by Maya Harris

Last November, I contacted RCF in my search for an internship for my Student Originated Studies program at The Evergreen State College (TESC). I was interested in learning how a non-profit functions and benefits its community, and of all of the organizations I researched, I was most drawn to the Rachel Corrie Foundation by the passion and care of its staff.  With that, I became the Community Development and Educational Outreach Intern for RCF’s upcoming Peace Works conference: Solidarity in Action.

by Cindy Corrie

“A lawsuit is not an event for the sprinter.” Mickey Rathbun

On July 10, my family returns to Haifa District Court for a closing session in the civil trial in my daughter Rachel’s case. Pinhas Zuaretz, Brigade Commander in charge of Southern Gaza in 2003, has now “committed” to attending. Zuaretz was expected at April and May sessions but failed to appear. Witnesses in an Israeli civil trial testify at the invitation of the court and are not subpoenaed. Due to trial delays, our family will make our fourth trial-related trip to Israel in sixteen months.  As the judge points out, Israeli law makes no special provision for plaintiffs from outside the country. Our family has grown to appreciate the Arab concept of sumud – steadfastness.

What occurs in Israeli court bears little resemblance to proceedings of this kind in the US. Once underway, US trials tend to proceed steadily, and breaks for personal needs are routine. In Israel, the course of the trial and each session is determined largely by needs of the court. We have been reminded more than once that our judge has numerous cases to adjudicate and that many who await trial do so from prison. While repeated trips to Israel for sporadic court sessions are challenging, it seems reasonable that the incarcerated awaiting trial should have priority over us for court time. Israeli friends tell me that court backlogs are symptomatic of failing infrastructure because military spending is the priority.

by Zora Djenohan

Conference goers celebrate the installation of a BDS leaf at the Olympia Rafah Solidarity Mural. To purchase this picture, view videos, and read the summary report click here - Photo courtesy of Robert Whitlock.

With the bittersweet passing of the 2011 Peace Works conference, Solidarity in Action, we continue to celebrate the growth and success of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement. Born July 9, 2005 out of Palestinian civil society’s call for worldwide solidarity, BDS has since wedged its way into mainstream success as people from all sects of society stand up for human rights. This year’s conference welcomed organizers from across the nation to share their stories of struggle and success, and inspire attendees to join the movement by providing social, economic and political methods of action.

by Rochelle Gause

We extend our deepest gratitude to all those who contributed to RCF’s fundraising campaign to cover the cost of installing a water purification and desalination unit in a kindergarten at the Rafah Children’s Kindergarten. Because of this effort, 145 children will benefit from having regular access to clean water.

The Kindergarten, located on Salah Edin Street in Rafah, is run by the Early Childhood Education Association. The unit will be built, tested, customized, and installed with local labor in the next three months and will consist of 80% local materials.

Dear Friends,

Palestinian and Palestinian American speakers at Peace Works stand in front of the Olympia–Rafah Mural with Handala. Photo courtesy of Andrew Kadi.

The first half of 2011 has been momentous. We watch from afar in solidarity as people in the Middle East take to the streets with hope and courage, risking their very lives as they demand greater freedom, democracy, and accountability from their leaders.

I did not have the good fortune to meet Rachel Corrie, but as a new board member at the foundation, and a faculty member at The Evergreen State College which Rachel attended, I often wonder what she would have said about this Arab Spring.  In 2003, she wrote to her mother Cindy in an email from Rafah,

I think freedom for Palestine could be an incredible source of hope to people struggling all over the world. I think it could also be an incredible inspiration to Arab people in the Middle East, who are struggling under undemocratic regimes which the US supports …

Rachel’s words draw attention to the interconnected political realities of the region, such that pro-democracy movements in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, Syria, and Yemen, make it increasingly difficult for both Arab leaders and the international community to continue to suppress the liberatory aspirations of the people of Palestine.