| Gaza Freedom March Coordinating Committee (CC)
This committee is charged with making strategic and policy decisions related to the march. - Medea Benjamin is cofounder of Global Exchange and CODEPINK: Women for Peace, and has helped organized five trips to Gaza since February 2009.
- Felice Gelman works on Palestine issues with WESPAC Foundation. She is on the board of the Friends of the Jenin Freedom Theatre, and recently organized a New York area delegation to Gaza.
- Mirene Ghossein has served on various human rights and cultural organizations in both Lebanon and the U.S. She is a member of Adalah (Arabic for Justice) NY, the Middle East Committee of WESPAC Foundation and Alwan for the Arts.
- Abdeen Jabara is a Michigan-born lawyer and former president of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (1986-1990).
- Dina Kennedy is a member of American Palestinian Women's Association and a U.S. coordinator for Free Gaza.
- Ehab Lotayef is a Montreal-based writer and engineer, and a veteran activist in the struggle for Palestinian rights.
- Nancy Murray is president of the Gaza Mental Health Foundation and a long time activist for civil and human rights
- Oruba Rabie is a Palestinian-American graduate student at New Jersey Institute of Technology and a writer for the "Arab Voice" newspaper.
- Ann Wright is a retired U.S. Army Colonel, former U.S. diplomat who resigned in opposition to the Iraq war and co-leader in 2009 of three CODEPINK delegations to Gaza and one delegation to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
| Gaza Freedom March Liaison Committee (LC)
This committee consists of the chairpersons of the various working committees. - Max Ajl is a writer, graduate student in political science and member of the Israel-Palestine Committee of Brooklyn for Peace. He is co-chair of the Media Outreach Committee.
- Ali Glenesk is a fourth-year UC Berkeley student concentrating in Arabic and global poverty and was a lead organizer of the May 2009 40-person student delegation to Gaza. She is the contact person for the Gaza Freedom March Student Coordinating Committee (SCC).
- Ali Mallah is vice president of the Canadian Arab Federation in Ontario, a member of the steering committee of the Canadian Peace Alliance, and a founding member of Trade Unionists Against War and the Coalition to Stop War. Ali is the contact person for the North American Muslim/Arab Community Outreach Committee.
- Nadia Hijab is a syndicated columnist, author, public speaker and media commentator. She has served as co-chair of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and is a past president of the Association of Arab American University Graduates.
- Mark Johnson, PhD, is executive director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation/USA. He is co-chair of the march's Interfaith Outreach Committee.
- Sayel Kayed is a Palestinian-American and an active member of American Muslims for Palestine. He helped organize the last Viva Palestina convoy to Gaza, July 2009. He is chair of the Arab-American Outreach Committee.
- Dave Kunes is a communications associate at the national office of Peace Action. He is chair of the Internet Outreach Committee.
- Gael Murphy is co-chair of the legislative committee of United for Peace and Justice and a cofounder of CODEPINK. Murphy is the contact person for the Elected Officials Outreach Committee.
- Pam Rasmussen is on the steering committee of Peace Action Montgomery and was an International Solidarity Movement volunteer in the West Bank. Rasmussen is the contact person for the Peace and Justice Outreach Committee.
- Sandra Ruch is the Canadian coordinator for the march. She lives in Toronto and is the administrative coordinator for the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, on the steering committee of Independent Jewish Voices and Gaza coordinator for CODEPINK Toronto.
- Ziyaad Lunat is the contact person for the European Outreach Committee. He is an activist for Palestine and a former BBC journalist. He was the head of the Palestine Society at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
| | Committee Contact Info: | | Historical Resources Here are some resources to assist with your organizing efforts around the Gaza Freedom March: - Wonderful new "Gaza in Crisis" factsheet put together by the staff of AFSC Chicago. Download it here.
- A flyer with a box at the bottom in which information on local events, etc. can be inserted. Download it here.
- A quarter-page flyer for the march can be downloaded here.
- A list of individuals who have traveled to Gaza who are willing to speak at events to help recruit support for the Freedom March. View or download it here. If you cannot pay one of these speakers' travel expenses and and want to explore alternatives, e-mail info@gazafreedommarch.org.
- A "header image" for posters, invitations to a fundraiser, etc. Download it here.
- Artwork for Gaza Freedom March buttons. Simply print, cut and assemble. Download it here.
Download and distribute these beautiful posters
made for us by Artist Michael Thompson
ENDORSE THE GAZA FREEDOM MARCH! Sign the Pledge Below! This is the official "call" for the Gaza Freedom March. Any other version is not authorized or correct.
Israel’s blockade of Gaza is a flagrant violation of international law that has led to mass suffering. The U.S., the European Union, and the rest of the international community are complicit.
The law is clear. The conscience of humankind is shocked. Yet, the siege of Gaza continues. It is time for us to take action! On Dec. 31, we will end the year by marching alongside the Palestinian people of Gaza in a non-violent demonstration that breaches the illegal blockade.
Our purpose in this March is lifting the siege on Gaza. We demand that Israel end the blockade. We also call upon Egypt to open Gaza’s Rafah border. Palestinians must have freedom to travel for study, work, and much-needed medical treatment and to receive visitors from abroad.
As an international coalition we are not in a position to advocate a specific political solution to this conflict. Yet our faith in our common humanity leads us to call on all parties to respect and uphold international law and fundamental human rights to bring an end to the Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territories since 1967 and pursue a just and lasting peace.
The march can only succeed if it arouses the conscience of humanity. Please join us.
The International Coalition to End the Illegal Siege of Gaza (For more information, please see the Statement of Context & For a list of endorsers, please click here.) To sign the Cairo Declaration, pls. go to: http://cairodeclaration.org/sign
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