Oakland, CA: 'Child's View From Gaza' Exhibit

Opening Reception will go on as planned! September 24, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. 538 Ninth Street, downtown Oakland.

Learn more: http://www.mecaforpeace.org/

(OAKLAND, Calif.) - An exhibit of Palestinian children’s paintings (“A child’s view from Gaza”) was scheduled to open tomorrow (Sept. 24) from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the Museum of Children’s Art in Oakland, CA. The paintings were done after the Israeli military assault on Gaza in 2008/2009 which killed 1400 Palestinians including 300 children. So they depicted some of what the children had seen.

The young artists were excited to know that, at least in one American city, people would learn a little about what they had experienced.

But two weeks ago, the museum announced that it was cancelling the exhibit. It had come under pressure from the Jewish Federation of the East Bay and the East Bay Jewish Community Relations Council.

The museum, which had partnered with MECA (the Middle East Children’s Alliance) to prepare the exhibit, now decided that some of the children’s paintings were “not appropriate” to be seen by other children.

MECA intends to display the paintings on schedule tomorrow anyway in the courtyard outside the museum at 538 Ninth Street, downtown Oakland.

I hope friends in the Bay area will make the effort to see the exhibit between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.

For more information go to     http://www.mecaforpeace.org/

Rod Driver studied engineering and mathematics at the University of Minnesota, receiving a Ph.D. in mathematics in 1960. He worked at Sandia Laboratories in Albuquerque for six years before taking a teaching position at the University of Rhode Island for 30 years. Rod says he became a 'peacenik' in 1951 (thanks to a few weeks on Pariss Island). He became particularly active in opposition to U.S. wars in Indochina and U.S. involvement in overthrowing governments and supporting dictators in Latin America and Iran. As the Vietnam war was winding down Rod began paying attention to the abuse of Palestinians - enabled with U.S. weapons and dollars, which has never stopped. Rod is the founder and president of the non-profit Justice First Foundation.

In Rhode Island Rod was an elected delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1986, Then he was elected a state representative for 10 years. At this time he is not in office. You can write to Rod Driver at this address: rod@roddriver.com

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