NGO Action News – 12 February 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
12 February 2014

ASIA

• Four Corners, an Australian prime time television investigative journalism show, released on 10 February 2014 the documentary Stone Cold Justice about child arrests and other violations of children’s rights in the OPT. The documentary features Yehuda Shaul, co-founders of Breaking the Silence.EUROPE

• L’Association belgo-palestinienne is organizing a civilian observers’ mission in the West Bank during the second week of April 2014. A training session is scheduled on 22 February 2014. More information is available via email inquiry at abp.eccp@skynet.be, communication.abp@gmail.com.

• Le Comité pour une Paix Juste au Proche-Orient is screening on 19 February 2014 a feature film Sharqiya about the Bedouin’s situation by Ami Livne.

• La Maison des Cultures et de la Cohésion Sociale in Brussels is hosting on 21-23 February 2014 the Palestinian Circus School with co-founders Ashtar Muallem and Fadi Zmorrod.

• Le Mur a Des Oreilles – Conversations For Palestine posted on 28 January 2014 a new podcast featuring a conversation with Australian activist and artist Phil Monsour.

• The Palestinian Return Centre, the General Secretariat of the Palestinians in Europe Conference and the Palestinian Forum announced the launch and preparation for the 12thPalestinians in Europe Conferenceto be held in Paris on 3 May 2014.

• The Palestine Solidarity Campaign launched a new initiative on 5 February 2014 calling on its supporters to ask Sainsbury’s chain of UK supermarkets to stop trading with suppliers which profit from Israeli settlements.

• Palestinagruppen i Stockholms is convening its annual general meeting on 23 February 2014 in Stockholm. More information is available via email atpalestinagruppen.stockholm@gmail.com. The group is also co-organizing the festival 2014 Cinema Palestine on 23 March 2014.

• The UNRWA Spanish Committee is organizing a concert in Madrid on 21 February 2014 to raise awareness of the situation of Palestine refugee children. The following artists will perform at the event: Ismael Serrano, Luis Eduardo Aute, Marwan, Luis Ramiro, Andrés Suárez y Funambulista.

ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

• 25 aid organizations operating in Palestine called on 6 February 2014 for an end to demolitions of Palestinian homes and obstruction of aid.

• Al-Shabaka-The Palestinian Policy Network published a new commentary on 6 February 2014 entitled NGOs vs. Grassroots Movements: A False Dichotomy. It addresses the question: are people’s movements intrinsically superior to NGOs or is there a role for different types of organizations in the Palestinian civil society spectrum?

• The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) released on 6 February 2014 its weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territorycovering the period 30 January to 5 February 2014. PCHR also issued together with the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) on 1 February 2014 a new report entitledUnder Fire – Israel’s enforcement of Access Restricted Areas in the Gaza Strip.

• The Popular Struggle Coordinating Committee brought together 300 Palestinian activists on 31 January 2014 to long-abandoned houses north of the Dead Sea to establish theprotest village of “Ein Hijleh”. The aim of the action was to protest demands made by the Israeli Government to retain control of the Jordan Valley and other settlements in the midst of current peace negotiations. The IDF evicted the residents of the protest village on 7 February.

NORTH AMERICA

• The Brown University is organizing from 28 February to 1 March 2014 a symposium entitled 2014 New Directions in Palestinian Studies. RSVP here.

• Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is calling on its supporters to protect the Cremisan Valley and its monastery and convent near Bethlehem against the construction of the Separation Wall.

• The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) published on 6 February 2014 a new fact sheet entitled Israeli Violations of Palestinian Academic Freedom & Access to Education.

• The Middle East Children’s Alliance is hosting Ali Abunimah (Electronic Intifada) on 22 April 2014 in Berkeley for the release of his new book The Battle for Justice in Palestine.

• The Mount Seymour United Church is screening on 16 February 2014 in Vancouver the film Al Helm (The Dream): Martin Luther King in Palestineby award-winning producer Connie Fields.

• The National Lawyers Guild and other organizations calling for human rights and for the rule of law in Israel and Palestine published an open letter on 8 February 2014 urging US academic institutions to reaffirm their commitment to free and open campus debate.

• The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation is organizing a book tour of Shattered Hopes by Josh Ruebner, National Advocacy Director of the US Campaign, throughout the months of February and March. The next event is taking place on 27 February 2014 at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.

• The Voice of Palestine presented on 9 February 2014 a new interview with Josh Ruebner, National Advocacy Director of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, to talk about his book Shattered Hopes and the Campaign’s work and objectives.

UNITED NATIONS

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

• OCHA oPt released on 7 February 2014 a new map focusing on the Israeli demolitions of Palestinian property in the Jordan Valley.

• The Working Group of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People is organizing under the umbrella of the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People a screening of the multi award-winning documentary 5 Broken Cameras on 19 February 2014 at the United Nations. A conversation between co-director Emad Burnat and Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore will follow the screening. The conversation will be webcast here from 3:00 pm EST.

• The World Food Programme (WFP) released on 6 February 2014 a Special Focus on the Gaza Strip entitled Is the closure of the tunnels from Egypt further suffocating the Gaza economy?