[van-announce] Holiday Appeal for Gaza
Derrick O'Keefe
sankara83 at hotmail.com
Sun Dec 12 22:41:18 PST 2010
*Please circulate widely*
This
Holiday Season
Give
a Gift to Gaza
http://canadaboatgaza.org/cms/sites/cbg/en/donations.aspx
Dear Friend of the Canadian Boat to Gaza Project,
What if you could bring real tidings of comfort and joy to the
people of Palestine? And what if
you could do it with the click of a button?
The Palestinians of Gaza are suffering through the fourth year of
a blockade, which violates international law because it inflicts
collective
punishment on a civilian population, as expressly forbidden by the
Fourth
Geneva Convention. The Canadian government however refuses to call
for an end to Israel's
illegal blockade. So instead, a growing coalition of community
activists, peace
supporters, trade unionists, faith groups – from Christian,
Jewish, Muslim and
other backgrounds – are taking the initiative of actively opposing
the
blockade.
In just a few short months, the Canadian Boat to Gaza
will join countries from around the world in the next
International Flotilla to
challenge this illegal blockade of Gaza.
And you don’t need to be on the boat to be a part of this historic
effort.
We wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your support so
far for this pan-Canadian civil society-led initiative. We are
building momentum
and support for our project from coast to coast to coast. Our
boat will
truly belong to all Canadians of conscience.
We have raised close to half of the funds necessary to reach our
goal to have a Canadian boat in the next flotilla and – with your
help – we are
confident we will succeed. We will challenge the blockade as well
as the
Harper government’s unjustified support of Israel’s violations of
international law.
This holiday season, will you consider giving the gift of
justice? Rather than buying a gift at a store, please consider
making a
donation to the Canadian Boat to Gaza
in a loved one’s name.
Simply go to http://canadaboatgaza.org/cms/sites/cbg/en/donations.aspx
and use our easy PayPal button. Then print off a gift card for
your
recipient. (Note: In light of PayPal's decision to refuse donations to WikiLeaks, we are working on finding another online payment service.)
The Canadian Boat to Gaza is making
headlines, and facing the predictable attacks of those who oppose
justice in
the Middle East. Our campaign welcomes
the generous donation from the University of British Columbia
Social Justice
Centre, which was ratified overwhelmingly in a 26-10 vote by the
Alma Mater
Society (AMS) council on December 1st. Despite this expressed will
of their own
elected council, the AMS executive has however since taken it on
themselves to
‘investigate’ whether this donation would be made ‘to a group that
was linked
to terrorist activity’.
As the AMS is fully aware, the Canadian Boat to Gaza
raises funds through a registered Canadian NGO (Alternatives.ca)
for a
registered non-profit organization, Turtle Island Humanitarian
Aid, which will
purchase and register a vessel to help break the illegal siege of
Gaza. As the Canadian
Federal Court recently ruled in the George Galloway case,
humanitarian aid to
Gaza cannot be construed in any way as ‘aiding terrorism’. In
short, there is
nothing to ‘investigate’ here – except perhaps the political
motivations of
student ‘leaders’ who fail to listen to their own constituents.
This recent slander highlights the lengths to which Israel’s
apologists will go to discredit
legitimate humanitarian aid, and why your support is needed now
more than ever
to send the Canadian Boat to Gaza.
By contributing to the Canadian Boat to Gaza,
you will be part of the international coordinated effort of civil
society to
end this illegal siege and bring hope to the people, and children,
of Gaza. By matching the
donation from the AMS you can show Canadians and the world that
this movement
will not be intimidated, and that every effort to stop us will
only make us
stronger and more determined.
You can take a stand for Palestinian human rights with us today
by
donating $700. You can also invite a loved one to join you in a
donation of
$350 each. Or invite 3 friends, coworkers or family members to
join you in a
donation of $175 each. Any amount you can contribute this
holiday season will
send a strong message of solidarity to the people in Gaza.
Not only will our Canadian ship bring needed supplies to Gaza, we
will also bring export goods out from Gaza to the world to
support the local economy. The amounts moved in both directions
will naturally
be symbolic compared to the scale of the need, but the crucial
point is of
course that as part of the international Free Gaza flotilla
movement, we will
be helping challenge Israel's illegal blockade.
The vital support we need for this project will only happen if we
continue to work together as civil society in Canada
in partnership with civil society in Gaza.
Together we can achieve justice for Palestine
and break the siege on Gaza.
Thank you again for your support of the Canadian Boat to Gaza
Civil Society Initiative at this critical hour. As one of the
Greek flotilla
captains replied when ordered to identify his ship's course before
it was
violently boarded in May: Our course is the conscience of
humanity.
Together, we can break the siege!
Sincerely,
Canadian Boat to Gaza
P.S. No donation is too large or too small to make a difference.
You can donate to the Canadian Boat to Gaza
today, by simply going to http://canadaboatgaza.org/cms/sites/cbg/en/donations.aspx
and clicking the Donate button. You can
also make out a cheque to Alternatives (mail to Canadian Boat to Gaza - BC, Box 179, #101 – 1184 Denman St Vancouver B.C., V6G 2M9, or 3720 avenue du Parc,
bureau 300, Montreal, Québec, H2X 2J1), specifying in the "memo"
section
on the cheque that your donation is for the Canadian Boat to Gaza.
_____________
Derrick O'Keefe
Co-Chair, StopWar.ca (Vancouver) and Canadian Peace Alliance
Twitter: http://twitter.com/derrickokeefe
Cell: 604-803-6927
'The Cochabamba Accord must be acted upon if humanity is to avert
catastrophic and runaway climate change, and make the urgent transition
to a low-carbon society in an equitable and fair manner."
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