Opinion Editorials, August 2007
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Fall 2007 Wheels of Justice Tour for Palestine in the US
By Mazen Qumsiyeh
ccun.org, August 18, 2007
Two items of importance: the fall 2007 Wheels of Justice bus tour (your logistical and other support needed) and the Palestinian Civil Society Call to Action (this remains a seminal document for all who seek peace with justice)
1) FALL '07 WHEELS OF JUSTICE TOUR
The Fall '07 Wheels of Justice tour needs your active participation and support.
The Wheels of Justice Tour has already covered 48 states and we spoke and mobilized at hundreds of events but we must intensify our efforts at this crucial stage. The new fall season begins September 10 as we see significant changes in the political landscape regarding occupation in Iraq, colonization in Palestine, and violation of civil liberties here at home. The bus team is growing and adapting to changing circumstances but with your help will continue to offer the very best in compelling witness, testimony and expertise on our roles and responsibilities as taxpayers and world citizens. With your much-needed help (need volunteer hosts, organizers, speakers, money etc), we will continue to speak and mobilize at more high schools, more colleges, more churches, more community centers, and more diverse audiences. Promotional video for the bus is posted at our website.
How you can help:
1) If you live in the areas along the route or know people there consider hosting the Wheels Tour and participating fully. The tour kicks off in Tucson, Arizona and on to Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM (need Phoenix and/or Flagstaff in Arizona), then Denver, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and West to Seattle, and down the West Coast into California.
2) Let us know if you know of good speakers with eyewitness accounts to occupations in Iraq and/or Palestine.
3) Spread the word. Call and email people you know along the present route or people you think might be interested in being added o the route.
4) DONATE. It takes money to operate this educational platform. It takes money for speaker travel costs, biodiesel, food, literature, mailing, logistics etc. To donate send checks to Wheels of Justice, 740 Roundlake Rd., Luck, WI 54853. On line donations via paypal can be made at http://www.justicewheels.org/donation-and-endorsements (BTW, tax deductibe donations can be made to the Progressive Foundation-For Wheels of Justice and mailed to the address noted at the link above).
Contact Abigail Coburn abigail.coburn@gmail.com 510-384-9246 and visit http://justicewheels.org for more details.
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2) Palestinian Civil Society Calls for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel Until it Complies with International Law and Universal Principles of Human Rights First issued 9 July 2005
One year after the historic Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which found Israel's Wall built on occupied Palestinian territory to be illegal, Israel continues its construction of the colonial Wall with total disregard to the Court's decision. Thirty eight years into Israel's occupation of the Palestinian West Bank (including East Jerusalem), Gaza Strip and the Syrian Golan Heights, Israel continues to expand Jewish colonies. It has unilaterally annexed occupied East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights and is now de facto annexing large parts of the West Bank by means of the Wall. Israel is also preparing - in the shadow of its planned redeployment from the Gaza Strip - to build and expand colonies in the West Bank. Fifty seven years after the state of Israel was built mainly on land ethnically cleansed of its Palestinian owners, a majority of Palestinians are refugees, most of whom are stateless. Moreover, Israel's entrenched system of racial discrimination against its own Arab- Palestinian citizens remains intact.
In light of Israel's persistent violations of international law, and Given that, since 1948, hundreds of UN resolutions have condemned Israel's colonial and discriminatory policies as illegal and called for immediate, adequate and effective remedies, and Given that all forms of international intervention and peace-making have until now failed to convince or force Israel to comply with humanitarian law, to respect fundamental human rights and to end its occupation and oppression of the people of Palestine, and In view of the fact that people of conscience in the international community have historically shouldered the moral responsibility to fight injustice, as exemplified in the struggle to abolish apartheid in South Africa through diverse forms of boycott, divestment and sanctions;
Inspired by the struggle of South Africans against apartheid and in the spirit of international solidarity, moral consistency and resistance to injustice and oppression,
We, representatives of Palestinian civil society, call upon international civil society organizations and people of conscience all over the world to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel similar to those applied to South Africa in the apartheid era. We appeal to you to pressure your respective states to impose embargoes and sanctions against Israel. We also invite conscientious Israelis to support this Call, for the sake of justice and genuine peace.
These non-violent punitive measures should be maintained until Israel meets its obligation to recognize the Palestinian people's inalienable right to self-determination and fully complies with the precepts of international law by:
1. Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall;
2. Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and
3. Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.
Endorsed by:
The Palestinian political parties, unions, associations, coalitions and organizations below represent the three integral parts of the people of Palestine: Palestinian refugees, Palestinians under occupation and Palestinian citizens of Israel.
link http://www.pacbi.org/boycott_news_more.php?id=66_0_1_10_M11
Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD qumsiyeh.org
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