Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney was the Green Party candidate for President in 2008. Ms. McKinney traveled aboard the boat “Dignity”, which tried to bring doctors and medical supplies to Gaza, as a humanitarian response to the recent bombing of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli government.The Dignity is a project of www.freegaza.org. Ms. McKinney writes:
December 30, 2008: Oh What a Day!
I’m so glad that my father told me to buy a special notebook and to write everything down because that’s exactly what I did.
When we left from Cyprus, one reporter asked me “are you afraid?” And I had to respond that Malcolm X wasn’t afraid; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wasn’t afraid. But little did I know that just a few hours later, I would be recollecting my life and mentally preparing myself for death.
When we left Cyprus, the Mediterranean was beautiful. I remember the time when it might have been beautiful to look at, but it was also filthy. The Europeans have taken great strides to clean it up and yesterday, it was beautiful. And the way the sunlight hit the sea, I remember thinking to myself that’s why they call it azure. It was the most beautiful blue.
But sometimes it was rough, and we got behind on our schedule. We stayed on course, however, despite the roughness of the water and due to our exquisite captain.
There were no other ships or boats around us and night descended upon us all rather quickly. It was the darkest black and suddenly, out of nowhere, came searchlights disturbing our peace. The searchlights stayed with us for about half an hour or so. We knew they were Israeli ships. Who else would they be?
They were fast, and they would come close and then drop back. And then, they’d come close again. And then, all of a sudden there was complete blackness once again and all seemed right. The cat and mouse game went on for at least one half hour. What were they doing? And why?
Calm again. Black sky, black sea. Peace. And then, at that very moment, when all seemed right, out of nowhere we were rammed and rammed again and rammed again the last one throwing me off the couch, sending all our food up in the air; and all the plastic bags and tubs–evidence of sea sicknesses among the crew and passengers–flew all over the cabin and all over us. We’d been rammed by the Israelis. How did we know? Because they called us on the phone afterwards to tell us that we were engaging in subversive, terroristic activity. And if that if we didn’t turn around right then and return to Larnaca, Cyprus, we would be fired upon. We quickly grabbed our lifevests and put them on. Then the captain announced that the boat was taking on water. We might have to evacuate. One of my mates told me to prepare to die. And I reflected that I have lived a good and full life. I have tasted freedom and know what it is. I was right with myself and my decision to join the Free Gaza movement.
I remembered my father’s parting words, “You all will be sitting ducks.” Just like the U.S.S. Liberty. We were engaged in peaceful activity, a harmless pleasure boat, carrying a load of hospital supplies for the people of Gaza, who, too are sitting ducks, currently being bombarded in aerial assault by the Israeli military.
It’s been a long day for us. The captain was outstanding. Throughout it all, he remained stoic and calm, effective in every way. I didn’t know how to put my life jacket on. One of the passengers kindly assisted me. Another of the passengers pointed out that the Israeli motors for those huge, fast boats was U.S. made–a gift to them from the U.S. And now they were using those motors to damage a pleasure boat outfitted with three tons of hospital supplies, one pediatrician, and two surgeons.
I have called for President-elect Obama to say something. The Palestinian people in the Gaza strip are seeing the worst violence in 60 years, it is being reported. To date, President-elect Obama has remained silent. The Israelis are using weapons supplied to them by the U.S. government. Strict enforcement of U.S. law would require the cessation of all weapons transfers to Israel. Adherence to international law would require the same.
As we are about to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, let us remember that he said:
1. The United States is the greatest purveyor of violence in the world, and
2. Our lives begin to end the day we remain silent about things that matter.
I implore the President-elect to not send Congress a budget that contains more weapons for Israel. We have so much more to offer. And I implore the Congress to vote “no” on any budget and appropriation bills that provide more weapons transfers, period.
Israel is able to carry out these intense military maneuvers because taxpayers in the U.S. give their hard-earned money to our Representatives in Congress and our Congress chooses to spend that money in this way. Let’s stop it and stop it now. There’s been too much blood shed. And while we still walk among the living, let us not remain silent about the things that matter.
We really can promote peace and have it if we demand it of our leaders.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Roberto Rodriquez: America's Soul Sickeness
COLUMN OF THE AMERICAS
JAN. 1. 2009
AMERICA'S SOUL SICKNESS & PERMANENT WAR: OBAMA'S RUDE AWAKENING
BY ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ
Obama's first challenge will not be the unresolved Middle East crisis.
Nor will it be Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo or the economy. His
primary challenge will come in coming face to face with the
Bush/Cheney doctrine of permanent worldwide war. Unless Obama
renounces it on inauguration day, this doctrine will continue to be
U.S. policy.
Beyond that, an even larger challenge – one which he may not ever be
able to meet – is healing a nation that for too long has been sickened
by what American Indian historian, Jack Forbes terms in Columbus and
other Cannibals: soul-sickness. It is a disease that historically has
allowed a majority of EuroAmericans to believe that God has chosen
them lead the rest of the world into the light, permitting the United
States to employ massive military might in achieving that so-called
mandate.
Over the past eight years, it is the Bush-Cheney doctrine that has
drawn the particular ire of the entire world – because it permits the
United States to unilaterally attack any nation with massive force or
to attack any target within any nation, regardless of civilian
casualties. This doctrine has also permitted this outgoing
administration to assert and amass extraordinary powers that have
virtually rendered the U.S. Constitution meaningless. This doctrine
includes the assertion that the executive branch and its extraordinary
powers can not be questioned or hindered by Congress or the courts
during times of war, thus the assertion of permanent war (the war on
terror).
Yet, even if Obama were to reject this Bush-Cheney doctrine, the soul
sickness would remain.
That notwithstanding, the president's first order of business has to
be the rejection of the Bush-Cheney doctrine. Failure to do so
immediately, will cause the promise of change [to the United States,
the world and the future] to fall on deaf ears.
It will not be enough to wind down the Iraq War if it means that the
president will simply shift resources to broaden the war in
Afghanistan and to also continue the Bush-Cheney endless worldwide war
against undefined enemies into the foreseeable future.
Eradicating that soul-sickness is probably not possible; it is what
sustains the myths of this nation. It is what defines this nation. The
secular equivalent of believing that God has chosen the United States
for a special mission is the belief that being a superpower is an
elected position and that with that title, the United States and its
allies are entitled to invade, topple or occupy any nation they see
fit. And it is not something that began with Bush and Cheney.
It can be no irony that those that initiated the invasion and
occupation of Iraq – in defiance of the UN – were the United States,
Britain & Spain… on Portuguese territory. In the past 500 years,
these are the world's leading imperialists and colonialist nations.
Essentially, they have been the world's architects of the policies of
dehumanization – feeling entitled by God and blinded by greed to
trample over the lands, bodies and rights of peoples [of color]
worldwide.
Despite this imperial club, there's a reason the U.S. government is
particularly despised by most of the world. It isn't just the
Bush-Cheney regime, though they have certainly put a face to the "ugly
American." It's that smug soul-sickness that permits Americans to
believe that they indeed know what's best for the rest of the world.
When Obama was elected president, it was the hope of the world –
evidenced by massive celebrations worldwide – that he would indeed
reverse the arrogance of the Bush/Cheney doctrine. Though for those
expecting president-elect Obama to bring about radical change to the
world, all signs indicate that we are all in for a very rude
awakening.
But it's a sleep or dream that many Americans don't want to wake from.
To be sure, being elected U.S. president is not the same thing as
being elected high commissioner for human rights or prince of peace.
Since WWII, the United States has become the most powerful military
empire in the history of the planet. In the path of this machine,
millions of casualties are strewn about in Asia, Africa and Central
America. Some have been the result of secret, proxy, unnecessary,
foolish and illegal wars – such as Iraq – but truly, which war or
military action by the United States since WWII has been necessary and
legal and not foolish?
This is what Obama is inheriting; not just a permanent war and a soul
sickness, but also the reins to a voracious military-industrial
complex that needs to be constantly fed. There's little indication
that he will starve this machine. But there is always hope.
(c) Column of the Americas 2009
Rodriguez can be reached at: XColumn@gmail.com
JAN. 1. 2009
AMERICA'S SOUL SICKNESS & PERMANENT WAR: OBAMA'S RUDE AWAKENING
BY ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ
Obama's first challenge will not be the unresolved Middle East crisis.
Nor will it be Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo or the economy. His
primary challenge will come in coming face to face with the
Bush/Cheney doctrine of permanent worldwide war. Unless Obama
renounces it on inauguration day, this doctrine will continue to be
U.S. policy.
Beyond that, an even larger challenge – one which he may not ever be
able to meet – is healing a nation that for too long has been sickened
by what American Indian historian, Jack Forbes terms in Columbus and
other Cannibals: soul-sickness. It is a disease that historically has
allowed a majority of EuroAmericans to believe that God has chosen
them lead the rest of the world into the light, permitting the United
States to employ massive military might in achieving that so-called
mandate.
Over the past eight years, it is the Bush-Cheney doctrine that has
drawn the particular ire of the entire world – because it permits the
United States to unilaterally attack any nation with massive force or
to attack any target within any nation, regardless of civilian
casualties. This doctrine has also permitted this outgoing
administration to assert and amass extraordinary powers that have
virtually rendered the U.S. Constitution meaningless. This doctrine
includes the assertion that the executive branch and its extraordinary
powers can not be questioned or hindered by Congress or the courts
during times of war, thus the assertion of permanent war (the war on
terror).
Yet, even if Obama were to reject this Bush-Cheney doctrine, the soul
sickness would remain.
That notwithstanding, the president's first order of business has to
be the rejection of the Bush-Cheney doctrine. Failure to do so
immediately, will cause the promise of change [to the United States,
the world and the future] to fall on deaf ears.
It will not be enough to wind down the Iraq War if it means that the
president will simply shift resources to broaden the war in
Afghanistan and to also continue the Bush-Cheney endless worldwide war
against undefined enemies into the foreseeable future.
Eradicating that soul-sickness is probably not possible; it is what
sustains the myths of this nation. It is what defines this nation. The
secular equivalent of believing that God has chosen the United States
for a special mission is the belief that being a superpower is an
elected position and that with that title, the United States and its
allies are entitled to invade, topple or occupy any nation they see
fit. And it is not something that began with Bush and Cheney.
It can be no irony that those that initiated the invasion and
occupation of Iraq – in defiance of the UN – were the United States,
Britain & Spain… on Portuguese territory. In the past 500 years,
these are the world's leading imperialists and colonialist nations.
Essentially, they have been the world's architects of the policies of
dehumanization – feeling entitled by God and blinded by greed to
trample over the lands, bodies and rights of peoples [of color]
worldwide.
Despite this imperial club, there's a reason the U.S. government is
particularly despised by most of the world. It isn't just the
Bush-Cheney regime, though they have certainly put a face to the "ugly
American." It's that smug soul-sickness that permits Americans to
believe that they indeed know what's best for the rest of the world.
When Obama was elected president, it was the hope of the world –
evidenced by massive celebrations worldwide – that he would indeed
reverse the arrogance of the Bush/Cheney doctrine. Though for those
expecting president-elect Obama to bring about radical change to the
world, all signs indicate that we are all in for a very rude
awakening.
But it's a sleep or dream that many Americans don't want to wake from.
To be sure, being elected U.S. president is not the same thing as
being elected high commissioner for human rights or prince of peace.
Since WWII, the United States has become the most powerful military
empire in the history of the planet. In the path of this machine,
millions of casualties are strewn about in Asia, Africa and Central
America. Some have been the result of secret, proxy, unnecessary,
foolish and illegal wars – such as Iraq – but truly, which war or
military action by the United States since WWII has been necessary and
legal and not foolish?
This is what Obama is inheriting; not just a permanent war and a soul
sickness, but also the reins to a voracious military-industrial
complex that needs to be constantly fed. There's little indication
that he will starve this machine. But there is always hope.
(c) Column of the Americas 2009
Rodriguez can be reached at: XColumn@gmail.com
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
US Protest Schedule of Israeli Massacre in Palestine
US protests of Israeli Massacre in Gaza
Radhika Sainath, NLG Free Gaza Committee, radhika.sainath@gmail.com, 917-669-6903
The National Lawyers Guild Condemns Israeli Massacre of over 300 Gazans, Calls for Ceasefire and Urges Participation in Protests
New York. The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) condemns Israel's massive bombardment of the Gaza Strip which has left over 300 dead and 1,400 wounded, with the tolls mounting. The Israeli Air Force dropped more than 100 bombs in dozens of locations throughout the Gaza Strip as children left school on Saturday. The dead include men, women and children in school uniforms.
"International law forbids the targeting of civilians," said Radhika Sainath, a civil rights attorney and member of the Free Gaza Committee of the NLG. "Israel must comply with laws of war and the Fourth Geneva Convention." Today's massacre marks an escalation of Israel's two-year blockade of the Strip which has deprived 1.5 million Palestinians of necessary food, medicine, fuel and other necessities. In November 2008, the United Nations stated that it had run out of food to feed over 750,000 needy Gazans.
Israel claims that the attack is in response to Palestinian rocket fire, which caused no recent Israeli deaths and few injuries. However, Israel's "rolling bombardment" and impending ground invasion is grossly disproportionate in light of the minimal damage caused by Palestinian rockets. “The law of war prohibits collective punishment and the targeting of a civilian population disproportionate to military necessity. Israel has flouted both these prohibitions, that follow its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and its sealing of Gaza, subjecting Gazans to near starvation,” said Marjorie Cohn, NLG president and a professor of international law at Thomas Jefferson School of Law. “The Human Rights and Security Assistance Act mandates that the United States cease all military aid to Israel, which has engaged in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.”
Israeli military spokesman Avi Benayahu stated that the Israeli bombardment of Gaza was "only just the beginning," showing utter contempt for international norms and the lives of innocent Palestinians. The Guild calls on the entire international community, and the United States in particular, to demand an end to Israel's blockade of the Occupied Territories and its murderous assault on the Palestinian people. We urge everyone to join in the demonstrations planned across the country in opposition to this latest attack on the rule of law by Israel and we call on both sides to immediately reinstate the cease fire.
Founded in 1937 as an alternative to the American Bar Association, which did not admit people of color, the National Lawyers Guild is the oldest and largest public interest/human rights bar organization in the United States. Its headquarters are in New York and it has chapters in every state.
Planned demonstrations and protests:
CALIFORNIA
Anaheim
Sunday, December 28, 2:00 pm
512 S. Brookhurst St. (between Orange Ave. & Broadway)
Initiated by a coalition with a large number of groups
Los Angeles
Tuesday, December 30, 4:30 pm
Israeli Consulate: 6380 Wilshire Blvd.
Contact: 213-251-1025, answerla@answerla.org
San Diego
Tuesday, December 30, 4:00 p.m.
Federal Building
880 Front Street
San Francisco
Sunday, December 28, 12:00PM
Protest the Massacres in Gaza
Powell and Market
Contact: Arab Resource and Organizing Center
Monday, December 29, 5:00PM
Silent Vigil at Feinstein's Office, Montgomery and Market
Co-Sponsored by Direct Action to Stop the War;
the Middle East Children's Alliance; Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism;
SF Women in Black
Tuesday, December 30, 5:00PM
Israeli Consulate, 456 Montgomery St
Powell and Market
Contact: 415-821-6545 answer@answersf.org
COLORADO
Denver
Tuesday, December 30, 5:00PM
Meet on the West side of the Capitol
Contact: Rima, 303-829-5848
CONNECTICUT
New Haven
Wednesday, December 31, 12PM
Federal Building, 141 Church St (between Chapel and Elm Sts.)
Sponsored by Middle East Crisis Committee, ANSWER-CT and other local organizations
Contact: 203-606-0319, connecticut@answercoalition.org
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington, DC
Monday, December 29, 4:30PM
Barack Obama Transition Office
451 6th St. NW (1 block from Verizon Center)
Contact: 301-523-4197 or email me at zelamine@gmail.com
Tuesday, December 30, 4:30 pm
State Department: 22nd St & C St NW
Contact: 202-544-3389 x14, dc@answercoalition.org
Friday, January 9, 12:00PM
Lafayette Square and march to Upper Senate Park
Contact: National Association of Muslim Women, namaw01@gmail.com
FLORIDA
Fort Lauderdale
Tuesday, December 30, 5:00 pm
Federal Building: 299 E. Broward Blvd.
Contact: 954-707-0155, FtLauderdale@answerfl.org
Ocala
Tuesday, December 30, 12:00 pm
Cather near the Ocala Lockheed facility, located in the SE quadrant of the county just off Maricamp Road (Rte 464) near Emerald and Oak
Sponsored by: Marions for Peace, CFCC students and Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW)
Contact: Marions for Peace, Delphine Herbert, MarionsforPeace@gmail.com
Tampa
Tuesday, December 30, 4:30 pm
N Dale Mabry Hwy and W Spruce St
GEORGIA
Atlanta
Sunday, December 28, 2:00PM
Outside the Israeli Consulate, 1100 Spring St. NW
Contact: Emory Advocates for Justice in Palestine, 770-597-0276 or 404-844-3202
Tuesday, December 30, 4:00PM
Outside the Israeli Consulate, 1100 Spring St. NW
Organizers: Emory Advocate for Justice in Palestine and other local groups
Contact details:Saba Khalid, 770-597-0276, skhali3@emory.edu
HAWAII
Honolulu
Tuesday, December 30, 4-6PM
At the Federal Building (along Ala Moana Blvd.)
Initiated by Friends of Sabeel Hawaii, with support from World Can't Wait-Hawaii, and others.
ILLINOIS
Chicago
Sunday, December 28, 12:00PM-2:00PM
Bring bouquets of flowers to commemorate the memory of the hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza who have been killed by Israeli bombardments today
Water Tower Park 830 N. Michigan (Michigan and Pearson)
Sponsored by (list in formation):
American Friends Service Committee, Jewish Voice for Peace, Arab American Action Network, Arab Jewish Partnership for Peace and Justice in the Middle East, American Arab Anti Discrimination-Chicago Chapter, Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism, Chicago Faith Coalition on Middle East Policy, Voices for Creative Non-Violence, International Solidarity Movement-Chicago Chapter, US Palestine Conference Network, Students for Justice in Palestine (UIC), American Muslims for Palestine, Muslim American Society (MAS) Freedom Foundation, Mosque Foundation, Tikkun-Chicago, Wright College Students for Peace and Justice, Fight Back Newspaper.
Separate event in Chicago:
Details to be announced
Contact: 773-463-0311, answer@chicagoanswer.net
Friday, January 2, 2009, 3:00PM
Tribune Plaza, 435 N Michigan
KENTUCKY
Louisville
Monday, December 29, 4-6PM
Broadway and Baxter across from Cave Hill cemetery
MAINE
STAND WITH GAZA
Friday, January 2nd at noon until 1:00pmMarket Square Portland, Maine
Contact: Jamilla El-Shafei email: jamillaelshafei@gmail.com cell 603.969.8426
Contact: Wells Stanley-Mays email: drinkinggourd@hotmail.com phone: 207.774.1110
Moment Square on Friday, January 2nd at noon
MARYLAND
Columbia
Saturday, January 17, 2009, 3:30PM
Howard County Central Library (Little Patuxent Pkwy and South Entrance Road)
Contact: Howard County Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation (HCCEIO), Joanne Heisel, joanne_kh@usa.net
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston
Wednesday, December 31, 2:00PM
Copley Square
Contact: Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights, info@bcpr.net, (617) 491-2313
Details to be announced
Contact: 857-334-5084, boston@answercoalition.org
Brookline
Sunday, December 28, 3PM-5PM
Coolidge Corner, Harvard and Beacon Streets
Northampton and Hadley
Monday, December 29, 7:30AM-9:00AM and 4:00PM-5:00PM
Coolidge Bridge between Northampton and Hadley
Contact: Paki paki43@gmail.com
MICHIGAN
Dearborn
Monday, December 29, 6PM
Community Leadership Meeting
Lebanese American Heritage Club ,4337 Maple Road
Contact: Congress of Arab American Organizations, Osama Siblani / 313.505.4889
Tuesday, December 30, 4PM
Human Chain Protest
Gathering at corner of Warren and Chase in Dearborn. Following the protest a memorial service will be held at Byblos Banquet Hall, 7258 Chase Road in Dearborn at 5:15 PM. Program will end at 6:30 PM.
Contact: Congress of Arab American Organizations, Osama Siblani / 313.505.4889
Kalamazoo
Tuesday, December 30, 4PM
Michigan Ave in front of the Federal Buildng
MINNESOTA
Various
Protests at Senator Amy Klobuchar and Congressman Keith Ellison's offices
Tuesday December 30th
10 am-closing
No "holding their feet to the fire" but instead hold them accountable.
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar
Office of Senator Klobuchar
Minneapolis
1200 Washington Avenue South, Suite 250
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Main Line: 612-727-5220
Main Fax: 612-727-5223
Toll Free: 1-888-224-9043
Rochester Office
1134 7th Street NW
Rochester, MN 55901
Main Line: 507-288-5321
Fax: 507-288-2922
Moorhead Office
121 4th Street South
Moorhead, MN 56560
Main Line: 218-287-2219
Fax: 218-287-2930
Iron Range Office
Olcott Plaza, Suite 105
820 9th Street North
Virginia, MN 55792
Main Line: 218-741-9690
Fax:218-741-3692
Keith Ellison office
Minneapolis office is located at:
2100 Plymouth Ave North
Minneapolis, MN 55411
For directions you can call our office, 612-522-1212
MISSOURI
St. Louis
Sunday, December 28, 7PM
3628 Lindell, corner of Grand and Lindell
Contact: Colleen Kelly, Instead of War, 314-761-7428
Monday, December 29, 4-6PM
Protest at Senator Bond's Office, 7700 Bonhomme
Contact: Colleen Kelly, Instead of War, 314-761-7428
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Concord
Tuesday, December 30, 3PM
In front of the State House
Contact: New Hampshire Peace Action, 603-228-0559
NEW JERSEY
New Brunswick
Tuesday, December 30, 4-6PM
Corner of Albany and George Sts.
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque
Tuesday, December 30, 12-2PM
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
1801 Mountain Rd, NW (in Old Town)
Contact: Called by Stop the War Machine, 505-401-4808,
stopthewarmachine@comcast.net
NEW YORK
New York City
Sunday, December 28, 2:00-4:00 pm
Gather at Rockefeller Center
March to the Israeli Consulate: 800 2nd Ave (b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts)
Initiated by Al-Awda New York
Monday, December 29, 5:00PM
Adalah-NY is organizing two meeting locations for fliering on Monday at 5:00:
The south end of Union Square, near the corner of 14th St and 5th Ave.
The triangular park at 6th Av. & 32nd Street.
We welcome you to join us and we encourage other organizations to choose their own flyering locations and then to join the procession.
We will all meet-up for the procession up 6th Ave at 6:30. We will be meeting at the triangular park at 6th Av. & 32nd Street. Look for the Palestinian Flag.
Contact
Monday, December 29, 7:00 pm
55 W 17th St, 5th Fl. Manhattan between 5th & 6th Aves
Informational Action Center
Tuesday, December 30, 5:00 pm
Israeli Consulate: 800 2nd Ave (b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts)
Contact: 212-694-8720, nyc@answercoalition.org
Rochester
Tuesday, December 30, 4:00PM-5:00PM
Demonstration in front of Federal Building
Contact: Mike Connely, 271-2678
OHIO
Cleveland
Monday, December 29, 4:30PM
Public Square, across from Tower City
Contact: Middle East Peace Forum, Don Bryant, donmbryant@yahoo.com
Columbus
Sunday December 28th, 5:00 PM
Ohio State University - Committee for Justice in Palestine
15th and High St.
Columbus, Ohio
Youngstown
Monday, December 29, 5-9PM
Vigil
15 Belgrade Ave.
Sponsored by: Arab American Community Center of Greater Youngstown
Contact: Arab American Community Center, 330-759-9186
Tuesday, December 30, 1-3PM
Demonstration
In front of the Thomas D. Lambros Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 125 Market St
Contact: Arab American Community Center, 330-759-9186
ONTARIO
Toronto
Sunday, December 28, 2:00 pm
Israeli Embassy Consulate: 180 Bloor St. West
Initiated by a number of local organizations
OREGON
Eugene
Monday, December 29, 2-5PM
Al-Nakba Awareness Project and Veterans for Peace will erect signage and provide detailed handout materials along the high-traffic Ferry Street Bridge approach parkway.
Portland
Tuesday December 30, 2008
Gather at 4:30 and Rally 5:00 pm
Where: Federal Building, Downtown Portland, SW 3rd & Madison
Organized by: Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights, Portland
Peaceful Response Coalition, and others.
Contact: (503) 344-5078
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia
Monday, December 29, 4:30PM
Demonstration at Israeli Consulate, 1880 JFK Blvd
Contact: Sue Rouda, 215-724-1618, sue.rouda@gmail.com
Tuesday, December 30, 4:30PM
Demonstration at Israeli Consulate, 1880 JFK Blvd
Contact: Sue Rouda, 215-724-1618, sue.rouda@gmail.com
RHODE ISLAND
Providence
Sunday, December 28, 12:00-2:00PM
Federal Building
Contact: Martha Yager, AFSC-SENE, 401-521-3584 or MYager@afsc.org
Wednesday, December 31, 6-7PM
Burnside Park (opposite Kennedy Plaza)
Contact: Martha Yager, AFSC-SENE, 401-521-3584 or MYager@afsc.org
SOUTH CAROLINA
Columbia
Wednesday, December 31, 5-6PM
In front of the State Capitol Building
Gervais and Main St.
Contact: Women in Black, 803-446-2772
TEXAS
Austin
Monday, December 29, 5PM-7PM
In front of the State Capitol, 11th and Congress
Contact: Haithem El-Zabri, cell. (512) 772-1948, e-mail haithemelzabri@yahoo.com
Dallas
Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 12:00PM-3:00PM
In front of JFK Memorial on the Grassy Knoll
Friday, January 2, 2009, 3:30PM
Dallas Forth Worth Protest, Earl Cabell Federal Building, 1100 Commerce St
Contact: Suha Suleiman, drsuha@tm.blackberry.net
Houston
Sunday, December 28, 2008, 4-6PM
Westheimer and Post Oak (in front of the Starbucks across the Galleria)
Contact: Houston Palestinian Community
Monday, December 29, 2008, 4-6PM
Israeli Consulate (Wesleyan near US 59)
Contact: Palestinian American Bridge, Mohamed Abu-Hussein, 713-240-9766
Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 4-5:30PM
Gather at Mandell Bridge (Mandell St at Highway 59)
Contact: rwcsr1@yahoo.com
San Antonio
Tuesday, December 30, 6-7PM
Candle Light Silent Prayer Vigil for Peace
Around the Peace Pole in front of the Brackenridge Village, University of the Incarnate Word, enter at 4301 Broadway
You are invited to bring candles.
VERMONT
Burlington
Tuesday, December 30, 4:15PM
Main St. Landing, Burlington
1 Main St.; corner of Main & Battery Sts.)
MEET in Burlington at Main Street Landing at 4:15 to march to Representative
Welch’s, Senator Leahy’s, and to Senator Bernie Sander's offices, to
arrive at the top of Church St. at 5pm to stand in solidarity with the
vigil opposing further war profiteering and war crimes--the US Occupation
of Iraq.
This march is endorsed by Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel
(VTJP), Peace and Justice Center, and the International Socialist
Organization (ISO).
TO ENDORSE THIS ACTION OR FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
hilarymartin@riseup.net or gypsy7@riseup.net
Montpellier Tuesday, December 30, 4:30PM Vigil in front of City Hall on Main St Contact: Debra, 802-476-3154, debra@vtlink.net
WASHINGTON
Seattle
Saturday, January 3, 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm
Westlake Park: 4th and Pine
Initiated by Voices of Palestine
Contact: general@voicesofpalestine.org
Tacoma
Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 5:00pm
In front of the Courthouse at Pacific Ave and 19th St
ARIZONA
Phoenix, AZ
Tuesday, December 30
4:30 PM
Gather at Thomas Road and Central Light Rail Station
Sponsored by CODEPINK Phoenix and The End The War Coalition
CALIFORNIA
Albion, CA
Monday, December 29
12 noon
Jct Rte 1 & Albion Ridge Road
Contact: 707-472-6486, hughmurray98@yahoo.com
Anaheim, CA (Orange County)
Sunday, December 28
2:00 pm
512 S. Brookhurst St. (between Orange Ave. & Broadway)
Initiated by a coalition with a large number of groups
Fort Bragg, CA
Monday, December 29
12 noon
Rte 1 at Fort Bragg Town Hall Rally
Contact: 707-937-4352, bc@albionnation.org
Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday, December 30
4:30 pm
Israeli Consulate: 6380 Wilshire Blvd.
Contact: 213-251-1025, answerla@answerla.org
Sacramento, CA
Tuesday, December 30
4:00-6:00 pm
Gather at 16th and J
Sponsored by Sacramento Peace Action; Free Palestine Alliance; the National Council of Arab Americans, & Al-Awda, the Palestine Right of Return Coalition
Contact: 916-448-7157
San Francisco, CA
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Israeli Consulate:456 Montgomery St.
Contact: 415-821-6545, answer@answersf.org
* * * * *
Monday, December 29
5:00 pm
Vigil at Sen. Dianne Feinstein's Office: Montgomery and Market
Co-Sponsored by a number of local organizations
Santa Rosa, CA
Tuesday, December 30
5:30 pm
Courthouse Square: Santa Rosa Avenue downtown
Sponsored by the Board of the Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County
Contact: cognizant2@hotmail.com
COLORADO
Colorado Springs, CO
Tuesday, December 30
4:30-5:30 pm
Meet downtown at Acacia Park, corner of Nevada Ave and Bijou St
Sponsored by a PROTEST COLORADO antiwar coalition.
Contact: 719.460.2836, info@protestcolorado.org
CONNECTICUT
New Haven, CT
Wednesday, December 31
12 noon
Federal Building: 141 Church St. (between Chapel and Elm St)
Sponsored by Middle East Crisis Committee, ANSWER-CT and other local organizations
Contact: 203-606-0319, connecticut@answercoalition.org
* * * * *
Saturday, December 27
1:00 pm
Federal Building: 141 Church St. (between Chapel and Elm St)
Initiated by local organizations
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, December 30
4:30 pm
State Department: 22nd St & C St NW
Contact: 202-544-3389 x14, dc@answercoalition.org
FLORIDA
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Federal Building: 299 E. Broward Blvd.
Contact: 954-707-0155, FtLauderdale@answerfl.org
Ocala, FL
Tuesday, December 30
12 noon
Gather near the Ocala Lockheed facility, located in the southeast quadrant of the county just off Maricamp Road (route 464) near Emerald and Oak
Sponsored by Marions for Peace, CFCC students and Iraqi veterans against the war
Tampa, FL
Tuesday, December 30
4:30 pm
N Dale Mabry Hwy and W Spruce St.
Contact: 813-785-3179
HAWAII
Honolulu, HI
Tuesday, December 30
4:00-6:00 pm
Prince Kuhio Federal Building: 300 Ala Moana Blvd. (near the Ewa end of the building)
Sponsored by Friends of Sabeel--Hawaii
ILLINOIS
Chicago, IL
Sunday, December 28
12:00 noon to 2:00 pm
Water Tower Park: 830 N. Michigan Ave.
Initiated by a number of local organizations
Get involved with ANSWER in Chicago: 773-463-0311, answer@chicagoanswer.net
LOUISIANA
New Orleans, LA
Monday, December 29
12 noon - 2:00 pm
Corner of Canal Street and Convention Center Blvd, at the base of Canal street, across from Harrah's Casino
Sponsored by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee of New Orleans, New Orleans Palestine Solidarity, and many other organizations and individuals
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston, MA
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Consulate General of Israel: 20 Park Plaza
(Green Line to Arlington Stop)
Contact: 857-334-5084, boston@answercoalition.org
* * * * *
Wednesday, December 31
2:00PM
Copley Square
Sponsored by the Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights
Contact: info@bcpr.net, (617) 491-2313
* * * * *
Monday, December 29
4:00-7:00 pm
Stand in solidarity at Harvard Sq (in front of Holyoke Center), Watertown Sq, Roxbury Crossing, Coolidge Corner, Arlington Center, or go out with friends and signs at busy intersections in your community
Northampton / Hadley, MA
Monday, December 29
7:30-9:00 am AND 4:00-5:00 pm
Coolidge Bridge (Hadley/Northampton)
Northampton, MA
Saturday, January 3
12 noon
Courthouse on Main Street
MICHIGAN
Ann Arbor, MI
Tuesday, December 30
12 noon - 1:00 pm
Federal Building: Liberty and Fifth Ave.
Sponsored by the Ann Arbor Coalition Against the War
Dearborn, MI
Tuesday, December 30
4:00 pm
Gathering at corner of Warren and Chase in Dearborn
Memorial service at Byblos Banquet Hall, 7258 Chase Road in Dearborn, 5:15-6:30 pm
Sponsored by the Congress of Arab American Organizations (CAAO)
Kalamazoo, MI
Tuesday, December 30
4:00 pm
Federal Building: Michigan Avenue and Park Avenue
Sponsored by Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War (KNOW)
MINNESOTA
Minneapolis, MN
Tuesday, December 30
10:00 am - 5:00 pm, Press Conference at 1:00 pm
1) Office of Senator Amy Klobuchar: 1200 Washington Avenue South (main event)
2) Office of Congress person Keith Ellison: 2100 Plymouth Ave North (presence)
Contact: 612-327-6902, ollamhfaery@earthlink.net
Sponsored and Endorsed by Women Against Military Madness, Coalition For Palestinian Rights
NEW JERSEY
New Brunswick, NJ
Tuesday, December 30
4:00-6:00 pm
Gather at corner of Albany and George Streets
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque, NM
Tuesday, December 30
12 noon - 2:00 pm
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science: 1801 Mountain Rd, NW (in Old Town)
Called by Stop the War Machine
Contact: 505-401-4808, stopthewarmachine@comcast.net
* * * * *
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Pete V. Domenici Federal Courthouse: 333 Lomas Blvd. NW
Sponsored by a coalition of many groups, led by the Middle East Peace & Justice Alliance
Contact: 505-842-0535
NEW YORK
New York City, NY
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Israeli Consulate: 800 2nd Ave (b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts)
Contact: 212-694-8720, nyc@answercoalition.org
* * * * *
Sunday, December 28
2:00-4:00 pm
Gather at Rockefeller Center: 50th St. and 5th Ave.
March to the Israeli Consulate: 800 2nd Ave (b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts)
Initiated by Al-Awda New York
Rochester, NY
Tuesday, December 30
4:00-5:00 pm
Federal Building
Contact: peaceactiontaskforce@lists.riseup.net, 585-271-2678
OHIO
Cincinnati, OH
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Clifton Ave & Martin Luther King Dr W
Contact: 513-484-9116
Cleveland, OH
Monday, December 29
4:30-6:00 pm
Public Square Downtown
Columbus, OH
Sunday, December 28
5:00 pm
Gather at 15th and High St.
Sponsored by the Ohio State University - Committee for Justice in Palestine
Youngstown, OH
Vigil
Monday, December 29
5:00-9:00pm
Arab American Community Center: 15 Belgrade Ave, Youngstown, OH 44505 (off Belmont between Gypsy & Colonial)
Sponsored by the Arab American Community Center of Greater Youngstown
* * * * *
Demonstration
Tuesday, December 30
1:00-3:00pm
Thomas D. Lambros Federal Bldg & U.S. Courthouse: 125 Market Street, Youngstown, OH 44503
Sponsored by the Arab American Community Center of Greater Youngstown
OREGON
Portland, OR
Tuesday December 30
Gather at 4:30, Rally at 5:00 pm
Federal Building, Downtown Portland, SW 3rd & Madison
Organized by: Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights, Portland Peaceful Response Coalition, and others
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia, PA
Tuesday, December 30
3:30 pm
City Hall at 15th and locust
* * * * *
Monday, December 29
4:30 pm
Israeli Consulate: 1880 JFK Blvd.
Contact: 215-724-1618, phillyiac@action-mail.org
Sponsored by International Action Center
SOUTH CAROLINA
Columbia, SC
Wednesday, December 31
5:00 pm
State Capitol: Gervais and Main Streets
Sponsored by Columbia Women in Black, Carolina Peace Resource Center, Muslim Student Association at the University of South Carolina
SOUTH DAKOTA
Sioux Falls, SD
Tuesday, December 30
10:00-11:00 am
Federal Building: 12th & Phillips
Contact: sodak@answercoalition.org
TEXAS
Austin, TX
Monday, December 29
5:00 pm
State Capitol: 11th & Congress
Contact: contact@palestineonlinestore.com
Initiated by a number of local organizations
Dallas, TX
Tuesday December 30
12:00 noon - 3:00 pm
Grassy Knoll near Kennedy Museum, Elm St.
Contact: Raed Sbeit 214-798-7624, muslim1976@yahoo.com OR Obaida Hitto 214-274-1687, obaida.hitto@hotmail.com
Houston, TX
Tuesday, December 30
4:00-5:30 pm
Gather at Mandell Bridge (Mandell St. at Hwy. 59)
Contact: 713-771-9439, rwcsr1@yahoo.com
WASHINGTON
Seattle, WA
Tuesday, December 30
4:00 pm
Federal Building: 915 2nd Ave
Initiated by Voices of Palestine
Contact: general@voicesofpalestine.org
* * * * *
Saturday, January 3
12:00 noon - 2:00 pm
Westlake Park: 4th and Pine
Initiated by Voices of Palestine
Contact: general@voicesofpalestine.org
Tacoma, WA
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Federal Courthouse: 1717 Pacific Ave. (at 19th St.)
Protesters are asked to bring signs, candles, and flashlights
Radhika Sainath, NLG Free Gaza Committee, radhika.sainath@gmail.com, 917-669-6903
The National Lawyers Guild Condemns Israeli Massacre of over 300 Gazans, Calls for Ceasefire and Urges Participation in Protests
New York. The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) condemns Israel's massive bombardment of the Gaza Strip which has left over 300 dead and 1,400 wounded, with the tolls mounting. The Israeli Air Force dropped more than 100 bombs in dozens of locations throughout the Gaza Strip as children left school on Saturday. The dead include men, women and children in school uniforms.
"International law forbids the targeting of civilians," said Radhika Sainath, a civil rights attorney and member of the Free Gaza Committee of the NLG. "Israel must comply with laws of war and the Fourth Geneva Convention." Today's massacre marks an escalation of Israel's two-year blockade of the Strip which has deprived 1.5 million Palestinians of necessary food, medicine, fuel and other necessities. In November 2008, the United Nations stated that it had run out of food to feed over 750,000 needy Gazans.
Israel claims that the attack is in response to Palestinian rocket fire, which caused no recent Israeli deaths and few injuries. However, Israel's "rolling bombardment" and impending ground invasion is grossly disproportionate in light of the minimal damage caused by Palestinian rockets. “The law of war prohibits collective punishment and the targeting of a civilian population disproportionate to military necessity. Israel has flouted both these prohibitions, that follow its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and its sealing of Gaza, subjecting Gazans to near starvation,” said Marjorie Cohn, NLG president and a professor of international law at Thomas Jefferson School of Law. “The Human Rights and Security Assistance Act mandates that the United States cease all military aid to Israel, which has engaged in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.”
Israeli military spokesman Avi Benayahu stated that the Israeli bombardment of Gaza was "only just the beginning," showing utter contempt for international norms and the lives of innocent Palestinians. The Guild calls on the entire international community, and the United States in particular, to demand an end to Israel's blockade of the Occupied Territories and its murderous assault on the Palestinian people. We urge everyone to join in the demonstrations planned across the country in opposition to this latest attack on the rule of law by Israel and we call on both sides to immediately reinstate the cease fire.
Founded in 1937 as an alternative to the American Bar Association, which did not admit people of color, the National Lawyers Guild is the oldest and largest public interest/human rights bar organization in the United States. Its headquarters are in New York and it has chapters in every state.
Planned demonstrations and protests:
CALIFORNIA
Anaheim
Sunday, December 28, 2:00 pm
512 S. Brookhurst St. (between Orange Ave. & Broadway)
Initiated by a coalition with a large number of groups
Los Angeles
Tuesday, December 30, 4:30 pm
Israeli Consulate: 6380 Wilshire Blvd.
Contact: 213-251-1025, answerla@answerla.org
San Diego
Tuesday, December 30, 4:00 p.m.
Federal Building
880 Front Street
San Francisco
Sunday, December 28, 12:00PM
Protest the Massacres in Gaza
Powell and Market
Contact: Arab Resource and Organizing Center
Monday, December 29, 5:00PM
Silent Vigil at Feinstein's Office, Montgomery and Market
Co-Sponsored by Direct Action to Stop the War;
the Middle East Children's Alliance; Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism;
SF Women in Black
Tuesday, December 30, 5:00PM
Israeli Consulate, 456 Montgomery St
Powell and Market
Contact: 415-821-6545 answer@answersf.org
COLORADO
Denver
Tuesday, December 30, 5:00PM
Meet on the West side of the Capitol
Contact: Rima, 303-829-5848
CONNECTICUT
New Haven
Wednesday, December 31, 12PM
Federal Building, 141 Church St (between Chapel and Elm Sts.)
Sponsored by Middle East Crisis Committee, ANSWER-CT and other local organizations
Contact: 203-606-0319, connecticut@answercoalition.org
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington, DC
Monday, December 29, 4:30PM
Barack Obama Transition Office
451 6th St. NW (1 block from Verizon Center)
Contact: 301-523-4197 or email me at zelamine@gmail.com
Tuesday, December 30, 4:30 pm
State Department: 22nd St & C St NW
Contact: 202-544-3389 x14, dc@answercoalition.org
Friday, January 9, 12:00PM
Lafayette Square and march to Upper Senate Park
Contact: National Association of Muslim Women, namaw01@gmail.com
FLORIDA
Fort Lauderdale
Tuesday, December 30, 5:00 pm
Federal Building: 299 E. Broward Blvd.
Contact: 954-707-0155, FtLauderdale@answerfl.org
Ocala
Tuesday, December 30, 12:00 pm
Cather near the Ocala Lockheed facility, located in the SE quadrant of the county just off Maricamp Road (Rte 464) near Emerald and Oak
Sponsored by: Marions for Peace, CFCC students and Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW)
Contact: Marions for Peace, Delphine Herbert, MarionsforPeace@gmail.com
Tampa
Tuesday, December 30, 4:30 pm
N Dale Mabry Hwy and W Spruce St
GEORGIA
Atlanta
Sunday, December 28, 2:00PM
Outside the Israeli Consulate, 1100 Spring St. NW
Contact: Emory Advocates for Justice in Palestine, 770-597-0276 or 404-844-3202
Tuesday, December 30, 4:00PM
Outside the Israeli Consulate, 1100 Spring St. NW
Organizers: Emory Advocate for Justice in Palestine and other local groups
Contact details:Saba Khalid, 770-597-0276, skhali3@emory.edu
HAWAII
Honolulu
Tuesday, December 30, 4-6PM
At the Federal Building (along Ala Moana Blvd.)
Initiated by Friends of Sabeel Hawaii, with support from World Can't Wait-Hawaii, and others.
ILLINOIS
Chicago
Sunday, December 28, 12:00PM-2:00PM
Bring bouquets of flowers to commemorate the memory of the hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza who have been killed by Israeli bombardments today
Water Tower Park 830 N. Michigan (Michigan and Pearson)
Sponsored by (list in formation):
American Friends Service Committee, Jewish Voice for Peace, Arab American Action Network, Arab Jewish Partnership for Peace and Justice in the Middle East, American Arab Anti Discrimination-Chicago Chapter, Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism, Chicago Faith Coalition on Middle East Policy, Voices for Creative Non-Violence, International Solidarity Movement-Chicago Chapter, US Palestine Conference Network, Students for Justice in Palestine (UIC), American Muslims for Palestine, Muslim American Society (MAS) Freedom Foundation, Mosque Foundation, Tikkun-Chicago, Wright College Students for Peace and Justice, Fight Back Newspaper.
Separate event in Chicago:
Details to be announced
Contact: 773-463-0311, answer@chicagoanswer.net
Friday, January 2, 2009, 3:00PM
Tribune Plaza, 435 N Michigan
KENTUCKY
Louisville
Monday, December 29, 4-6PM
Broadway and Baxter across from Cave Hill cemetery
MAINE
STAND WITH GAZA
Friday, January 2nd at noon until 1:00pmMarket Square Portland, Maine
Contact: Jamilla El-Shafei email: jamillaelshafei@gmail.com cell 603.969.8426
Contact: Wells Stanley-Mays email: drinkinggourd@hotmail.com phone: 207.774.1110
Moment Square on Friday, January 2nd at noon
MARYLAND
Columbia
Saturday, January 17, 2009, 3:30PM
Howard County Central Library (Little Patuxent Pkwy and South Entrance Road)
Contact: Howard County Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation (HCCEIO), Joanne Heisel, joanne_kh@usa.net
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston
Wednesday, December 31, 2:00PM
Copley Square
Contact: Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights, info@bcpr.net, (617) 491-2313
Details to be announced
Contact: 857-334-5084, boston@answercoalition.org
Brookline
Sunday, December 28, 3PM-5PM
Coolidge Corner, Harvard and Beacon Streets
Northampton and Hadley
Monday, December 29, 7:30AM-9:00AM and 4:00PM-5:00PM
Coolidge Bridge between Northampton and Hadley
Contact: Paki paki43@gmail.com
MICHIGAN
Dearborn
Monday, December 29, 6PM
Community Leadership Meeting
Lebanese American Heritage Club ,4337 Maple Road
Contact: Congress of Arab American Organizations, Osama Siblani / 313.505.4889
Tuesday, December 30, 4PM
Human Chain Protest
Gathering at corner of Warren and Chase in Dearborn. Following the protest a memorial service will be held at Byblos Banquet Hall, 7258 Chase Road in Dearborn at 5:15 PM. Program will end at 6:30 PM.
Contact: Congress of Arab American Organizations, Osama Siblani / 313.505.4889
Kalamazoo
Tuesday, December 30, 4PM
Michigan Ave in front of the Federal Buildng
MINNESOTA
Various
Protests at Senator Amy Klobuchar and Congressman Keith Ellison's offices
Tuesday December 30th
10 am-closing
No "holding their feet to the fire" but instead hold them accountable.
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar
Office of Senator Klobuchar
Minneapolis
1200 Washington Avenue South, Suite 250
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Main Line: 612-727-5220
Main Fax: 612-727-5223
Toll Free: 1-888-224-9043
Rochester Office
1134 7th Street NW
Rochester, MN 55901
Main Line: 507-288-5321
Fax: 507-288-2922
Moorhead Office
121 4th Street South
Moorhead, MN 56560
Main Line: 218-287-2219
Fax: 218-287-2930
Iron Range Office
Olcott Plaza, Suite 105
820 9th Street North
Virginia, MN 55792
Main Line: 218-741-9690
Fax:218-741-3692
Keith Ellison office
Minneapolis office is located at:
2100 Plymouth Ave North
Minneapolis, MN 55411
For directions you can call our office, 612-522-1212
MISSOURI
St. Louis
Sunday, December 28, 7PM
3628 Lindell, corner of Grand and Lindell
Contact: Colleen Kelly, Instead of War, 314-761-7428
Monday, December 29, 4-6PM
Protest at Senator Bond's Office, 7700 Bonhomme
Contact: Colleen Kelly, Instead of War, 314-761-7428
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Concord
Tuesday, December 30, 3PM
In front of the State House
Contact: New Hampshire Peace Action, 603-228-0559
NEW JERSEY
New Brunswick
Tuesday, December 30, 4-6PM
Corner of Albany and George Sts.
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque
Tuesday, December 30, 12-2PM
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
1801 Mountain Rd, NW (in Old Town)
Contact: Called by Stop the War Machine, 505-401-4808,
stopthewarmachine@comcast.net
NEW YORK
New York City
Sunday, December 28, 2:00-4:00 pm
Gather at Rockefeller Center
March to the Israeli Consulate: 800 2nd Ave (b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts)
Initiated by Al-Awda New York
Monday, December 29, 5:00PM
Adalah-NY is organizing two meeting locations for fliering on Monday at 5:00:
The south end of Union Square, near the corner of 14th St and 5th Ave.
The triangular park at 6th Av. & 32nd Street.
We welcome you to join us and we encourage other organizations to choose their own flyering locations and then to join the procession.
We will all meet-up for the procession up 6th Ave at 6:30. We will be meeting at the triangular park at 6th Av. & 32nd Street. Look for the Palestinian Flag.
Contact
Monday, December 29, 7:00 pm
55 W 17th St, 5th Fl. Manhattan between 5th & 6th Aves
Informational Action Center
Tuesday, December 30, 5:00 pm
Israeli Consulate: 800 2nd Ave (b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts)
Contact: 212-694-8720, nyc@answercoalition.org
Rochester
Tuesday, December 30, 4:00PM-5:00PM
Demonstration in front of Federal Building
Contact: Mike Connely, 271-2678
OHIO
Cleveland
Monday, December 29, 4:30PM
Public Square, across from Tower City
Contact: Middle East Peace Forum, Don Bryant, donmbryant@yahoo.com
Columbus
Sunday December 28th, 5:00 PM
Ohio State University - Committee for Justice in Palestine
15th and High St.
Columbus, Ohio
Youngstown
Monday, December 29, 5-9PM
Vigil
15 Belgrade Ave.
Sponsored by: Arab American Community Center of Greater Youngstown
Contact: Arab American Community Center, 330-759-9186
Tuesday, December 30, 1-3PM
Demonstration
In front of the Thomas D. Lambros Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 125 Market St
Contact: Arab American Community Center, 330-759-9186
ONTARIO
Toronto
Sunday, December 28, 2:00 pm
Israeli Embassy Consulate: 180 Bloor St. West
Initiated by a number of local organizations
OREGON
Eugene
Monday, December 29, 2-5PM
Al-Nakba Awareness Project and Veterans for Peace will erect signage and provide detailed handout materials along the high-traffic Ferry Street Bridge approach parkway.
Portland
Tuesday December 30, 2008
Gather at 4:30 and Rally 5:00 pm
Where: Federal Building, Downtown Portland, SW 3rd & Madison
Organized by: Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights, Portland
Peaceful Response Coalition, and others.
Contact: (503) 344-5078
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia
Monday, December 29, 4:30PM
Demonstration at Israeli Consulate, 1880 JFK Blvd
Contact: Sue Rouda, 215-724-1618, sue.rouda@gmail.com
Tuesday, December 30, 4:30PM
Demonstration at Israeli Consulate, 1880 JFK Blvd
Contact: Sue Rouda, 215-724-1618, sue.rouda@gmail.com
RHODE ISLAND
Providence
Sunday, December 28, 12:00-2:00PM
Federal Building
Contact: Martha Yager, AFSC-SENE, 401-521-3584 or MYager@afsc.org
Wednesday, December 31, 6-7PM
Burnside Park (opposite Kennedy Plaza)
Contact: Martha Yager, AFSC-SENE, 401-521-3584 or MYager@afsc.org
SOUTH CAROLINA
Columbia
Wednesday, December 31, 5-6PM
In front of the State Capitol Building
Gervais and Main St.
Contact: Women in Black, 803-446-2772
TEXAS
Austin
Monday, December 29, 5PM-7PM
In front of the State Capitol, 11th and Congress
Contact: Haithem El-Zabri, cell. (512) 772-1948, e-mail haithemelzabri@yahoo.com
Dallas
Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 12:00PM-3:00PM
In front of JFK Memorial on the Grassy Knoll
Friday, January 2, 2009, 3:30PM
Dallas Forth Worth Protest, Earl Cabell Federal Building, 1100 Commerce St
Contact: Suha Suleiman, drsuha@tm.blackberry.net
Houston
Sunday, December 28, 2008, 4-6PM
Westheimer and Post Oak (in front of the Starbucks across the Galleria)
Contact: Houston Palestinian Community
Monday, December 29, 2008, 4-6PM
Israeli Consulate (Wesleyan near US 59)
Contact: Palestinian American Bridge, Mohamed Abu-Hussein, 713-240-9766
Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 4-5:30PM
Gather at Mandell Bridge (Mandell St at Highway 59)
Contact: rwcsr1@yahoo.com
San Antonio
Tuesday, December 30, 6-7PM
Candle Light Silent Prayer Vigil for Peace
Around the Peace Pole in front of the Brackenridge Village, University of the Incarnate Word, enter at 4301 Broadway
You are invited to bring candles.
VERMONT
Burlington
Tuesday, December 30, 4:15PM
Main St. Landing, Burlington
1 Main St.; corner of Main & Battery Sts.)
MEET in Burlington at Main Street Landing at 4:15 to march to Representative
Welch’s, Senator Leahy’s, and to Senator Bernie Sander's offices, to
arrive at the top of Church St. at 5pm to stand in solidarity with the
vigil opposing further war profiteering and war crimes--the US Occupation
of Iraq.
This march is endorsed by Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel
(VTJP), Peace and Justice Center, and the International Socialist
Organization (ISO).
TO ENDORSE THIS ACTION OR FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
hilarymartin@riseup.net or gypsy7@riseup.net
Montpellier Tuesday, December 30, 4:30PM Vigil in front of City Hall on Main St Contact: Debra, 802-476-3154, debra@vtlink.net
WASHINGTON
Seattle
Saturday, January 3, 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm
Westlake Park: 4th and Pine
Initiated by Voices of Palestine
Contact: general@voicesofpalestine.org
Tacoma
Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 5:00pm
In front of the Courthouse at Pacific Ave and 19th St
ARIZONA
Phoenix, AZ
Tuesday, December 30
4:30 PM
Gather at Thomas Road and Central Light Rail Station
Sponsored by CODEPINK Phoenix and The End The War Coalition
CALIFORNIA
Albion, CA
Monday, December 29
12 noon
Jct Rte 1 & Albion Ridge Road
Contact: 707-472-6486, hughmurray98@yahoo.com
Anaheim, CA (Orange County)
Sunday, December 28
2:00 pm
512 S. Brookhurst St. (between Orange Ave. & Broadway)
Initiated by a coalition with a large number of groups
Fort Bragg, CA
Monday, December 29
12 noon
Rte 1 at Fort Bragg Town Hall Rally
Contact: 707-937-4352, bc@albionnation.org
Los Angeles, CA
Tuesday, December 30
4:30 pm
Israeli Consulate: 6380 Wilshire Blvd.
Contact: 213-251-1025, answerla@answerla.org
Sacramento, CA
Tuesday, December 30
4:00-6:00 pm
Gather at 16th and J
Sponsored by Sacramento Peace Action; Free Palestine Alliance; the National Council of Arab Americans, & Al-Awda, the Palestine Right of Return Coalition
Contact: 916-448-7157
San Francisco, CA
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Israeli Consulate:456 Montgomery St.
Contact: 415-821-6545, answer@answersf.org
* * * * *
Monday, December 29
5:00 pm
Vigil at Sen. Dianne Feinstein's Office: Montgomery and Market
Co-Sponsored by a number of local organizations
Santa Rosa, CA
Tuesday, December 30
5:30 pm
Courthouse Square: Santa Rosa Avenue downtown
Sponsored by the Board of the Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County
Contact: cognizant2@hotmail.com
COLORADO
Colorado Springs, CO
Tuesday, December 30
4:30-5:30 pm
Meet downtown at Acacia Park, corner of Nevada Ave and Bijou St
Sponsored by a PROTEST COLORADO antiwar coalition.
Contact: 719.460.2836, info@protestcolorado.org
CONNECTICUT
New Haven, CT
Wednesday, December 31
12 noon
Federal Building: 141 Church St. (between Chapel and Elm St)
Sponsored by Middle East Crisis Committee, ANSWER-CT and other local organizations
Contact: 203-606-0319, connecticut@answercoalition.org
* * * * *
Saturday, December 27
1:00 pm
Federal Building: 141 Church St. (between Chapel and Elm St)
Initiated by local organizations
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, December 30
4:30 pm
State Department: 22nd St & C St NW
Contact: 202-544-3389 x14, dc@answercoalition.org
FLORIDA
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Federal Building: 299 E. Broward Blvd.
Contact: 954-707-0155, FtLauderdale@answerfl.org
Ocala, FL
Tuesday, December 30
12 noon
Gather near the Ocala Lockheed facility, located in the southeast quadrant of the county just off Maricamp Road (route 464) near Emerald and Oak
Sponsored by Marions for Peace, CFCC students and Iraqi veterans against the war
Tampa, FL
Tuesday, December 30
4:30 pm
N Dale Mabry Hwy and W Spruce St.
Contact: 813-785-3179
HAWAII
Honolulu, HI
Tuesday, December 30
4:00-6:00 pm
Prince Kuhio Federal Building: 300 Ala Moana Blvd. (near the Ewa end of the building)
Sponsored by Friends of Sabeel--Hawaii
ILLINOIS
Chicago, IL
Sunday, December 28
12:00 noon to 2:00 pm
Water Tower Park: 830 N. Michigan Ave.
Initiated by a number of local organizations
Get involved with ANSWER in Chicago: 773-463-0311, answer@chicagoanswer.net
LOUISIANA
New Orleans, LA
Monday, December 29
12 noon - 2:00 pm
Corner of Canal Street and Convention Center Blvd, at the base of Canal street, across from Harrah's Casino
Sponsored by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee of New Orleans, New Orleans Palestine Solidarity, and many other organizations and individuals
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston, MA
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Consulate General of Israel: 20 Park Plaza
(Green Line to Arlington Stop)
Contact: 857-334-5084, boston@answercoalition.org
* * * * *
Wednesday, December 31
2:00PM
Copley Square
Sponsored by the Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights
Contact: info@bcpr.net, (617) 491-2313
* * * * *
Monday, December 29
4:00-7:00 pm
Stand in solidarity at Harvard Sq (in front of Holyoke Center), Watertown Sq, Roxbury Crossing, Coolidge Corner, Arlington Center, or go out with friends and signs at busy intersections in your community
Northampton / Hadley, MA
Monday, December 29
7:30-9:00 am AND 4:00-5:00 pm
Coolidge Bridge (Hadley/Northampton)
Northampton, MA
Saturday, January 3
12 noon
Courthouse on Main Street
MICHIGAN
Ann Arbor, MI
Tuesday, December 30
12 noon - 1:00 pm
Federal Building: Liberty and Fifth Ave.
Sponsored by the Ann Arbor Coalition Against the War
Dearborn, MI
Tuesday, December 30
4:00 pm
Gathering at corner of Warren and Chase in Dearborn
Memorial service at Byblos Banquet Hall, 7258 Chase Road in Dearborn, 5:15-6:30 pm
Sponsored by the Congress of Arab American Organizations (CAAO)
Kalamazoo, MI
Tuesday, December 30
4:00 pm
Federal Building: Michigan Avenue and Park Avenue
Sponsored by Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War (KNOW)
MINNESOTA
Minneapolis, MN
Tuesday, December 30
10:00 am - 5:00 pm, Press Conference at 1:00 pm
1) Office of Senator Amy Klobuchar: 1200 Washington Avenue South (main event)
2) Office of Congress person Keith Ellison: 2100 Plymouth Ave North (presence)
Contact: 612-327-6902, ollamhfaery@earthlink.net
Sponsored and Endorsed by Women Against Military Madness, Coalition For Palestinian Rights
NEW JERSEY
New Brunswick, NJ
Tuesday, December 30
4:00-6:00 pm
Gather at corner of Albany and George Streets
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque, NM
Tuesday, December 30
12 noon - 2:00 pm
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science: 1801 Mountain Rd, NW (in Old Town)
Called by Stop the War Machine
Contact: 505-401-4808, stopthewarmachine@comcast.net
* * * * *
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Pete V. Domenici Federal Courthouse: 333 Lomas Blvd. NW
Sponsored by a coalition of many groups, led by the Middle East Peace & Justice Alliance
Contact: 505-842-0535
NEW YORK
New York City, NY
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Israeli Consulate: 800 2nd Ave (b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts)
Contact: 212-694-8720, nyc@answercoalition.org
* * * * *
Sunday, December 28
2:00-4:00 pm
Gather at Rockefeller Center: 50th St. and 5th Ave.
March to the Israeli Consulate: 800 2nd Ave (b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts)
Initiated by Al-Awda New York
Rochester, NY
Tuesday, December 30
4:00-5:00 pm
Federal Building
Contact: peaceactiontaskforce@lists.riseup.net, 585-271-2678
OHIO
Cincinnati, OH
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Clifton Ave & Martin Luther King Dr W
Contact: 513-484-9116
Cleveland, OH
Monday, December 29
4:30-6:00 pm
Public Square Downtown
Columbus, OH
Sunday, December 28
5:00 pm
Gather at 15th and High St.
Sponsored by the Ohio State University - Committee for Justice in Palestine
Youngstown, OH
Vigil
Monday, December 29
5:00-9:00pm
Arab American Community Center: 15 Belgrade Ave, Youngstown, OH 44505 (off Belmont between Gypsy & Colonial)
Sponsored by the Arab American Community Center of Greater Youngstown
* * * * *
Demonstration
Tuesday, December 30
1:00-3:00pm
Thomas D. Lambros Federal Bldg & U.S. Courthouse: 125 Market Street, Youngstown, OH 44503
Sponsored by the Arab American Community Center of Greater Youngstown
OREGON
Portland, OR
Tuesday December 30
Gather at 4:30, Rally at 5:00 pm
Federal Building, Downtown Portland, SW 3rd & Madison
Organized by: Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights, Portland Peaceful Response Coalition, and others
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia, PA
Tuesday, December 30
3:30 pm
City Hall at 15th and locust
* * * * *
Monday, December 29
4:30 pm
Israeli Consulate: 1880 JFK Blvd.
Contact: 215-724-1618, phillyiac@action-mail.org
Sponsored by International Action Center
SOUTH CAROLINA
Columbia, SC
Wednesday, December 31
5:00 pm
State Capitol: Gervais and Main Streets
Sponsored by Columbia Women in Black, Carolina Peace Resource Center, Muslim Student Association at the University of South Carolina
SOUTH DAKOTA
Sioux Falls, SD
Tuesday, December 30
10:00-11:00 am
Federal Building: 12th & Phillips
Contact: sodak@answercoalition.org
TEXAS
Austin, TX
Monday, December 29
5:00 pm
State Capitol: 11th & Congress
Contact: contact@palestineonlinestore.com
Initiated by a number of local organizations
Dallas, TX
Tuesday December 30
12:00 noon - 3:00 pm
Grassy Knoll near Kennedy Museum, Elm St.
Contact: Raed Sbeit 214-798-7624, muslim1976@yahoo.com OR Obaida Hitto 214-274-1687, obaida.hitto@hotmail.com
Houston, TX
Tuesday, December 30
4:00-5:30 pm
Gather at Mandell Bridge (Mandell St. at Hwy. 59)
Contact: 713-771-9439, rwcsr1@yahoo.com
WASHINGTON
Seattle, WA
Tuesday, December 30
4:00 pm
Federal Building: 915 2nd Ave
Initiated by Voices of Palestine
Contact: general@voicesofpalestine.org
* * * * *
Saturday, January 3
12:00 noon - 2:00 pm
Westlake Park: 4th and Pine
Initiated by Voices of Palestine
Contact: general@voicesofpalestine.org
Tacoma, WA
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Federal Courthouse: 1717 Pacific Ave. (at 19th St.)
Protesters are asked to bring signs, candles, and flashlights
Cynthia McKinney and Sami al-Haj enroute to Gaza
The Dignity Leaves for Gaza: Its Dangerous Humanitarian Mission Challenges the World to "Stop this Madness!"
MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2008
(Larnaca, Cyprus) - There is a time when silence is complicity and inaction is unacceptable.
On Saturday, December 27, Israel began Operation "Cast Lead," a military onslaught against the civilian
population of the Gaza Strip that has - so far - massacred more than three-hundred men, women, and children, and seriously injured over a thousand.
In response to Israeli butchery, the Free Gaza ship, the DIGNITY, will depart Larnaca Port at approximately 5:00 pm (UTC), on Monday, December 29, 2008 bound for besieged Gaza.
The ship is on an emergency mission carrying in
physicians, human rights workers and over three tons of desperately needed medical supplies donated by the people of Cyprus.
Coordinating with the Gaza Ministry of Health, the doctors will be immediately posted to overburdened hospitals and clinics upon their arrival.
We are not asking Israel for "permission" to go, and we will not stop until the DIGNITY lands in Gaza. We are answering urgent calls from hospitals and health care workers in Gaza by taking in three physicians who will stay and work in Gaza for several weeks.
We will hold Israel responsible for the safety of our passengers and our cargo of emergency medicine.
Even before the present Israeli blitzkrieg, Karen Koning Abu Zayd, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), asserted that,
"Gaza is on the threshold of becoming the first territory to be intentionally reduced to a state of abject destitution, with the knowledge, acquiescence and - some would say encouragement - of the international community."
Ewa Jasiewicz, a Free Gaza organizer living in Gaza, agreed with Abu Zayd, saying:
"Where is the United Nations? Where is the Arab League? Where is the outrage against Israeli cruelty and Egyptian complicity?
Every hospital in Gaza is already overwhelmed. Israel is committing war crimes here in Gaza, and words of condemnation are no longer enough. The world must act now to stop this madness."
The Free Gaza Movement continues to do what the governments of the world will not do - take direct action to defend the health, lives, and dignity of 1.5 million Palestinians under siege in the Gaza Strip.
This catastrophe is still unfolding, and humanitarian needs in Gaza are quite literally devastating. The world can no longer stay silent as the Palestinian people are deliberately massacred, starved and humiliated.
We have to create a new consciousness that turns the practice of human rights from rhetoric into reality. Palestinians have an inalienable right to live, and the undeniable right to a life with dignity.
The passengers on this Free Gaza emergency delegation include:
* International humanitarian and human rights workers from Cyprus, Australia, Ireland, Great Britain, Tunisia, and the United States;
* Doctors going to Gaza to volunteer in local hospitals, including Dr. Elena Theoharous, surgeon and Member of Parliament from Cyprus;
* Journalists going to Gaza to report on the massacre, including Al-Jazeera reporter Sami al-Haj, a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay;
* The Hon. Cynthia McKinney, former U.S. Congresswoman 9/11 Truth activist and Green Party presidential candidate.
The Free Gaza Movement, a human rights group, sent two boats to Gaza in August 2008. These were the first international boats to land in the port in forty years. Since August, four more voyages were successful, taking parliamentarians, human rights workers, physicians, and other dignitaries to witness the effects of Israel's draconian policies on the civilians of Gaza.
http://www.FreeGaza.org
MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2008
(Larnaca, Cyprus) - There is a time when silence is complicity and inaction is unacceptable.
On Saturday, December 27, Israel began Operation "Cast Lead," a military onslaught against the civilian
population of the Gaza Strip that has - so far - massacred more than three-hundred men, women, and children, and seriously injured over a thousand.
In response to Israeli butchery, the Free Gaza ship, the DIGNITY, will depart Larnaca Port at approximately 5:00 pm (UTC), on Monday, December 29, 2008 bound for besieged Gaza.
The ship is on an emergency mission carrying in
physicians, human rights workers and over three tons of desperately needed medical supplies donated by the people of Cyprus.
Coordinating with the Gaza Ministry of Health, the doctors will be immediately posted to overburdened hospitals and clinics upon their arrival.
We are not asking Israel for "permission" to go, and we will not stop until the DIGNITY lands in Gaza. We are answering urgent calls from hospitals and health care workers in Gaza by taking in three physicians who will stay and work in Gaza for several weeks.
We will hold Israel responsible for the safety of our passengers and our cargo of emergency medicine.
Even before the present Israeli blitzkrieg, Karen Koning Abu Zayd, head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), asserted that,
"Gaza is on the threshold of becoming the first territory to be intentionally reduced to a state of abject destitution, with the knowledge, acquiescence and - some would say encouragement - of the international community."
Ewa Jasiewicz, a Free Gaza organizer living in Gaza, agreed with Abu Zayd, saying:
"Where is the United Nations? Where is the Arab League? Where is the outrage against Israeli cruelty and Egyptian complicity?
Every hospital in Gaza is already overwhelmed. Israel is committing war crimes here in Gaza, and words of condemnation are no longer enough. The world must act now to stop this madness."
The Free Gaza Movement continues to do what the governments of the world will not do - take direct action to defend the health, lives, and dignity of 1.5 million Palestinians under siege in the Gaza Strip.
This catastrophe is still unfolding, and humanitarian needs in Gaza are quite literally devastating. The world can no longer stay silent as the Palestinian people are deliberately massacred, starved and humiliated.
We have to create a new consciousness that turns the practice of human rights from rhetoric into reality. Palestinians have an inalienable right to live, and the undeniable right to a life with dignity.
The passengers on this Free Gaza emergency delegation include:
* International humanitarian and human rights workers from Cyprus, Australia, Ireland, Great Britain, Tunisia, and the United States;
* Doctors going to Gaza to volunteer in local hospitals, including Dr. Elena Theoharous, surgeon and Member of Parliament from Cyprus;
* Journalists going to Gaza to report on the massacre, including Al-Jazeera reporter Sami al-Haj, a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay;
* The Hon. Cynthia McKinney, former U.S. Congresswoman 9/11 Truth activist and Green Party presidential candidate.
The Free Gaza Movement, a human rights group, sent two boats to Gaza in August 2008. These were the first international boats to land in the port in forty years. Since August, four more voyages were successful, taking parliamentarians, human rights workers, physicians, and other dignitaries to witness the effects of Israel's draconian policies on the civilians of Gaza.
http://www.FreeGaza.org
Stop the Massacre of Palestines! Emergency Protests
Stop the Massacre of Palestinians!
Tuesday, December 30: National Day of Action
Emergency Demonstrations on Tuesday, December 30 and other days (listed below)
The ANSWER Coalition, Muslim American Society Freedom, Free Palestine Alliance, National Council of Arab Americans, and Al-Awda, International Palestine Right to Return Coalition are calling for Tuesday, December 30 to be a National Day of Action to show solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza and to demand an immediate end to the murderous attacks carried out by the Israeli military against the people of Gaza.
In San Francisco there will be a demonstration at the Israeli Consulate, 456 Montgomery St. at 5:00 pm. Demonstrations will also be held in cities around the country. See below for an initial list. If there is a demonstration in your city, email the details to info@answercoalition.org so it can be posted on the ANSWER Coalition website and listed in any future emails.
Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza have been massacred and wounded today as Israel has launched a massive bombing campaign against the people of Gaza. The bombing rampage took place as thousands of Palestinian children were in the streets on their way home from school. Palestinian parents were running frantically in the streets looking for their children as U.S.-provided F-16s and Apache helicopters rained down more than 100 bombs and missiles on Gaza.
The U.S.-backed Israeli Occupation Force destroyed every security station in Gaza. AFP reported: "There was no space left in the morgue and bodies were piled up in the emergency room and in the corridors, as many of the wounded screamed in pain."
Because of the U.S.-backed Israeli blockade and strangulation of the people of Gaza for the past 18 months there is little or no medicine to treat the wounded, electricity for hospitals, or food or clean water for much of the population.
An Israeli military spokesperson said, "The operation is ‘only just beginning’." The Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement: "The action will continue and will widen as much as is demanded according to the evaluation of the situation by the high command of the army."
What is the history and status of US support of Israel?
There are many reasons for the strong bond between the US and Israel, on many levels. The fundamental moral and philosphical basis for the support is explained very well in the article A Nation Like Ours: Why Americans stand with Israel by David Gelernter, referenced in the Sources section at the bottom of the page. On a practical level, the following sections review various dimensions of the US support.
Political Support
The US was the first country to recognize Israel, only minutes after it was officially created in 1948, consistent with a 1922 Congressional resolution backing the League of Nations mandate for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Since then, the two countries have developed a rock-solid friendship that does not depend on the parties in power either in Washington or Jerusalem. While there have certainly been ups and downs, the basic bond between the US and Israel, the only country in the Middle East that resembles the US in its values and democracy, is very strong. Both countries have long-recognized that their mutual interests of deterring war, promoting stability and eventually achieving peace are only possible if the United States continues to stand firmly behind Israel.
United Nations
In the United Nations, the United States did not cast its first veto until 1972, on a Syrian-Lebanese complaint against Israel. From 1967-72, the U.S. supported or abstained on 24 resolutions, most critical of Israel. From 1973-2000, the Security Council adopted approximately 90 resolutions on the Middle East, again, most critical of Israel. The U.S. vetoed a total of 33 resolutions and, hence, supported the Council's criticism of Israel by its vote of support or by abstaining roughly two-thirds of the time. The United Nations has been generally hostile to Israel and often the US was her sole defender in the world body. Israel has returned the friendship by voting soldily with the US on virtually all issues.
Military Cooperation
US Government Photo
US Sec. of Defense Wm. Cohen
escorts Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai
at Pentagon, March 27, 1998
After Israel became an independent country in 1948, the United States joined an embargo on weapons sales to Israel, the 1949 Tripartite Agreement on weapons. Although the US sold hundreds of millions of dollars in weaponry to Arab states during the 1950s and early 1960s, there were no sales to Israel until 1962 when the US agreed to sell to Israel its first significant American system, the HAWK anti-aircraft missile.
American military involvement with Israel remained sporadic until the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Following an Egyptian refusal to accept a cease-fire and a Soviet military airlift to the Arab states, the Nixon Administration sent a United States airlift of weapons and supplies to Israel enabling her to recover from earlier setbacks. Starting on October 14, 1973 US Air Force "Operation Nickel Grass" flew resupply missions to Israel for a full month.
As a direct result of the Yom Kippur War, the United States quadrupled its foreign aid to Israel, and replaced France as Israel's largest arms supplier. The doctrine of maintaining Israel's "qualitative edge" over its neighbors was born in the war's aftermath. This was based both on US appreciation of Israel's role as a defender of Western values in a generally hostile region, and also on the Cold War calculus of opposing the Arab client states of the Soviet Union.
In the following decades, Israel and the US worked together to counter the greatest threats to American interests in the Middle East. These threats include the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by rogue regimes; state-sponsored terrorism; the potential disruption of access to Middle East oil; and the spread of Islamic adicalism.
Cooperation has extended to programs for sharing cutting-edge technology and valuable intelligence; conducting joint military exercises; researching and developing new weapons; establishing joint anti-terrorism strategies; and pre-positioning materiel in Israel for use in the event the US ever needs to respond quickly to a future Middle East conflict.
In the 1990s, Israel and the US collaborated on a theater ballistic missile defense system, the ARROW, vital to Israel to defend against missile from nearby hostile Arab countries. Israel's missile defenses were integrated with US capabilities, including enhanced interoperability and upgraded regional early warning systems.
Economic Cooperation
In 1951 the US provided the first aid to Israel, $65 million to help Israel take in Holocaust survivors and endangered Jews from Arab lands. Within 3 years, Israel's 650,000 Jews absorbed 600,000 refugees from Europe and the Arab nations.
There has been economic aid to Israel every year since 1949, with the amounts fluctuating, generally increasing as the cooperation with Israel became closer or in years when Israel was forced to fight defensive wars or terrorism. From 1960 until 1985, there were no grants; aid consisted largely of loans, which Israel repaid, and surplus commodities, which Israel bought. The reference "U.S. Assistance to Israel" gives a table of annual amounts. The aid to other countries in the region has also increased and is similar in total amount. Much of the aid to Israel is for defense and the money is actually spent with U.S. suppliers so it recycles back to the United States.
Israel is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. Several binational programs allow American companies and universities to benefit from Israel’s expertise in agriculture and high technology, while others aim to break down barriers to trade and cooperation between the two countries to make collaboration easier. Israel was the first country to sign a free trade agreement with the US, which has resulted in a quintupling of trade between the two countries. The US-Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has served as a model for other trade agreements including the October 2000 FTA between the US and Jordan.
For many years Israel received US financial and military assistance in a combined total of about $3 billion, divided into $1.2 billion in economic assistance and $1.8 billion in military aid. As the Israeli economy grew, and Soviet-era refugees were absorbed, the need for the aid package decreased. In recent years the economic aid has been reduced, while the military package has grown a little since the start of the al-Aqsa intifada.
Take Action:
- Demonstrations Across the Country
- Send a letter to the State Department and Congress
Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, December 30
4:30 pm
State Department: 22nd St & C St NW
Contact: 202-544-3389 x14, dc@answercoalition.org
San Francisco
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Israeli Consulate:456 Montgomery St.
Contact: 415-821-6545, answer@answersf.org
Los Angeles
Tuesday, December 30
4:30 pm
Israeli Consulate: 6380 Wilshire Blvd.
Contact: 213-251-1025, answerla@answerla.org
* * * * *
In Anaheim, CA (Orange County):
Sunday, December 28
2:00 pm
512 S. Brookhurst St. (between Orange Ave. & Broadway)
Initiated by a coalition with a large number of groups
New York City
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Israeli Consulate: 800 2nd Ave (b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts)
Contact: 212-694-8720, nyc@answercoalition.org
* * * * *
Sunday, December 28
2:00-4:00 pm
Gather at Rockefeller Center
March to the Israeli Consulate: 800 2nd Ave (b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts)
Initiated by Al-Awda New York
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Federal Building: 299 E. Broward Blvd.
Contact: 954-707-0155, FtLauderdale@answerfl.org
Chicago
Details to be announced
Contact: 773-463-0311, answer@chicagoanswer.net
Boston
Details to be announced
Contact: 857-334-5084, boston@answercoalition.org
Seattle
Saturday, January 3
12:00 noon - 2:00 pm
Westlake Park: 4th and Pine
Initiated by Voices of Palestine
Contact: general@voicesofpalestine.org
Toronto
Sunday, December 28
2:00 pm
Israeli Embassy Consulate: 180 Bloor St. West
Initiated by a number of local organizations
United Native Americans Inc.
2434 Faria Ave
Pinole, California 94564
(510)758-8160 or (510)672-7187
Since 1968.
Join us
at
http://www.myspace.com/unitednativeamericansinc
Click Here For Our Online Store
http://www.cafepress.com/UnitedNatives
Tuesday, December 30: National Day of Action
Emergency Demonstrations on Tuesday, December 30 and other days (listed below)
The ANSWER Coalition, Muslim American Society Freedom, Free Palestine Alliance, National Council of Arab Americans, and Al-Awda, International Palestine Right to Return Coalition are calling for Tuesday, December 30 to be a National Day of Action to show solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza and to demand an immediate end to the murderous attacks carried out by the Israeli military against the people of Gaza.
In San Francisco there will be a demonstration at the Israeli Consulate, 456 Montgomery St. at 5:00 pm. Demonstrations will also be held in cities around the country. See below for an initial list. If there is a demonstration in your city, email the details to info@answercoalition.org so it can be posted on the ANSWER Coalition website and listed in any future emails.
Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza have been massacred and wounded today as Israel has launched a massive bombing campaign against the people of Gaza. The bombing rampage took place as thousands of Palestinian children were in the streets on their way home from school. Palestinian parents were running frantically in the streets looking for their children as U.S.-provided F-16s and Apache helicopters rained down more than 100 bombs and missiles on Gaza.
The U.S.-backed Israeli Occupation Force destroyed every security station in Gaza. AFP reported: "There was no space left in the morgue and bodies were piled up in the emergency room and in the corridors, as many of the wounded screamed in pain."
Because of the U.S.-backed Israeli blockade and strangulation of the people of Gaza for the past 18 months there is little or no medicine to treat the wounded, electricity for hospitals, or food or clean water for much of the population.
An Israeli military spokesperson said, "The operation is ‘only just beginning’." The Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement: "The action will continue and will widen as much as is demanded according to the evaluation of the situation by the high command of the army."
What is the history and status of US support of Israel?
There are many reasons for the strong bond between the US and Israel, on many levels. The fundamental moral and philosphical basis for the support is explained very well in the article A Nation Like Ours: Why Americans stand with Israel by David Gelernter, referenced in the Sources section at the bottom of the page. On a practical level, the following sections review various dimensions of the US support.
Political Support
The US was the first country to recognize Israel, only minutes after it was officially created in 1948, consistent with a 1922 Congressional resolution backing the League of Nations mandate for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Since then, the two countries have developed a rock-solid friendship that does not depend on the parties in power either in Washington or Jerusalem. While there have certainly been ups and downs, the basic bond between the US and Israel, the only country in the Middle East that resembles the US in its values and democracy, is very strong. Both countries have long-recognized that their mutual interests of deterring war, promoting stability and eventually achieving peace are only possible if the United States continues to stand firmly behind Israel.
United Nations
In the United Nations, the United States did not cast its first veto until 1972, on a Syrian-Lebanese complaint against Israel. From 1967-72, the U.S. supported or abstained on 24 resolutions, most critical of Israel. From 1973-2000, the Security Council adopted approximately 90 resolutions on the Middle East, again, most critical of Israel. The U.S. vetoed a total of 33 resolutions and, hence, supported the Council's criticism of Israel by its vote of support or by abstaining roughly two-thirds of the time. The United Nations has been generally hostile to Israel and often the US was her sole defender in the world body. Israel has returned the friendship by voting soldily with the US on virtually all issues.
Military Cooperation
US Government Photo
US Sec. of Defense Wm. Cohen
escorts Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai
at Pentagon, March 27, 1998
After Israel became an independent country in 1948, the United States joined an embargo on weapons sales to Israel, the 1949 Tripartite Agreement on weapons. Although the US sold hundreds of millions of dollars in weaponry to Arab states during the 1950s and early 1960s, there were no sales to Israel until 1962 when the US agreed to sell to Israel its first significant American system, the HAWK anti-aircraft missile.
American military involvement with Israel remained sporadic until the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Following an Egyptian refusal to accept a cease-fire and a Soviet military airlift to the Arab states, the Nixon Administration sent a United States airlift of weapons and supplies to Israel enabling her to recover from earlier setbacks. Starting on October 14, 1973 US Air Force "Operation Nickel Grass" flew resupply missions to Israel for a full month.
As a direct result of the Yom Kippur War, the United States quadrupled its foreign aid to Israel, and replaced France as Israel's largest arms supplier. The doctrine of maintaining Israel's "qualitative edge" over its neighbors was born in the war's aftermath. This was based both on US appreciation of Israel's role as a defender of Western values in a generally hostile region, and also on the Cold War calculus of opposing the Arab client states of the Soviet Union.
In the following decades, Israel and the US worked together to counter the greatest threats to American interests in the Middle East. These threats include the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by rogue regimes; state-sponsored terrorism; the potential disruption of access to Middle East oil; and the spread of Islamic adicalism.
Cooperation has extended to programs for sharing cutting-edge technology and valuable intelligence; conducting joint military exercises; researching and developing new weapons; establishing joint anti-terrorism strategies; and pre-positioning materiel in Israel for use in the event the US ever needs to respond quickly to a future Middle East conflict.
In the 1990s, Israel and the US collaborated on a theater ballistic missile defense system, the ARROW, vital to Israel to defend against missile from nearby hostile Arab countries. Israel's missile defenses were integrated with US capabilities, including enhanced interoperability and upgraded regional early warning systems.
Economic Cooperation
In 1951 the US provided the first aid to Israel, $65 million to help Israel take in Holocaust survivors and endangered Jews from Arab lands. Within 3 years, Israel's 650,000 Jews absorbed 600,000 refugees from Europe and the Arab nations.
There has been economic aid to Israel every year since 1949, with the amounts fluctuating, generally increasing as the cooperation with Israel became closer or in years when Israel was forced to fight defensive wars or terrorism. From 1960 until 1985, there were no grants; aid consisted largely of loans, which Israel repaid, and surplus commodities, which Israel bought. The reference "U.S. Assistance to Israel" gives a table of annual amounts. The aid to other countries in the region has also increased and is similar in total amount. Much of the aid to Israel is for defense and the money is actually spent with U.S. suppliers so it recycles back to the United States.
Israel is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. Several binational programs allow American companies and universities to benefit from Israel’s expertise in agriculture and high technology, while others aim to break down barriers to trade and cooperation between the two countries to make collaboration easier. Israel was the first country to sign a free trade agreement with the US, which has resulted in a quintupling of trade between the two countries. The US-Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has served as a model for other trade agreements including the October 2000 FTA between the US and Jordan.
For many years Israel received US financial and military assistance in a combined total of about $3 billion, divided into $1.2 billion in economic assistance and $1.8 billion in military aid. As the Israeli economy grew, and Soviet-era refugees were absorbed, the need for the aid package decreased. In recent years the economic aid has been reduced, while the military package has grown a little since the start of the al-Aqsa intifada.
Take Action:
- Demonstrations Across the Country
- Send a letter to the State Department and Congress
Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, December 30
4:30 pm
State Department: 22nd St & C St NW
Contact: 202-544-3389 x14, dc@answercoalition.org
San Francisco
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Israeli Consulate:456 Montgomery St.
Contact: 415-821-6545, answer@answersf.org
Los Angeles
Tuesday, December 30
4:30 pm
Israeli Consulate: 6380 Wilshire Blvd.
Contact: 213-251-1025, answerla@answerla.org
* * * * *
In Anaheim, CA (Orange County):
Sunday, December 28
2:00 pm
512 S. Brookhurst St. (between Orange Ave. & Broadway)
Initiated by a coalition with a large number of groups
New York City
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Israeli Consulate: 800 2nd Ave (b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts)
Contact: 212-694-8720, nyc@answercoalition.org
* * * * *
Sunday, December 28
2:00-4:00 pm
Gather at Rockefeller Center
March to the Israeli Consulate: 800 2nd Ave (b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts)
Initiated by Al-Awda New York
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Tuesday, December 30
5:00 pm
Federal Building: 299 E. Broward Blvd.
Contact: 954-707-0155, FtLauderdale@answerfl.org
Chicago
Details to be announced
Contact: 773-463-0311, answer@chicagoanswer.net
Boston
Details to be announced
Contact: 857-334-5084, boston@answercoalition.org
Seattle
Saturday, January 3
12:00 noon - 2:00 pm
Westlake Park: 4th and Pine
Initiated by Voices of Palestine
Contact: general@voicesofpalestine.org
Toronto
Sunday, December 28
2:00 pm
Israeli Embassy Consulate: 180 Bloor St. West
Initiated by a number of local organizations
United Native Americans Inc.
2434 Faria Ave
Pinole, California 94564
(510)758-8160 or (510)672-7187
Since 1968.
Join us
at
http://www.myspace.com/unitednativeamericansinc
Click Here For Our Online Store
http://www.cafepress.com/UnitedNatives
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Lipan Apache Letter to Obama: Stop Border Wall
Professor Robert Anderson
Co-Chair, Interior Department Transition Team
Director University of Washington School of Law
Native American Law Center
Cc: Keith Harper
Team Lead, Interior Department Transition Team
Kilpatrick Stockton LLP
Suite 900
607 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005-2018
Dagotee' Robert Anderson,
At this time, on behalf of my mother, Dr. Eloisa Garcia Tamez, Indigenous peoples, and impacted land owners of El Calaboz Rancheria, and in coordination with our allied communities throughout the hemisphere, we are handing to you an important document which articulates the prayers, vision and requests from traditional elders, women, families, veterans, and workers of the Texas-Mexico bordered lands.
Since I last spoke to you, an enormous effort has gone into the preparation of this document, encompassing the voices of a vast binational, international network of grass-roots communities, legal advisors, NGO's, non-profit organizations, and key Indigenous leaders along the U.S.-Mexico bordered lands
We are entrusting you with this historical document in the hopes that you will safekeep and deliver our message to the Interior Department Transition Team and to President-Elect Obama.
Attached is our letter addressed to to the President-Elect, care of yourself, and copied to Keith Harper.
Ahe'ye'e,
Margo Tamez
Co-Founder
Lipan Apache Women Defense
(509)-595-9666
Copy of letter to President-elect Obama with signatures, letter of support and media advisory for Tuesday's telephone conference:
http://lipanapachecommunitydefense.blogspot.com/
Double click on each page of letter below to enlarge
Co-Chair, Interior Department Transition Team
Director University of Washington School of Law
Native American Law Center
Cc: Keith Harper
Team Lead, Interior Department Transition Team
Kilpatrick Stockton LLP
Suite 900
607 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005-2018
Dagotee' Robert Anderson,
At this time, on behalf of my mother, Dr. Eloisa Garcia Tamez, Indigenous peoples, and impacted land owners of El Calaboz Rancheria, and in coordination with our allied communities throughout the hemisphere, we are handing to you an important document which articulates the prayers, vision and requests from traditional elders, women, families, veterans, and workers of the Texas-Mexico bordered lands.
Since I last spoke to you, an enormous effort has gone into the preparation of this document, encompassing the voices of a vast binational, international network of grass-roots communities, legal advisors, NGO's, non-profit organizations, and key Indigenous leaders along the U.S.-Mexico bordered lands
We are entrusting you with this historical document in the hopes that you will safekeep and deliver our message to the Interior Department Transition Team and to President-Elect Obama.
Attached is our letter addressed to to the President-Elect, care of yourself, and copied to Keith Harper.
Ahe'ye'e,
Margo Tamez
Co-Founder
Lipan Apache Women Defense
(509)-595-9666
Copy of letter to President-elect Obama with signatures, letter of support and media advisory for Tuesday's telephone conference:
http://lipanapachecommunitydefense.blogspot.com/
Double click on each page of letter below to enlarge
Please e-mail for a pdf file copy:
brendanorrell@gmail.com
LINK Collaboration Brings Hope on Pine Ridge
Collaboration Brings Hope, “as funding allows”
Link Center Foundation and NAMA Join Efforts
by Stephanie M. Schwartz
President, Link Center Foundation www.LinkCenterFoundation.org
Freelance Writer www.SilvrDrach.homestead.com
Member, Native American Journalists Association (NAJA)
November 29, 2008
Collaboration Brings Hope, “as funding allows”
In mid-November, 2008, Link Center Foundation’s long-standing Emergency Heating/Utility Assistance Program for the elders, disabled, and seriously ill residents of the Lakota (Sioux) Reservations in South Dakota began a collaborative effort with NAMA, the Native American Music Association (which produces the Native American Music Awards known as Nammys) to better serve the elders and disabled on the Lakota Reservations with their emergency heating needs.
In a winter which has already produced a blizzard of mammoth proportions, there is an urgent and ever-greater need to act now to find funding for this winter-long assistance program. With unemployment reaching up to 85%, a 33% increase in fuel costs, and average monthly incomes roughly $350 or less, the elderly and disabled are the most at-risk population.
To make matters even more serious, according to the last census, nearly 60% of all elders are raising grandchildren or great-grandchildren in their home.
However, the key phrase, “as funding allows,” influences everything (including hope). Unfortunately, the national economy has been on a downward spiral and donations to non-profits reflect that condition. Giving to worthy causes has diminished everywhere. Nonetheless, the critical life-threatening needs still exist on the reservations.
This collaboration of Link Center Foundation and NAMA seeks to better provide a little hope and emergency assistance with the help of contributions from the public. No amount is too small.
Link Center Foundation
is a small, grassroots all-volunteer 501c3 non-profit organization in Colorado. It has been working to help on the Lakota reservations of South Dakota since 2000. Its formal Emergency Heating/Utility Assistance program has been active since 2005. It seeks to serve all 9 Lakota (Sioux) Reservations in South Dakota as funding allows. 95% of all donations to the Emergency Heating/Utility program are used solely for that program (propane, electricity, and/or wood) and the remaining 5% covers bank and credit/debit card processing fees and other necessary operating costs.
NAMA, the Native American Music Association,
is also a 501c3 non-profit organization and is located in New York City. Responding initially to the mammoth blizzard and crisis conditions in early November 2008, NAMA wishes to continue to help provide emergency winter heating assistance to the elders and disabled on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Lakota (Sioux) Reservations for the winter of 2008-2009. Collaborating with Link Center Foundation’s emergency heating program serves that purpose. NAMA’s response has also initiated and coordinated numerous clothing drives to benefit both those reservations.
According to NAMA President, Ellen Bello, the inspiration for their entire organization was given by the youth on the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Reservations over 12 years ago. Therefore, through these programs, NAMA endeavors to come full circle and assist those who are most in need on those two reservations this winter.
As a point of information, Federal LHEAP and Tribal Assistance Programs each offer low-income families approximately $300 in fuel credit per year. With the current rate of propane at $2.20 per gallon, this provides only 136 gallons – about enough fuel for 2 to 4 weeks (depending on the weather).
Additionally, propane companies have raised their required minimum amounts of propane to be purchased before delivery to a home. Currently, the minimums for delivery are $125 to $355, depending on the company. This makes families struggle even harder to accumulate enough funds at one time to ensure a delivery.
To assist these elders, disabled, or seriously ill Lakota, donations may be made to either Link Center Foundation or NAMA through their respective websites (by secure credit card or bank debit card transactions) or by mail to either organization. Donations should to be marked “heating assistance program” in the memo section of any check.
Donations may also be made through Network for Good which is powered by GuideStar, the leading source of reputable information on United States Non-Profits. Simply visit their website, www.NetworkForGood.org and type Link Center Foundation or Native American Music Association under “charity name.”
Applications for the elders and disabled are available at the Link Center Foundation website and the NAMA website as well as at local centers on the reservations like the district CAP (Community Action Program) Offices on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Applications are also available through Native Village Publications at their website
Link Center Foundation screens and processes all emergency assistance applications sent to both organizations. Then, Link Center Foundation and NAMA decide which applications shall be funded by their respective organizations. Each organization maintains and administers its own funds. All payments are made directly to the fuel vendors.
At the current time, approximately $150 worth of fuel is being allotted per qualified application, as funding allows. For propane users, this provides approximately 7-10 days of heat, depending on weather conditions.
Please join Link Center Foundation and NAMA in reaching out to those who need our help. Your contributions will provide a little extra hope and warmth for the elders, the ill, and disabled on the Lakota reservations. Help us work within the circle to make this a better world for all.
Link Center Foundation
Att: Emergency Heating/Utility Assistance Program
P.O. Box 576 – Firestone, CO 80520-0576
Phone and FAX: 303-833-6520 Toll Free Phone: 888-220-1653
Website: www.LinkCenterFoundation.org
Email: admin@LinkCenterFoundation.org
Native American Music Association, Inc
Att: Winter Aid Relief
511 Avenue of the Americas #371 - New York NY 10011
Phone: 212-228-8300 FAX: 646-688-6883
Website: www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com
(click on “Special Programs”)
Email: NAMMYS@aol.com
Stephanie M. Schwartz may be reached at SilvrDrach@aol.com
-Stephanie M. Schwartz
Freelance Writer and Editor www.SilvrDrach.homestead.com
Member, Native American Journalists Association (NAJA)
President, Link Center Foundation www.linkcenterfoundation.org
Link Center Foundation and NAMA Join Efforts
by Stephanie M. Schwartz
President, Link Center Foundation www.LinkCenterFoundation.org
Freelance Writer www.SilvrDrach.homestead.com
Member, Native American Journalists Association (NAJA)
November 29, 2008
Collaboration Brings Hope, “as funding allows”
In mid-November, 2008, Link Center Foundation’s long-standing Emergency Heating/Utility Assistance Program for the elders, disabled, and seriously ill residents of the Lakota (Sioux) Reservations in South Dakota began a collaborative effort with NAMA, the Native American Music Association (which produces the Native American Music Awards known as Nammys) to better serve the elders and disabled on the Lakota Reservations with their emergency heating needs.
In a winter which has already produced a blizzard of mammoth proportions, there is an urgent and ever-greater need to act now to find funding for this winter-long assistance program. With unemployment reaching up to 85%, a 33% increase in fuel costs, and average monthly incomes roughly $350 or less, the elderly and disabled are the most at-risk population.
To make matters even more serious, according to the last census, nearly 60% of all elders are raising grandchildren or great-grandchildren in their home.
However, the key phrase, “as funding allows,” influences everything (including hope). Unfortunately, the national economy has been on a downward spiral and donations to non-profits reflect that condition. Giving to worthy causes has diminished everywhere. Nonetheless, the critical life-threatening needs still exist on the reservations.
This collaboration of Link Center Foundation and NAMA seeks to better provide a little hope and emergency assistance with the help of contributions from the public. No amount is too small.
Link Center Foundation
is a small, grassroots all-volunteer 501c3 non-profit organization in Colorado. It has been working to help on the Lakota reservations of South Dakota since 2000. Its formal Emergency Heating/Utility Assistance program has been active since 2005. It seeks to serve all 9 Lakota (Sioux) Reservations in South Dakota as funding allows. 95% of all donations to the Emergency Heating/Utility program are used solely for that program (propane, electricity, and/or wood) and the remaining 5% covers bank and credit/debit card processing fees and other necessary operating costs.
NAMA, the Native American Music Association,
is also a 501c3 non-profit organization and is located in New York City. Responding initially to the mammoth blizzard and crisis conditions in early November 2008, NAMA wishes to continue to help provide emergency winter heating assistance to the elders and disabled on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Lakota (Sioux) Reservations for the winter of 2008-2009. Collaborating with Link Center Foundation’s emergency heating program serves that purpose. NAMA’s response has also initiated and coordinated numerous clothing drives to benefit both those reservations.
According to NAMA President, Ellen Bello, the inspiration for their entire organization was given by the youth on the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Reservations over 12 years ago. Therefore, through these programs, NAMA endeavors to come full circle and assist those who are most in need on those two reservations this winter.
As a point of information, Federal LHEAP and Tribal Assistance Programs each offer low-income families approximately $300 in fuel credit per year. With the current rate of propane at $2.20 per gallon, this provides only 136 gallons – about enough fuel for 2 to 4 weeks (depending on the weather).
Additionally, propane companies have raised their required minimum amounts of propane to be purchased before delivery to a home. Currently, the minimums for delivery are $125 to $355, depending on the company. This makes families struggle even harder to accumulate enough funds at one time to ensure a delivery.
To assist these elders, disabled, or seriously ill Lakota, donations may be made to either Link Center Foundation or NAMA through their respective websites (by secure credit card or bank debit card transactions) or by mail to either organization. Donations should to be marked “heating assistance program” in the memo section of any check.
Donations may also be made through Network for Good which is powered by GuideStar, the leading source of reputable information on United States Non-Profits. Simply visit their website, www.NetworkForGood.org and type Link Center Foundation or Native American Music Association under “charity name.”
Applications for the elders and disabled are available at the Link Center Foundation website and the NAMA website as well as at local centers on the reservations like the district CAP (Community Action Program) Offices on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Applications are also available through Native Village Publications at their website
Link Center Foundation screens and processes all emergency assistance applications sent to both organizations. Then, Link Center Foundation and NAMA decide which applications shall be funded by their respective organizations. Each organization maintains and administers its own funds. All payments are made directly to the fuel vendors.
At the current time, approximately $150 worth of fuel is being allotted per qualified application, as funding allows. For propane users, this provides approximately 7-10 days of heat, depending on weather conditions.
Please join Link Center Foundation and NAMA in reaching out to those who need our help. Your contributions will provide a little extra hope and warmth for the elders, the ill, and disabled on the Lakota reservations. Help us work within the circle to make this a better world for all.
Link Center Foundation
Att: Emergency Heating/Utility Assistance Program
P.O. Box 576 – Firestone, CO 80520-0576
Phone and FAX: 303-833-6520 Toll Free Phone: 888-220-1653
Website: www.LinkCenterFoundation.org
Email: admin@LinkCenterFoundation.org
Native American Music Association, Inc
Att: Winter Aid Relief
511 Avenue of the Americas #371 - New York NY 10011
Phone: 212-228-8300 FAX: 646-688-6883
Website: www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com
(click on “Special Programs”)
Email: NAMMYS@aol.com
Stephanie M. Schwartz may be reached at SilvrDrach@aol.com
-Stephanie M. Schwartz
Freelance Writer and Editor www.SilvrDrach.homestead.com
Member, Native American Journalists Association (NAJA)
President, Link Center Foundation www.linkcenterfoundation.org
NAMAPAHH Radio: Pine Ridge emergency relief
LISTEN ONLINE: NAMAPAHH RADIO
Dec. 20, 2008
NAMAPAHH:
For the relief effort, the last day to donate is Jan 16th, then soon after we will load are generous love and donations and send them to Pine Ridge and Rosebud Rezs, to help them through the severe winter. We are going to be getting an update from Frieda Williams-Community Relations Coordinator for the Tulalip Tribes and we will also be hearing from Matt War Bonnet who lives at Tulalip, but grew up in Rosebud, SD.
Dec. 20, 2008
NAMAPAHH:
For the relief effort, the last day to donate is Jan 16th, then soon after we will load are generous love and donations and send them to Pine Ridge and Rosebud Rezs, to help them through the severe winter. We are going to be getting an update from Frieda Williams-Community Relations Coordinator for the Tulalip Tribes and we will also be hearing from Matt War Bonnet who lives at Tulalip, but grew up in Rosebud, SD.
BACKGROUND INFO:
North County Outlook: http://www.northcountyoutlook.
To read the latest Tulalip-related news articles, click here: http://www.tulaliptribes-nsn.
Below is an article published today in the Everett Herald.
Published: Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tulalips collect clothing for tribes
American Indians in South Dakota are suffering after a November snowstorm hit their reservations.
By Krista J. Kapralos
Herald Writer
TULALIP -- In South Dakota, the winter wind whips trees down over roads. When the snow comes, it socks in entire communities.
Those who live there are hardy people. American Indians on reservations there no doubt have stories about long winters, and traditional ways of coping with the cold.
This year, it was different. A severe snowstorm in November dumped 45 inches in areas of the state. The worst of it fell on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Sioux reservations, where tribal members, left without heat and power for days, resorted to burning their furniture to keep warm.
"Even those that could have left for somewhere else didn't want to leave their homes because they were afraid there would be looting," said Frieda Williams, a Tulalip tribal member.
Those stories crept into Williams' heart, and the hearts of Robin Carneen, who works at the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club, and Linda Tolbert, a member of the Tulalip Lions Club, and others on the Tulalip Tribes reservation.
Something had to be done, they decided. Surely the people of Snohomish County will do what they can to help the people of the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations, they thought. Surely if word got out, donations would come pouring in, and the Indians in South Dakota could have new furniture, blankets and clothes.
And so it began. Much has already been given. A Goodwill store in Seattle has donated 700 pounds of blankets, Williams said. The volunteer team of Tulalip tribal members and other local residents believe that people want to be generous, so they're not shy about asking.
"At Rosebud they only have electric heat, so we're even asking people if they can donate wood stoves," Carneen said.
There's one other thing the volunteers need: a truck, and perhaps even a driver.
"We're sort of putting the cart before the horse by collecting all this, because we're still looking for a truck to be donated so we can drive it all out there," Williams said.
Williams and the others hope to collect enough blankets, clothes, furniture, nonperishable food and other items to fill a large truck trailer by Jan. 16. By then, they hope someone will have offered up a truck in which to put it.
It's not the first time Tulalip tribal members have reached out to South Dakota's Indians. Williams organized a clothing drive for the Pine Ridge reservation in 2004.
The reservation has an 87 percent poverty rate, Williams said. About 40,000 people live there. There's a great need now, after November's storm, but the reservation is so poor that people there are in crisis all the time.
"There are children there who never have enough to eat," she said.
Williams hopes to make the clothing and food drive an annual event. She said she's spoken to leaders of the Oglala Sioux and Rosebud Sioux tribes who are happy that someone has noticed their struggle.
Almost anything is accepted for the charity drive, but there is one condition, Carneen said.
"Clothing and every other item should be new or practically new," she said.
Some of the items that have been donated were tossed out, she said, because they were so old and ratty that it would have been insulting to pass it along to people in South Dakota.
"This is extreme poverty, where people are living in third-world conditions," Carneen said. "But they have pride."
Reporter Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422 or kkapralos@heraldnet.com.
How to help the South Dakota tribes
Donations of clean, new clothing, nonperishable food items, furniture, blankets and other household items are being accepted as part of a grassroots effort to help American Indians who live on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Sioux reservations in South Dakota, where a powerful November snowstorm knocked out power for days and Indians were forced to burn their furniture to keep warm.
The donations are scheduled for delivery to South Dakota on Jan. 16, and donations will be accepted until then.
Donations will be accepted at the Tulalip Tribes TERO office at 6103 31st Ave. NE in Tulalip. For more information, call 360-716-4000 and ask for Frieda Williams.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
We are VERY excited & grateful for The American Truckers Associations, who have offered to donate a truck & driver(AMAZING)…we are waiting & praying here in the NW for the snows to subside so we can get our donations into the hands of tribal members on Rosebud & Pine Ridge Reservations.
American Truckers Associations:
"The Voice of the Industry that Moves America's Freight"
http://www.truckline.com/
"The trucking industry has an impressive record on safety, working to educate the motoring public with safety outreach programs, promote driving skills through national competitions and awards, and raise safety awareness through joint programs with the U.S. Department of Transportation.
We are also working to enhance the image of the trucking industry, using ambassadors with millions of accident-free miles and decades of service to reach out to the public and their colleagues to show how integral trucking is to the life of every American. Through a public image campaign, the trucking industry conveys the fact that we deliver life's essentials safely, securely, and on time."
Robert Eagle Elk -. Ogalala Sioux Tribe- District Coordinator will be calling in from Pine Ridge to give us an update on their weather. According to Eagle Elk, temperature wise" they have dropped below freezing and for this Region Winter came too early." He will also tell us a little about his people and how we can help them through this severe winter weather.
Nov 5th Blizzard in SD: AP footage of Blizzard in South Dakota: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Ellen Bello of the NAMA association will be giving us an update about her organization and how she and the membership have helped to raise funds for heating homes in SD rez's is going as well as a Toy drive for Rosebud Rez.! We need & want to fill up this SEMI-TRUCK....so tune in, for our talking Circle of Hope-Circle of Giving+ awesome music to warm your hearts & souls as we send our prayers to South Dakota!
ROSEBUD TOY DRIVE & WINTER EMERGENCY RELIEF UPDATES
TOY DRIVE:
At Present, the Native American Music Association is sending 1440 small toy items to the President of Sicangu Oyate (Rosebud Sioux Tribe) for his Christmas Toy Drive for the 7500 children ages 1 thru 18 on their reservation. This now brings the current tally of toys raised to 4600 and leaves approximately 2900 toys needed. (just 290 people sending 10 items each would do it!)
Keep Spreading the word. NO GIFT TOO SMALL FOR THE CHILDREN.
Send Toys To:
Rosebud Sioux Tribe
PO Box 430 (For UPS: 11 Legion Drive)
Rosebud, SD 57570
WINTER RELIEF EFFORTS:
Temperatures in South Dakota reached a below 35 degree wind-chill. Some areas reported below 60 degrees. NAMA's Emergency Winter Relief Efforts remain underway on the Pine Ridge Reservation, particularly for the elders & disabled and small children. This week NAMA purchased emergency heat/electric for four households, one of which a grandmother taking care of five children almost died in the sub zero weather.
At present, 156 households are in need of emergency heat and have no access to funds.
Severe weather conditions are being predicted ahead. Donations are needed.
SEND FINANCIAL DONATIONS TO:
Native American Music Association
511 Avenue of the Americas
#371
New York NY 10011
212.228.8300 tel
646.688.6883 fax
www.nativeamericanmusicawards.
WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE..THANK YOU
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Past guests & other non- profits involved: Visit One Spirit at www.nativeprogress.org
Other news, views, and music sources:
Censored Blog Radio
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/
Brenda Norrell, Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.
Censored Blog Talk Radio
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/
Earthcycles Longest Walk Radio:
RED TOWN RADIO:
http://www.Blogtalkradio.com/
Native Voice One: www.nv1.org
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
(They were guests on past last blogtalk radio show…Karla & Michael!)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE . . . November 28, 2008 (Hot Springs, South Dakota)
PK Productions, LLC (Hot Springs) in association with musicseenPROductions presents
The Skylar Wolf Children and Family Christmas Benefit Concert and Coat Drive on December 26th, 2008 at 3 p.m. at the Little Wound School Auditorium in Kyle (Pine Ridge Reservation) South Dakota.
The Skylar Wolf Children and Family Christmas Benefit Concert will feature Special Guest Artists; Skylar Wolf (Navajo Blues/Harmonica Player), Michael Bucher (Cherokee Acoustic Singer/Songwriter), Wind Spirit Drum featuring Windwalker (Mic-Mac/Cherokee/Lenape Traditional Drum Group), J. D. Nash (Southern Cheyenne Country/Blues/Rock), Lady Hope of Native Era (Lakota Inspirational/Hip Hop/Rap) and the White Lance Singers (Lakota Traditional Drum Group).
The concert will be performed as a free event for the community and will be video taped live in front of the audience.
The performance schedule begins at 12 noon with the White Lance Singers of Kyle, South Dakota and all drums are welcome. An opening prayer will precede the benefit concert which begins at 3 p.m. in the Little Wound Elementary School Auditorium.
Coat donations are gladly accepted and can be sent to:
The Skylar Wolf Children and Family Christmas Benefit Concert & Coat Drive
c/o Wolakota Office, 101 Main Street, Kyle, South Dakota 57752
Attn: Edwina Brown Bull or Wendy McNaughton Apple
Office open until Wednesday, December 17th, 2008
Public Relations and Contact Info:
Skylar Wolf Children and Family Christmas Benefit Concert & Coat Drive
Karla LaRive | STUDIO WEST MANAGEMENT
Subsidiary of PK Productions, LLC
P.O. Box 752 Hot Springs,
South Dakota, USA 57747
605-890-3819 mobile
karla@studiowestmanagement.com
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Other Press Releases:
PLEASE Distribute widely!
Press Release
by: Tamra Brennan
NDN News
December 14, 2008
Life threatening temperatures of -60 degrees slam South Dakota. Heating crisis a major issue on the Rez!
URGENT HELP NEEDED!
South Dakota has been hit with yet another blizzard last night. This severe storm has brought low temperatures of -35 degrees with the wind chill factor. Tonight's low is expected to be -60 degrees in many areas of Western South Dakota. These temperatures are expected to last through Tuesday evening, with more snow expected over the next few days. The rest of this week, evening temperatures will be around zero, or just above.
Many of you are aware of the blizzard that slammed Western South Dakota on November 5th. Over two thousand power poles were broken, leaving hundreds of people on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations without power and heat for up to two weeks. That blizzard left snow drifts of up to twenty feet in some areas, leaving roads impassable for days. See our press release Eleven Days Later, Disaster finally coming to a close for Pine Ridge Reservation and all of the posts and updates regarding the blizzard on our blog post entitled "Blizzard slams South Dakota Rez's" http://news.ndnnews.com
Since that last blizzard, hundreds of people were left low or without propane. Now another storm blasts through, this time with even worse life-threatening temperatures. The National Weather Service states that a person could suffer from frostbite within ten minutes or less in these temperatures. At -60*F, it takes only one minute for exposed skin to become frostbitten. There are many people on the reservations that do not have adequate heating and are suffering horribly in these brutal temperatures.
Link Center Foundation (LCF), a non profit 501C3 organization, is desperately seeking funding for emergency heating assistance for the elders, the disabled, and/or the seriously ill on the Reservations. Also, there are often children found in the homes of elders. According to statistics, nearly 60% of the elders are raising their grandchildren or great-grandchildren.
Since the blizzard in November, Link Center Foundation has received a enormous amount of requests for heating assistance. LCF has successfully funded 132 families in need so far this year. However, as of today, they still have 130 approved applications still pending on a waiting list and more applications are arriving every day. Tragically, LCF has run out of funds even though winter has only just begun. Some assistance has come in from other organizations such as NAMA (the Native American Music Association). However, with the enormous number of requests pouring in, even that hasn't been able to cover the needs. Funding is the major challenge.
The first day of Winter has not officially arrived yet; it is still ten days away and we have already been faced with two blizzards and brutally extreme temperatures. South Dakota can receive snow up until May. The first snow this year was the beginning of October. Eight months of cold and snow is going to make for a horrific and very long winter this year.
How many people can withstand -60*F temperatures in sub-standard housing with inadequate or little heating? Well, this is what many elders, disabled, and folks with small children are being faced with this year.
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is located within three counties. Shannon County is one of the poorest counties in the country. Pine Ridge is the second largest Reservation in the United States, roughly the size of the State of Connecticut. The unemployment rate is approximately 80-85% and the median income is about $3,500.00 a year. To make matters worse, heating costs have risen approximately 33% this year.
Nearly 60% of the homes on Pine Ridge are significantly sub-standard. Many are over-crowded and without proper heating, insulation, running water, sewer, or electricity.
How can you help?
Please consider making a contribution (tax deductible), to Link Center Foundation for heating assistance for the elders, the disabled, and the seriously ill. No amount is too small (or large!). If you can send $10 or $20 dollars, every dollar can help make a difference.
The Holidays are upon us, many of you will be out shopping for your loved ones soon. Here is a creative idea to help: Instead of buying yet another toaster, sweater or video game for your family members, how about making a donation to LCF on behalf of your loved ones! You can give them a card, saying that they helped provide heat to a family in need on the Reservations in South Dakota.
It's a great way to help, and you are able to provide a life-saving gift to the people. I am sure your loved one would be thrilled that they were able to help someone in this way. You can also take it one step further and make a family decision for everyone to take their gift money and make a donation on behalf of your entire family!
Please visit LCF's website for additional information at www.linkcenterfoundation.org
or email admin@linkcenterfoundation.org
You can easily and securely make your donation on your credit card or bank debit card right on the Link Center Foundation website!
Or you can mail donations to the following address at:
Link Center Foundation
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 576 – Firestone, CO 80520-0576
Shipping Address: 117 Jackson Drive – Firestone, CO 80520
Local Phone: 303-833-6520
Toll-Free Phone: 888-220-1653
Thank you all for your continued help and assistance with this winter crisis on the rez.
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Related News:
Ride to honor American Indians killed in 1890
By CARSON WALKER – 8 hours ago
WOUNDED KNEE, S.D. (AP) — Kim Cameron is about to set off on a nearly 300-mile journey into the past.
She and other American Indian horseback riders plan to begin the annual Big Foot Memorial Ride on Monday at Sitting Bull's grave site. They hope to finish at Wounded Knee battle site in two weeks.
The trek has been made the past 23 years to honor the more than 250 men, women and children shot here Dec. 29, 1890, by the U.S. 7th Cavalry in the Wounded Knee massacre.
Cameron, who has done the ride before, said it has taught her patience, respect and discipline. She also has learned about horses, her Lakota culture and how to work with other people on the ride, which the young people call the Future Generations Ride.
"It means a lot. It means more for our people. It means our culture should be coming back steadily," she said.
About eight out of 10 of the riders are young people who want to experience the ride for themselves and learn more about their traditions, said Ron His Horse Is Thunder, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe chairman and a descendant of Sitting Bull.
"This has become a ride for them. A way of renewing, if you will, cultural values," he said. "It's become a rite of passage for those young kids to be able to say, 'I've done that and in doing so have practiced my culture and have learned the values.'"
Donaven Yellow, of Wakpala, said he was 11 on his first ride. He said he has gotten more involved with and learned more about his culture every year.
"It helps keep my mind focused on what's right and wrong," Yellow said.
The memorial ride began in 1986 when a handful of Lakota riders decided to follow the December 1890 trip across South Dakota taken by Chief Big Foot and his followers.
That year, Sitting Bull, living on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, was killed when resisting arrest by reservation police.
After he was killed, Big Foot's band fled Standing Rock and had hoped to spend the winter in safety with the Oglala in the Badlands.
They were intercepted and killed by the 7th Cavalry outside Wounded Knee, which sits at the juncture of three creeks on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwestern South Dakota.
The modern-day riders feel some of cold the original riders felt, even though they have insulated caps, coats and warm food and shelter awaiting them at the end of each day.
"Riding for my ancestors is a really big thing for me," Cameron, of Wakpala, said of the challenge.
On the Net:
http://www.google.com:80/
In peace & solidarity,
Tamra
PROTECT BEAR BUTTE! "Providing news and information about Native American Issues & Causes"
"Helping to make a difference for our people in Indian Country, one day at a time. What will you do today to help make a difference?" "Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what's left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?"
......excerpt from One Nation, One Land, One People by Tamra Brennan, 2006
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Update on Riders:
RE: Pine Ridge Res - Big Foot Ride - Mankota - Skylar Wolf
----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Philip David Ochs
Date: Dec 20, 2008 7:30 AM
~
There was another severe snap of cold and blizzard a week ago.
There have been two additional blows this week with added snow.
Dead of winter a day early w/ blowing snow - limited visibility.
I do not advise travel - very cold out there - check reports and links.
Addresses on the ground or area activists + services will be up.
Thoughts and attention need to go to our brethren to be sustained.
This wintry wind will remain beyond 24 - 48 hours of severity.
These conditions apply across the northern plains - be cautioned.
Three major snowfalls travelling over north america - please take heed.
We are waiting to hear of the 2 memorial Wounded Knee rides.
Skylar Wolf is a Dec 26 concert. Details gathered will be posted.
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http://www.jackietice.com/
Jackie Tice
"Jackie Tice is a songwriter, artist, educator, Peace worker and mother of two teenagers. Born of mixed Indigenous Cherokee and old European ancestry, she fuses her diverse roots, exploring with universal images, the delicate and essential relationship of nature and human nature. Her original award-winning songs and deeply moving Native Flute compositions have been critically praised and honored."
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Vi Hilbert has gone on.....my heart goes out to her family!
(Note from Robin- we also lost a Samish Elder, Mary Hansen, I got this news as well this last week.....we will miss them dearly! Vi brought back our Lushootseed Language, while Mary fought alongside her son Ken & others for Federal Recognition which they won back! We will never forget these Elders- Ken preceded his Mother's passing)
Upper Skagit Tribe elder dies
http://www.goskagit.com/home/
Upper Skagit Tribe elder dies
Email | Print Tahlia Ganser | Skagit Valley Herald
December 19, 2008 - 07:23 PM
LA CONNER — A nationally known Upper Skagit Tribe elder died Friday morning, leaving behind the legacy of her preserved language and culture.
Vi Hilbert, who died at age 90 of natural causes, dedicated much of her life documenting and translating the Lushootseed culture and language. Lushootseed is the language of the Northwest tribes, which Hilbert called "the first people of this land."
"My mother believed there was nothing she couldn't do," said her only daughter, Lois Schluter, 70, of Bow. "She had incredible energy."
Born in Skagit County, Hilbert was one of eight children — the only to survive past the age of 3. As a child, she was sent to boarding school, where she was punished for speaking her native language, Lushootseed, which she later dedicated herself to saving.
At 5-foot-2, she plowed through life with dedication and ambition, working in everything from hair salons to restaurants and teaching at the university level, her daughter said.
In 1967, she met linguist Thom Hess, sparking a partnership bound by the passion of the Lushootseed language. The two delved into the regional language and culture, writing a number of books together, including a dictionary. She also translated a collection of traditional Lushootseed stories.
"She was an outgoing, regal, adventurous woman who was really on a mission to preserve the culture of our people," said her 48-year-old grandson, Jay Samson, who lives on the Nooksack Reservation near Everson.
Hilbert eventually taught language courses at the University of Washington.
Hilbert died peacefully knowing that her ancestors and relatives "would greet her on the other side ... and be really delighted to see her," Samson said. "It was sad, but it was also part of the natural flow of life."
There will be a wake for Hilbert at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26, and a funeral service at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 27, both at the Upper Skagit gym.
• Tahlia Ganser can be reached at 360-416-2148 or at tganser@skagitpublishing.com.
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Our Beloved Taqseblu Vi Hilbert passed at 7:00 this morning at sunrise 12/19. Her passage was peaceful, and her family was gathered around her.
The wake will be held next Friday, Dec. 26th, and the funeral on Saturday, the 27th. Both will be at Upper Skagit. More information will be forthcoming in the next couple days.
Please keep the family in your prayers.
http://www.
Respectfully,
Raven E. Heavy Runner
"Our life is the sum of all your choices." Albert Camus
In honor of the Indigenous land wherein I currently reside, I wholeheartedly wish to promote the sovereignty of the Duwamish Nation. Please visit: www.duwamishtribe.org
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Revised:
Please tune in from 11am-1PM PST for a two hour program of news, views, & music from in & around Indian Country….
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/
UPCOMING SHOW: 12/21/2008 11:00 AM-1PM PST
It is getting COLDER in South Dakota & in Segment 4, we have another update!
Date / Time: 12/21/2008 11:00 AM-1PM PST
Category: Goals
Call-in Number: (718) 508-9165
11am-noon: Tulalip Tribes, Tulalip Boys & Girls Club, Tulalip Tero and now the American Trucker's Associations have teamed up and made the Circle of Hope- Circle of Giving even bigger. The ATA will provide a truck and driver , the Tulalip efforts will fill it. Thanks to everyone who has made donations so far! They are coming in from far & wide! The last day to donate is Jan 16th, then soon after we will load are generous love and donations and send them to Pine Ridge and Rosebud Rezs, to help them through the severe winter. We are going to be getting an update from Frieda Williams-Community Relations Coordinator for the Tulalip Tribes and we will also be hearing from Matt War Bonnet who lives at Tulalip, but grew up in Rosebud, SD.
Noon-1PM: During the second hour of NAMAPAHH we will be hearing from singer, songwriter, Jackie Tice & share tracks from her latest release: Morning Sky Drum Song.
We will also pay tribute to two of our beloved Elders Vi Hilbert & Mary Hansen that come as hard blows for our NW Salish Tribes. They left us during the same week, this past week. Traveling in the same canoe on their last journey to the Creator's loving arms. I have heard there has been some other losses as well, so this show will be dedicated to those who are grieving and remembering our dear ones.
BACKGROUND INFO:
North County Outlook: http://www.northcountyoutlook.
To read the latest Tulalip-related news articles, click here: http://www.tulaliptribes-nsn.
Below is an article published today in the Everett Herald.
Published: Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tulalips collect clothing for tribes
American Indians in South Dakota are suffering after a November snowstorm hit their reservations.
By Krista J. Kapralos
Herald Writer
TULALIP -- In South Dakota, the winter wind whips trees down over roads. When the snow comes, it socks in entire communities.
Those who live there are hardy people. American Indians on reservations there no doubt have stories about long winters, and traditional ways of coping with the cold.
This year, it was different. A severe snowstorm in November dumped 45 inches in areas of the state. The worst of it fell on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Sioux reservations, where tribal members, left without heat and power for days, resorted to burning their furniture to keep warm.
"Even those that could have left for somewhere else didn't want to leave their homes because they were afraid there would be looting," said Frieda Williams, a Tulalip tribal member.
Those stories crept into Williams' heart, and the hearts of Robin Carneen, who works at the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club, and Linda Tolbert, a member of the Tulalip Lions Club, and others on the Tulalip Tribes reservation.
Something had to be done, they decided. Surely the people of Snohomish County will do what they can to help the people of the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations, they thought. Surely if word got out, donations would come pouring in, and the Indians in South Dakota could have new furniture, blankets and clothes.
And so it began. Much has already been given. A Goodwill store in Seattle has donated 700 pounds of blankets, Williams said. The volunteer team of Tulalip tribal members and other local residents believe that people want to be generous, so they're not shy about asking.
"At Rosebud they only have electric heat, so we're even asking people if they can donate wood stoves," Carneen said.
There's one other thing the volunteers need: a truck, and perhaps even a driver.
"We're sort of putting the cart before the horse by collecting all this, because we're still looking for a truck to be donated so we can drive it all out there," Williams said.
Williams and the others hope to collect enough blankets, clothes, furniture, nonperishable food and other items to fill a large truck trailer by Jan. 16. By then, they hope someone will have offered up a truck in which to put it.
It's not the first time Tulalip tribal members have reached out to South Dakota's Indians. Williams organized a clothing drive for the Pine Ridge reservation in 2004.
The reservation has an 87 percent poverty rate, Williams said. About 40,000 people live there. There's a great need now, after November's storm, but the reservation is so poor that people there are in crisis all the time.
"There are children there who never have enough to eat," she said.
Williams hopes to make the clothing and food drive an annual event. She said she's spoken to leaders of the Oglala Sioux and Rosebud Sioux tribes who are happy that someone has noticed their struggle.
Almost anything is accepted for the charity drive, but there is one condition, Carneen said.
"Clothing and every other item should be new or practically new," she said.
Some of the items that have been donated were tossed out, she said, because they were so old and ratty that it would have been insulting to pass it along to people in South Dakota.
"This is extreme poverty, where people are living in third-world conditions," Carneen said. "But they have pride."
Reporter Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422 or kkapralos@heraldnet.com.
How to help the South Dakota tribes
Donations of clean, new clothing, nonperishable food items, furniture, blankets and other household items are being accepted as part of a grassroots effort to help American Indians who live on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Sioux reservations in South Dakota, where a powerful November snowstorm knocked out power for days and Indians were forced to burn their furniture to keep warm.
The donations are scheduled for delivery to South Dakota on Jan. 16, and donations will be accepted until then.
Donations will be accepted at the Tulalip Tribes TERO office at 6103 31st Ave. NE in Tulalip. For more information, call 360-716-4000 and ask for Frieda Williams.
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We are VERY excited & grateful for The American Truckers Associations, who have offered to donate a truck & driver(AMAZING)…we are waiting & praying here in the NW for the snows to subside so we can get our donations into the hands of tribal members on Rosebud & Pine Ridge Reservations.
American Truckers Associations:
"The Voice of the Industry that Moves America's Freight"
http://www.truckline.com/
"The trucking industry has an impressive record on safety, working to educate the motoring public with safety outreach programs, promote driving skills through national competitions and awards, and raise safety awareness through joint programs with the U.S. Department of Transportation.
We are also working to enhance the image of the trucking industry, using ambassadors with millions of accident-free miles and decades of service to reach out to the public and their colleagues to show how integral trucking is to the life of every American. Through a public image campaign, the trucking industry conveys the fact that we deliver life's essentials safely, securely, and on time."
Robert Eagle Elk -. Ogalala Sioux Tribe- District Coordinator will be calling in from Pine Ridge to give us an update on their weather. According to Eagle Elk, temperature wise" they have dropped below freezing and for this Region Winter came too early." He will also tell us a little about his people and how we can help them through this severe winter weather.
Nov 5th Blizzard in SD: AP footage of Blizzard in South Dakota: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Ellen Bello of the NAMA association will be giving us an update about her organization and how she and the membership have helped to raise funds for heating homes in SD rez's is going as well as a Toy drive for Rosebud Rez.! We need & want to fill up this SEMI-TRUCK....so tune in, for our talking Circle of Hope-Circle of Giving+ awesome music to warm your hearts & souls as we send our prayers to South Dakota!
ROSEBUD TOY DRIVE & WINTER EMERGENCY RELIEF UPDATES
TOY DRIVE:
At Present, the Native American Music Association is sending 1440 small toy items to the President of Sicangu Oyate (Rosebud Sioux Tribe) for his Christmas Toy Drive for the 7500 children ages 1 thru 18 on their reservation. This now brings the current tally of toys raised to 4600 and leaves approximately 2900 toys needed. (just 290 people sending 10 items each would do it!)
Keep Spreading the word. NO GIFT TOO SMALL FOR THE CHILDREN.
Send Toys To:
Rosebud Sioux Tribe
PO Box 430 (For UPS: 11 Legion Drive)
Rosebud, SD 57570
WINTER RELIEF EFFORTS:
Temperatures in South Dakota reached a below 35 degree wind-chill. Some areas reported below 60 degrees. NAMA's Emergency Winter Relief Efforts remain underway on the Pine Ridge Reservation, particularly for the elders & disabled and small children. This week NAMA purchased emergency heat/electric for four households, one of which a grandmother taking care of five children almost died in the sub zero weather.
At present, 156 households are in need of emergency heat and have no access to funds.
Severe weather conditions are being predicted ahead. Donations are needed.
SEND FINANCIAL DONATIONS TO:
Native American Music Association
511 Avenue of the Americas
#371
New York NY 10011
212.228.8300 tel
646.688.6883 fax
www.nativeamericanmusicawards.
WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE..THANK YOU
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Past guests & other non- profits involved: Visit One Spirit at www.nativeprogress.org
nimchira <nimchira@cox.net> wrote
Greetings,
I am speaking to you about a small local non-profit charitable organization based in Sterling, Ks that has been in business 6 years. We provide clothing, household goods and other needs to those living in poverty conditions in the central states. We also provided for the needs of local residents who have lost their homes as a result of fires or other natural disasters. We make regular trips to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Central South Dakota, providing the same services to the Native Americans residing in sub-poverty conditions.
My name is J. Porter Selman, Founder and et al of Web of Life Enterprises, Inc. www.wole.org/
Our organization is supported solely by the donations of concerned citizens of this country, and some residing in other countries. During this time of social and economic upheaval in our country, donations have dropped extremely low, making it difficult to help others.
While many are sympathetic to the needs and misfortunes of others, it is often hard to comprehend the extent of the difficulties some people on Indian Reservations can face. With unemployment on the reservations reaching as high as 85%, and 45% of the children living below the governmental poverty standards and a life expectancy of only 45 years, it is clear to see that America is not always a place of liberty and justice for all.
While some tribes seem to be thriving with their casinos, it's important to realize that very little of that money ever reaches the people who are most in need. We are used to seeing the faces of poverty overseas, but in fact, there are many faces right here at home that can use our help.
The poverty on these reservations is so severe many can not afford heat in the winter, or warm coats and blankets. Many don't have electricity or a telephone, things we take for granted. The lack of funding has created an absence or lack of adequate prevention and intervention programs throughout Indian Country. Culturally, American Indian people believe that children are both sacred and the hope of the future.
The federal government, which promised in treaties to provide for Native Americans, spends less than half as much per tribal member as it does for programs covering other Americans.
Housing must be paid for, which goes against the stipulations in the treaties, HUD is responsible for this housing. Why do these people have to pay to live in sub-standard housing, and where is the money going? Certainly not into repairs or to provide adequate housing for the many homeless that wander about the reserve.
While it is not possible to "fix" all the problems within the Indian communities, it is possible to implement programs that help feed the elders and children, provide heat in the cold winters.
Web of Life Enterprises seeks to bring some comfort and help to those who are suffering on the reservations as well as those in immediate need. We strive to end the hardships that some people have faced, especially the children, and I am calling on you for your help and assistance in furthering our goals. Money, goods and services are all required to bring change, to providing better housing, decent food, warm clothing and blankets, and snow boots and coats for children who sometimes have to walk to the nearest schools or community centers for meals.
In a place where winter seems to begin just after it has ended, contributions of money, goods or services that are so hard to come by in these remote areas, will not only alleviate discomfort, but can also provide the means for people on these reservations to work towards bettering the future for the children.
Thank you for your attention, may the Great Spirit Bless you in all ways.
Web of Life Enterprises, Inc.
217 So. 2nd. St.
Sterling, Ks. 67579
620-278-3842
Other news, views, and music sources:
Censored Blog Radio
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/
Brenda Norrell, Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.
Censored Blog Talk Radio
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/
Earthcycles Longest Walk Radio:
RED TOWN RADIO:
http://www.Blogtalkradio.com/
Native Voice One: www.nv1.org
Albert Cata on National Radio/Native American Radio Live in Santa FE Public Radio KSFR 890.7 FM: http://www.ksfr.org/
Michael "Kickingbear" Johnson
http://www.singlefeathermedia.
"Indigenous Peoples Music" the podcast
860.501.7988
Others:
NIGHTWOLF
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