Rachel Corrie was 23 years old when she was crushed to death by an Israeli army bulldozer on March 16, 2003. She was working with others trying to protect the home of a Palestinian pharmacist from demolition in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Palestine. “My Name is Rachel Corrie” is a powerful one-woman show based entirely on the writings that Rachel left behind, telling her story from the time she was a small child, leading up to the days before her death. The play, edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner from Rachel’s diaries and emails, was produced by the Royal Court Theatre in London. Starring Megan Dodds, it played to sold out audiences and wide acclaim. “My Name is Rachel Corrie” was scheduled to open at the New York Theatre Workshop on March 22nd. It has been postponed indefinitely, sparking much debate. Read more about Activism Call: Why are people afraid of Rachel Corrie's words?
Last week, a group of sixty prominent British architects and planners has threatened to boycott the Israeli construction industry over the erection of the security fence and practices in the occupied territories. Following a meeting hosted at the offices of Lord Rogers, the architect behind the Millenium Dome and the Pompidou Centre in Paris, Architects and Planners for Justice in Palestine announced its plan to take action against Israel. The Foundation for Achieving Seamless Territory (F.A.S.T.) welcomes this call and sees it as a personal and professional responsibility to fully support this call and welcomes the discussion on the role of Israeli architects and planners in sustaining the Israeli colonization of Palestinian land. Read more about British architects and planners boycott Israeli construction companies
The village of Lifta, which lies just outside Jerusalem, has been abandoned since the Israeli army drove out the last of its Palestinian inhabitants in 1948. Now, however, a renovation project aims to turn Lifta into an expensive and exclusive Jewish residential area - reinventing its history in the process. In the following months, the Foundation for Achieving Seamless Territory (F.A.S.T.) will, with your help, reconstruct the map of Lifta. F.A.S.T. invites you to help it describe the town by sending your details, narratives, drawings and photographs of Lifta. F.A.S.T. will compile the material that is send to them (by email or fax) and fill the map. Read more about Urgent Appeal: Help F.A.S.T. Reconstruct Lifta's Map
Academics and researchers invited to participate in the conference on academic freedom and academic boycotts organized by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) condemn tactics used by critics of the conference to cast doubt on the integrity of the organizers and some of the participants, and to ultimately derail it. On February 9, the AAUP decided to postpone its conference. Joan Scott, former chair of the AAUP’s Committee on Academic Freedom and one of the key organizers of this conference, said the postponement was due to “a carefully orchestrated campaign to abort the conference by groups which believe that any representation of a point of view other than theirs is anathema”. Read more about AAUP Conference on Academic Freedom and Boycotts Postponed
Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights-Concordia has been banned, without explanation or consultation, by the administration, specifically by President Claude Lajeunesse, from using the Samuel Bronfman Building at Concordia University, to host an upcoming event, Israeli Apartheid Week 2006. SPHR booked and received a confirmation to hold Apartheid Week at the Samuel Bronfman building about two weeks ago. All other venues with similar capacity (100-200 people), were booked, and Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR — the organizing group) was left with the Bronfman as the only respectable venue suitable for the speakers we will be hosting (Mr. Toufic Haddad, Dr. Ismail Zayid and Dr. Uri Davis). Read more about Concordia University blocks Israeli Apartheid Week
The American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker humanitarian service organization, has nominated two candidates for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize: Jeff Halper from Israel and Ghassan Andoni from the West Bank and Gaza. In a region torn apart by conflict, these grassroots peace activists have been committed to nonviolence as the path to justice, peace, and reconciliation. For decades they have worked to liberate both the Palestinian and the Israeli people from the yoke of structural violence — symbolized most clearly by the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. They have opposed the Separation Wall that blinds people to one another’s existence. They have instead tried to build bridges to recognition and celebration of a common humanity. Read more about Jeff Halper & Ghassan Andoni: Nobel Peace Prize Nominees
The Church of England’s most senior decision-making body, the General Synod, voted to disinvest from “companies profiting from the illegal occupation [of Palestine]”. Caterpillar manufactures D9 bulldozers used by the Israeli armed forces for house demolitions. The decision follows examination by the Church’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG) of whether the shares currently held in Caterpillar were consistent with the Church’s ethical investment policy, which prohibits investment in arms companies or companies making “weapons platforms” such as naval vessels or tanks. Read more about Church of England votes to divest from Caterpillar
Campaigners today welcomed the Church of England’s overwhelming vote in favour of divesting its £2.2 million shares from bulldozer manufacturer Caterpillar. The vote, supported by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, sends a clear message to Caterpillar that profiting from human rights violations is not compatible with socially responsible business practice. The General Synod of the Church of England voted yesterday evening (6 February 2006) “to disinvest from companies profiting from the illegal occupation, such as Caterpillar Inc, until they change their policies”. The Church Commissioners now need to enforce the Synod’s decision. Read more about Campaigners welcome Church divestment vote on Caterpillar
The Jewish state uses Jerusalem to define itself in the ever expanding city. All buildings, including new ones, have to be made of stone in order to show the eternal Jewish presence, in this process Jerusalem’s Palestinian past is being appropriated. Malkit Shoshan, director of FAST (the Foundation for Achieving Seamless Territory), and Eitan Bronstein, director of Zochrot, examine the ways in which planning is being used to create this fantasy heritage for Israel, at the expense of Palestinian culture. The village of Lifta, which lies just outside Jerusalem, has been abandoned since the Israeli army drove out the last of its Palestinian inhabitants in 1948. Read more about Reinventing Lifta (2/2)
The Jewish state uses Jerusalem to define itself in the ever expanding city. All buildings, including new ones, have to be made of stone in order to show the eternal Jewish presence, in this process Jerusalem’s Palestinian past is being appropriated. Malkit Shoshan, director of FAST (the Foundation for Achieving Seamless Territory), and Eitan Bronstein, director of Zochrot, examine the ways in which planning is being used to create this fantasy heritage for Israel, at the expense of Palestinian culture. The village of Lifta, which lies just outside Jerusalem, has been abandoned since the Israeli army drove out the last of its Palestinian inhabitants in 1948. Read more about Reinventing Lifta (1/2)
