Launch of First Palestinian-South African Music Video

Besieged Gaza,

24^th February, 2012

The One Democratic State Group (ODSG), The Palestinian Students’ Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel (PSCABI)  and BDS Campaign in Gaza are pleased to announce the launch of Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) in Gaza for the third time March 12-2510, 2012 along with more than 90 cities around the world. Since it was first launched in 2005, IAW has grown to become one of the most important global events in the Palestine solidarity calendar. It includes lectures, film screenings, round- table discussion and workshops in response to the call of Palestinian civil society for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel.

We urge international solidarity groups and individuals during this week to create a week of action against Israeli Apartheid that echoes the height of South African Apartheid Movements in the 70s and 80s.

The aim of IAW is to educate people about the nature of Israel as an apartheid system and to build Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns as part of a growing global BDS movement.  During that week we ask you, courageous activists in solidarity with Palestine, to educate, to hold boycott actions against Israel and to take unprecedented mass direct action the likes of which will stir people around the world such that Israel will not have any friends left.

Here in Gaza, we are also organizing our own Israeli Apartheid week for the third time in a raw. This year, however, will witness the launch of "The New Black" music video, the first collaboration between Palestinian and South African musicians and activists. This will be via video link between the city of Gaza and Soweto Township. We will also host a group of anti-apartheid activists, and world-renowned activists and writers Ahdaf Soueif (Egypt-UK), Susan Abulhawa (Palestine-US), Samah Idris (Lebanon), Farid Esack (South Africa), Tariq Shadid (Palestine-UK). (Program attached)

We would like to seize this historic opportunity to salute the brave citizenry of Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain, Yemen, and Syria, who provide us all with such inspiration in our struggle against apartheid Israel.

Over 170 Palestinian organizations made a call in 2005 to boycott, divest and impose sanctions against Israel until it ends policies of occupation and colonization against the native population of the occupied land, guarantees the right of return of the Palestinian people to their homes, and gives equal rights to Palestinian citizens of Israel.

We call on you to make the Israeli Apartheid Week this March the biggest yet. NOW is the time to avert the next imminent massacre in Gaza. Only the international civil society can deter another genocidal war, can end the siege, can assist us to attain justice. If the international governments do not act, it is up to you to alert the world and to change the course of history. As in South Africa the imbalance of power and in this struggle can be counterbalanced by a powerful international solidarity movement with BDS at the forefront.

IAW Organizing Committee-Gaza,

Besieged Gaza, Occupied Palestine

 PROGRAM

Monday 12^th March (2:30 - 4:30 pm)

•Introduction by Haidar Eid

. Song by Mohammed Akila and Mohammed Omar        

Skype connection with Soweto, South Africa

•             Welcome by Naazim Adam, coordinator of South Africa’s Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA), and Haidar Eid from Gaza

•             Siphiwe Thusi, South African anti-apartheid activist and chair of PSA- Soweto branch

Branch

•             Live music by The Mavrix and local musicians

•             Launch of "The New Black" music video, a collaboration between Palestinian and South African musicians

•             Discussion

•             Closing

Tuesday 13^th March (2:30 -4:30 pm)

·         Skype appearance by Egyptian activist and writer Ahdaf Soweif: “The Egyptian revolution and the Palestinian struggle” ( 2:30- 3:30 pm)

·         Skype appearance by Palestinian-American activist and writer Susan Abualhawa : “Meaning(s) of Manfa (Exile) in the Palestinian memory” (3:30 - 4:30 pm)

Wednesday 14^th March (2:30 - 4:00 pm)

·         Roadmap to Apartheid documentary

Thursday 15^th March (2:30 - 3:30pm)

·         Skype connection with Goldsmiths, University of London students in the United Kingdom

Saturday 17^th March (2:30 - 3:30pm) 

·         Skype discussion with Lebanese BDS activist and writer Samah Idrees: “The importance of BDS in Lebanon and in the Arab world within the context of  the Arab Spring”

Sunday 18^th March (2:30 - 4:00pm)

·         Skype connection with the Palestine Solidarity Alliance and South African anti-apartheid activists, (Professor Farid Esack; other names to be confirmed)(2:30 - 3:30 pm)

·     Skype connection with a Palestinian musician, a doctor/surgeon  and activist Tariq Shadid (Doc Jazz) (3:30 - 4:00 pm).

Monday 19^th March (2:30 - 4:30 pm)

·         Tears of Gaza documentary

·         Occupation 101 documentary

·         Discussion

Thursday 22^nd March (2:30 - 4:30pm)

·         Music  concert

·         Mohammed Omar

·         Mohammed Akila

·         Dabka

Venue :Golden media building--Opposite Al-Azhar University

جدول فعاليات أسبوع الأبارتهيد الاسرائيلي في غزة

الاثنين 12 مارس  2:30- 4:30 مساء

-         كلمة ترحيبية من اللجنة التحضيرية لأسبوع مقاومة الأبارتهيد يلقيها الدكتور حيدر عيد  مع افتتاح    بمقطوعة موسيقية وطنية للفنان محمد البردويل و أغنية لمحمد عكيلة.

-         عرض لمجموعة من الفيديوهات  عن نشاطات حملة المقاطعة بي دي اس في العالم

-         فيديو كونفرنس  مباشر مع جنوب افريقيا (مدينة سيويتو) ليتم اطلاق أول فيدو كليب موسيقى فلسطيني- جنوب افريقي ( الفلسطيني: الأسود الجديد)  بالاشتراك والتعاون مع فنانين من كلا الطرفين. 

-         كلمة ترحيبية من ناظم أدم من جنوب افريقيا و حيدر عيد من غزة.

-         كلمة يلقيها Siphiwe Thusi الناشط ضد الفصل العنصري ومسؤل منظمة التحالف مع فلسطين—فرع سويتو PSA – Soweto

-         عزف مقطوعة موسيقية مباشرة  تقوم بها مجموعة المافركس الجنوب أفريقية

-         اطلاق فيديو " فلسطيني : الأسود الجديد" 

-         مناقشة

-         اختتام

الثلاثاء  13 مارس 2:30 -4:30 مساء

-         فيديو كونفرنس مع  الكاتبة و الناشطة المصرية أهداف سويف  2:30 – 3:30 مساء

-         فيديو كونفرنس مع الكاتبة و الناشطة سوزان ابو الهوا و حوار حول المنفى فى الذاكرة الفلسطينية 3:30-4:30 مساء

الأربعاء 14 مارس 2:30- 4:00 مساء

-         عرض الفيلم  الوثائقي خارطة الطريق للأبارتهيد "Roadmap to Apartheid

الخميس 15 مارس 2:30 – 3:30 مساء

-          لقاء عبر السكايب مع طلاب جامعة جولدسميث في برطانيا

السبت 17 مارس 2:30 – 3:30 مساء 

-          لقاء مع الناشط و الأديب اللبناني سماح إدريس و حوار حول أهمية المقاطعة لبنانيا و عربيا في سياق الربيع العربي

الأحد 18 مارس 2:30 -4:00 مساء

-          سكايب مع جنوب افريقيا تحالف التضامن و نشطاء ضد نظام التفرقة العنصرية)بروفسور فريد أسحاق) و بعض النقابيين–2:30-3:30 مساء

-           

-          لقاء مع طارق شديد- موسيقيار و ناشط فلسطيني 3:30-4:00 مساء

الاثنين 19 مارس 2:30 – 4:30

-          عرض لفيلم وثائقي ( احتلال 101) Occupation 101

-          عرض فيلم دموع غزة Tears of Gaza

الخميس 22 مارس 2:30- 4:30

-          حفل موسيقي ختامي بمشاركة الفنانين الفلسطينيين:  محمد البردويل و محمد عكيلة

-          عرض لدبكة فلسطينية

-          الاختتام

القاعة: مبنى جولدن ميديا--مقابل جامعة الأزهر

A CALL FROM GAZA
to the People of Conscience worldwide to break the Israeli Blockade:

Do not forget Gaza
We are waiting for your boats at our shores

September 30, 2011

Besieged Gaza, Occupied Palestine

We the Palestinians of the Besieged Gaza Strip, are calling on the world: enough inaction, enough discussion, enough waiting – the illegal closure on the Gaza Strip must end.  While attention is focused on the Palestinian bid for statehood in the UN do not forget that the blockade and the suffering continue in Gaza.

Shortly after 2006 democratic election which was supervised by people and bodies from the international community, nations formerly supporting aid and cultural organizations in Gaza withdrew their support.  In mid-2007, our borders, controlled by Israel and Egypt, fully closed, locking Palestinians within and preventing imports and exports from crossing our borders.

From December 27 2008 to January 18 2009, Israel waged an all-out slaughter on Gaza, killing over 1400 Palestinians, the vast majority innocent civilians and among them nearly 400 children, and destroying thousands of homes, businesses, factories and buildings including universities, schools, hospitals and medical care facilities, and damaging vast tracts of our water and sanitation system.

Almost three years following after Israel's attacks, almost no homes and few buildings have been rebuilt, our sanitation and sewage system is more dire than ever, raw waste continues to be pumped into our sea –for want of proper treatment facilities –polluting our water and the fish along the coast which fishermen are forced to harvest because the Israeli navy shoots at them if they try to fish more than three miles from the Gaza coast—contaminating our drinking water and food supply.