blank space
Past Events      Click here to return to the home page of People for Justice in Palestine.
07-28-2015

Tuesday, July 28, 2015
6:30 pm
CORALVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
SCHWAB AUDITORIUM
 

PLEASE JOIN US for a special evening to celebrate and support the work of Al-Rowwad: Pioneers for Life, featuring the latest news from Al-Rowwad's founder and a short creative presentation.

Aida refugee camp in the West Bank seems, at first glance, a very unhappy place. In the never-ending Israeli-Palestinian conflict, despair and hatred are the order of the day.

But one man and a special group of kids are determined to end that. They seek to lay the groundwork for peace, justice and mutual understanding on both sides of this bitter divide; building bridges between two peoples who have suffered far too long.

Abdul Fattah Abu Srour, or Abed, for short, is the leader of Al-Rowwad: Pioneers for Life, a world-renowned theatre and creative society in Aida. His mission is to use art, theatre and music as a healing alternative to the cycle of destructive violence.

This program is FREE and open to the public. A free will donation of whatever you can afford would be appreciated, but people of limited means are welcome to attend.

Please call 815-281-0590 for more information or assistance.

The Coralville Public Library requests that people park in the ramp right next to the library, which has both a ground level and lower levels. Parking is free.
 


04-30-2015

Anecdotes from a life
of non-violent resistance
under oppression
with Meg Kiekhaefer

Thursday, April 30th
7:00 PM
Iowa City Public Library
Meeting Room A

In spite of the difficult lives that Palestinians have, they have a collective strength and hope for the future. They use the word sumud to describe their way of life of non-violent resistance under longstanding oppression.

Meg Kiekhaefer, a local activist, writes, "It usually just entails day-to-day survival under the Occupation. As many travel to far places, we ask what we can do to improve the lives of those encountered. Most frequently the response is 'tell our story.' This was my experience on my recent trip to the West Bank; I was able to meet many new friends and get reacquainted with old ones."

You will meet a number of these Christian and Muslim Palestinians and will learn of their joys and concerns in daily life. They invite you to come hear their stories.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

This event is sponsored by People for Justice in Palestine ( www.iowapjp.us )

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Jason at 319-338-3290.


Sue Dravis Mar 29

Building a Mosaic of Peace
in Israel-Palestine
and Bearing Witness
against Occupation and Injustice
with SUE DRAVIS

Sunday March 29th
2:00 PM
Iowa City Public Library
Meeting Room A

SUE DRAVIS, longtime peace and justice activist with the Presbyterian Church USA, discusses her recent trip to Palestine and the ongoing non-violent struggle against the occupation. She goes beyond the headlines to open our eyes to the quiet strength, courage and integrity of ordinary people living with injustice every day, and shows us unexpected glimmers of hope in a dark time.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

This event is sponsored by People for Justice in Palestine ( www.iowapjp.us )

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Jason at 319-338-3290.


Abunimah

 
Ali Abunimah
"The Battle for Justice and Peace in Palestine"
 

Monday, March 9th
7:00 pm
Flaherty Community Room, second floor Basile Hall
Mt. Mercy University, 1330 Elmhurst Drive NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402

Ali Abunimah will speak about his recent book, The Battle for Justice in Palestine, winner of the 2014 Palestine Book Award. Efforts to achieve a "two-state solution" have finally collapsed: the struggle for justice in Palestine is at a crossroads. As Israel and its advocates lurch toward greater extremism, many ask where the struggle is headed. Will there be a repeat of last summer's violence that left more than 2,200 people in Gaza dead, and how can further violence be avoided?

His talk will cover the present situation in Palestine/Israel and the surrounding region, political trends among Israelis and Palestinians, and the growing global movement of boycott, divestment and sanctions.

Based in the United States, he has written hundreds of articles and been an active part of the movement for justice in Palestine for 20 years. He is the recipient of a 2013 Lannan Cultural Freedom Fellowship.

This event is free and open to the public. Limited seating available. In keeping with its educational mission, Mount Mercy University welcomes guests with varied perspectives.
 


Click here for the event poster

Save Gaza - Save Humanity

GAZA EMERGENCY: IOWA CITY RESPONDS

A Fundraising Event

FRIDAY at 6:30-8:30 pm
26 September 2014

From Mike Rasmusson on PJP's Facebook page:

Just wanted everyone to know what a great event it was tonight and to sincerely thank everyone for their generous support and help in making it all happen. All the cosponsors really helped to volunteer setup and cleanup afterwards and to spread the word throughout the community. The presentations, cello playing, and poetry reading were really special, AND WHAT A FEAST! Thank you all for your hard work! It was great to see everyone and really feel a sense of community from all of you.

The grand total donations far exceeded our expectations, but it will make a real difference to those in Gaza who really need it at this time. Iowa City and the local community can be very proud of the fact that they raised: $3410 for the American Friends of UNRWA for Gaza Relief (USA UNRWA) and $936 for the International Orthodox Christian Charities for Gaza Relief for a grand total of $4346. WOW! THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR YOUR KINDNESS and GENEROUSITY!!!


OLD BRICK CHURCH
26 East Market St.
Iowa City, Iowa
EVENT POSTER

The recent fighting has made things unimaginable. Whole families have been killed, over 2,100 mostly innocent civilians dead, half a million made homeless, schools and hospitals are overwhelmed with catastrophic numbers of refugees and the wounded. Gaza’s power and water infrastructure lie in ruins. The damages run into many billions of dollars.

Please join us for a special evening with Middle Eastern food and music. Proceeds will go directly to the American Friends of UN Relief and Works Agency for Gaza families (USA UNRWA) and International Orthodox Christian Charities for Gaza Relief Fund (IOCC). Donations to these 501(c)(3) nonprofits are tax deductible.

PLEASE RSVP with number of people attending by September 20th by email to: dinnergaza@gmail.com or by phone: 319-333-5231. This will help us plan food preparation.

Suggested donation: $20
($15 students, seniors, and low income, $10 children).

This event is sponsored by People for Justice in Palestine. Cosponsors: American Friends Service Committee, First Mennonite Church (Iowa City), Iowa Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, Iowa City Friends Meeting, the Iowa United Nations Association, PEACE Iowa, Saint Raphael Orthodox Church, UI Amnesty International, UI Arab Student Association, the UI Center for Human Rights, UI Students for Human Rights, Veterans for Peace Chapters #161 and #169, and Zephyr Printing.

For more information, please contact Yaser at 319-333-5231. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend. all University of Iowa events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Yaser at 319-333-5231.



CANCELLED: Rabbi Rosen will NOT be speaking in Iowa City on May 15 due to unexpected work demands. He hopes to reschedule with us soon.

Rabbi Brant Rosen Speaking Out, Making Peace: Jews in Solidarity with Palestinians
Thursday 15 May 2014, 7:00 pm
Iowa Memorial Union, Iowa Theater (Rm. 166)

Poster (color)...Poster (black & white)

From Rabbi Michael Lerner: Rabbi Rosen "is the voice of a new generation of American Jews who are refusing to concede that loyalty to the Jewish people requires blind loyalty to the state of Israel." Rabbi Rosen is the author of "Wrestling in the Daylight: A Rabbi's Path to Palestinian Solidarity."

Please join Amnesty International and People for Justice in Palestine for this important discussion.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accom- modation in order to participate in this program, please call Julia at 337-9303.


Our Story Our Story: A film by Dr. Mustafa Barghouti
Thursday 24 April 2014, 7:00 pm
Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A

Poster (color)...Poster (black & white)

The story of the Palestinian people; the history, the present, the future. A short film by Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, who was born in Jerusalem in 1954. Dr. Barghouti is a leader of the Paltinian National Initiative founded in 2002, and a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, as well as a former Minister of Information in the unity government in 2007. The film showing will be followed by a Q&A period and informal group discussion.

This event is brought to you by People for Justice in Palestine. For more information, please contact Jason at 338-3290. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this program, please call Julia at 337-9303.



Abdul Abu Srour PALESTINE: Beautiful Resistance
Monday 14 April 2014, 7:00 pm
Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A

POSTER

Aida refugee camp in Occupied Palestine is, at first glance, a very unhappy place.

Filled with displaced families expelled in 1948, plagued with an unemployment rate of 77% and a poverty rate of over 80%, Aida is almost completely surrounded by Israel's wall. Children have no fields to play in any more, but only bleak streets and alleys. Forced to spend each day under harsh military rule, the people of Aida live in the kind of desperation that, all over the world, continually feeds the cycle of violence.

In Aida, however, one courageous man is determined to make a difference and forge a path of hope. He is ABDUL FATTAH ABU SROUR, and he is the director of Al Rowwad: Pioneers for Life, a world-renowned theatre and creative arts society.

Al Rowwad's mission is to use art, theatre, and music as a creative alternative to destructive violence. The organization seeks to educate and empower the Palestinian people, especially women and children who struggle against despair, to fight dehumanizing stereotypes of the Palestinians in the mass media in Europe and America, and to promote long-term social transformation. Established in 1998, its theatre company has toured the world and its educational and medical outreach programs have benefited countless families in the West Bank. Al Rowwad is truly a ray of hope in a deeply troubled place and time.

Please join us for a special presentation by Mr. Abu Srour, introduced by Professor Adrien Wing, UI School of Law.

This event is brought to you by People for Justice in Palestine; Friends of Sabeel, Iowa City; The University of Iowa Center for Human Rights; St. Raphael's Church, Iowa City; Intergenre Explorations Working Group; Obermann Center for Advanced Studies; and Peace Iowa.

For more information, please contact Jason at 338-3290. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this program, please call Julia at 337-9303.


A CALL TO ACTION
to All People of Conscience

Katie Huerter—Eyewitness to Palestine

Sunday 29 September, 2 pm
Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A
POSTER

Katie Huerter is a freelance writer, philosopher, human rights advocate, and community organizer. In July of 2011, Katie traveled to Israel and Palestine as part of an Interfaith Peace Building Delegation. Upon her return, Katie has been extremely active internationally, nationally, and locally, in advocating for justice for the Palestinian people. She is the founder of the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Students for Justice in Palestine Chapter, is a member of Jewish Voice for Peace's National Student Leadership Team and is also a member of Nebraskans for Peace Palestinian Task Force. Katie is the author of multiple CNN articles describing her experience in Palestine and Israel, and has been featured in Omaha Magazine for her international human rights advocacy work.

Website: www.katiehuerter.com

This event is sponsored by People for Justice in Palestine. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate, please contact Julia at 337-9303.



BOOK DISCUSSION: "Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East" by Rashid Khalidi

We met on Tuesday, July 16, and agreed that the book gave a dismayingly clear picture of the U.S. role in the peace process. We also agreed with the author that the process is intendedd to delay indefinitely the actual achievement of peace. As a result, we tend to think that activism--particularly around BDS--may be the best if not the only way forward for our movement.

Several people expressed a wish that the book had had a broader scope that would give its argument more context. We hope that this will be partly remedied by Jason's excellent summary of the book.

Jews In Solidarity with Palestinians: BDS and Beyond
Rabbi Brant Rosen

Monday, April 29; 7:00 pm
Drake Sussman Theater in Olmsted
2507 University Ave., Des Moines
POSTER...MORE INFO


Report-Back from Palestine
with Jessica Reznicek & Julie Brown
of the Rachel Corrie Project, sponsored by Des Moines Catholic Worker

Click here for the poster

Friday 10 May 2013, 6:30 pm
Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
POSTER

Recent participants in the Rachel Corrie Project (sponsored by the Des Moines Catholic Worker) share their experiences during their visit to the West Bank, Palestine in February 2013.

About The Des Moines Catholic Worker and The Rachel Corrie Project:

The Rachel corrie Project is an effort by the Des Moines Catholic Worker (DMCW) to train everyday people in third party nonviolent intervention and solidarity models and place them with peace teams in armed conflict zones overseas, as well as to provide a sanctuary for returning international solidarity activists.

DMCW members have traveled in latin america and the Middle east with groups like christian Peacemaker Teams, Witness For Peace, Justicia y Paz, and the international Solidarity Movement.

The Des Moines Catholic Worker is interested in conducting more training and placing more community members in short and long-term stints to global hot spots.

The Des Moines Catholic Worker community's major program is the running of a drop-in center, soup kitchen, and house of hospitality on the near northside of iowa's capital city, Des Moines. We also practice nonviolent resistance, prophetic witness, and speaking truth to power. ?e Rachel corrie Project is an intentional effort to expand the scope of our work and broaden our ministry.

This event is sponsored by People for Justice in Palestine. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate, please contact Julia at 337-9303.



For March, please consider making a donation to The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice. Rachel was killed by the Israeli Defense Forces on March 16, 2003 as she tried to protect a Palestinian home from demolition. On the 10th anniversary of her death, please consider supporting one of RCF's humanitarian projects in Rachel's honor.

The Apartheid Analogy with Israel: 
Reflections from a Veteran of the South African Struggle Against Apartheid -- CLICK HERE FOR THE POSTER

Saturday, March 30, 2013
Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A
123 S. Linn St.
POSTER
... Bus poster

The Apartheid Analogy with Israel: Reflections from a Veteran of the South African Struggle Against Apartheid
VIDEO COMING SOON
About Professor Farid Esack

Challenging racism, religious elitism, and gender inequality in his scholarship and activism, Prof. Farid Esack calls for action towards the liberation of those most acutely oppressed, dispossessed, and marginalized in the world today. A veteran of struggle against Apartheid in South Africa and an activist in the inter-religious solidarity movement for justice and peace and that struggle, Esack played a leading role in the United Democratic Front, the Call of Islam, the Organisation of People Against Sexism and the World Conference on Religion & Peace.

Prof Esack is a South African scholar of Islam who completed the traditional Islamic Studies program, in Madrasahs in Karachi, Pakistan. He did his PhD at the University of Birmingham (UK) and subsequently did some post-doctoral work on Biblical Hermeneutics at the Philosophische Theologische Hochschule, Sankt Georgen in Frankfurt-am- Main. He is the author of Qur'an, Liberation & Pluralism: An Islamic Perspective of Interreligious Solidarity Against Oppression (Oxford: Oneworld). His current major field of interest and commitment is Islam and AIDS. He is the author of a series of publications dealing with this including Islam, HIV & AIDS – Reflections Based on Compassion, Responsibility and Justice. More recently (2009) he co-edited Islam and AIDS – Between Scorn, Pity and Justice. He has also published widely on Islam, Gender, Liberation Theology, Inter-faith Relations, Religion & Identity and Qur'anic Hermeneutics.

Formerly a National Commissioner on Gender Equality appointed by President Nelson Mandela, he has taught at the University of the Western Cape, at Amsterdam, Hamburg and Gadjah Mada Universities, Union Theological Seminary in New York, Xavier University in Ohio, and Harvard University. Esack is currently a Professor in the Study of Islam and serves as Head of the Department of Religion Studies at the University of Johannesburg.

This event is sponsored by People for Justice in Palestine and the CopyExchange. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate, please contact Julia at 337-9303.



ACTION ALERT: SODA-STREAM BOYCOTT

SodaStream is a company that manufactures home beverage carbonation machines, so that people can make their own soda pop. The company, based in the State of Israel, has an extensive market presence in Europe and an expanding one in the US. SodaStream placed an ad during the latest Super Bowl , which drew national attention. The main manufacturing plant for SodaStream is located in the Mishor Edomim industrial park, near the illegal colony of Ma'ale Adumim in the Israeli Occupied West Bank. This land was confiscated by the Israeli government from the local population, contrary to international law.

Company defenders say that it employs Palestinians and brings many economic benefits to the area. But the truth is that the Palestinian population, which faces terrible unemployment, is forced to find work anywhere it can. At SodaStream Palestinian workers get half the minimum wage and are subject to a “permit” system, which means immediate dismissal if they complain about the harsh working conditions. They do not receive the rights to which they are entitled under Israeli labor law. Taxes from the plant go to the Ma'ale Adumim settlement, whose rapid expansion threatens to slice up the West Bank and make a viable Palestinian state impossible. To support SodaStream, therefore, is to vote against territorial compromise, justice and peace in this troubled region of the world.

SUGGESTED ACTION STEPS:

Circulate this local petition. If you fill up a copy, bring it to a PJP meeting (see top of this page) or event, or call Julia at 337-9303. One of our members will collect and submit copies of them to the stores.

Call, email or write local retailers who have begun to carry SodaStream Products. The following is a list of stores in the Iowa City area named by the SodaStream website as carrying their products:

SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS:

  1. I don't know if you are aware that there is a major boycott against SodaStream by a coalition of faith-based and peace and justice organizations, such as the United Methodist Kairos Response and Holy Land Task Force, the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, Jewish Voice for Peace, the American Friends Service Committee, the Episcopal Peace Fellowship, and Unitarian-Universalists for Justice in the Middle East.
  2. We are concerned that the rapid expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank will make a peaceful two-state territorial compromise impossible.
  3. Soda Stream's main production facility is located near the settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, whose expansion threatens to cut the West Bank into pieces.
  4. The factory's tax revenue goes to Ma'ale Adumim. The settlement is illegal under international law (Fourth Geneva Convention, Article 49) and is built on land forcibly confiscated from the local population, who live under a brutal and repressive military occupation. Support for SodaStream sets back the cause of peace in the Middle East.
  5. SodaStream workers receive low wages and are subject to harsh working conditions, in violation of Israeli labor law. (Here you can cite the new report by the Israeli Coalition of Women for Peace: www.globalexchange.org/sites/default/files/SodaStreamReport.pdf .)
NOTE: This is not an official action by PJP, but an invitation to our friends to act on their own conscience. For more information on the SodaStream Boycott, see the website of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation.

Remi Kanazi
April -- Date, time, and place to be determined


  • Watch videos from Remi Kanazi, who will be featured at an event in Iowa City during the week of April 22. Click here for the event poster

    Stating the Case: What does UN recognition mean for Palestine?

    Thursday, February 28, 7-9 pm
    Iowa City Public Library, 123 S. Linn Street, Meeting Room A
    POSTER

    In fall 2012, the United Nations recognized Palestine as a nonmember state by a vote of 138-9 with 41 abstentions. Israel and the United States stood practically alone in opposition.

    JOHN DABEET, who was born in Jerusalem and is the chair of the Muscatine Community College Business Department, was a key player in the effort to bring about this historic achievement. YASER ABU-DAGGA, a computer engineer originally from Gaza, voices a cautionary note: UN recognition has not stopped Israel's illegal settlements in the West Bank or its attacks on Gaza.

    Please join us as Palestine takes its place on the international stage and two local Palestinian Americans discuss their native country's present prospects and future possibilities.

    This event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by People for Justice in Palestine (www.iowapjp.org). Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this program, please call Julia at 337-9303.

    jDsign logo & web design For more information about People for Justice in Palestine, please e-mail yaser5@excite.com.