HOW YOU CAN HELP GAZA

Contributed by Daniele of Montreal via Najat El K [...]

Twenty-five things to do to bring peace with justice:

1) First get the facts and then disseminate them. Here are some basic background information
http://www.btselem.org/english/Gaza_Strip
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article4933.shtml
The true story behind this war
http://www.mepeace.org/forum/topics/the-true-story-behind-this-war
If Gaza Falls
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/downloads/If%20Gaza%20falls.pdf
Gaza massacres must spur us to action
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10055.shtml

2) Contact local media. Write letters to editors (usually 100-150 words) and longer op-eds (usually 600-800 words) for local newspapers. But also write to news departments in both print, audio, and visual media about their coverage. In the US http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/ You can find media listings in your country using search engines like google

3) Contact elected and other political leaders in your country to urge them to apply pressure to end the attacks. In the US, Contact the State Department at 202.647.5291, the White House 202-456-1111 the Egyptian Embassy 202.895.5400, Email (embassy@egyptembassy.net) and the Obama Transition Team 202-540-3000 (then press 2 to speak with a staff member).

4) Organize and join demonstrations in front of Israeli and Egyptian embassies or when not doable in front of your parliament, office of elected officials, and any other visible place (and do media work for it).

5) Hold a teach-in, seminar, public dialogue, documentary film viewing etc. this is straightforward: you need to decide venue, nature, if any speakers, and do some publicity (the internet helps).

6) Pass out fliers with facts and figures about Palestine and Gaza in your community (make sure also to mention its relevance to the audience: e.g, US taxpayers paying for the carnage, increase in world instability and economic uncertainty)

7) Put a Palestinian flag at your window (if you are allowed).

8) Wear a Palestinian head scarf (Koufiya) (not just because it is the 'in' thing to do)

9) Wear Black arm bands (this helps start conversations with people)

10) Send direct aid to Gaza... through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). http://www.un.org/unrwa/

11) Initiate boycotts, divestments and sanctions at all levels and including asking leaders to expel the Israeli ambassadors (an ambassador of an apartheid and rogue state). See Palestinian call http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10056.shtml

12) Work towards bringing Israeli leaders before war crime courts (actions along those lines in courts have stopped Israeli leaders from traveling abroad to some countries like Britain where they may face charges) (lawyers may contact me directly to find ways to initiate this)

13) Calling upon all Israelis to demonstrate in front of their war ministry and to more directly challenge their government

14) Do outreach: to neighbors and friends directly. Via Internet to a lot of others (you can join and post information to various listservs/groups).

15) Start your own activist group or join other local groups (simple search in your city with the word Palestine could identify candidate groups that have previously worked on issues of Palestine). Many have also been successful in at bringing coalitions from different constituencies in their local areas to work together (human rights group, social and civil activists, religious activists, etc).

16) Develop a campaign of sit-ins at government offices or other places where decision makers aggregate

17) Do a group fast for peace one day and hold it in a public place

18) Visit Palestine (the more you see, the more you know. the more you come, the more the occupying force gets frustrated) (e.g. with http://www.sirajcenter.org)

19) Support human rights and other groups (NGOs) working on the ground in Palestine

20) Make large signs and display them at street corners and where ever people congregate.

21) Contact local churches, mosques, synagogues, and other houses of worship and ask them to take a moral stand and act. Call on your mosque to dedicate this Friday for Gaza actions.

22) Sign petitions for Gaza, e.g.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/gaza_time_for_peace/98.php?cl_tf_sign=1

23) Write and call people in Gaza

24) Work with other groups that do not share your political views (factionalism and excessive divisions within activist communities allowed those who advocate war to succeed).

25) Dedicate a certain time for activism for peace every day (1 hour) and think of more actions than what is listed above.

For support and contacts of people in Gaza or to volunteer, please contact the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People, via gaza@imemc.org, or call 989-607-9480 (from the US and Canada) or 972 2277 2018 (from other places) or 970 22772018 (from UAE).

For other ideas on how to help Gaza, see this entry in YayaCanada's December Mailbag