[Peace-discuss] Fw: New Project in Palestine

[Randall Cotton]

This message was sent to our aware at anti-war.net address (unsolicited). It
describes a unique, new, ambitious Palestinian advocacy program in the Tel
Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron, occupied West Bank. Tel Rumeida is described
as particularly victimized by extremist Israeli settler violence. ISM
(International Solidarity Movement - who many of us are familiar with and
who pass through town occasionally) will be a cooperating organization.

They are looking to build their contact list and for funding.

R

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tel Rumeida Project" <telrumeidaproject at yahoo.com>
To: <telrumeidaproject at yahoo.com>
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 12:32 PM
Subject: New Project in Palestine


:
: I am a 23 year-old American woman who recently returned from a five-month
stay in the West Bank and am returning to co-found a project in Tel Rumeida,
Hebron. Our website is http://www.telrumeidaproject.org, where you can link
to our project proposal, articles, and photos from Tel Rumeida.
:
: Tel Rumeida is a small Palestinian neighborhood widely acknowledged as
housing the most violent and extremist faction of the Israeli settler
movement. Palestinian families who live directly next to these settlers are
often virtual prisoners in their homes, subject to the settlers' violent
attacks and destruction of property.
:
: The Palestinian residents of Tel Rumeida go to incredible lengths to
protect themselves. Very few residents leave their homes on Saturday, the
Jewish Sabbath and the settlers' most violent day. Many families refuse to
send their daughters to Qurtaba school, sending them to schools in other
parts of Hebron. One family has built an iron cage outside the entire front
of their home, protecting them from the settlers who live directly across
the street, while still others have completely abandoned their homes and
moved from Tel Rumeida.
:
: The Tel Rumeida Project is a new project that will begin in earnest in
August 2005. The Tel Rumeida Project is composed of independent internationa
l volunteers. Volunteers for the Tel Rumeida Project will assertively
advocate for the Palestinian families of Tel Rumeida using many strategies
including solidarity activities, extensive documentation, direct
confrontation, filing criminal cases, media attention, and accompaniment.
:
: Volunteers will document the illegal activities of Tel Rumeida settlers,
soldiers, and police, using video, film, and testimonies and will distribute
this documentation freely. Volunteers will directly confront settlers,
soldiers, and police when they are involved in violence against Palestinians
and will file complaints or, when possible, criminal cases against them.
:
: Along with direct confrontation, volunteers will use their connections to
the media, other international, Israeli, and Palestinian organizations, and
their Consulates, to pressure the Israeli government into controlling
illegal settler, soldier, and police activities against the Palestinian
population of Tel Rumeida.
:
: We have established a strong coalition of Israeli, international, and
Palestinian organizations and individuals who have committed to working for
the Palestinians of Tel Rumeida. We have spent a lot of time getting to know
the Palestinian families living in Tel Rumeida and made the joint decision
to begin an international presence in the neighborhood.
:
: The project will be comprised of self-funded independent internationals.
We are speaking to private individuals who might interested in helping us
fund the project. If you would like to fund the project or know individuals
who would be interested, please contact telrumeidaproject at yahoo.com
:
: We are committed to advocating for the Palestinians living in Tel Rumeida
and would like to build a strong base of organizations that receive our
information. I would like to add you to our contact list. If you do not want
to receive this information, please let me know.
:
: Thank you,
:
: --Chelli
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