[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Conference Report: US Campaign Adopts Cultural & Academic Boycott, Ahava BDS Campaign, & More!

[Brussel Morton K.]

As advertised.

Begin forwarded message:

> From: US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation <uscampaign at mail.democracyinaction.org 
> >
> Date: September 18, 2009 10:19:21 AM CDT
> To: mkbrussel at comcast.net
> Subject: Conference Report: US Campaign Adopts Cultural & Academic  
> Boycott, Ahava BDS Campaign, & More!
> Reply-To: uscampaign at mail.democracyinaction.org
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> Conference Report: US Campaign Adopts Cultural & Academic Boycott,  
> Ahava BDS Campaign, & More!
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> Earlier this week, we returned to the office from Chicago, where we  
> held our 8th Annual National Organizers' Conference last weekend and  
> we wanted to let you know about the exciting highlights of the  
> conference and our plans for the next year.
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> Approximately 200 delegates from at least 27 states and 90 member  
> organizations of the US Campaign attended the  conference to  
> strategize about strengthening our political and legislative work to  
> challenge U.S. military aid to Israel and our existing boycott,  
> divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaigns against Caterpillar and  
> Motorola.
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> Delegates also voted to endorse the principle of extending our BDS  
> work to cultural and academic boycott campaigns and to non-U.S.  
> corporations as well by endorsing the Stolen Beauty campaign against  
> the Israeli cosmetics company Ahava for its profiting from Israeli  
> occupation and settlements. Delegates also voted to endorse the Gaza  
> Freedom March and work with organizers to include a U.S. policy  
> component of ending U.S. support for the blockade of Gaza. Finally,  
> delegates also elected six new members to the US Campaign's Steering  
> Committee.
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> As you can see, we made a number of very important decisions at this  
> year's conference to advance our mission of changing U.S. policy  
> toward Israel/Palestine to support human rights, international law,  
> and equality, and we need your support in order to implement them.  
> Please make a generous tax-deductible contribution to the US  
> Campaign today so that we can continue to do this important work by  
> clicking here.
>
> We also wanted to let you know that more than 300 people packed the  
> First United Methodist Church Chicago Temple for dinner and a public  
> event last Saturday night. US Campaign Advisory Board member  
> Professor Rashid Khalidi, Director of the Middle East Institute at  
> Columbia University, and Palestinian political analyst Omar  
> Barghouti delivered empowering and electrifying keynote addresses,  
> and spoken-word artists Tala Abu Rahmeh and Gihad Ali performed  
> powerful poetry. We hope to have video of this event up on our  
> website soon.
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> During this event, we raised about $10,000 from the audience. It's a  
> great start, but we're going to need a lot more support in order to  
> undertake this ambitious agenda. Here's our challenge: If 300 people  
> could give $10,000 in one night, then the more than 30,000 people  
> receiving this email should be able to match that.
>
> You can help us reach this goal of raising $10,000 on-line by making  
> your generous tax-deductible contribution to the US Campaign today  
> by clicking here.
>
> We also wanted to let you know about all the great media coverage  
> this conference received. Read Nada Elia's piece about the  
> conference, "A Turning Point for the US Solidarity Movement," in  
> Electronic Intifada. Check out the Forward's article "Palestinian- 
> Led Movement to Boycott Israel Is Gaining Support," which spotlights  
> decisions made at the conference about strengthening our BDS  
> campaigns. And watch Laura Flanders' interview with US Campaign  
> Steering Committee member Phyllis Bennis on GRITtv by clicking on  
> the picture below:
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> Please help us strengthen our ability to get our collective voices  
> into the media by making your generous tax-deductible contribution  
> to the US Campaign today by clicking here.
>
> Below are some additional details about the conference and decisions  
> made during it.
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> * During the opening session of the conference, dozens of member  
> groups reported back on their activities, successes, and challenges  
> over the last year displaying the creativity, diversity, and  
> enthusiasm of the member groups that make up our coalition. Please  
> make your generous tax-deductible contribution so that we can  
> continue to provide resources and support to empower our member  
> groups to even greater things by clicking here.
>
> * The US Campaign presented its annual report to the assembly  
> outlining its programmatic achievements, membership growth,  
> expansion of its coverage in the media, structure and management,  
> and finances, and member groups provided constructive feedback on  
> the US Campaign's work. You can download the annual report as a PDF  
> document by clicking here or as a Power Point Presentation by  
> clicking here. (Note: The Power Point is a large file, so please  
> give it some time to download. Once downloaded, you should view it  
> as a slide show for best results. You can also advance the  
> presentation at your own pace by clicking to advance it.) As you can  
> see, we have accomplished a lot good work that we can be proud of  
> over the past year. Please make your generous tax-deductible  
> contribution so that we can continue on to even greater  
> accomplishments by clicking here.
>
> * After hearing presentations from groups Coalition to Stop $30  
> Billion, Palestinian Human Rights Action Network, and Jewish Voice  
> for Peace, conference participants strategized about moving forward  
> the coalition's political/legislative work by enhancing grassroots  
> lobbying efforts and challenging military aid to Israel through the  
> budget process, engaging in non-partisan electoral work around the  
> 2010 Congressional elections, and developing public educational  
> campaigns such as billboards to highlight the need to change U.S.  
> policy toward Palestine/Israel. Show your support for strengthening  
> our political and legislative work by making your tax-deductible  
> contribution by clicking here.
>
> * After hearing presentations from member groups New York Campaign  
> to Boycott Israel on Motorola, and Chicagoans Against Apartheid in  
> Palestine on Caterpillar, conference participants strategized about  
> moving forward the coalition's existing boycott, divestment, and  
> sanctions (BDS) campaigns against these two corporations. Over the  
> past year, we've had exciting victories against these corporations,  
> with the CEO of Caterpillar publicly endorsing divestment and  
> Motorola selling its unit which made bomb fuses. Help us continue to  
> put pressure on these corporations to stop profiting from Israeli  
> occupation and apartheid by making a tax-deductible contribution by  
> clicking here.
>
> * Delegates from member groups in good standing voted to endorse the  
> Gaza Freedom March, scheduled for January 2010, and for the US  
> Campaign to help anchor efforts to connect this march with ongoing  
> policy initiatives to get the United States to force Israel to end  
> its siege of the occupied Gaza Strip. Make a tax-deductible  
> contribution today to help us continue our advocacy to end U.S.  
> support for Israel's illegal blockade of Gaza by clicking here.
>
> * Seven candidates ran for election for five open positions on the  
> Steering Committee. After the Elections Committee announced that  
> there was a tie for the fifth spot between two people, delegates  
> from member groups in good standing voted to elect both candidates  
> to the position for a one-year term. The US Campaign congratulates  
> Phyllis Bennis, Felecia Eaves, Bill Fletcher, Jr., and David Wildman  
> for being elected to three-year terms, and Jennifer Bing-Canar and  
> Sophia Ritchie for being elected to one-year terms. The US Campaign  
> would also like to thank Odile Hugenot-Haber for running for the  
> Steering Committee, and Bruce Taub who initially put his name on the  
> ballot but decided to withdraw from the election process before the  
> vote.
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> * After hearing presentations from Palestinian political analyst  
> Omar Barghouti, and Nada Elia, from the organization US Academic and  
> Cultural Boycott of Israel, delegates from member groups in good  
> standing discussed and then voted that the US Campaign endorse the  
> principle of academic and cultural boycotts. In addition, after  
> hearing a presentation from Code Pink, member groups in good  
> standing voted to expand the US Campaign's BDS targets to non-U.S.  
> corporations by endorsing the BDS campaign against Israeli cosmetics  
> producer Ahava. Make your tax-deductible contribution to the US  
> Campaign to help us expand our BDS work to both academic and  
> cultural boycotts and to Israeli corporations profiting from  
> occupation and apartheid by clicking here.
>
> * Conference attendees participated in two different sessions of the  
> US Campaign's Grassroots Training Institute. In all, eight different  
> workshops were offered to conference attendees to build their skills  
> on various topics.
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> * Finally, conference attendees provided feedback about the  
> conference during a closing evaluation session. From written  
> evaluation forms, conference participants gave the following scores  
> on a scale from 1-5 (1 being the lowest, 5 being the highest) for  
> the conference:
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> In response to the question, "Was the conference preparation,  
> program, structure, location, and  logistics satisfactory,"  
> participants gave us an average score of 4 out of 5.
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> In response to the question, "Did this conference provide you with  
> concrete ideas, skills, and tools for action when you return home,"  
> participants gave us an average score of 4.36 out of 5.
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>
> Our conferences and regional meetings aren't possible with your  
> help--your organizing, your participation, and your donations. If  
> you are interested in organizing a regional meeting or conference in  
> your area in 2010, email the National Coalition Coordinator, David  
> Hosey at media at endtheoccupation.org
>
> Make your tax-deductible  contribution to the US Campaign to help us  
> organize and expand our coalition by clicking here.
>
>
> US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
>
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>
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