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.

By The ORSMP Steering Committee

The Olympia Rafah Solidarity Mural Project (ORSMP) is a creative endeavor of The Rachel Corrie Foundation and Break the Silence Mural Project. The mural tells the tale of two cities linked by tragedy—Olympia, WA and Rafah, Palestine—and is expected to be the largest public art project highlighting the experiences of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. The ultimate goal of the ORSMP is to use art, culture and technology in innovative ways to increase the strength and visibility of movements for social justice in Palestine, Israel, the U.S., and throughout the world.

Located on the north side of the Labor Temple building, on the corner of State St. and Capitol Blvd. in downtown Olympia, this 4,000 square foot mural featuring a huge, interactive olive tree, is the collective effort of hundreds of people. Beautiful and creative tree leaves were designed by local, national and international activists, artists, and social justice organizations.

ORSMP has successfully challenged physical boundaries; people unable to travel to Olympia sent digital images which were printed and included on the wall. Distances are again mitigated by the mural’s audio component whereby viewers can use a cell phone to call and hear the message of each leaf and the history, mission, and goals of each participating artist or organization. Some have included poetry, prose and/or music to express their ideas and feelings. Conceived in 2008 by Susan Greene in collaboration with San Francisco’s Freedom Archives, and created by program designer Sam Stoller, this audio/visual component is also available on the mural’s web site.

Olympia BDS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Olympia Food Co-op Board of Directors has decided to boycott Israeli goods at their two locations in Olympia, Washington. At a July 15th meeting packed with Co-op members, the Board reached this consensus. The Co-op becomes the first US grocery store to publicly join the international grassroots movement for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) on Israel for its human rights abuses.

Co-op board member Rob Richards explained, “My hope is that by being the first in the US to adopt the boycott we act as a catalyst for other co-ops to join in. Each additional organizational entity that joins may have a very small effect on the big picture, but drop by drop fills the tub.”

Noah Sochet, a Co-op member and Olympia BDS organizer adds, “As a US citizen and as a Jew, I’m proud to say that my Co-op no longer underwrites the suffering in Palestine.”

In accordance with its mission statement, the Olympia Food Co-op has a longstanding boycott policy, which includes a boycott of China (for its occupation of Tibet) and a previous boycott of Colorado (for legalizing discrimination against gays, lesbians, and bisexuals in 1992). The Co-op also has policies for rejecting items whose packaging feature exploitive or oppressive imagery.

One Israeli product is exempt from the boycott: “Peace Oil,” a brand of olive oil fairly traded from Palestinian farmers in the West Bank and the Galilee, will continue to be carried by the Co-op.

On the seventh anniversary of the death of Rachel Corrie – the Olympian woman crushed to death by an Israeli military Caterpillar bulldozer as she stood protecting a Palestinian families 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.

Join us at The Urban Onion Ballroom on March 16th at 6:30pm.

We will begin the evening with a community potluck, please bring a dish to share and enjoy with others. Beverages, utensils and plates will be provided. The potluck will be followed by an overview of the journey seeking justice for Rachel’s killing over the past seven years and an update on the civil court case that Cindy and Craig Corrie, Rachel’s parents, have filed in Israel seeking accountability for Rachel’s killing. The Corrie’s will be in Israel during this time and we will get an update on the proceedings taking place. We will also hear from our friends at the Rachel Corrie Youth and Cultural Center in Rafah and learn about their activities and remembrance of Rachel on this day. The evening will close with music by Olympia native Afrok and accompanying band.

Please join us!

Download the flyer: Seeking Accountability, Seeking Justice: Rachel Corrie Seven Years Later Flyer (pdf, 1.1 MB)

Contact
Serena Becker, The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice

Phone: 360.754.3998

Email: serena@rachelcorriefoundation.org

Co-Sponsored by:
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Islamic Circle of North America
Greater Seattle chapter of Veterans for Peace