NGO Action News – 17 October 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
17 October 2014

EUROPE

• Art Base is hosting the virtuoso Palestinian oud player Adel Salameh for a concert on 25 October 2014 in Brussels.

• Café Palestine is holding its next meeting on 6 November 2014 at Café Monk in Brussels.

• The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) updated its list of upcoming events.

• Palestina Solidariteit is hosting the workshop Palestine for Dummies in Brussels on 8-15 and 22 November 2014. For more information contact: stienstijn@gmail.com orinfo@palestinasolidariteit.be.

• Palestine Legal Action Network (PLAN) and War on Want organize in London on 18 October 2014 the meeting and discussion Where does international law stand on Israel? withJohn Dugard (former UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the OPT), Sahar Francis, (Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association), Nimer Sultany ( University of London) and Rafeef Ziadah, (War on Want/BDS Movement).

• Palestine Solidarity Campaign UK is organizing on 29 October 2014 in Cardiff an event with Trade Union Activists in support of Palestinian Rights.

• Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) is hosting in Brussels prominent French-Israeli journalist Charles Enderlin (France 2 TV) on 23 October 2014 for the conference Israel Palestine – Religion and Nationalism.

ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

• Adalah – The Legal Centre for Arab minority Rights in Israel held on 17-19 October 2014 its 9th annual camp in Neve Shalom (Wahat al-Salam) for Arab law students who study in Israel.

• Al-Haq made a submission to the EU concerning Israel’s implementation of the EU-Israel Action Plan adopted under the European Neighbourhood Policy.

• Al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights and Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights submitted on 30 September 2014 a comprehensive joint complaint to the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing and the UN Special Rapporteur for the human rights situation in the OPT, concerning the large-scale destruction and damage to family houses in the Gaza Strip with associated profound loss of life and injury to Palestinian residents, during “Operation Protective Edge”.

• The BDS Movement delivered on 9 October 2014 a petition signed by over 60,000 people, including Nobel Laureates, artists and public intellectuals, to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon calling on the UN and Governments around the world to take immediate steps to implement a comprehensive and legally binding military embargo on Israel.

• Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCI-Palestine) issued a news alert on 16 October 2014 stating that the new Israeli military order introducing protections for children during interrogation does not apply in the majority of cases.

• The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) issued its latest weekly report on Israeli human rights violations in the OPT on 2 October 2014 covering the period 25 September – 1 October 2014.

NORTH AMERICA

• Americans for Peace Now released a petition calling on the United States to end Israeli settlement activities and the de-facto annexation of the West Bank.

• The Canada Palestine Association is hosting a presentation and discussion in Vancouver on Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails on 22 October 2014 with Charlotte Kates (Al-Awda’s New York chapter) and Aiyanas Ormond (a human rights activist).

• Columbia University is organizing its annual Edward W. Said Memorial Lecture on 20 October 2014 in New York. Former UN Special rapporteur Richard Falk, Professor of International Law Emeritus at Princeton University, will be speaking on The Palestinian Future After Gaza.

• The Jewish Community Center in Manhattan (JCC) is organizing in New York the event Aftermath of Gaza and the Future of the Two-State Solution with Ghaith Al-Omari(American Task Force on Palestine), Tal Becker (Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and Ethan Bronner (The New York Times). The JCC is also hosting Tal Becker, Principal Deputy Legal Adviser in the Foreign Ministry on 20 October 2014.

• The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) published on 8 October 2014 a fact sheet entitled Elad, the Jewish National Fund & the US Taxpayer-Subsidized “Judaization” of Silwan.

• The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions – USA (ICAHD- USA) is organizing a US speaking tour with ICAHD’s co-founder Jeff Halper from 17 October to 8 November 2014.

• Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) will host in Berkeley (California) 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. Malihe Razazan, co-host of KPFA’s “Voices of the Middle East” programme, will interview Ms. Barrows-Friedman about her book. MECA will organize another event in Berkeley (CA) with Professor Steven Salaita on 11 November 2014 on Silencing Palestinian voices on Campuses.

• OneVoice is organizing a fundraiser on 12 November 2014 in New York featuring Aaron David Miller (Woodrow Wilson Center); Rula Jebreal (foreign policy analyst and author); and Marc Ginsberg (OneVoice CEO).

• Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) is organizing at Tufts University in Boston (Massachusetts) from 21 to 26 October 2014 its fourth National Students for Justice in Palestine Conference.

• The Tree of Life Education Fund, in partnership with Friends of Sabeel–North America and Kairos USA, is organizing a series of US conferences from 17 October to 1 November 2014 under the title Voices of Hope for a World Free of Prejudice and Hatred.

• Voice of Palestine released on 13 October 2014 an interview with Sumoud Sa’adat (Addameer) about the upcoming week of action, 17-25 October 2014, to free Ahmad Sa’adat, her father, and all Palestinian political prisoners. The week of activities also emphasizes on the denial of family visits and the struggle and the conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

• The Israel-Palestine NGO Working Group at the United Nations is organizing a launching event for the book Palestine: The Legitimacy of Hope by Richard Falk (former UN Special Rapporteur). The event will take place on 21 October 2014 from 1.00pm to 2.30 pm at the Church Center, 777 UN Plaza, New York.

GLOBAL

• The International Crisis Group released on 10 October 2014 the report Bringing Back the Palestinian Refugee Question. The executive summary is available here.

UNITED NATIONS

• The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People hosted Professor Noam Chomsky for a lecture on 14 October 2014 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York about the prospects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The ensuing Q&A was moderated by Amy Goodman (Democracy Now!). The recorded video of the lecture and press conference are available.

• 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 14 October 2014 covering the period 30 September – 13 October.