----- Original Message -----
From: Gila Svirsky
To: Coalition of Women for Peace
Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2005 11:22 PM
Subject: There IS a partnerit!
Friends,
Israelis have gotten used to saying, âThereâs no partnerâ, referring to
the perceived unwillingness of Palestinian leaders to make peace with Israel.
So we think we raised a few eyebrows by posting stickers everywhere this
weekend saying (in Hebrew) âThere IS a partnerâ, with the word
âpartnerâ in the female gender (photo right). Yes, there IS a partner for
peace, and she may very well be a woman. Write if you want the 1.5 Meg version
of this sticker, or even an original snail-mailed to you. Or just practice
saying âYesh Partneritâ in Hebrew, so you can inform your Israeli friendsâ
We had a wonderful end-of-year roundup in Tel Aviv, where hundreds of women
from the nine member organizations of the Coalition of Women for Peace came
together to mark the close of another year of hard work and good energy. We
invite those of you who couldnât be with us to review a summary of our
efforts below.
We also invite you to visit the websites of some Coalition member organizations:
Bat Shalom http://www.batshalom.org
MachsomWatch http://www.machsomwatch.org
New Profile http://www.newprofile.org
And check out our new website http://www.coalitionofwomen.org, in English,
Hebrew, and Arabic.
We wish all our friends and partners, of all genders, a New Year of peace and
justice.
Gila Svirsky
Coaliton of Women for Peace
______________________
2004: HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR ACTIVITY
1. Advocacy to support an end to the occupation â in Israel and abroad.
In 2004, the Coalition used a wide range of strategies â public education,
posters, billboards, street theater, creative public events, placement of
articles in the media, petitions, and mobilization of the international
community â to help increase support for peace in Israel and abroad. Some
highlights of that activity:
Large public events: In January, our large semi-annual event included a
conference about the negative effects of occupation specifically on women,
followed by a march through Jerusalem streets (photo left), and a mass public
rally. In June, we held a variety of events across Israel: A large âEnd the
Occupationâ demonstration in the north, panel discussions about the
occupation at the annual feminist conference, public screenings of the video we
produced, and a poster campaign throughout Israel âDai Lakibush, Yad
LâPiyusâ [End the Occupation, Seek Reconciliation] covering billboards in
Jerusalem, Haifa, and Tel Aviv (photo left below). We conducted a âwalking
exhibitionâ in Tel Aviv, showing photos of destroyed homes in Gaza. In
September, we took advantage of Madonnaâs visit to Israel to publicize the
plight of the Palestinians, and won excellent coverage in both the Israeli and
international media, including ABC-TV. In December, we held a large
demonstration in Tel Aviv and public screening of the play, âWinter in
Kalandiaâ showing some of the bitter reality at the military checkpoints.
Public education: Public education events in 2004 included programs analyzing
the Hague ruling on the Separation Barrier, the Gaza disengagement plan, the
economics of occupation, panels on âWomen and Peaceâ and âWhat is Russian
Feminism?â, and seminars on the role of Mizrahim in the peace movement,
examining the relationship between peace and social justice issues.
Human rights: Human rights activity, with its humanitarian help, is an
important part of our work. It not only supports and gives solidarity to
Palestinians, but it serves to educate and raise public awareness of Israelis.
Some activity:
During a January emergency, the Coalition delivered several tons of infant food
to Gaza and Nablus. In May, Coalition and Bat Shalom women together set up an
encampment at the checkpoint leading into Rafah to protest the intensified
violence by the Israeli army in Gaza. This action spurred the formation of
other vigils around Israel that continued for as long as the army remained in
Rafah. We also helped organize (led by Taâayush and together with other
organizations) a major rally of hundreds of Israelis at the Kissufim entrance
to Gaza, which won considerable media attention.
In the summer, Coalition women organized a fun days in Israel for 500
Palestinian children whose villages are sliced by the Security Wall. In the
fall, we sponsored a âwomenâs dayâ of olive harvesting (photo left),
helping Palestinians gather their crop despite inacessibility due to the
Security Wall and assaults by settlers.
The Coalition played a significant role in the late summer campaign to prevent
the expulsion of 2,000 Palestinian cave dwellers from the South Hebron Hills (a
campaign led by Taâayush). Specifically, the Coalition organized an
international petition (which garnered 4,000 signatures) and a public letter
endorsed by some of the leading anthropologists in the world. There was
partial success on this, as Israelâs Supreme Court granted a 4-month reprieve
to enable the residents to legalize their homes.
One clear success in 2004 was our campaign to demand that Israel allow UNRWA to
resume food deliveries to Gaza, after the Israeli army halted them following a
bombing in Ashdod. The Coalition of Women for Peace mobilized local and
international pressure to compel Israel to re-open the gates to this vital
supply line, and Israel relented three weeks later. While we have no proof of
a causal connection here, the Coalition of Women was the only NGO working on
the issue and gathered 7,000 petition signatures within days, leading the UNRWA
spokesman to state that our campaign made a significant contribution to this
success.
The Security Wall: The Coalition campaigned extensively, often in cooperation
with other organizations, to halt construction of the Security Wall along its
present route. We held events in Israel, on-site demonstrations at the wall
(four with Palestinian women), an extensive Internet campaign, mass e-mail
exposure, full-page ads (photo left, âNot in our Name!â written by the
âWall Coalitionâ that includes us), and a brochure that we put out in three
languages (Hebrew, Arabic, English). We placed op-eds explaining the problem
of the wall in Israeli Internet portals and major newspapers in the U.S.,
Europe and Africa. Above all, the Coalition conducted tours of the Security
Wall for 1,500 Israelis, most of whom had never seen it before, and many of
whom were so stunned by what they saw, they sent others on the tour.
The 3-week International Human Rights March of Women (held December-January
2003-04) brought 120 women from 14 countries for a fact-finding tour of the
situation in Palestine and Israel (photo left). As a result of direct exposure
to the occupation, these women â as individuals and members of their local
organizations â have become inspired and well-informed activists in their own
countries. This program was jointly run by organizations in 3 countries: in
Israel, the Coalition of Women for Peace; in Palestine, the Palestinian General
Union of Women Workers; and, in Europe, the Norwegian Peace Alliance and the
Norwegian WILPF section.
The Coalition increased its international outreach by âconstructing and
running an active website in 3 languages; âactivating an e-mail list of 4,000
subscribers worldwide, which reaches tens of thousands more; âplacing
articles and giving interviews in media throughout the world; âspeaking at
conferences worldwide; âsending women to engage in extensive speaking tours
in Europe and North America; and âaddressing a UN conference in Geneva on the
subject of the Security Wall (in April).
Bridges with the social justice movement: âThe Coalition of Women for Peace
was a co-founder (in May 2002) of the Social Forum, which brings together peace
and social justice organizations to support each otherâs work. Together with
this group (now independent), the Coalition helped organize this yearâs
âAlternative Caesaria Conferenceâ, which provides an alternative forum to
the annual Israeli conference that brings together the wealthy with those in
power. âIn April, the Coalition was a co-sponsor of Israelâs Activism
Festival, patterned after the World Social Forum, in which social change
activists share information and strategies. âIn December, we co-sponsored
the âPoverty Conferenceâ in Tel Aviv, which drew large numbers of people.
Bridges with the womenâs movement: âIn December, the Coalition, together
with Woman-to-Woman of Haifa, ran a gender-sensitivity training for the staff
of BâTselem, explaining the importance of interviewing women, documenting the
human rights violations of women, and doing gender aggregations of human rights
data. âThe Coalition also worked together with other feminist organizations
to protest the lack of women presenters in two conferences: the Herzliya
Seminar, sponsored by the Israel Democracy Institute, and a conference on
multiculturalism, sponsored by Haifa University.
2. Outreach to new audiences.
In 2004 we launched three new outreach programs:
Outreach to Russian speakers. Russian-speaking immigrants to Israel and the
Russian-language media are dominated by extremist right-wing views. In this
project, we found and brought together 100 progressive women who are
Russian-speaking immigrants to Israel, and wish to bring a progressive voice to
their community. Meeting biweekly, the women address a broad agenda â
feminism, racism, human rights, social justice â and seek ways to bring their
voice on these issues into their community. These women are in the process of
shaping a strategy that will introduce their views to the Russian-language
media and impact their community directly.
Reality Tours are geared toward Israeli women and men who do not share our
views, but are willing to expose themselves to facts on the ground. Led by
trained Coalition guides, the tours expose the participants to the social,
economic, political, and environmental realities of the conflict â
checkpoints, refugee camps, the âSecurity Fence, etc. The tour typically has
a powerful impact, showing participants a reality that most have never before
witnessed. In several cases, participants became directly involved in activism
following the tour, and almost all send friends and family to participate.
Approximately 1,500 Israelis participated in these tours in 2004. (Photo left:
Tour participants meeting with a Palestinian teacher and her child who live
beside the wall.)
The Political Education in the Negev project is conducted by Ahoti, an
organization for the empowerment of women from disadvantaged Mizrahi families
(Jews from Arab countries). This project operates in Mitzpe Ramon â a Negev
town with high unemployment and low morale, but a recent history of activism.
A group of women who are local opinion leaders meet biweekly to discuss the
implications of the ongoing occupation for their lives, and to shape a peace
program that reflects their concerns. A second framework brings together women
who are already Mizrahi activists from the center of the country to explore the
complexity of the peace issue and its relationship to Mizrahi rights, in an
effort to broaden the culture of peace, currently regarded as a concern of
âthe privilegedâ.
3. Capacity building in the member organizations.
Thanks to additional resources, the Coalition has been able to support, empower
and build capacity in our member organizations, each of which has a different
strategy and audience. To that end, the Coalition engaged in the following
activities:
The Media Project: The Media Project helps member organizations access the
media and publicize their activities and views. Begun in July, the Media
Project has already had dramatic success in boosting media access: publicity
for the Tali Fahima case, emphasizing the lack of due judicial process; footage
by MachsomWatch of army abuse of Palestinians at checkpoints, which caused a
stir in the Israeli mass media; coverage of organizational events; and
placement of major articles and op-eds in the Israeli media.
Public Exposure: The Coalition produced a 20-minute video, âWomen Resist the
Occupationâ (photo left) that describes the work of its member organizations.
Over 300 copies of this video were sold throughout Israel and abroad for use
in advocacy and consciousness raising (and are still available for sale). In
general, Coalition members attend each otherâs events and cite each other in
public forums, such as presentations to groups in Israel and abroad, enhancing
the visibility of us all.
Financially, the Coalition raised significant foundation support for its member
organizations (a total of $134,000 in 2004) by writing the proposals and
mediating with the foundations. The Coalition has secured a similar level of
funding for the coming year (2005) as well.
Other: Coalition members support each other in the face of adversity â when
New Profile was slandered on a TV show this year, we all came out in its
support, and the Coalition paid for an ad that enabled New Profile to correct
the record publicly.
Special thanks to all the many volunteers!!
And to our dedicated staff!!
And to all our friends who made our work possible!!
Special thanks to the following generous friends who were major donors in 2004:
Rosa Luxemburg Foundation
Sally Gottesman
Moriah Fund
Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation
Funding for Change (formerly Network for Social Change)
New Israel Fund
Norman Rothfield
Samuel Rubin Foundation
Our New Yearâs Wish:
May 2005 render the Coalition of Women for Peace superfluous.
______________________
But until we are superfluousâHow To Contribute
Contributions to the Coalition of Women for Peace help make it possible
for us to carry out our work for peace â public rallies, human rights
campaigns, outreach programs, and advocacy activity. Every bit helps. You can
make a donation in any of the following ways:
1.. For a US-tax deduction, make out a check to "US/Israel
Women-to-Womenâ, write on the memo line (or separately) that it is âFor the
Coalition of Women for Peace", and mail it to US/Israel Women-to-Women, 45 West
36th Street, NY, NY 10018.
2.. If a US-tax deduction is not relevant, make out a check to the
âCoalition of Women for Peaceâ, and mail it to Coalition of Women for
Peace, P.O. Box 10252, 91102 Jerusalem, Israel. Any currency is welcome!
3.. Alternatively, you can wire transfer a contribution directly into
our bank account.
Our address:
Israel Discount Bank, Hamoshava Branch #062, 21 Emek Refaim Street,
Jerusalem
Beneficiary:
Coalition of Women for Peace
Account Number:
967017-512400
Swift Code:
IDBLILIT 062
For transfers from Europe:
IBAN No. IL 011062 967017 512400
Thank you for helping make our work possible!
___________________________
Gila Svirsky
Coalition of Women for Peace
http://www.coalitionofwomen.org
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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