On the eighth anniversary of the death of Rachel Corrie – the Olympia woman crushed to death by an Israeli military Caterpillar bulldozer as she stood protecting a Palestinian family’s home in Gaza – we come together to remember Rachel and to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people who continue to suffer under Israeli occupation.

The evening will begin with a community potluck. Please bring a dish to share and enjoy with others. Beverages, utensils and plates will be provided.

Rachel’s parents, Cindy and Craig Corrie, will speak about their family’s ongoing civil trial in Israel against the Israeli Ministry of Defense and Government. The trial, which seeks accountability for Rachel’s killing, has progressed for over a year, but actual court sessions have occurred intermittently. To date, witnesses for the Corries have testified, and the Israeli state has presented part of its case. The Corries will return to Israel soon when the trial resumes in April with testimony from remaining state’s witnesses.

The evening of March 16th will include a short video presentation about Rachel’s activism and her lasting impact, musical and spoken word presentations, and an opportunity for community members to ask questions, and to talk about their remembrances and thoughts on this anniversary.

Peace Vigil

When: Noon
Where: Sylvester Park (Corner of Capitol and Legion)
Grab your banners and join Fellowship of Reconciliation’s Peace Vigil at the park. If you can’t make it Wednesday please join the Fellowship of Reconciliation on Friday, March 18, 4:30 p.m. for their weely Peace Vigil at Percival Landing.

The Rachel Corrie Foundation joins communities around the world to celebrate the Egyptian people’s courageous fight for freedom and democracy. The momentous events of February 11, 2011, have given hope to the democratic aspirations of people throughout the region and around the world. We look to the opening created by the Egyptian Revolution for an honest dialogue on a people’s right to self-determination as a nation among equals in the global arena. We believe that this moment portends a new era of international relations, with hopeful implications for people in the Middle East in general, and for the people of Palestine/Israel who have struggled more than sixty years for a just resolution to their conflict.

The Rachel Corrie Foundation urges you to participate in solidarity actions in your community. Let your representatives know that you support democratic elections in Egypt, free of outside interference, including that of the United States or any of its allies in the region. In keeping with our memory of Rachel, ask our leaders to listen to young people as they struggle to assert their visions for a democratic future.

Mohammed Omer, award-winning journalist and photographer, will appear in Voice of the Voiceless – Reporting from Gaza, Saturday, February 26, 3 PM, at First Christian Church, 701 Franklin Street SE, in downtown Olympia. He will speak about structural violence in Gaza and report on his recent experience traveling between there and Egypt.

Omer was born and grew up in Rafah refugee camp in Gaza. He maintains the website Rafah Today, is a correspondent for the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, and appears in numerous other publications. He holds a degree in International Political Economy and Development. In 2008, Omer became the youngest recipient ever awarded the Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism. In honoring him, the award committee stated, “Everyday, he reports from a war zone, where he is also a prisoner. He is a profoundly humane witness to one of the great injustices of our time. He is the voice of the voiceless…”

Omer’s home in Rafah was crushed by an Israeli bulldozer while the family was inside, seriously injuring his mother. Yet, upon receiving the Gellhorn Award he wrote, “My ambition was to get the truth out, not as pro-Palestinian or anti-Israeli, but as an independent voice and witness.”

Omer’s visit to the Pacific Northwest is co-sponsored by Voices of Palestine, American Friends Service Committee, Mideast Focus Ministry of Saint Mark’s Cathredral, and the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Olympia, Wash. – The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace & Justice will host its 2011 Peace Works event April 8-9. Solidarity in Action is a weekend conference featuring acclaimed author and activist Alice Walker as keynote presenter. Walker’s talk, entitled The Poet/Writer as Activist, will be at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Friday, April 8, at 7:30 p.m.

Best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple (1982), Walker is also the recipient of the National Book Award, and author of more than 30 books. In March 2009, in the wake of Israel’s 22-day attack on Gaza, Walker traveled to Gaza with Cindy and Craig Corrie as part of a delegation led by Code Pink. Upon her return, Walker published a book of essays entitled Overcoming Speechlessness, which links the struggles for justice in Gaza, Eastern Congo and Rwanda with the U.S. Civil Rights movement and the South Africa anti-Apartheid struggle.

The Peace Works 2011 conference, Solidarity in Action, includes two days of networking, panels and workshops at The Evergreen State College in Olympia. Panelists will address the current situation in Israel/Palestine, strategies for justice and peace, the growing international campaigns for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) and cross-movement building. Local and national organizers will facilitate workshops to educate, motivate and provide tools for community organizing. Workshop themes will include human rights and legal campaigns; consumer, campus, cultural and interfaith BDS efforts; the civil trial in Israel concerning Rachel Corrie’s case; and strategies for using media, art and social networking to strengthen regional efforts for human rights and justice. The Olympia-Rafah Solidarity Mural Project will present the next phase of its downtown Olympia mural, one of the city’s most beautiful and successful collaborative projects.

The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace & Justice presents
Peace Works 2011: Solidarity in Action

Rachel Corrie’s legacy inspires people around the world to create positive, nonviolent change in their communities. The Peace Works series of events and conferences honor that legacy by linking action to critical thought, community organizing, and personal reflection.

This year’s Peace Works Conference theme is Solidarity In Action. Scheduled workshops and events include:

• Human Rights and Strategies for Justice in Palestine/Israel
• Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Campaigns & Grassroots Organizing
• Organizing with the Olympia Rafah Solidarity Mural Project
• Cross Movement Building,
• Social Networking as an organizing tool
• Report Back on Trial in Israel by the Corries
• Celebration with music and dancing Sat. evening in Downtown Olympia

The keynote speaker is Alice Walker, poet, author, and social justice activist.

Pre-registration information will be released shortly. Until then, put April 8-9, 2011 on your calendar and join the Rachel Corrie Foundation family for an amazing two days of learning, organizing, and celebration!