BostontoPalestine
Boston
support group for the International Solidarity Movement
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Summer 2006
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Who We Are
BostontoPalestine (B2P) is a group
of Boston-based activists who work in solidarity with thePalestinian
people in their non-violent struggle to resist and end the occupation
of Palestine by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). We achieve
this by sending delegates to work with International Solidarity
Movement (ISM) and other peace and justice groups operating in
Palestine.
What we do
Our primary mission is to send delegates
to Palestine and to support the delegates in as many ways as
we can before, during and after their time in Palestine. This
support includes financial support, trainings to prepare people
for their work in Palestine, moral and practical support while
they are there (telephone and e-mail contact, and liaison with
legal and consular support if necessary), and creating opportunities
for them to relate their experiences to the public when they
return.
What we have
achieved so far
BostontoPalestine was formed in June
of 2002, and in the space of only a year we are proud to have
achieved all of the following:
Helped train, finance and logistically support fourteen Boston-area delegates to ISM campaigns.
Conducted dozens of educational and outreach events for returning delegates in community and religious centers, high schools and colleges all around Boston.
Distributed eyewitness reports from our delegates to hundreds of people in the Boston area and beyond.
Created one of the ISM's best organized support groups in terms of providing rapid assistance to delegates "on the ground" in Palestine when it is needed.
Received major mention in the Boston Globe and Herald, conducted live interviews on major local TV news programs and community radio and television programs.
Organized and conducted rallies, marches and vigils in the Boston area to protest the ongoing atrocities conducted against Palestinians by the IDF, and to honor and commemorate ISM activists who have been killed or wounded by the IDF.
Expanded the possibilities of what can be done from Boston to support Palestinians in their daily struggle for dignity and humanity.
These achievements have inspired us to greater ambitions in our goal of expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people, supporting them in more effective ways in their nonviolent struggle against occupation, and conveying to the world the horrors that are a feature of their daily lives at the hands of the IDF.
Our Plans
Our plans to further our goals are
developing rapidly, and we have been and are putting much work
and thought into developing new directions and new ways to work.
This is largely in response to the URGENT SITUATION created by
the recent 'crack-down' on the ISM and other peace and human
rights organizations by the Israeli government and IDF, including
the lethal targeting and murdering of activists and journalists,
and the detention and deportation of activists as a matter of
policy. Israel is determined to prevent the eyes of the world
from witnessing it's behavior in the occupied territories, but
the ISM and BostontoPalestine are not deterred, and fully intend
to maintain a presence of international observers and peace activists.
Our plans and activities to make this possible include the following:-
To send a large delegation of up to 10 people to Palestine this summer; this entails providing financial assistance to delegates who need it, training them before they go, supporting them once there, and creating events and opportunities for them to relate their experiences to the public when they return.
To provide our delegates (and therefore the ISM) with equipment especially still and video cameras for the purposes of documenting life and events (including direct actions) in Palestine under occupation, but also cell phones and computers (for the ISM offices).
To work toward establishing a Long Term Presence Project (LTTP) in Palestine, through which Boston will establish a relationship of solidarity with a community in Palestine. This will enable us to work closely over time with a community, providing ongoing support for nonviolent resistance actions and doing service work in the community.
To collaborate with other groups on building an organization of ISM support groups in America (including Canada and Puerto Rico). This has already begun, and we are in the process of planning a conference for the Fall. We very excited about the prospects a national organization holds for sharing resources and knowledge, and for much greater effectiveness in working with the media, other national organizations and political bodies.
Our appeal
to you
As you can imagine, seeing these plans
through to fruition will take a lot of work and money. We of
BostontoPalestine are committed to seeing them through, and we
are working on them with a passion. However the most active core
of BostontoPalestine consists of less than 20 people, and as
willing as we are to commit our own time and resources to fulfilling
our plans, we are still facing a shortfall. It is for this reason
that we are appealing to you.
As someone who is clearly concerned about the plight of the Palestinian people, we ask you to support us, and through us the International Solidarity Movement and the Palestinian people.
If you feel moved to work with
us, and your life permits you the opportunity, we would certainly
welcome you with open arms. There is plenty to do:-
Organizing and participating in protests, vigils and other actions
Making posters & banners for actions
Planning, setting up and running fundraising events
Creating flyers and brochures to publicize our work and events
Distributing and posting flyers
Setting up opportunities for returning delegates to speak publicly
If you can help us with a financial
contribution that would be GREAT!!
We will be very happy and grateful to receive it.
( for donations, contact us at Email)
Lastly, if you have some equipment you think we might be able to make use of (as listed above), please let us know.
Thank you for taking the time to read this appeal, and for any help you can give us.
In solidarity,
The members of BostontoPalestine.
For more information see www.bcpr.org/b2p and www.palsolidarity.org