NGO Action News, November 2005 No.19 http://domino.un.org/ngoactionnews.nsf/1C0B3AB87DC4F2F8852568F8007759FD/0A60E6537E7B2F92852570DC006E4E72?OpenDocument North America Americans for Peace Now released its Peace Report on 21 November 2005. For further information, contact E-Mail: apndc@peacenow.org or visit the web site: http://www.peacenow.org Americans for Peace Now held a presentation on 15 November 2005 in New York City entitled “The Word on the Street”, by Khalil Shikaki, Director of the Palestinian Center for Political Survey Research; and Aher Arian, Professor at the University of Haifa and Director of the National Security Policy and Public Opinion Project at Tel Aviv University. The presentation was moderated by Mark Blum, founder and Policy Director for APN. APN held a special call briefing on 17 November 2005 by Knesset Member Yuli Tamir, former Minister of Immigrant Absorption, co-founder of Israel’s Peace Now Movement and a professor of philosophy at Tel Aviv University. The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development, The American-Arab Anti-Discriminating Committee (ADC- DC), and the Network of Arab American Professionals (NAPP-DC) will present a performance by El Fanoun Palestinian Dance Troup on 2 December 2005 at the Historic Lincoln Center Theater, Washington, D.C. The presentation is entitled “Dancing Tragedies and Dreams”. For further information, contact E-Mail: funoundc@yahoo.com or visit the web site: http://www.thelincolntheater.org or http://www.el-funoun.org The Foundation for Middle East Peace and Americans for Peace Now will hold a presentation on 28 November 2005 entitled “Human Rights, Jewish Values, Security and Peace” by Arik Aschermann, Executive Director of Rabbis for Human Rights. The event will take place at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington, D.C. For further information, contact E-Mail: nitzn@fmep.org or visit APN’s web site: http://www.peacenow.org Israel Palestine NGO Working Group will hold on 28 November the reading of a play entitled “How this Bride Came to Abraham”, by Karen Sunde at the Quakers House, New York City. For further information, contact E-Mail: caritasny@aol.com Meretz USA and the Wolfson Center of National Affairs of the New School held a special programme on 9 November 2005 commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin entitled “Remembering Rabin: Whither Peace-Whither Israel” by Judith Kipper, Senior Felow of the Council on Foreign Relations; Amjad Atallah, former aide to President Mahmoud Abbas; and Samuel Norich of the Forward Association. The event took place at the Theresa Land Student and Community Center, New York City. For further information, contact E-Mail: rseliger@gmail.com or visit the web cast at: http://www.dialnsa.edu Nonviolence International, the Holy Land Trust, Middle East Action Group, Ezequiel’s Place, PANORAMA (The Palestinian Center for the Dissemination of Democracy), the Netherlands Expertise Center for Alternatives to Violence, will hold an International Nonviolence Conference from 27 to 30 December 2005 , in Bethlehem. The opening ceremony is expected to be addressed by Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority. Speakers include: Gene Sharp, Senior Scholar at the Albert Einstein Institution and Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Massachussets at Darmouth: Mustafa Barghouti, founder of the Palestinian Medical Relief Committees and of the Health, Development, Information, and Policy Institute in Ramallah; Archmandrite Attalah Hanna; Qadoura Faris, Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and Director of the Palestinian National Committee Against the Wall; Martin Luther King, III, President of the King Center in Atlanta; Azmi Bishara, Member of the Knesset; Naim Ateek, Director of Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem; Bernard Lafayette, a minister, Chairperson of the International Nonviolence Executive Planning Board; Riad Malki, Director General of PANORAMA, the Center for Dissemination of Democracy and Community Development and a member of the Palestine National Council (PNC); N. Radhakrishnan, Professor, non-violence trainer, writer and journalist; Mary King, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University for Peace; Ingrid Newkirk, co-founder and President of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA); Cindy Corrie, mother of Rachel Corrie killed by an Israeli bulldozer; Fr. Roy Bourgeois, founder of the School of American Watch; Mohammed Abu-Nimeh, Associate Professor of International Peace and Conflict Resolution in Washington, D.C., and Director of the Peacebuilding and Development Institute; Asna Husin, Programme Director of UNICEF and Nonviolence International’s Education Programme in Aceh, Indonesia, and Mubarak Awad, founder of the Palestinian Center for the Study of Nonviolence and Nonviolence International in Washington, D.C. For further information, contact: dbandak@ hotmail.com or visit the web site: http://www.celebratingnv.org The Palestine Center will hold two presentations on 29 November 2005: one entitled “Anatomy of a Mission: Recapturing the Historical Perspective” by Afif Safieh, representative of the Palestinian Authority in Washington, D.C.; and the other entitled “Elections and their Impact on Negotiations” by Saeb Erekat, Chief Palestinian negotiator. For further information, contact E-Mail: info@palestinecenter.org or visit the web site: http://www.thejerusalemfund.org The Palestine Center posted on its web site the transcript of the presentation held on 18 November 2005 entitled “Palestine and the Middle East in a Global Context” by Azmi Bishara, member of the Knesset. Peace with Justice held on 17 November 2005 a multi-media slide presentation of painted walls, images, and graffiti writings on the wall in West Bank, by Amir Qaddomi. For further information, contact E-Mail: amerlow@uncg.edu Peace with Justice held a Powerpoint presentation on 19 November 2005 entitled “Bethlehem – Ghetto or Grotto” by Rev. Dr. Stephen Sizer. For further information, contact E-Mail: peace-with-justice@yahoo.com or visit the web site: http://www.peace-with-justice.org Europe The European NGO Platform on the Question of Palestine (ECCP) issued the report of the “Enlargement Meeting on Solidarity with Palestine” held on 8 October 2005, in Brussels. Speakers included: Senator Pierre Galand, Chairman of the ECCP; Jamal Juma of the Anti Apartheid Wall Campaign, Khulood Badawi of Ta’ayush and Yana Badawi of the Women’s Coalition for Peace The enlargement aims to reach trade unions, churches, human rights NGOs, academics and others. 16 countries were represented in the Meeting. For further information contact E-Mail: eccp@skynet.be Appel du Collectif National pour une paix juste et durable entre Palestiniens et Israéliens held a presentation on 21 November 2005, in Paris. Speakers included: Leila Shahid, Palestinian representative in France; Monique Chemillier-Gendreau, Professor of International Law at the University of Nanterre; and Pierre Vidal-Naquet, Historian. For further information, contact E-Mail: pfpalest@club-internet.fr The French Platform released a CD entitled “The Wall in and around Jerusalem”, which describes the social, economic, and political consequences of the construction of the wall, as well as a Powerpoint presentation and a series of photos. For further information, contact E-Mail: pfpalest@club-internet.fr or visit the web site: http://www.plateforme-palestine.org SOLIDAR and its member organizations War on Want (UK), Olof Palme Center (Sweden), Progetto Sviluppo – CGIL (Italy), Fonds voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking (Belgium) and Norwegian People’s Aid will hold a reception/presentation entitled “Peace in Palestine: Action in Israel” on 29 November 2005 to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, at the European Parliament building. Speakers include: Andreas van Agt, former Prime Minister of the Netherlands; Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, founder of the Palestinian Medical Relief Committees and of the Health, Development, Information, and Policy Institute in Ramallah; Clare Short, MP, former UK Secretary of State for International Development; and Luisa Morgantini, MEP, Chair of the European Parliament Development Committee. For further information, contact E-Mail: infointernational@solidar.org Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem Americans for Peace Now is organizing a Settlement Watch Course in November and December 2004, which includes lectures and tours given by experts, focusing on all the different views and aspects of the settlement enterprise in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Guest experts include: Amiram Goldblum, Professor at Hebrew University; Reserve Brigadier General Shaul Arieli; Haim Oron, Member of the Knesset; Tzaly Reshef, member of APN and Dror Etkes, Director of the Settlement Watch - who will speak on “The Legality of the Settlements”; “Outposts, and International Implications”. APN organized on 26 October 2005 a presentation entitled “The Jewish Settlement in Hebron: Coming Soon – The Next Evacuation”. For further information, visit the web site: http://www.peacenow.il APN’s Settlements Watch Project has sent a letter in November to the Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry protesting the Israeli Government’s plan to change the status of the settlement of Modi’in Illit, located in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, from a local council to a municipality. APN’s issue of “Settlements in Focus” (vol.1, issue 14) presents an analysis by Dror Etkes and Hagit Ofran about a group of settlements located south of Jerusalem, between Bethlehem and the present settlement of Gush Etzion. B’Tselem – The Israeli Information Center issued a press release on 13 November 2005 demanding that “the State Attorney’s Office substantiate its claim of connection between family unification and terrorism”. The petition was filed by Adalah and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel opposing the recent amendment to the Nationality Law. For further information, visit the web site: htpp://www.btselem.org Btselem issued another press release on 6 November 2005 entitled “Elevating the Status of the Mosi’in Illit Settlement will intensify land grab”. The organization urged the Interior Minister Ophir Pines-Paz not to change the status of settlement from a local council to a municipality. The organization has posted on its web site a fact sheet on Jerusalem. Health Work Committees (HWC), the Alternative Information Center (AIC) and the Alternative Group (ATG) will hold an international seminar on 2 and 3 December 2005 in Bethlehem entitled: “Building a Future Together: Alternatives to the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse”. The first panel entitled” Between Disengagement and Engagement: An Analysis of the Current Situation” will include the following speakers and topics: Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies, Washington, D.C. on “Analysis of the Developing World Order”; Yossi Schwartz, Tel Aviv University and AIC member on “After the Deployment”; Eileen Kuttab of the Institute of Women’s Studies at Birzeit University on “Current Political and Social Challenges in Palestinian Society”; and Ammon Raz-Krakotzkin of Ben Gurion University on “Current Political and Social Challenges in Israeli Society”. Panel Two entitled: “Future Perspective” will include the following speakers and topics: Virginia Tilley, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the International Relations Program at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva/New York on “Local and International Perspectives on a Two State Solution”; Nassar Ibrahim, writer and journalist of the AIC, on “Local and International Perspectives on a One State Solution”; Neta Amar, Mizrahi activist and lawyer, on “The Struggle for a Democratic Regime”; Naim Abu Tair, President of the Health Works Committee, on “Joint Palestinian-Israeli Activism in the Region”. Panel Three entitled “Internal Challenges” will include the following speakers and topics: Henriette Dahan-Kalev, School of Management, Ben Gurion University, on “The Rule of Settlers and Militarism in Israel”; Salma Wakim, lawyer, on “Refugee Voices and Participation”; Ahmed Katamish, writer, on “Religion and Secularism: Challenges to Palestine and Israel; Shir Hever, Socio-Economic Bulletin Coordinator and Economic Researcher, AIC, on “Socio-Economic Reality of the Occupation”. Panel four entitled: “Building a Joint Palestinian-Israeli International-Front?” will include the following speakers and topics: Yael Lerer, Founder of the Andalus Publishing House, on “Analysis of the Anti-Colonial Israeli Movement”; Dr. Majed Nassar, Executive Director of the Health Work Committees and AIC Board Member, on “Boycott/Divestment/Sanctions”; and Michele Sidony, New International Networks and Solidarity, French Jewish Union for Peace, France, on “New International Networks and Solidarity”. Three workshops: one entitled “Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment” by Ingrid Jaradat of Badil and Adnan Atiya; the second “Building an International Campaign for Democratic Solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”, by Michel Warschawski of AIC; and the third on “Advancing Democratic Solutions in Palestine and Israel” by Connie Hackbarth of AIC. For further information, contact E-Mail: yasser@alt-info.org or visit the web site: http://www.alternativenews.org Ir Amim issued a position paper on the wall on November 2005 which informed that “some 14,500 East Jerusalem children are not attending schools for lack of classrooms, and that there is a downward trend in the number of students and classrooms. Ir Amim issued a report on October 2005 entitled “Access to Public Education for Palestinians Residents of East-Jerusalem”, informing about “the State of Israel’s denial to provide free education for Palestinian children in Jerusalem”. Ir Amim has posted on its web site a map of the “Jerusalem Envelope” and its new route. The organization conducts study tours for members of the Knesset, diplomats, journalists and peace organizations. For further information, contact E-Mail: general@ir-amin.org.il or visit Ir Amin’s web site: http://www.ir-amin.org.il The Israeli Committee Against House Demolition (ICAHD) issued on 21 November a report informing about the demolition of 7 houses in East Jerusalem adding that 30 to 40 houses are scheduled to be demolished until the end of this year. For further information, contact E-Mail: anjie@netvision.net.il or visit ICAHD’s web site: http://www.icahd.org ICAHD will hold a lecture/discussion on 30 November 2005 entitled “The New Political Reality in Israel: Its Impact on the Prospect of Peace” by Meron Rapapport, political analyst of Ha’aretz. ICAHD holds monthly lectures intended to strengthen dialogue between representatives of the international community and important voices within the critical peace and human rights community in Israel. Machsom Watch issued its October report, regarding restrictions of movement by Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and its “impact on the entire fabric of human life”. For further information, contact E-Mail: machsomwatch@hotmail.com or visit the organization’s web site: http://www.machsomwatch.org Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) issued a press release on 16 November 2005 entitled “Gaza Strip Border Crossings Agreement Reinforces IOF’s Control over the Strip’s Economy and the Movement of Civilians”. For further information, contact E-Mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org or visit PCHR’s web site: http://www.pchrgaza.org Médécins du Monde issued a press release on 27 October 2005 expressing concern about the current health situation in the Gaza Strip. For further information, contact E-Mail: mdmdeputy@palnet.com or mdm@palnet.com United Nations The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is observed annually on 29 November. Solemn meetings in observance of the Solidarity Day will be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and at the United Nations Offices at Geneva and Vienna. In New York, the meeting will be held on Tuesday 29 November 2005, in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, from 11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. In the afternoon of that day, the General Assembly will hold its annual debate on the question of Palestine. NGOs are invited to attend both events as observers.