NGO Action News – 12 September 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
29 September 2014

ASIA

• The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) Thailand is holding its next meeting on 18 September 2014 in Bangkok. For more information contactpalestinesolidaritythailand@gmail.com for more information.

EUROPE

• Artistes contre le Mur, Association belgo-palestinienne (ABP), CNCD 11.11.11, Fondation Heinrich Böll as well as other groups are supporting a week of movie screenings, debates, meetings, photo exhibits and concerts on 13-17 September 2014 in Brussels. The event is organized by Plateforme Watermael-Boitsfort Palestine under the title Israel Palestine beyond prejudices. The programme is available here.

• Café Palestine will dedicate its next event on 2 October 2014 in Brussels. For more information please contact: cafepalestinebe@gmail.com.

• The Comité pour une Paix Juste au Proche-Orient (CPJPO) will resume its meetings in Luxembourg on 23 September 2014. For more information contact:paixjuste.lu@gmail.com .

• The Ondaatje Theatre – The Royal Geographical Society is hosting an exclusive London screening on 24 September 2014 of the movie Open Bethlehem by acclaimed Palestinian British filmmaker Leila Sansour. The screening will be followed by a Q&A moderated by broadcaster and author Melvyn Bragg.

• Palestine Solidarity Campaign is organizing a Labour Party Fringe event on 21 September 2014 on Palestinian human rights in Manchester. Chi Onwurah MP, Richard HowittMEP, Dr. Mona El Farra (Gaza Projects) and Kamel Hawwash (PSC) will speak at the event.

• The Tottenham Palestine Literature Festival will take place on 18-20 September 2014. Download the full programme here.

ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

• The Adva Centre released a report on 9 September 2014 entitled Inequality in Central Government Transfers to Municipalities highlighting that residents of Israeli settlements have received a disproportionate amount of State funds over the past 20 years.

• B’Tselem issued a press release on 10 September 2014 saying the group expected the Israeli investigations into the Gaza hostilities to be a whitewash.

• B’Tselem and Yesh Din issued a joint statement on 4 September 2014 under the title Israel is unwilling to investigate harm caused to Palestinians. Combatants for Peace launched on 3 September 2014 a petition on AVAAZ calling on the European Union and European Commission to demand that Israel reverse the confiscation of 1,700 dunums of Palestinian land for a settlement.

• J-Street is inviting its supporter to sign a petition for the US to call Israeli settlements illegal and for a thorough review of American policy regarding settlements.

• SAWA is running a campaign on Namlebee until 15 September 2014 to collect funds for their psycho-social Helpline project in the Gaza Strip.

• The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) issued its latest weekly report on Israeli human rights violations in the OPT on 4 September 2014 covering the period 28 August – 3 September 2014.

NORTH AMERICA

• Columbia University hosted the event The Gaza War – The Strategic and Political Dimensions on 11 September 2014. The event featured Professor Efraim Inbar who discussed the attrition strategy adopted by Israel’s Government toward Hamas in Gaza. For more information please contact ml3408@columbia.edu.

• The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) released on 10 September 2014 the fact sheet 50 Days of Death & Destruction: Israel’s “Operation Protective Edge”. IMEU also published on 4 September 2014 an Expert Q&A with Diana Buttu (Al-Shabaka) and Mouin Rabbani (Institute for Palestine Studies) on Palestinian National Unity and The Schism Between Fatah and Hamas.

• The Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP) is co-organizing the event Palestinian-Israeli Initiatives for a Better Future with Ali Abu Awwad, Palestinian activist and pacifist, on 16 September 2014 in Washington. The registration form can be found here.

• Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) is screening Michel Gondry’s documentary Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? featuring Noam Chomsky on 17 September 2014 in Oakland (CA). Benefits will go to the children of Gaza. MECA will also host in Berkeley (CA) on 6 November 2014 the release of award-winning reporter Nora Barrows-Friedman’s new book documenting the emergence and success of the Students for Justice in Palestine movement.

• SABEEL-Voice of the Palestinian Christians is organizing an event with Richard Forer, author of Breakthrough: Transforming Fear into Compassion-A New Perspective on the Israel-Palestine Conflict on 14 September 2014 in Denver (CO).

• The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation is organizing its Annual National Organizers Conference in San Diego (CA) entitled The Mainstreaming of BDS and Continuing Struggle for Palestinian Rights on 19-21 September 2014.

GLOBAL

• Caritas updated on 5 September 2014 its Gaza Conflict infographics.

• Human Rights Watch (HRW) published an article on 11 September 2014 focusing on the three Israeli attacks that damaged Gaza schools housing displaced people during “Operation Protective Edge”.

• The Russell Tribunal on Palestine (RToP) will organize on 24-25 September 2014 in Brussels an Extraordinary session on “Israel’s Crimes in the Gaza Strip during Operation Protective Edge”. Read their latest press release.

• Aid agencies, the UN and the Government of Palestine issued an emergency appeal on 9 September 2014 requesting US$551 million for urgent humanitarian needs for civilians affected by the Gaza Crisis. The full text is is available here.

• 42 Palestinian, Israeli, and international organizations issued a joint press release on 11 September 2014 to urgently call on world leaders to stop Israeli plans to forcibly transfer thousands of Palestinian Bedouins out of their communities in the central part of the West Bank and into a designated township.

UNITED NATIONS

• The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People hosted a briefing on Gaza and the current political situation in Palestine with PLO Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi on 2 September 2014 at the United Nations Headquarters. Watch the video here. Ms. Ashrawi also took part, together with Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour, in a press conference.

• 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 most recent Protection of Civilians Weekly Report on 2 September 2014 covering the period 26 August-1 September.