[van-announce] Conference brings Palestinians together in Vancouver for discussion, action, protest

[Charlotte Kates]

To learn more about the speakers and events and register online for the
conference, visit http://palestinianconference.org. Hope to see local
activists there!


April 29, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  palestinianconference at gmail.com

*Conference brings Palestinians across North America to UBC Campus*
*
*
Palestinians are converging in Vancouver on May 3-5 for a weekend of
discussions, cultural expression, and protest, at "Return and Liberation:
Conference of the Palestinian Shatat [Diaspora] in North America," taking
place at the University of British Columbia. (Full conference details are
available at the website, palestinianconference.org.)

Conference participants, who include Palestinians from across Canada, the
United States, and the UK, will participate in over 20 workshops and major
plenaries focusing on how Palestinians outside Palestine are represented
and organized to seek freedom for their homeland.

The conference also coincides with a Western conference by the Centre for
Israel and Jewish Affairs, and conference organizers and attendees will
participate in a protest of CIJA's keynote speakers at 4 pm on Sunday, May
5, after the official close of the Palestinian conference.

"There are millions of Palestinians outside Palestine - over 6 million
Palestinian refugees who have been denied their right to return home for
over 65 years now. This conference is an opportunity for us to come
together as Palestinians in North America and say that our voice must be
heard," says Khaled Barakat, conference coordinator and Vancouver community
activist.

Conference panels will include presentations by Karma Nabulsi of Oxford
University, Rabab Abdulhadi of San Francisco State University, Loubna
Qutami of the Palestinian Youth Movement, Abdelrazzaq Takriti of the
University of Sheffield, and Issam Yamani of Toronto's Palestine House, a
large Palestinian community organization that was recently defunded for its
immigrant settlement services by the Harper government's Citizenship and
Immigration Canada.

"It is particularly important for us to discuss how to challenge the Harper
government and Canadian policy towards Palestine," said Omar Shaban,
conference organizer. "Canada has a long record of supporting Israeli
occupation, and the repeated public statements of John Baird, Jason Kenney
and Stephen Harper praising Israeli apartheid and demonizing Palestinian
and solidarity organizing within Canada are a real affront to our
community."

Conference participants will also engage in a cultural evening with
Louisiana-based Palestinian singer Nisreen Hajaj and Jafraa Dabke Troupe, a
Palestinian traditional dance troupe from Seattle. The conference will
begin at 5 pm on Friday, at UBC's Buchanan A Building, and close at 2 pm on
Sunday, May 5, before the protest of CIJA's keynote speakers.

"We want to focus on our own goals at this conference, not CIJA's event.
They are welcoming, however, Israel's ambassador to Canada; Dennis Ross;
and John Baird and it is important that people in Vancouver speak out to
say that official representatives of war crimes and apartheid are
unwelcome," said Barakat. "But the real work of this conference is bringing
Palestinians together to talk about what we can do from North America to
change the conversation and achieve Palestinian rights, and ensure our
voice is heard."


-- 
Charlotte L. Kates     charlotte.kates at gmail.com



-- 
Charlotte L. Kates     charlotte.kates at gmail.com