Human Rights: Six Actions for Peace

Actions speak louder than words so here are 6 actions YOU can take to advance peace (at least select three for this week).

(BETHLEHEM) - We salute and mourn lost comrades. We mourn the loss of our young friend Mahmoud Al-Teety shot dead by Israeli apartheid forces who invaded his village.* We mourn President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela who lifted millions out of poverty and showed that governments can serve people needs rather than corporate greed.

We mourn Stephen Hessel, survivor of the genocides committed by the Nazis and a human rights defender who supported Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) on Israel and also helped spread ideas of universal human rights and rejected racist ideas of uniqueness and chosen-ness.

We also commemorate ten years since the murder of our friend Rachel Corrie (US citizen, 23 year old) by Israeli soldiers in Rafah. May we always remember those who worked for human rights and against tyranny and oppression.

I just returned from my whirlwind tour of South Africa exhausted but energized. I met with hundreds of people including church leaders and leadership of the workers union COSATU.

The BDS movement is picking up steam in South Africa thanks to the effort of hundreds of local activists (facing opposition from a few rich racist Zionists). I need to digest some information before I write more about this experience and already it will be useful for a chapter I am working on that talks about Palestinian future options/strategies.

* But in the meantime, actions speak louder than words so here are 6 actions YOU can take to advance peace (at least select three for this week).*

*Action 1:* During Israel Apartheid week kicks off in 250 cities
wortldwide. One of the 95 events in South Africa was hosted by COSATU, and
I spoke to labor leaders about the situation on the ground in Palestine.
For more events and information and how you can help, see
http://apartheidweek.org/
For South Africa
http://www.bdssouthafrica.com/2011/02/israeli-apartheid-week.html

*Action 2*: (from Barbara W) It is clear from the number of elected
officials who DECLINED to speak this year at the AIPAC convention
(including Obama), that the power of their lobby is eroding. Code Pink
built miniature settlements and a replica of the Israeli Apartheid Wall in
front of AIPAC's convention center. See just a few of the colorful props,
street theater, music and humor.
http://www.ifpb.org/education/grassroots/2013/mobilizationphotos.html
Jewish Voices for Peace posted billboards all over the D.C. metro system
saying, "We are proud to be Jewish and AIPAC does not speak for us". Obama
is coming to the Middle East and he met with Arab Americans in the US ahead
of his visit (we would like him to meet with Palestinian Americans living
here and see life of dispossessed Palestinians instead of Presidential
Compounds in Ramallah). There is a lot of work to do in the US as Congress
is still Israeli occupied territory and even at state level Zionists
infiltrated; Ohio (USA) state treasury used taxpayer money to support
Apartheid
http://www.jta.org/news/article/2013/03/07/3121421/state-of-ohio-purchase-42-million-in-israel-bondsSo
US citizens should write and pressure their government officials to
respect human righst and not support apartheid. The Council for National
Interest provides resources http://www.councilforthenationalinterest.org/

*Action 3:* Palestinian Agricultural Organizations and Civil Society
Networks Call for Ending International Trade with Israeli Agricultural
Companies
http://www.bdsmovement.net/2013/palestinian-agricultural-org-call-10515

*Action 4: *Marathon in Bethlehem April 21st http://righttomovement.com/

*Action 5: *Please Mark your calendar for Sabeel's Global Young Adult
Festival July 1-6, 2013 http://www.sabeel.org/events.php?eventid=262
and Sabeel's 9th International Conference 19 - 25, November 2013
http://www.sabeel.org/events.php?eventid=263

*Action 6: *Actipedia is an open-access, user-generated database of
creative activism. It’s a place to read about, comment upon, and share
experiences and examples of how activists and artists are using creative
tactics and strategies to challenge power and offer visions of a better
society. Actipedia draws case studies from everywhere: original
submissions, reprinted news articles, snippets of action reports. We think
that by learning from each other we can learn how to better change the
world. Join us! Actipedia is a joint project of the Center for Artistic
Activism and the Yes Lab. You can add your events http://actipedia.org

*Photos of the week: Israel killed a friend/peace activist near Hebron
http://on.fb.me/ZK5gI8

Welcome to visit us in Palestine
La Luta continua
Stay human

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
http://qumsiyeh.org
http://kairospalestine.ps

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD - Popular Committee to Defend Ush Ghrab (PCDUG) "A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home. Mazin has been an Associate Professor of Genetics; Director, Cytogenetics Laboratory at Yale University School of Medicine since 1999. He previously held a similar position at Duke University. Professor Qumsiyeh has authored over 110 scientific papers in areas of mammalogy, biology, and medicine including mammalian biology and evolution, clinical genetics, and cancer research. He has published over 100 letters to the editor and 30 op-ed pieces in International, national, regional and local papers on issues ranging from politics to environmental issues. His appearances in national media included the Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, CNBC, C-Span, and ABC, among others. He is the founder and president of the Holy Land Conservation Foundation and ex-President of the Middle East Genetics Association, and Prof. Qumsiyeh won the Jallow activism award from the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee in 1998. He is author of “Sharing the Land of Canaan: Human rights and the Israeli/Palestinian Struggle” and just published “Popular Resistance in Palestine: A history of Hope and Empowerment.” Visit Mazin Qumsiyeh's amazing and informative Website to learn more: qumsiyeh.org.