NGO Action News – 03 July 2014

This newsletter informs about recent and upcoming activities of Civil Society Organizations affiliated with the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. The Committee and the Division for Palestinian Rights of the UN Secretariat provide the information “as is” without warranty of any kind, and do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in the websites linked in the newsletter.

NGO Action News
03 July 2014

EUROPE

• Le Centre national de coopération au développement (CNCD-11.11.11.), 11.11.11 and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) are still mobilizing for their Made in Illegality campaign through an online petition.

• The European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine (ECCP) announced on 17 June 2014 that the world’s largest security company G4S will not renew security contracts with Israeli prisons and checkpoints.

• The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) is organizing a Parliamentary meeting entitled Against collective punishment on 8 July 2014 in London. IPSC is also organizing a youth journey for justice to the West Bank on 2-10 August 2014. The IPSC is also inviting its supporters to sign a petition calling on the Irish National Broadcaster to report on human rights violations in the OPT.

• Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) reported on 25 June 2014 that a serious crisis was expected to hit the Gaza Strip as many items of medicine and equipment were set to completely run out. MAP is also organizing the event Cycle for MAP to raise money to support Palestinians, on 7 September 2014.

• Namlebee is running the crowd-funding campaign Starving to death in Yarmouk to assist the Yarmouk Refugee Camp in Syria which has become a symbol of destruction for the Palestinian community.

• Palestina Solidariteit (Belgium) is proposing an international summer camp to explore Palestinian past and present, on 1-10 August 2014.

ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

• Adalah – The Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel posted on 25 June 2014 an interview with Hassan Jabareen, Adalah founder and General Director, about force-feeding and Palestinian hunger-strikers. Adalah also issued a fact sheet entitled The Hunger Strikes is Over, But Torture Continues.

• The Alternative Information Center (AIC) posted on 1 July 2014 an article entitled Army and settlers attack Palestinians.

• Al-Shabaka – The Palestinian Policy Network published on 26 June 2014 a commentary by Mouin Rabbani entitled Israel’s West Bank Operation: Causes & Consequences.

• Boycott from Within posted on 27 June 2014 a video of a protest against the NBC show DIG filmed in East Jerusalem with support and funding from the Israeli Government.

• The Israeli Committee Against House Demolition (ICAHD) rebuilding camp will take place 3-18 August 2014 near Jerusalem. ICAHD is also organizing an alternative study tour in autumn this year. For more information please click here.

• The Israel/Palestine Mission Network (IPMN) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) announced on 20 June 2014 that the plenary of the 221st General Assembly has voted 310 to 303 to divest from three US companies that profit from Israel’s military occupation of Palestinian land.

• The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) released its latest Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory covering the period 19 to 25 June 2014. PCHR also issued a statement on 29 June 2014 to warn of the serious implications of Israeli efforts to pass a law granting powers to the Israeli prison authorities to forcibly feed Palestinian detainees.

• The Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council (PHROC) issued a statement on 17 June 2014 to condemn the collective punishment of Palestinians in response to the disappearance of three Israeli settlers.

NORTH AMERICA

• A People Without A Land, a new documentary film by Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon which explores the notion of a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, will be premiered at the Manhattan Film Festival on 3 July 2014. Tickets available here.

• Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) had a conference with Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement on 24 June 2014. You can listen to the conversation here.

• The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) released a fact sheet on 27 June 2014 entitled Israel’s West Bank Crackdown.

• Mondoweiss published on 1 July 2014 a photo article entitled Israeli soldiers destroy kidnapping suspects’ family homes in retribution attack.

• The Palestine Chronicle released an article by Ramzy Baroud on 16 June 2014 entitled Missing Settlers Become Weapons in a War on Unity.

• The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation will be holding its Annual National Organizers Conference in San Diego, CA, on 19-21September 2014. Confirmed speakers include Ali Abunimah, co-founder of The Electronic Intifada and author of The Battle for Justice in Palestine, and Marjorie Cohn, former President of the National Lawyers Guild.The US Campaign also launched on 24 June 2014 an activity to support the decision of the the Presbyterian General Assembly to divest from three companies profiting from the Israeli occupation.

• We Divest Campaign is calling for a National Week of Actions on 6-13 July 2014 to celebrate BDS victories. The campaign will also host a Summer BDS Camp 10-14 August in North Carolina. Click here for more information.

• A coalition of NGOs including Jewish Voice For Peace and Women in Black – Union Square is organizing an event on 7 July 2014 in New York to mark the 9th anniversary of the 2005 Palestinian call for BDS.

• The Israel-Palestine NGO Working Group (IPWG) posted on 29 June 2014 a video of Robert Turner, UNRWA’s Director of Gaza Operations, who describes recent political changes affecting the lives of the 1.7 million people living in the Gaza Strip.

GLOBAL

• AJ + posted a video on 30 June 2014 entitled Israeli Settlements Explained

• Amnesty International published an article on 1 July 2014 entitled Israel: Collective punishment will not bring the justice that murdered teens deserve.

• Avaaz has been hosting since 20 July 2014 a petition entitled Stop Israeli collective punishment perpetrated against the Palestinians.

• Change is hosting a petition designed by the Sack Blair Campaign as 27 June 2014 marked the seventh year that Tony Blair has served as the Quartet Representative to the Middle East. Professor Noam Chomsky, British MPs from both major parties and 3 former UK ambassadors to the Middle East support the campaign.

• Human Rights Watch issued a statement on 1 July 2014 entitled Israel/Palestine: Killings of Three Abducted Youth.

• More than 30 Palestinian coalitions and organizations, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the benchmark advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the OPT, are calling on people all across the world to join efforts and make July 2014 the month Against the Apartheid Wall.#STOPIMPUNITY.

UNITED NATIONS

• The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People is organizing an event at UN Headquarters on 9 July 2014 to mark the 10th anniversary of the ICJ Advisory Opinion on the Separation wall.

• The International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People has a Twitter account and official hashtag #2014forPalestine. Share the word and let us know about your International Year plans at 2014forPalestine@un.org!

• OCHA OPT issued its Protection of Civilians Weekly Report covering the period 17 June-23 June 2014.

• The UN Department of Public Information opened the application for its annual training programme for Palestinian media practitioners. The programme aims to provide hands-on skills training on different topics, as well as access to UN officials and diplomats. Click here to submit your application. Deadline to apply is 14 July 2014.

• UNESCO launched on 20 June 2014 a report entitled Assessment of media development in Palestine. The document is the result of an 18 months study carried out in partnership with the Media Development Center (MDC) of Birzeit University.

• UNRWA is still mobilizing until 28 July for its #giveforfood campaign to help the over 1 million Palestine refugees who are unable to afford even their minimum food requirements. Please click here to support the campaign. UNRWA also posted a video on 29 June 2014 entitled What makes Palestine refugees poor?