Just a quick heads up that I'll be talking with Palestinian singer Reem Kelani in the first hour of Spin The Globe tomorrow morning (Friday May 16). The rest of Spin The Globe will feature music from Buddhist lands, and the usual assortment of global grooves.

Listen in at KAOS 89.3 FM or listen online

Palestinian singer, musician and broadcaster Reem Kelani is in the Northwest as part of the , and performs this evening as part of the Global Divas show, as well as Friday morning and Saturday afternoon shows.

Kelani released her debut album “Sprinting Gazelle – Palestinian Songs from the Motherland and the Diaspora” (Fuse Records) in February 2006 to critical acclaim. Representing the culmination of twenty years’ work, which included research in Palestine, in Palestinian refugee camps and the Palestinian Diaspora into old traditional songs, Sprinting Gazelle is a fully independent production.

Come and join us Tuesday, April 8th at 7:00 p.m. for a night of reading and conversation with the Corrie family. Let Me Stand Alone, the recent publication of their daughter Rachel's journals and writings, is a strong and beautiful book, full of deep and resonating questions about life, love and the meanings of freedom.

Born in Olympia, WA on April 10, 1979, Rachel Corrie spent her young life as an active volunteer addressing problems of homelessness, hunger and the environment in the Pacific Northwest. Her love and care for humankind is evident throughout this book, and led her on fearless personal and physical journeys. After completing her studies at the Evergreen State College in liberal arts, Rachel traveled to Israel and Palestine in January 2003, where she served as a nonviolent peace activist until her death on March 16th. She was twenty-three years old.

Every person that takes the time to read this book will benefit tremendously, as it is more than just an inspiring and cleverly written collection of vignettes and reflections. Rachel possessed the kind of passion for humanity and light that is rare to be seen throughout the world, and should be shared by all. It is sure to be an event that resonates for years to come. Please do join Craig and Cindy Corrie in celebrating their daughter's life and love.

We'll see you there!

Earlier tonight I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Alice Rothchild speak at St. Martin's University. Dr. Rothchild spoke about her book, Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience. She also spoke about her experience traveling to Israel and Palestine, and her position on the conflict, as a Jew. She discussed the immoral nature of many aspects of the current occupation of historically Palestinian territory. The Doctor spoke of a moral obligation that people of all faiths (or lack thereof) and ethnic backgrounds, but especially Jews, have to speak out about the tragedy of violence, and the criminal policies of Israel, which are doing such grievous harm to both the Palestinian and the Israeli peoples.

Dr. Alice Rothchild, Physician

Author of Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Noon to 2 pm, The Evergreen State College, Seminar II, C1107
and also
7-9 pm, Worthington Conference Center , St. Martin ’s University, 5300 Pacific Avenue SE

Alice Rothchild, physician, activist and author of Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience, will speak Tuesday, March 4th from 12-2 pm at The Evergreen State College, Seminar II, C1107 and again from 7-9 pm in at the Worthington Conference Center, St. Martin’s University, 5300 Pacific Avenue SE, in Lacey.

Dr. Rothchild describes her book as “… an intimate journey grappling with the complicated historical legacy of Israel and Palestine and my relationship to these issues as a Jewish American physician, grounded by the traumas of the Holocaust and my family's passionate love of Israel.” Broken Promises, Broken Dreams recounts her work with medical and human rights projects as she examines the reality of life in Israel , the complexity of Jewish Israeli identity and attitudes, and the hardships of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza . Her evocative writing brings to life the voices of people mutually entwined in trauma, and explores individual examples of resilience and resistance.

Second meeting for planning/coordinating the weekend of March 14 to March 16 last night and the feedback from the progressive and activist community brings change.

We appear to be ditching the them of How Shall We Live Together.

I think the simmering resentments, the lack of accountability, the failure of justice in Gaza, in Washington DC, in Olympia make it difficult for significant parts of the community here to embrace the idea of living together with the more militaristic elements of mainstream cultures.  We aren't there yet. 

I can understand that. I get that.

We have lots of examples of unbridled use of military force against largely civilian populations around the world.

I look at South Africa's use of truth and reconciliation as a means to put a society back together, a way to figure out how the various populations of South Africa would live together, but that was done after apartheid was ended. And I think it was not as successful as it might have been as the change in political rule in South Africa has not created as great a change for the poor working class as might have happened. South Africa did not become Denmark with a happy population with a great safety net and a small military footprint in the world.

Here is what I understand to be the most current schedule of events planned:

Friday at or around noon, there will be an event at TESC to remember Rachel and her work. I am told that the following words capture some of Rachel's world view: Community, Education, Action. (Maybe that is our theme? Rachel: Community, Education, Action. We are continuing to work on that.)

Therese S is expected to be the point on that at this time.

I have included “Loss of the Arab Palestinian State” in the title of this blog entry because that is exactly what happened. The Palestinian Arabs had a state or nation. Israel DID NOT take away their state. The Palestinian Arabs lost their state because of decisions made by their leaders and the leaders of surrounding Arab nations, not by the actions of Israel. This is widely ignored by current supporters of the Palestinian Arabs.

Prior to the First World War, the area known as Palestine was part of the Ottoman Empire, and controlled by Turkey. During the First World War, the area was taken by the British. After the First World War, it was controlled by the British under a mandate by the League of Nations. During this mandate, there was much conflict between the Jewish and Arab residents of Palestine. After the Second World War, the British were wanted out and turned the problem over to the new United Nations.

In 1947, the United Nations approved the partition of Palestine into two nations, one Jewish and one Arab. (Yes, that’s right, the Palestinian Arabs had a state.) The partition plan and the borders that it drew were far from perfect. Even so, the Jewish Palestinians accepted the plan. The Palestinian Arabs rejected the plan and chose war. (The start of a pattern!) The surrounding Arab nations rejected the plan and chose war. (Again, the start of a pattern!)

[via tesccrier]

The 5th Annual Middle East Film Festival
Origins. Exile. Refuge.
Jan 30–Feb 13

All films are free, open to the public and located at The Evergreen State College in Olympia. For screen times, guest speakers and location visit www.evergreen.edu/sesame. For more information call (360)867-6724, sesame@evergreen.edu. For a complete festival guide visit www.evergreen.edu/sesame.

This week's films and speakers:

BATTLE OF ALGIERS
Gillo Pontecorvo / 1966 / Algeria / 121 min
Wed., Jan 30, 7 pm, Lecture Hall 1

One of the most influential political films in history, Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers vividly recreates a key year in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from the occupying French in the 1950s. Shot in the streets of Algiers in documentary style, the film is a case study in modern warfare, with its terrorist attacks and the brutal techniques used to combat them.

Partly based on the real-life experiences of Algerian resistance leader Saadi Yacef (who served as a consultant to the film and also starred in the film as himself), the Battle of Algiers reportedly became study material for the Black Panther Party and the IRA. It was also studied by the FBI and the US Army in the 1960s. Moreover, Newsweek warned that the film could provide a blueprint for a future "Negro" uprising in the US. Now the Pentagon has studied it for its value in counterinsurgency tactics.

Followed by Q&A with Mohammed Bentlemsani. Born in 1950, Mohammed Bentlemsani's childhood was during the French occupation and the Algerian resistance movement. Born in a town 30 miles south of Algiers in Medea Mohammed witnessed the murder of his cousin by the French occupation forces in November of 1961.

See more descriptions:

As mentioned in a previous post, I'll be occasionally posting writings from Will's chapbook, "This is the Life", along with the letters that Rachel Corrie sent home from Rafah.  There has been a fair bit of discussion on Olyblog about Rachel, the ISM, and the Israel/Palestine conflict in the last couple years, and I've decided it is unproductive to discuss the ISM without directly posting the writings of ISM activists.

The wells that Will mentions in the second piece here are the same (at least I'm pretty sure) as those written about by Rachel. 

Will's writings carry a "copyleft", which gives explicit permission to reproduce providing that doing so is not to make a profit.  Much of this writing can be found on this blog, where I've been slowly posting it for Will.       -Phil

BRAZIL 

After refugees were displaced to Rafah in 1948, several foreign governments aided with the construction of housing for refugees. One neighborhood of Rafah is called Brazil because the Brazilian government helped to build it.

Monsoor carries the metal brazier upstairs, walking backwards, cigarette burning down to filter in his mouth. He takes two legs, I take one. Logs burn between us, spilling the occasional coal on the tile stairs.

“Monsoor, I’m impressed!” I say.

As a result of recent speculations on Olyblog about the work of Rachel and other ISMer's in Palestine, I've decided to post writings both from Rachel as well as from Will Hewitt, who was in Rafah at the same time. 

This first letter from Rachel mentions Israeli "towers", as well as bulldozed wells.  There were, at the time (I am uncertain as to whether the towers were removed during the "withdrawal" -which really only referred to the settlements- from Gaza), actual guard/sniper towers on the ends of most of the major streets in Rafah.  These towers were very dangerous as soldiers often shot randomly into the busy streets of Rafah, frequently killing or injuring pedestrians and school children. Tom Hurndall, a UK national and ISM activist, was killed by a bullet from one of these towers not long after Rachel's death.

As well, destruction of basic Palestinian infrastructure is a common tactic for the Israeli military, a tactic often used for collective punishment of Palestinians.  Wells are a common target, and Rachel and other ISMer's have spent a good deal of time camping at Palestinian wells to protect them from the IDF.

Rachel's letters from Palestine are available on the internet and are not copyrighted.  You may download them in booklet form here.

Hi friends and family, and others,