GFM
Gaza Freedom March has moved and we have moved you with us. What you will read below is a record of GFM work during 2009-2011. Some of the information may not be current anymore but it reflects the extensive support received.
Please follow and support Gaza's Ark, a current campaign challenging the blockade of Gaza. Thank you.
Following Israel's 22-day assault on Gaza in winter 2008-09, a diverse coalition focused on human rights and international law came together to mobilize an international contingent for a nonviolent march alongside the people of Gaza on Dec. 31, 2009, calling for an end to the illegal blockade. Our goal was and is to end the siege on Gaza. We demand that Israel end the blockade. We also call upon Egypt to open the border at Rafah allowing Palestinians the freedom to travel for study, work, commerce and much-needed medical treatment, and to receive visitors freely from abroad. Although we did not succeed in reaching Gaza in December 2009, we continue to see the Gaza Freedom March as part of a broader strategy to end the Israeli occupation by targeting non-violently its flagrant violations of international law from the house demolitions and illegal settlements to curfews and torture as well as armed attacks on civilian ships in international waters.
Order Out of Chaos: The GFM
Breaking the Siege: The GFM
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- Wonderful new "Gaza in Crisis" factsheet put together by the staff of AFSC Chicago. Download it here.
- A flyer with a box at the bottom in which information on local events, etc. can be inserted. Download it here.
- A quarter-page flyer for the march can be downloaded here.
- A list of individuals who have traveled to Gaza who are willing to speak at events to help recruit support for the Freedom March. View or download it here. If you cannot pay one of these speakers' travel expenses and and want to explore alternatives, e-mail info@gazafreedommarch.org.
- A "header image" for posters, invitations to a fundraiser, etc. Download it here.
- Artwork for Gaza Freedom March buttons. Simply print, cut and assemble. Download it here.
Download and distribute these beautiful posters
made for us by Artist Michael Thompson
ACTION IDEAS |
Looking for some ideas for your actions? We've collected some of our favorites here. If possible, choose an iconic or meaningful location for your action — a place which represents what matters to you and your community. Don't forget to register your action, where you can fill out an online form to post your event announcement to our website, as well as our Facebook and Twitter pages! Action Ideas
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BUILDING A BUZZ |
Building a Buzz: Creative Ideas Just to be clear, we do not advocate any illegal graffiti or other defacement of private property.
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Endorsers (partial list):
Organizations:
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January 1, 2010
End Israeli Apartheid
We, international delegates meeting in Cairo during the Gaza Freedom March 2009 in collective response to an initiative from the South African delegation, state:
In view of:
- Israel's ongoing collective punishment of Palestinians through the illegal occupation and siege of Gaza;
- the illegal occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the continued construction of the illegal Apartheid Wall and settlements;
- the new Wall under construction by Egypt and the US which will tighten even further the siege of Gaza;
- the contempt for Palestinian democracy shown by Israel, the US, Canada, the EU and others after the Palestinian elections of 2006;
- the war crimes committed by Israel during the invasion of Gaza one year ago;
- the continuing discrimination and repression faced by Palestinians within Israel;
- and the continuing exile of millions of Palestinian refugees;
- all of which oppressive acts are based ultimately on the Zionist ideology which underpins Israel;
- in the knowledge that our own governments have given Israel direct economic, financial, military and diplomatic support and allowed it to behave with impunity;
- and mindful of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (2007)
We reaffirm our commitment to:
Palestinian Self-Determination
Ending the Occupation
Equal Rights for All within historic Palestine
The full Right of Return for Palestinian refugees
We therefore reaffirm our commitment to the United Palestinian call of July 2005 for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) to compel Israel to comply with international law.
To that end, we call for and wish to help initiate a global mass, democratic anti-apartheid movement to work in full consultation with Palestinian civil society to implement the Palestinian call for BDS.
Mindful of the many strong similarities between apartheid Israel and the former apartheid regime in South Africa, we propose:
- An international speaking tour in the first 6 months of 2010 by Palestinian and South African trade unionists and civil society activists, to be joined by trade unionists and activists committed to this programme within the countries toured, to take mass education on BDS directly to the trade union membership and wider public internationally;
- Participation in the Israeli Apartheid Week in March 2010;
- A systematic unified approach to the boycott of Israeli products, involving consumers, workers and their unions in the retail, warehousing, and transportation sectors;
- Developing the Academic, Cultural and Sports boycott;
- Campaigns to encourage divestment of trade union and other pension funds from companies directly implicated in the Occupation and/or the Israeli military industries;
- Legal actions targeting the external recruitment of soldiers to serve in the Israeli military, and the prosecution of Israeli government war criminals; coordination of Citizen's Arrest Bureaux to identify, campaign and seek to prosecute Israeli war criminals; support for the Goldstone Report and the implementation of its recommendations;
- Campaigns against charitable status of the Jewish National Fund (JNF).
We appeal to organizations and individuals committed to this declaration to sign it and work with us to make it a reality. Please go to http://cairodeclaration.org/sign to sign on.
Signed by: (* Affiliation for identification purposes only)
- Hedy Epstein, Holocaust Survivor/ Women in Black*, USA
- Nomthandazo Sikiti, Nehawu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa
- Zico Tamela, Satawu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa
- Hlokoza Motau, Numsa, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Affiliate International Officer*, South Africa
- George Mahlangu, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Campaigns Coordinator*, South Africa
- Crystal Dicks, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) Education Secretary*, South Africa
- Savera Kalideen, SA Palestinian Solidarity Committee*, South Africa
- Suzanne Hotz, SA Palestinian Solidarity Group*, South Africa
- Shehnaaz Wadee, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South Africa
- Haroon Wadee, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South Africa
- Sayeed Dhansey, South Africa
- Faiza Desai, SA Palestinian Solidarity Alliance*, South Africa
- Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada*, USA
- Hilary Minch, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Committee*, Ireland
- Anthony Loewenstein, Australia
- Sam Perlo-Freeman, United Kingdom
- Julie Moentk, Pax Christi*, USA
- Ulf Fogelström, Sweden
- Ann Polivka, Chico Peace and Justice Center*, USA
- Mark Johnson, Fellowship of Reconciliation*, USA
- Elfi Padovan, Munich Peace Committee*/Die Linke*, Germany
- Elizabeth Barger, Peace Roots Alliance*/Plenty I*, USA
- Sarah Roche-Mahdi, CODEPINK*, USA
- Svetlana Gesheva-Anar, Bulgaria
- Cristina Ruiz Cortina, Al Quds-Malaga*, Spain
- Rachel Wyon, Boston Gaza Freedom March*, USA
- Mary Hughes-Thompson, Women in Black*, USA
- David Letwin, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*, USA
- Jean Athey, Peace Action Montgomery*, USA
- Gael Murphy, Gaza Freedom March*/CODEPINK*, USA
- Thomas McAfee, Journalist/PC*, USA
- Jean Louis Faure, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*, France
- Timothy A King, Christians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East*, USA
- Gail Chalbi, Palestine/Israel Justice Project of the Minnesota United Methodist Church*, USA
- Ouahib Chalbi, Palestine/Israel Justice Project of the Minnesota United Methodist Church*, USA
- Greg Dropkin, Liverpool Friends of Palestine*, England
- Felice Gelman, Wespac Peace and Justice New York*/Gaza Freedom March*, USA
- Ron Witton, Australian Academic Union*, Australia
- Hayley Wallace, Palestine Solidarity Committee*, USA
- Norma Turner, Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign*, England
- Paula Abrams-Hourani, Women in Black (Vienna)*/ Jewish Voice for Just Peace in the Middle East*, Austria
- Mateo Bernal, Industrial Workers of the World*, USA
- Mary Mattieu, Collectif Urgence Palestine*, Switzerland
- Agneta Zuppinger, Collectif Urgence Palestine*, Switzerland
- Ashley Annis, People for Peace*, Canada
- Peige Desgarlois, People for Peace*, Canada
- Hannah Carter, Canadian Friends of Sabeel*, Canada
- Laura Ashfield, Canadian Friends of Sabeel*, Canada
- Iman Ghazal, People for Peace*, Canada
- Filsam Farah, People for Peace*, Canada
- Awa Allin, People for Peace*, Canada
- Cleopatra McGovern, USA
- Miranda Collet, Spain
- Alison Phillips, Scotland
- Nicholas Abramson, Middle East Crisis Response Network*/Jews Say No*, USA
- Tarak Kauff, Middle East Crisis Response Network*/Veterans for Peace*, USA
- Jesse Meisler-Abramson, USA
- Hope Mariposa, USA
- Ivesa Lübben. Bremer Netzwerk fur Gerechten Frieden in Nahost*, Germany
- Sheila Finan, Mid-Hudson Council MERC*, USA
- Joanne Lingle, Christians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East (CPJME)*, USA
- Barbara Lubin, Middle East Children’s Alliance*, USA
- Josie Shields-Stromsness, Middle East Children’s Alliance*, USA
- Judith Mahoney Pasternak, WRL* and Indypendent*, USA
- Ellen Davidson, New York City Indymedia*, WRL*, Indypendent*, USA
- Ina Kelleher, USA
- Lee Gargagliano, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (Chicago)*, USA
- Brad Taylor, OUT-FM*, USA
- Helga Mankovitz, SPHR (Queen’s University)*, Canada
- Mick Napier, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign*, Scotland
- Agnes Kueng, Paso Basel*, Switzerland
- Anne Paxton, Voices of Palestine*, USA
- Leila El Abtah, The Netherlands
- Richard, Van der Wouden, The Netherlands
- Rafiq A. Firis, P.K.R.*/Isra*, The Netherlands
- Sandra Tamari, USA
- Alice Azzouzi, Way to Jerusalem*, USA
- J’Ann Schoonmaker Allen, USA
- Ruth F. Hooke, Episcopalian Peace Fellowship*, USA
- Jean E. Lee, Holy Land Awareness Action Task Group of United Church of Canada*, Canada
- Delphine de Boutray, Association Thèâtre Cine*, France
- Sylvia Schwarz, USA
- Alexandra Safi, Germany
- Abdullah Anar, Green Party – Turkey*, Turkey
- Ted Auerbach, USA
- Martha Hennessy, Catholic Worker*, USA
- Louis Ultale, Interfaile Pace e Bene*, USA
- Leila Zand, Fellowship of Reconciliation*, US
- Emma Grigore, CODEPINK*, USA
- Sammer Abdelela, New York Community of Muslim Progressives*, USA
- Sharat G. Lin, San Jose Peace and Justice Center*, USA
- Katherine E. Sheetz, Free Gaza*, USA
- Steve Greaves, Free Gaza*, USA
- Trevor Baumgartner, Free Gaza*, USA
- Hanan Tabbara, USA
- Marina Barakatt, CODEPINK*, USA
- Keren Bariyov, USA
- Ursula Sagmeister, Women in Black – Vienna*, Austria
- Ann Cunningham, Australia
- Bill Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans for Peace*, USA
- Terry Perry, Delaware Valley Veterans for Peace*, USA
- Athena Viscusi, USA
- Marco Viscusi, USA
- Paki Wieland, Northampton Committee*, USA
- Manijeh Saba, New York / New Jersey, USA
- Ellen Graves, USA
- Zoë Lawlor, Ireland – Palestine Solidarity Campaign*, Ireland
- Miguel García Grassot, Al Quds – Málaga*, Spain
- Ana Mamora Romero, ASPA-Asociacion Andaluza Solidaridad y Paz*, Spain
- Ehab Lotayef, CJPP Canada*, Canada
- Adie Mormech, Free Gaza* / Action Palestine*, England
- Aimee Shalan, UK
- Liliane Cordova, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN)*, Spain
- Priscilla Lynch, USA
- Jenna Bitar, USA
- Deborah Mardon, USA
- Becky Thompson, USA
- Diane Hereford, USA
- David Heap, People for Peace London*, Canada
- Danah Abdulla, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights*, Canada
- Wendy Goldsmith, People for Peace London*, Canada
- Abdu Mihirig, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights-UBC*, Canada
- Saldibastami, Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights-UBC*, Canada
- Abdenahmane Bouaffad, CMF*, France
- Feroze Mithiborwala, Awami Bharat*, India
- John Dear, Pax Christi*, USA
- Ziyaad Lunat, Portugal
- Michael Letwin, New York City Labor Against the War (NYCLAW)
- Labor For Palestine