NGO Action News – 16 March 2015

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
16 March 2015

AFRICA

• The 2015 World Social Forum in Tunis is organizing on 28 March a demonstration in solidarity with the Palestinian people. All events related to the question of Palestine are available here.

• The European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine (ECCP) will be organizing a series of events related to Palestine at the World Social Forum.

EUROPE

• Caabu (UK) is inviting its supporters to lobby their Member of Parliament to sign the motion 827 about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

• Gaza Toy Drive has launched a fundraising campaign to collect toys for children in Gaza.

• Medical Aid for Palestine‘s surgical missions in Gaza have been praised by UK Secretary of State. Here is her statement.

• Palestine Solidarity Campaign (UK) is inviting its supporters to join them at the Tipping Point- Action Summit on 14 March. A series of workshops on how to build a powerful BDS campaigns, how to challenge media bias and achieve policy change are scheduled. PSC also calls its supporters to ask their MP to sign the motion 838 entitled Natural Resources of Palestine.

• Palestingruppen i Stockholm and the Palestinian Youth Movement are planning a conversation on 7 March about the situation of Palestinian prisoners with Palestinian writer and activist Khaled Barakat and activist Charlotte Kates.

ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

• The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) issued a press release on 8 March about the women situation in Palestine on international women’s day.

INTERNATIONAL

• On 26 February, 30 international aid agencies issued a statement expressing alarm at the slow pace of rebuilding in Gaza.

NORTH AMERICA

• Adalah is organizing on 10 March in New York a protest against the meeting of the Friends of the Israel Defence Forces (FIDF).

• The American Friends Service Committee is organizing a national speaking tour of 3 young Palestinian activists to discuss about their daily lives as youths and introduce their ongoing project entitled “Palestinian Youth: Together for Change”.

• Canada Palestine Association interviewed with Dr. Sunera Thobani, associate professor at the Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of British Columbia, on International Women’s Day, BDS activism and the recent BDS referendum campaign on the Berkley Campus.

• Chico Palestine Action Group (California) on 1 and 15 March invites its supporters to join them to promote the boycott of SodaStream and HP.

• Churches for Middle East Peace launch the 2015 Board of Directors’ Study Tour to Palestine and Israel. Registration and information are available here. The CMEP also encourages its supporters to sign and send to President Obama a petition to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

• End the Occupation invited its supporters to sign a the petition to let Northeastern University vote on divestment.

UNITED NATIONS

• UNICEF released a report on IDF treatment of “Children in Israeli Military Detention” on 27 February. UNICEF recommended that when Palestinian minors are arrested, they should not be blindfolded; they should have their hands bound by three plastic ties in front of their body and be accompanied to interrogations by their parents. The report is available here.

• UNRWA issued a press release on European Union support for Palestinian refugees in Syria.

• The United Nations Resident Coordinator in the OPT issued a statement on 8 March on the occasion of the International Women’s Day about the contribution of Palestinian women to the development of their communities and the need to accelerate efforts for the promotion, protection and full realization of their rights.

• The Commission on the Status of Women is co-organizing with the Jordanian Commission for Women on 16 March a side-event on Beijing +20 entitled: ‘Women and Armed Conflict: A Regional Perspective’. More information can be found here.