Conference Program

Click here for more information about the speakers and workshop presenters. See our list of co-sponsors below.

Friday April 8, 2011

• 8:00am: Registration with coffee and tea
• 9:00am: Welcome and introduction to the Evergreen State College Longhouse
• 9:15am: The Egypt Revolution: Dignity, Freedom and Economic Justice with Sharif Abdel Kouddous
• 10:30am: 15 minute break
• 10:45am: Human Rights & Strategies for Justice in Palestine/Israel with Ziad Abbas, Amal Eqeiq, and Ron Smith
  The search for an equitable solution must come to grips with the root cause of the conflict. This panel explains the historical roots of the Palestine/Israel conflict and the ongoing human rights violations suffered by Palestinians in Israel and the Occupied Territories. Panelists examine the expanding Israeli security apparatus, the situation for Palestinian political prisoners and refugees, and the struggle for equality for Palestinian citizens of Israel. In the quest for an equitable solution, what new strategies for resistance have emerged within these communities? How are Israeli and international activists and human rights organizations working in solidarity with Palestinians?
• 12:15pm: Lunch Break
• 1:30pm: Film Screening of “To Know is Not Enough: How Hampshire Became the First to Divest” with filmmaker Will Delphia
  Q&A session will follow film screening.
• 2:20pm: Face to Facebook: facilitated networking with Lori Blewett
• 3:15pm: 15 minute break
• 3:30 – 5:00pm: Workshops (See list below.)
• 5:00pm: Dinner Break & depart the Longhouse for Downtown Olympia
  
• 7:30pm: Keynote presentation: Alice Walker: The Poet/Writer as Activist at the Washington Center
  

Saturday April 9, 2011

• 8:00am:Registration with coffee and tea
• 9:00am:Welcome to the second day
• 9:10am:Film Screening of “Challenging Power” with Olympia BDS organizer and filmmaker Johan Genberg
• 9:40am:Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions: Moving Forward with Dr. Dalit Baum, Noura Erakat, and Dalia Marina
  From its slow beginnings to its rapid growth in the past year, the global BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) movement has become one of the most popular and effective tools for global solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. As BDS gains momentum, what have we learned so far? Where is the BDS movement at currently? And how do we make best use of this tool at this stage?
• 11:00am:15 minute break
• 11:15 – 12:45pm:Workshops (See list below.)
• 12:45pm – 1:45pm:Lunch Break
• 1:45pm:BDS and Opportunities for Cross Movement Building with Melissa Franklin, Mahdi, and Nancy Hernandez
  “From the confines of my imprisonment it becomes so clear that our struggle is far bigger than justice for only Bil‘in or even Palestine. We are engaged in an international fight against oppression.” -Abdullah Abu Rahma, from Ofer military prison. The struggle for justice for Palestine is larger than the area in question. How shall we build alliances, engage in cross-solidarity work, and maximize the strength of our efforts to collectively work for justice — across borders and across struggles?
• 3:15pm:15 Minute Break
• 3:30 – 5:00pm:Workshops (See list below.)
• 5:00pm – Dinner Break & depart the Longhouse for Downtown Olympia
• 6:00pm: Wrap Up: BDS Image on the Wall at the Olympia Rafah Mural in downtown Olympia
  
• 8:00pm:Celebration Peace Works at historic Capitol Theater with Gabriel Teodros, Climbing PoeTree, DJ Turtledove, Danza Azteca and Vradiazei
  Join us for a multicultural celebration culminating a weekend of Solidarity in Action. Come and be inspired by our diverse line up of artists, performing in downtown Olympia’s beautiful Capitol Theater. We believe that creative expression is a fundamental tool in building solidarity across movements and encourage you to come experience this!

Workshop List

We are conducting a survey connected to online registration that will help us determine which workshops to offer during both sessions and which to offer only once. We assume there will be about 8 workshops to choose from for each session.

1. Faith in Action: BDS and Faith-Based Solidarity
   This workshop will focus on the role of faith and religious community in demanding rights to justice and self-determination. While conflicts in the Middle East are often blamed on religious extremism or divisiveness, our cornerstone will be the common moral imperative in Islam, Judaism and Christianity to treat others as we would wish to be treated. The panel will speak about specific actions and strategies faith communities can bring to the Palestine solidarity movement, as well as honoring religious communities’ unique responsibilities in the global struggle for human rights. (With Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, Taher Herzallah, and Yvonne Turner)
2. Campus Divestment Strategies
   Interested in a divestment campaign or developing a socially responsible investment policy at your school? Join student activists from Hampshire College, UC Berkeley and The Evergreen State College to discuss strategies, logistics, and tools for initiating this incredibly important aspect of BDS on your campus. (With students from Lee Durfey from TESC Divest, Dalia Marina from UC Berkeley Divestment Campaign, and Ilana Rossoff from Hampshire College Students for Justice in Palestine and International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network)
3. From Actions to Campaign
   Want to learn how to move beyond ephemeral bouts of protest and towards sustained movement-building? Join us for a workshop on how to go about deciding upon and structuring BDS campaigns, presently the most dynamic force behind the global movement for Palestinian self-determination. Themes will include choosing where and how to best focus your energies, mapping your potential alliances and opposition, and building a base, among others. (With Dr. Dalit Baum and Noura Erakat)
4. Rockstar Organizing: Making Critical Connections Through Outreach Building Bridges and alliances is the foundation of successful campaigns, but how is it done?  We will explore the fundamentals of building a strong base of support for Palestine solidarity campaigns in our local communities and learn how to connect to broader social justice movements.  This interactive workshop will give you concrete tools for creating successful outreach strategies for BDS Campaigns. (With Anna-Marie Murano of Olympia BDS and Flo Razowski of Minnesota Break the Bonds)
5. No to Sabra, No to Hasbara!  Why BDS Must Be Comprehensive: Cultural and Academic Boycott
   While most Palestine allies have no problem with the boycott of consumer goods such as Sabra hummus and Ahava skin care, many still harbor concerns and hesitations about a boycott of cultural and academic institutions.  This interactive workshop addresses these concerns, starting with an explanation of Israel’s “hasbara” (propaganda) and image-burnishing campaign, and clarifying the criteria for boycotting complicit institutions and supporting dissident individuals. (With Nada Elia)
6. New Media for BDS Activists
   How do we use social networks, websites, film, and other types of media to support activism? Practical examples and tools based in real experience are offered, that can help you in your work. (With Johan Genberg and Andrew Kadi)
7. Power, Privilege, and the Politics of Cross-Movement Building: The story of the Olympia-Rafah Solidarity Mural Project and beyond how ORSMP embodies diverse solidarity and activism.
   How can we act in solidarity acknowledging structured inequalities and great differences in power and privilege within movements and contexts we engage and challenge? How can we “walk the talk” and nurture progressive/radical movements that are explicitly anti-racist, anti-sexist, and queer and family friendly? We will discuss solidarity as a deliberate process designed to nurture a sense of community among movement participants that enhances our ability to forge and sustain coalitions with people who are significantly different than us. Taking the Olympia-Rafah Solidarity Mural as an example of solidarity across difference, we will explore its vision and muli-platform components that encourage cross-movement building, including: audio, video, website, social networking and its physical space, including organizing Spring Arts Walk at the Mural! We envision a great discussion leading to a clear strategy for building upon the mural as an organizing tool. This workshop will energize seasoned activists to reflect on their activism and to re- commit to solidarity across difference and inspire new people to join the movement. (With Dr. Simona Sharoni)
8. Combating Misused Charges of Anti-Semitism and Challenging Jewish Privilege
   Organizers of BDS efforts are often falsely charged with anti-Semitism. After a brief presentation on arguments in support of BDS and against these false charges, the workshop facilitators will use case studies and role plays to practice defending our work in support of the Palestinian call for BDS.  The presentation and discussion will include an exploration of roles for Jewish BDS activists in supporting increasingly broad participation in BDS efforts and thereby challenging the privileging of Jewish voices within the Palestine solidarity movement. (With Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb and Sara Kershnar)
9. How to Talk the Walk: Constructing and Deconstructing the Discourse on Palestine/Israel
   When it comes to Palestine/Israel, it’s not enough to have the talking points down. You have to deal with the ceaseless barrage of obfuscation and flak. We will work together to parse the discourse, dissect the arguments used to discredit us, and develop proactive strategies to make sure our message comes through. (With Susan Landau and Phan Nguyen)
10. The Art of Resistance: Internal Exile and Indigenous Perspectives: US, Mexico, Palestine and beyond.  What does it mean to be displaced and rendered an invisible outsider in one’s own land? What are the similarities and differences in the ways people have experienced and responded to colonization in US, Mexico, Palestine and beyond? Looking at the dynamics of power and priviledge we will consider the roles art and culture play in resistance to colonialism. How can a project like Olympia-Rafah Solidarity Mural be used to strengthen relationships and organizing leading to social change and activism? Focusing on such issues as environmental justice and struggles for equality, self-determination and sovereignty around land and resources, we will articulate links between popular resistance movements in the Middle East, North Africa and North America. (With Melissa Franklin, Nancy Hernandez, Gail Trembley, and Ziad Abbas)
11. Food as a Weapon and a Solution: Food Justice for Palestine Come hear how just peace activists are making connections with the food and environmental movements. First we will explore the concept of Israel using food as a weapon via a report back from a recent delegation to farms in the West Bank.  Second we will hear about the role of food in expanding the Portland Coalition for BDS campaign.    Third, we will discover how Palestinian fair trade farmers are central to the emerging economy of a free Palestine as well as opening doors to new communities here in the states. Together we will workshop how to use food as a framework, to grow the movement for a just peace in Palestine and Israel. (With Wael Elasady, Jennifer Grosvenor, and Jake Harris)
12. International Solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza Join the Associate and Program Directors from the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) for a discussion of how US activists and organizers can practice solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. From sister-schools to joint struggle to divest/invest, Ziad and Josie will share ideas and tools drawing on MECA’s 23 years of experience partnering with community organizations in Gaza. (With Josie Shields-Stromsness and Ziad Abbas)
13. Hip Hop: A Tool for Liberation Over the past 40 years Hip Hop has grown from park jams in the South Bronx, to a worldwide revolution in arts & culture that today is being used around the world to bridge people and communities together as a part of larger movements for liberation. We’ll be talking about Hip Hop in Seattle and Hip Hop in Palestine, both our similarities and differences, and how work being done here can affect over there. Together we will explore Hip Hop’s roots in struggle, how the music has been co-opted by mainstream media, and why this music and culture is still relevant today. (With Gabriel Teodros)
14. Putting Justice at the Center of Anti-Oppression work: Practicing Palestine Solidarity The oppression of Palestinians is often portrayed as a touchy subject — one that evokes fears of anti-Semitism or of taking sides in a complicated dispute between two ethnic groups. Because of these fears, many potential activists refrain from taking a strong stance or any stance at all, allowing their actions to be dictated by the charges leveled against them. They feel so restrained by fear of doing the wrong thing that they forget to do the right thing. This workshop seeks to remind us that true justice comes through solidarity and seeks to restore Palestinians to the forefront of their own struggle. (With Simona Sharoni)
15. Voices from Gaza: Perspectives From a Lifelong Resident and a Visiting American Doctor
    Beginning with the the economic and humanitarian situation, this workshop will delve deep into the reality found in the Gaza Strip and provide a broad look at life under siege.  We will cover the human rights violations, the last war on Gaza, the current health care situation, environmental catastrophes, as well as solidarity success stories. (With Abed Basheer and Laura Rich)
16. Co-op Boycott Step by Step The Olympia Food Co-op Board of Directors came to consensus to join the on July 15, 2010, the board of directors at the Olympia Food Co-op reach consensus to pull Israeli products from the shelves in response to the 2005 call for BDS.  They became the first grocery store in the United States to join the BDS Call.  OlympiaBDS organizers will share a step-by-step breakdown of our campaign, lessons we learned, campaign materials we developed and more.   Join us in conversation and let the Olympia Food Co-op be the first grocery store of many! (With Rochelle Gause and Noah Sochet)
17. Beating the Backlash: Winning in Victory, Winning in Defeat With the growing success of BDS and billboard campaigns around the country, the level of backlash from opposition groups can be overwhelming.  This discussion will facilitate ideas for anticipating and responding strategically to backlash, identifying opposition, rallying allies within your community, and framing your campaign for success even when some goals appear to be defeated.  (With Ed Mast and Andrew Meyer)
18. Getting to the Root of the Matter: Unlearning Zionism & Racism–Palestine Solidarity and BDS as part of anti-racist and other liberation struggles. By the founding of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement had become singular in purpose – the colonization and ethnic cleansing of Palestine for the creation of a Jewish homeland. For Jews and white anti-racists committed to liberation and justice, confronting Zionism is central to our commitment to organizing against racism and Islamophobia, to supporting Palestinian self-determination, and to stopping racist US military aggression and occupations abroad. This workshop will explore the relationship between confronting Zionism and dismantling other intersecting forms of oppression.  We will also develop arguments to counter false claims of antisemitism, and brainstorm opportunities to build joint struggle between Palestine solidarity work, including BDS, and other anti-racist, liberatory movements in the US. The discussion and exercises are intended to support Jewish anti-Zionist and white anti-racist activists in clarifying our role and work as BDS and Palestine solidarity activists, but everyone is welcome to participate.   (With Sara Kershnar and Flo Razowsky)

 

Co-Sponsors

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