GAZA FREEDOM MARCH

COMMENTARY ARCHIVES, 13 Oct 2009

Codepink

The International Coalition to End the Illegal Siege of Gaza was formed after Israel’s 22-day assault on Gaza in winter 2008-09. We are a diverse coalition that represents all faiths (and no faith) and is focused on human rights in conformance with international law.

To mark the fact that is has been one year since the Israeli attack, the coalition is mobilizing an international contingent for a nonviolent march alongside the people of Gaza on Dec. 31, to end the illegal blockade.

The coalition conceives this march as part of a broader strategy to end the Israeli occupation by targeting nonviolently its flagrant violations of international law from the house demolitions and settlements to the curfews and torture.

Gaza Freedom March Coordinating Committee (CC)

This committee is charged with making strategic and policy decisions related to the march.

·    Medea Benjamin is cofounder of Global Exchange and CODEPINK: Women for Peace, and has helped organized five trips to Gaza since February 2009.

·    Felice Gelman works on Palestine issues with WESPAC Foundation. She is on the board of the Friends of the Jenin Freedom Theatre, and recently organized a New York area delegation to Gaza.

·    Mirene Ghossein has served on various human rights and cultural organizations in both Lebanon and the U.S. She is a member of Adalah (Arabic for Justice) NY, the Middle East Committee of WESPAC Foundation and Alwan for the Arts.

·    Abdeen Jabara is a Michigan-born lawyer and former president of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (1986-1990).

·    Dina Kennedy is a member of American Palestinian Women’s Association and a U.S. coordinator for Free Gaza.

·    Ehab Lotayef is a Montreal-based writer and engineer, and a veteran activist in the struggle for Palestinian rights.

·    Nancy Murray is president of the Gaza Mental Health Foundation and a long time activist for civil and human rights

·    Oruba Rabie is a Palestinian-American graduate student at New Jersey Institute of Technology and a writer for the "Arab Voice" newspaper.

·    Ann Wright is a retired U.S. Army Colonel, former U.S. diplomat who resigned in opposition to the Iraq war and co-leader in 2009 of three CODEPINK delegations to Gaza and one delegation to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Gaza Freedom March Liaison Committee (LC)

This committee consists of the chairpersons of the various working committees.

·    Max Ajl is a writer, graduate student in political science and member of the Israel-Palestine Committee of Brooklyn for Peace. He is co-chair of the Media Outreach Committee.

·    Ali Glenesk is a fourth-year UC Berkeley student concentrating in Arabic and global poverty and was a lead organizer of the May 2009 40-person student delegation to Gaza. She is the contact person for the Gaza Freedom March Student Coordinating Committee (SCC).

·    Ali Mallah is vice president of the Canadian Arab Federation in Ontario, a member of the steering committee of the Canadian Peace Alliance, and a founding member of Trade Unionists Against War and the Coalition to Stop War. Ali is the contact person for the North American Muslim/Arab Community Outreach Committee.

·    Nadia Hijab is a syndicated columnist, author, public speaker and media commentator. She has served as co-chair of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and is a past president of the Association of Arab American University Graduates.

·    Mark Johnson, PhD, is executive director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation/USA. He is co-chair of the march’s Interfaith Outreach Committee.

·    Sayel Kayed is a Palestinian-American and an active member of American Muslims for Palestine. He helped organize the last Viva Palestina convoy to Gaza, July 2009. He is chair of the Arab-American Outreach Committee.

·    Dave Kunes is a  communications associate at the national office of Peace Action. He is chair of the Internet Outreach Committee.

·    Gael Murphy is co-chair of the legislative committee of United for Peace and Justice and a cofounder of CODEPINK. Murphy is the contact person for the Elected Officials Outreach Committee.

·    Pam Rasmussen is on the steering committee of Peace Action Montgomery and was an International Solidarity Movement volunteer in the West Bank. Rasmussen is the contact person for the Peace and Justice Outreach Committee.

·    Sandra Ruch is the Canadian coordinator for the march. She lives in Toronto and is the administrative coordinator for the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, on the steering committee of Independent Jewish Voices and Gaza coordinator for CODEPINK Toronto.

·    Alan Stolerov is professor of sociology and labor studies at the Lisbon University Institute in Portugal and a veteran activist organizing solidarity with the Palestinian people in Portugal. He is the contact person for the European Outreach Committee.

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VISIT THE GAZA FREEDOM MARCH WEBSITE 

(Join the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) campaign toprotest the Israeli barbaric siege of Gaza, illegal occupation ofPalestine, the apartheid wall, and its inhuman and degrading treatmentof the Palestinian people: DON’T BUY products whose BARCODE starts with 7 2 9, which indicates that it is produced in Israel. DO YOUR PART! MAKE A DIFFERENCE! 7 2 9)

This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 13 Oct 2009.

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