Tag Archives: US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation

Only 3 Days Left Until the 8th Annual National Organizers’ Conference

8th Annual National Organizers ConferenceWe are only 3 days away from the 8th Annual National Organizers’ Conference in Chicago. This is your last chance to pre-register for the conference by clicking here. On-line registration will close at 12:00PM, Noon Eastern, Thursday, September 10. If you haven’t pre-registered for the conference by the deadline, then you can still register for the conference on-site on Saturday; however we cannot guarantee conference registration materials and Saturday night dinner for you if you register on-site. So if you are planning on coming to the conference, please register on-line right away by clicking here.

The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation is also excited to invite you to Speaking Out, a night of solidarity and entertainment to benefit the work of the US Campaign, Saturday, September 12! We are honored to welcome the Director of the Middle East Institute at Columbia University, Professor Rashid Khalidi and Palestinian political analyst Omar Barghouti as our keynote speakers. Fr. Miguel d’Escoto, President of the UN General Assembly, will also share a special message.

Join us in Chicago, September 12-13 to help plan the future of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation!

1) Deadline to Register, Thursday September 10, 2009 at 12:00pm (noon) Eastern

The deadline to register on-line for the conference is Thursday, September 10th at 12:00pm, Noon Eastern. The registration fee for the conference is $60. It will include Saturday dinner, conference packets, and admission to the Saturday night key-note speeches.

Click here to register today – http://www.endtheoccupation.org/

If you haven’t pre-registered for the conference by tomorrow’s deadline, then you can still register for the conference on-site on Saturday; however we cannot guarantee conference registration materials and Saturday night dinner for you if you register on-site. So if you are planning on coming to the conference, please register on-line right away.

 2) Read the 2008-2009 Annual Report:
Click here to read what we’ve done since our last annual conference –
http://www.endtheoccupation.org/downloads/20082009AnnualReport.pdf

3) Read the Proposals to be discussed:
We thank our member groups in good standing for submitting programmatic proposals under the pre-assigned categories.  You can read the proposals by clicking here – http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=2336

4) Read the National Conference Agenda. Click here to read the conference agenda – http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=2004

5) Read over the Steering Committee Nominees:

The Steering Committee is the highest decision-making body of the US Campaign between annual conferences.  It is responsible for policy decisions, strategic planning, fundraising, and personnel decisions.   Click here to see who has nominated themselves to serve on the US Campaign’s Steering Committee.  If you would like to run or nominate someone to run for the Steering Committee, please click here – http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=2340

6) Renew your organizational membership dues:
If your organization has not paid its 2009 membership dues, then your conference delegates will not be able to vote for proposals or for Steering Committee members.  Click here to see if your organization has paid its 2009 membership dues – http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=2055

 7) Our official response to Shalom International’s Call for Protest of our Conference:

It has been brought to the attention of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation that the Chicago Chapter of Shalom International will be protesting our 8th Annual National Organizers’ Conference on Sunday, September 13, at 1PM. According to their website, the protest will be taking place across the street from our conference venue.

The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation strongly believes in everyone’s right to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. The US Campaign is liaising with the conference venue to assure the safety and security of all conference attendees and prevent any disruptions to our conference. We have no reason to believe that the protesters will attempt to disrupt the conference or threaten the safety and security of its participants.

The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation strongly urges all conference attendees to avoid any interaction with any protester during its 8th Annual National Organizers’ Conference for the following reasons:

1) The US Campaign strongly opposes any and all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism, and believes that unfounded accusations of anti-Semitism do not deserve any response or engagement on our part.

2) We have important business to take care of during our conference to advance our agenda of changing U.S. policy toward Israel/Palestine to support human rights, international law, and equality for all. Let us not divert our valuable attention and time together at our conference.

3) Protesters love to garner media attention for their actions and we all know that nothing leads to better media coverage than confrontation. Do not give the protesters the satisfaction of drawing additional attention to their cause. Ignore them.

The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation would like to thank in advance all conference participants and member groups for adhering to our call not to engage protesters in any way. And we look to seeing you in Chicago on Saturday for an exciting and successful conference!

8) Speaking Out! A night of Solidarity with Prof. Rashid Khalidi, Omar Barghouti, and more!

A Night of Solidarity

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Filed under Actions | Events, Events, Free Palestine, Human Rights, Middle East, Obama Administration, Palestine | Israel, Peace, Protest, Special Events, The Obama Administration

Desmond Tutu | Speaking out against Israel’s apartheid policies against Palestinians

End the Occupation

Join the Olive Branch Club and Get a Poster Signed by Desmond Tutu

At the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, we are extremely proud to have developed a strong connection with South African Nobel Peace Prize-winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu. This giant in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa has been a clear and consistent voice of conscience speaking out against Israel’s apartheid policies against Palestinians.

Archbishop Tutu endorsing our national anti-apartheid speaking tour, “Separate Is Never Equal: Stories of Apartheid from South Africa and Palestine,” held last year.

Nobel Peace Prize-winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Nobel Peace Prize-winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu

We would like to send one lucky supporter an autographed copy of this poster. What’s the catch? You guessed it…to be eligible to win this poster we are asking for your financial support so that we can continue doing our important work of educating the public about Israeli apartheid; organizing campaigns of boycott, divestment, and sanctions against companies that profit from Israeli occupation; challenging U.S. military aid to Israel, and much, much more.

Here’s how it works. Join our Olive Branch Club, our regular monthly giving program. It’s safe and easy to set up-just decide the tax-deductible amount that you would like to contribute to us on a monthly basis and your credit or debit card will automatically be charged that amount once a month.

It’s a great way for you to make an ongoing contribution to sustaining our work and a great way for us to get a dedicated steady stream of donations in each month.  

Join the Olive Branch Club

Join the Olive Branch Club

For each $5 donation you commit to each month, we will enter you once in a raffle to win the autographed Desmond Tutu poster. In other words, donate $10 per month to us, and we’ll enter you twice in the competition. Donate $50 per month to us and we’ll enter you ten times. You get the idea. Now, just decide upon the level that is right for you and join the Olive Branch Club today by clicking on the Olive Branch.  Continue reading

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Register for the 8th Annual National Organizers’ Conference in Chicago!

8th Annual National Organizers Conference

8th Annual National Organizers Conference

http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?list=type&type=253

Less than Two Months to Register and Attend the 8th Annual National Organizers’ Conference

A new President in the White House. The Gaza Strip still under siege. A growing international movement for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS). Israeli settlements debated in the U.S. media. These are just a few of the aspects of the exciting and challenging new space that we find ourselves in as we advocate for an end to occupation and equal rights for all.

How should our movement move forward? How can we make our advocacy more effective? How can we expand our BDS work? These questions and more will be discussed in depth at our 8th Annual National Organizers’ Conference. Don’t miss out–join the conversation by registering today.

Join us in Chicago, September 12-13 to help plan the future of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation during these exciting times.

 

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Victory for Hang Up On Motorola boycott!

Moto Meets Demand!

Last week Motorola Israel, Ltd. sold its Government Electronics Department to Israeli military contractor Aeronautics Defense Systems.  This means that Motorola will no longer be selling bomb fuses to the Israeli military.  The first demand of our boycott has been met!

While this first victory is sweet, it’s far from the end of Hang Up On Motorola! Motorola Israel (which is wholly owned by Motorola USA) still produces a number of products that support Israel’s military occupation and entrench its apartheid system in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.  Support Hang Up On Motorola now and ensure that we will stay steadfast until Motorola stops profiting from Israel’s human rights abuses and violations of international law.  Make a $30 or greater contribution and we’ll send you a poster featuring Parachutes Falling, the winning design from our Expressions of Nakba art competition.  Make a $50 or greater donation and receive a DVD of Occupation 101*.  Make a $100 or greater contribution and we’ll send you both Parachutes Falling and Occupation 101*.

What does this sale mean for Hang Up On Motorola?

1) We have Moto on the run – we can win this boycott! The only stated motivation for this sale is that it “would enable Aeronautics to provide more comprehensive solutions to its customers,” and, on its part, Motorola has declined to comment.  Of course, we expect Motorola will be reticent to admit that our pressure had anything to do with this sale.  Read more about how pressure from international boycott & divestment campaigns are affecting Israeli businesses here.  Click here to demand divestment from occupation – make a tax-deductible donation to this campaign now!

2) Motorola is still responsible for the damage that their products have done.  The “bomb family” that utilized Motorola fuses is responsible for the deaths of at least 28 civilians in Lebanon and Human Rights Watch recently found shrapnel with Motorola serial numbers on it at the site of a civilian building in Gaza bombed during Operation Cast Lead.

3) We must keep our pressure up! Even after this sale, Moto still makes myriad products used by the Israeli military to continue its occupation and enforcement of apartheid. Motorola Israel has ongoing contracts with the Israeli military, both independently of and jointly with Aeronautics Defense Systems.  These contracts include military communications systems and surveillance systemsfor Israel’s apartheid wall and illegal settlements.  Motorola Israel’s subsidiary, MIRS, also makes mobile phones exclusively for Israeli settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.  This sort of business reinforces norms of apartheid and cannot be tolerated.  Click here to organize the Hang Up On Motorola boycott in your area.

 
 

Our success so far is due to our supporters who have organized this campaign locally and who have sustained it by donating to our boycott & divestment work.  Help see this campaign through to the end by contributing today.  A $10donation will fund a new Hang Up On Motorola organizer’s campaign kit.  A $50donation will pay for one internet advertisement to raise awareness of this campaign.  $200will pay for a US campaign presence at the Motorola shareholder meeting in Chicago on May 4th.  $500 will sponsor a tour stop for our Fall 2009 boycott & divestment campus organizing tour.

Get involved in organizing the Hang Up On Motorola boycott! Sign up to get a Hang Up On Motorola campaign kit by clicking here.  Email the US Campaign’s national organizer about demonstrating outside of the Motorola shareholder meeting by .  Enter our Spoof Moto video contest!  Click here to submit a video spoofing Motorola’s advertising campaigns to tell the truth about its support for Israeli military occupation and apartheid.

*Please allow up to two weeks for shipping of Occupation 101 DVD.

US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation

DONATE | SUBSCRIBE | UNSUBSCRIBE

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PATOIS | The Sixth Annual New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival

The 6th Annual New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival

The 6th Annual New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival

March 26 – April 5, 2009
patoisfilmfest.org

This year, PATOIS will be better than ever. More than 50 films, 8 world premieres, 20 filmmakers presenting their films, food provided by at least six different New Orleans restaurants, workshops, panels, and live performances by local and national musicians at venues around the city, as well as out in the streets!

Complete information about our programming is available online at patoisfilmfest.org, and programs are available at spots all around New Orleans.

We have discounted and free tickets available for youth, and for others who might not otherwise be able to afford tickets. For more information, please write .

SOME OF THIS YEAR’S HIGHLIGHTS:

Thursday, March 26
Opening Night Film
7:00pm
American Violet
Canal Place Landmark Cinema, 333 Canal Street

Filmed in New Orleans, the film confronts racial profiling through the inspiring story of a 24-year-old African American single mother living in a small Texas town who chooses to fight the local district attorney and the unyielding criminal justice system he represents.  Starring Nicole Beharie, Academy Award nominees Michael O’Keefe and Alfre Woodard, plus Tim Blake Nelson, Charles S. Dutton and Xzibit. Director Tim Disney will present the film and answer questions.

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Filed under Actions | Events, American Culture, American Politics, Black Politics, Community Economic Development, Criminal Justice, NOLA