[act-ma] Struggle for the Land: Conference, 4/12-4/13

[Amy Hendrickson]

***Please forward widely***

On the 60th Anniversary of the Nakba

the New England Committee to Defend Palestine
presents

Struggle for the Land:
Zionism and the Repression of Anti-Colonial Movements

An Education and Strategy Conference

Saturday, April 12 to Sunday, April 13
Encuentro 5, 33 Harrison Ave.
Boston, MA
Suggested Donation: $15

Confirmed speakers include:

Amer Jubran, Palestinian activist and former political detainee
Saja Raoof, Iraqi anti-war activist
Ward Churchill, American Indian Movement activist and author
Kali Akuno, Executive Director of the People's Hurricane Relief Fund in New 
Orleans and Malcolm X Grassroots Movement National Organizer
Marta Rodriguez, Puerto Rican independence activist and member of the NECDP
Dara Bayer, Palestine solidarity activist
Jeffrey Blankfort, anti-Zionist journalist and activist, co-plaintiff in a 
lawsuit
    against the ADL for spying on left organizations

as well as

Photography Exhibition from Gaza
Palestinian political artwork, and art by Brazilian Artist Carlos Latuff

This year commemorates the sixtieth anniversary of the Nakba (Arabic for 
'catastrophe') in Palestine. While this past January saw an escalation of 
the already brutal strangulation of Gaza, as well as continued colonization 
throughout historic Palestine, Palestinians have continued to resist in all 
of their historic land. In Gaza, under starvation conditions, Palestinians 
broke the siege by destroying the wall at Rafah crossing and continue to 
defend their land through armed resistance against settlers.

In spite of a wider public awareness of the brutal policies of colonial 
settlement in Palestine, the "United States" continues to provide the main 
economic, political and military aid to the Zionist settler colony. While 
every major presidential candidate pledges undying support for "Israel," 
there is a growing public discussion about the role of Zionism in the "US" 
political system, and especially of its relationship to the war in Iraq.

Zionism has played a role not only in defining "foreign policy," but also in 
the suppression of anti-colonial movements here-not least of all, because 
these movements have recognized the Palestinian struggle as part of a common 
global struggle against colonialism. In order to suppress the emergence of a 
serious pro-Palestinian bloc of oppositional power, Zionists have attacked 
genuine leaders and organizations, while at the same time cultivating less 
radical alternatives.

The combination of "Israeli" political ties to imperialist policies abroad 
and Zionist opposition to anti-colonial liberation movements here, has led 
to a repressive collaboration between Zionist political organizations, 
"Israeli" and "US" police and intelligence forces, mercenaries, and 
corporations in the private "security" sector.

Confronting Zionism is crucial to any movement forward against militarism 
and internal oppression.

Bringing together representatives of several movements, our conference will 
focus on two themes: Zionist disruption of anti-colonial movements and land 
as the basis of struggle and solidarity.

Pre-register for a discount on tickets at http://www.onepalestine.org 
<https://mail.bmc.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.onepalestine.org> 
(beginning on February 26).

Co-sponsored by Jericho Boston  http://www.jerichoboston.org 
<https://mail.bmc.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.jerichoboston.org>

------------------------------------------------------------

NECDP

PO Box 681
East Boston, MA 02128

www.onepalestine.org 
<https://mail.bmc.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.onepalestine.org>

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