a replica .
> " The replica we made was easy to make and will be good for  anyone
> trying to build one.  If you know anyone that might be interested let me
> know and I will send pictures and design info.  It took us about an hour
> to get the materials and about 1/2 hour to set up.  We spent $102 on
> materials and used a tarp that was donated but will need another tarp to
> finish it.  We will need about $50 more in materials for some odds and
> ends and stakes (and or sand bags for securing).  It is fairly compact
> and light when disassembled and could fit tied on top of a car with a
> rack or a truck or full sized van (or van with a rack).
> Cost should be in the range of $100 to 150 for 1/2 scale and maybe $150
> - 200 for full scale depending on where you get the materials.   Once
> completed the setup should be about 15 minutes for half scale and under
> 30 for full scale.  The base is large (3 feet by 10 or 6 feet by 10 for
> full size) but it is light and can be easily moved by 2 people.  It was
> a slightly windy day but still no problem with holding it down even
> though we had no tie downs or weights to secure it.  More info for those
> who want it and photos on request.  I am quite sure that this will work
> in different situations.  We will look into sail material but for this
> setup we used a gray tarp that will be easy to paint slogans on or
> whatever"
>
> Contact:
> John Reese
> Stop the Wall Campaign
> PO Box 95113
> Seattle, WA  98145
> 206-568-7110
> www.stopthewall.us  stopthewall-us at riseup.net
>
> Iowa City - Events are being planned for Iowa City , and they hope on a
> much broader basis across the country.
> Contact:  Margaret Kiekhaefer
> e-m: gerernst at avalon.net
>
> San Francisco-  groups still getting organized to be to do "something"
> by Nov 9.
>
> So far, we also have received manifestations of interest (but no clear
> programs ) from Prague, Czech Republic , from Vienna, Austria, and from
> Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
>
> Please, let us know about any planned activity:
> Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi- +972 (0)59 254 218
> The Palestine Monitor Team:  or +972 (0)59 387 087
> e-mail: giullianna at hdip.org
> www.palestinemonitor.org
> http://www.palestinemonitor.org/Special%20Section/Closure/Wall_must_fall
> .htm