{"article":{"id":257260,"heading":"World Social Forum Free Palestine","author":"Stephen Lendman","created":"2012-11-29 07:44:46","modified":"2013-11-11 01:11:30","last_modified":"Mon, 11 Nov 2013 08:11:30","article":"

World Social Forum Free Palestine

by Stephen Lendman

The World Social Forum calls itself \"an open meeting place where social movements, networks, NGOs and other civil society organizations opposed to neoliberalism and a world dominated by capital or by any form of imperialism come together to pursue their thinking, to debate ideas democratically, for formulate proposals, share their experiences freely and network for effective action.\"

WSF believes another world is possible. Money controlled societies don't work. Most people are shut out and denied. Corporate interests subvert human ones. Profits are prioritized. Popular needs go begging.

Human and civil rights are spurned. Democracy is just a figure of speech. Tyranny threatens. Future generations haven't a chance. Building a new world in solidarity is essential. Survival depends on it.

From November 28 - December 1, Porto Alegre, Brazil hosts the WSF Free Palestine (WSFFP).

The Global BDS Movement for Freedom, Justice and Equality called for supportive solidarity action.

Thousands of Palestinian supporters are coming to Brazil. They include activists of all stripes, organizers, youths, faith-based groups, trade unionists, academics, musicians, and many others.

Stop the Wall coordinator Jamal Juma calls the event \"the most important (one) in the international arena for Palestine.\"

\"The goal is to coordinate efforts, create networks between solidarity movements around the world, and formulate an effective and efficient plan that can achieve with Palestinians on the ground real change.\"

\"This is a struggle for the humanity of the Palestinian people.”

He and others believe strong US participation gives WSFFP greater strength and durability. \"Americans who are against the occupation need to come together and be heard,\" he stressed.

\"It's important for American solidarity movements to unite and be a demonstrative effect for similar movements around the world.\"

Stop the Wall calls Occupied Palestine \"part of every free heartbeat in this world, and her cause continues to inspire solidarity across the globe.\"

WSFFP represents solidarity for Palestinian equity, justice and liberation. End occupation harshness. Free Palestine. Achieving it depends on millions of committed world supporters.

Palestinians are isolated on their own. World leaders able to help spurn them. Ordinary people have to struggle in their place.

Hard tasks take time. Impossible ones take longer. Anthropologist Margaret Mead said never underestimate the power of \"a small group of committed people to change the world.\" It happens no other way.

WSFFP comes at an important time. Pillar of Cloud pounded Gaza mercilessly. World leaders able to help did nothing. Palestinians were blamed for Israeli crimes. It's always the same.

Occupation harshness continues. Besieged Gazans suffer most. Humanitarian crisis conditions inflict enormous harm. Memorandum of understanding truce terms solved nothing.

Palestinian suffering continues. Upgraded UN status doesn't help. Membership or observer status with no rights is meaningless.

WSF Free Palestine features five main themes:

(1) Self-determination and right of return.



(2) Human rights, international law inviolability, and prosecuting Israeli war criminals.

(3) Strategies of struggle and solidarity. BDS is featured. It's a vital initiative. It gets results.

(4) Prioritizing a world without walls, siege, racist discrimination, merciless oppression, and patriarchy.

(5) Supporting Palestinian resistance and similar social struggles.

Aims include:

(I) Solidarity for justice and regional peace.




(II) Effective actions for Palestinian self-determination, a sovereign state, Jerusalem its capital, and \"the fulfillment of human rights and international law,\" by:


\t

(1) Ending Israeli occupation and colonization of all Arab lands, as well as dismantling the Separation Wall.

(2) Ensuring fundamental equal rights for Arab Israelis.

(3) \"Implementing, protecting, and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.\"

(III) Providing \"space for discussion, exchange of ideas, strategizing, and planning in order to improve the structure of solidarity.\"

Zionists want Palestinian liberation prevented. They got Porto Alegre's mayor and Rio Grande do Sul state's governor to deny them use of Usina do Gasometro.

Events were scheduled there. False claims about \"radical\" Palestinian attacks were made. Activists fear one or more false flags may hurt event organizers.

Zionist extremism proliferates worldwide. It terrorizes and corrupts everywhere. Taking a stand against it is vital. It prevented Nakba from ending.

Leonardo Boff is an academic, author, and liberation theologist. On behalf of oppressed Palestinians he said:

\"Liberation Theology was born listening to the cries of the oppressed, those whose rights, autonomy, vital space to live was denied.\"

\"Today, for us, the oppressed who are in need of liberation are the Palestinians. And we, being coherent with Liberation Theology are on their side, listening to their cry.\"

\"We are against oppression, and in favor of their independence, freedom and the right to their land which belonged to their ancestors so that they accomplish their history as a people, with their language and culture.\"

\"Therefore, I join the cause of the Palestinians because they have rights and these rights cannot be denied. I support the World Social Forum for the Palestinian cause because this cause is of great dignity and for being fear and represent a duty.\"

\"It is our duty to be on the side of the Palestinians. Because they are victims and it is illegitimate, unworthy keeping them in their current situation.\"

\"We want to be with them so that they are free, our brothers. And from that freedom with autonomy accomplish the process of peace and reconciliation with the State of Israel.\"

Political activist, liberation theologist, and Dominican friar Frei Betto also expressed solidarity with Palestinians, saying:

WSFFP \"will gather representatives from the three religions of the book: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.\"

\"A Forum in which we will debate the situation of all those who live in Palestine and mainly the right of the Palestinian people to have their independent State and how we can from our own religious traditions contribute to peace in the world.\"

\"Considering the importance of this Forum, I call upon all interested to be present in Porto Alegre as participants of the World Social Forum Free Palestine.\"

Kairos Southern Africa supports Palestinian liberation. It condemns apartheid and colonization. In September, its letter endorsed the Coalition for a free Palestine (South Africa).

It urged unity among all SA Palestinian solidarity groups. Apartheid was fought on many fronts. Committed activism got results. Struggle isn't easy. It never ends. Dark forces don't quit. Change takes time. It advances slowly. Kairos Southern Africa pledged support.

Dozens of participating organizations include:

\t1.\tARCI, Italy


2.\tATTAC Togo


3.\tATTAC-France


4.\tAl-Awda NY: Palestine Right to Return Coalition, USA


5.\tAl-Nakba Awareness Project, USA


6.\tAlianza Mexicana por la Autodeterminación de los Pueblos (AMAP), México


7.\tAlianza Social Continental (ASC), América


8.\tAlternative Espaces Citoyens Niger


9.\tAlternative Information Centre (AIC), Palestine


10.\tAlternatives, Canada


11.\tAmerican Jews for a Just Peace – Boston, USA


12.\tAmerican Muslims for Palestine


13.\tArab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Initiative (AMED), College of Ethnic Studies, San Francisco State University.


14.\tArticulacion Feminista Marcosur, Latin America


15.\tAssociation Rawassem, Tunisie


16.\tAssociation Taneflith (club Unesco) Beni Yenni


17.\tAssociation Tharwa N'Fadhma N'Soumeur, Algerie


18.\tAssociation Tunisienne des femmes démocrates (ATFD)


19.\tAssociation des Femmes Tunisiennes pour la Recherche sur le Développment (AFTURD)


20.\tAssociation sans soutiens, Tunisie


21.\tAssociação Alternativa Terrazul, Brazil


22.\tAssociação Brasileira de Organizações Não Governamentais (ABONG), Brazil


23.\tAssociação Metareila do Povo Indigena Surui


24.\tBDS Working Group, South Africa


25.\tBay Area Women in Black, USA


26.\tBharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS), India


27.\tBoston Coalition for Palestinian Rights


28.\tBoycott Israeli Apartheid Campaign – Vancouver, Canada


29.\tCOSATU, South Africa


30.\tCampagne BDS France


31.\tCampagne Civile Internationale pour la Protection du Peuple Palestinien (CCIPPP), France


32.\tCanada Palestine Association


33.\tCanada Palestine Association


34.\tCanadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), Canada


35.\tCenter for Encounter and active Non-Violence , Austria


36.\tCentral Única Dos Trabalhadores-CUT, BRASIL


37.\tCentre des activités et d’études ouvrière (CAEO), Tunisie


38.\tCiranda, Brazil


39.\tCoalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA), Toronto, Canada


40.\tCoalition for Peace with Justice, North Carolina, USA


41.\tCoalition for a Free Palestine, South Africa


42.\tCoalition large de l’association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (CLASSE),Quebec, Canada


43.\tCoalition pour la justice et la paix en Palestine (CJPP), Quebec, Canada


44.\tCollectif des Musulmans de France (CMF)


45.\tComissão Brasileira Justiça e Paz (CBJP), Brazil


46.\tCommittee for Palestinian Rights, Howard County, Maryland, USA


47.\tCommunity Leadership Institute (COMMIT), USA


48.\tCommunity Organizing Center's Columbus Campaign for Arms Control, Middle East Peace Committee


49.\tCumberland Countians for Peace & Justice, USA


50.\tEl Taller International, Tunisia


51.\tEngender, South Africa


52.\tEpiscopal Peace Fellowship-Palestine Israel Network (EPF PIN), USA


53.\tEuroPalestine, France


54.\tEuropean Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine (ECCP)


55.\tFaculty for Palestine (F4P), Canada


56.\tFederação Democrática Internacional de Mulheres (FDIM)


57.\tFellowship of Reconciliation, USA


58.\tFocus on the Global South


59.\tForum Marocain Des Alernatives Sud (FMAS), Morocco


60.\tForum Tunisien des droits sociaux économiques (FTDSE)


61.\tForum des Femmes Africaines pour un Monde de l'Economie Solidaire (FAMES), Algérie\/Sénégal


62.\tFrantz Fanon Foundation, Bamako, Montreal, Paris


63.\tFredericton Jews for a Just Peace, Canada


64.\tFredericton Palestine Solidarity, Canada


65.\tFreedom Legality And Rights in Europe (FLARE)


66.\tFriends of Palestine Wisconsin, USA


67.\tFédération Tunisienne des Cinéastes Amateurs (FTCA)


68.\tFédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec FNEEQ (CSN), Canada


69.\tGermantown Friends Meeting


70.\tGrassroots Global Justice Alliance, USA


71.\tGrassroots International


72.\tHabitat International Coalition


73.\tHilton Head for Peace - Hilton Head SC, USA


74.\tHilton Head for Peace, USA


75.\tInitiatives Pour un Autre Monde (IPAM), France


76.\tInstitut de recherches des Femmes Autour de la Méditerranée (IDEEFAM), Algerie


77.\tInstituto Brasileiros de Análises Sociais e Economicas – Ibase, Brazil


78.\tInstituto Paulo Freire, Brazil


79.\tInternational Jewish Anti-Zionist Network


80.\tInternational South Asia Forum (INSAF), Canada, USA


81.\tInternational Women's Peace Service


82.\tInternational Women's Peace Service


83.\tIsraeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD), Jerusalem


84.\tIsraeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD), USA


85.\tIttijah, Palestine


86.\tKairos for Global Justice


87.\tL'association Femmes et environnement, Tunisie


88.\tLabor for Palestine, USA


89.\tL’association des familles des harragas disparus et morts, Tunisie


90.\tMadison-Rafah Sister City Project, Madison, WI, USA


91.\tMalcolm X Grassroots Movement


92.\tMaryknoll Office for Global Concerns, USA


93.\tMay First\/People Link, USA


94.\tMedia Review Network, Johannesburg, South Africa


95.\tMidEast: JustPeace of Traverse City, Michigan, USA


96.\tMiddle East Lobby Group, USA


97.\tMouvement des Jeunes Indépendants pour le Changement, Algerie


98.\tMovimiento por la Paz, la Soberanía y la Solidaridad entre los Pueblos (Mopassol), Argentina


99.\tNational Lawyers Guild


100.\tNetwork Institute for Global Democratization


101.\tNetwork for Environmental & Economic Responsibility, USA


102.\tNew Afrikan People's Organization


103.\tNew York City Labor Against the War, USA


104.\tNorth Carolina Boycott Divestment Sanctions (NCBDS), USA


105.\tNorth Coast Coalition for Palestine, USA


106.\tNO VOX INTERNATIONAL


107.\tOccupied Palestine Golan Advocacy Initiative (OPGAI), Palestine


108.\tPakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), Pakistan


109.\tPakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), Pakistan


110.\tPakistan Peace Coalition


111.\tPalestine Israel Action Group (PIAG), USA


112.\tPalestine Solidarity Alliance, South Africa


113.\tPalestine Solidarity Campaign, South Africa


114.\tPalestine Solidarity Forum, South Africa


115.\tPalestine-Israel Working Group of Nevada County


116.\tPalestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO)


117.\tPalestinian Queers for BDS, Palestine


118.\tPalestiniens et Juifs Unis, Quebec, Canada


119.\tPeople of Faith CT, USA


120.\tPeople’s Health Movement


121.\tPlateforme des ONG Françaises pour la Palestine, France


122.\tPoor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC)


123.\tPunks Against Apartheid, International


124.\tRed Mexicana de Acción frente al Libre Comercio (RMALC), México


125.\tRede Ecossocialista Internacional


126.\tSacramento BDS


127.\tSamidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network


128.\tScottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign


129.\tSJP- University of New Mexico


130.\tSolidarity for Palestinian Human Rights - University of British Columbia, Canada


131.\tSouth African Artists Against Israeli Apartheid


132.\tSouth Asia Partnership (SAP), Pakistan


133.\tSouth Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy (SANSAD), Canada


134.\tStop The Wall, Palestine


135.\tSyndicat des Travailleurs et Travailleuses des Postes, (STTP) Quebec, Canada


136.\tTadamon! collective Montreal, Canada


137.\tTaskforce for Queer Visions


138.\tTeacher Creativity Center (TCC). Palestine


139.\tThe Carol Chomsky Memorial Fund, USA


140.\tThe Israel\/Palestine Mission Network, USA


141.\tThe Israel\/Palestine Mission Network, USA


142.\tThe New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel (Adalah-NY), USA


143.\tThe World March of Women


144.\tUK Boycott Israel Network – BIN


145.\tUS Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI)


146.\tUS Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation


147.\tUS & Canada Delegation to the World Social Forum Free Palestine


148.\tUS Palestinian Community Network, USA


149.\tUS Peace Council, USA


150.\tUn Ponte Per..., Italy


151.\tUnion générale de travail Tunisien (UGTT)


152.\tUnion pour la Solidarité et l'Entraide, Sénégal


153.\tUnited Methodists' Holy Land Task Force, USA


154.\tUtahns for a Just Peace in the Holy Land, USA


155.\tVermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine\/Israel, USA


156.\tWomen in Black Union Square, USA


157.\tWorld Council of Churches

A Final Comment

Free Palestine involves more than liberation. Dark forces threaten humanity. Palestine is one of many epicenters of global struggle.

They exist everywhere. The only solution is nonviolent world revolution. Freedom struggles are a full-time occupation. Viciousness gives no quarter.

During Pillar of Cloud, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Eli Yishi urged \"blow(ing) Gaza back to the Middle Ages (by) destroying all the infrastructure including roads and water.\"

Other extremists wanted power cut as well as food and medical supplies blocked. Ariel Sharon's son said \"flatten entire neighborhoods. Flatten all of Gaza.\"

Other lunatics barely stopped short of urging genocide. A few crossed the line supporting it. Only worthy victims matter. Unworthy ones include nameless, faceless imperial victims.

One Israeli life lost makes headlines. Palestinian deaths don't matter. Who's keeping count.

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said Palestinians killed and injured \"deserved it.\" Noncombatant status gave them no protection.

Targeting civilians is official Israeli policy. America wages war the same way. All military aged men are fair game. They include children and the elderly.

Mothers are killed. Some are pregnant. Maybe their fetuses were targeted. One day, they might join Palestine's liberating struggle. Why take a chance. Eliminate the possibility.

Unpeople don't matter. Victims are called victimizers. Truth is systematically suppressed. Inviolable international law is quaint and  out-of-date. Naked aggression is called self-defense.

Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz supports Israel's worst crimes. He's a notorious bigot and purveyor of myths, canards and false logic.

He corrupts fundamental legal standards. Imagine what he teaches students. He believes Jewish suffering is unique. He's mindless of the rights of other people.

He advocates torture and targeted assassinations. He's a committed Zionist and Israeli apologist. He legitimizes Israeli aggression. He claims \"old rules\" don't apply.

He once said \"the laws of war and rules of morality must adapt to (new) realities.\" Law Professor Francis Boyle called him a notorious bigot and advocate of murder and torture.

During Pillar of Cloud, he headlined an op-ed, \"Israel's right to self-defense against Hamas,\" saying:

Hamas \"target(s) Israeli civilians in their homes…Israel target(s) terrorist leaders and other legitimate military targets.\"

\"Hamas supporters celebrate the murder of Jewish civilians.\"

\"Israel's response - targeting only terrorists and Hamas military leaders - is completely lawful and legitimate.\" Its \"self-defense….\"

Dershowitz corrupts truth and legal principles. He considers Palestinian civilian men, women, children, infants, fetuses, and the elderly fair game.

He calls murdering them in cold blood self-defense. He's not alone. Scoundrel media feature these type commentaries. Reputable ones are suppressed.

Aggressive wars are called just. Patriotism means supporting wrong over right. Oppressed Palestinians are isolated on their own. Maybe one day they'll be free. The fullness of time will tell. A long struggle remains.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net<\/a>.

His new book is titled \"How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War\"

http:\/\/www.claritypress.com\/Lendman.html<\/a>

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http:\/\/www.progressiveradionetwork.com\/the-progressive-news-hour<\/a><\/p>\n","contact":"lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net","link":"sjlendman.blogspot.com","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"Palestine","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2012\/11\/257260.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}