Soon I'll be in Cairo with 99 other ladies from all over the world.
Ladies with one common cause - solidarity with the women of Gaza for International Women's Day.
The call came from the women of Gaza in an open letter:
A MESSAGE FROM THE WOMEN OF GAZA
"Our life has become a nightmare. We are now deprived of such vital elements as electricity, gas, water. Can you imagine that?
That's why we ask you not to abandon us to take the measure of the violation of our most basic human rights and to demonstrate your solidarity.
Women around the world, we invite you to visit us on March 8, on the occasion of the International Women's Day, to see for yourself the sad situation in which we plunged the blockade imposed by Israel.
We Palestinian women of Gaza , who are one of the essential components of Palestinian society, are kept in isolation by the Israeli Apartheid policy and for 7 years have suffered for 7 years due to the blockade and occupation of Gaza.
We make this appeal to you to help us stop this unjust and inhuman blockade. A blockade that affects us in all aspects of our lives as women , mothers, as well as in our work.
We are part of the 1.8 million Palestinians imprisoned in an area of 365 km2 , we are systematically dehumanized on a daily basis.
This blockade is a violation:
- Of our right to life , because we continue to be the target of frequent attacks and assaults without any opportunity to protect ourselves or our families against the bombs dropped by Israel from their aircraft.
- Our right to freedom of movement which has been taken. We are forbidden to visit our relatives in other parts of Palestine, there is no travel outside the largest prison in the world.
- Our right to receive a proper education in all Palestinian universities.
- Our right to economic security, since we are poorer, prevents us from ensuring a dignified life for our families.
- Our right to work, since the blockade deprives us of all opportunities, both internally and for export, and pushes up the unemployment rate."
Heading their call the wonderful people from CAPJO - EuroPalestine decided to answer and organise a delegation with some other wonderful people from CodePink; and so together, 100 women will converge in Cairo on March 5th and then on to Gaza for a week of meetings & tours of solidarity.
Notable women who form part of this delegation are:
Djamila Bouhired
The icon of the Algerian revolution, who, at the age of 22, was the heroine of the Battle of Algiers, decided to answer the call to rescue women from Gaza and join those who will go to their meeting on March 8, on the occasion of the International Women's Day.
Djamila, who was sentenced to death and occupied the cell in a prison Oran, wrote:
"I am honored to be among the appellants of the mission of Women against the blockade of Gaza. I strongly welcome the initiators, organizers and militant.es mission. And I am pleased to accompany you. "
Irish activist Mairead Maguire
Mairead Maguire, also known by her maiden name Mairead Corrigan, is a Northern Irish peace activist , Nobel Laureate for Peace 1976.
In August 1976, a member of the Provisional IRA was killed by police with his three nephews . Mairead Maguire and Betty Williams then organize a first event , bringing together 10,000 women of both faiths . This event was quickly crushed by the police . A week later , a second event took place in the streets of Belfast, involving 35 000 women from both communities. This movement became known as the Women's Movement for Peace (Women's Peace Movement) .
Mairead received the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize with Betty Williams, awarded because of her efforts for reconciliation in Ulster. Mairead Manguire is a member of the sponsoring committee of the International Coalition for the Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non -violence. She is a member of the PeaceJam Foundation.
Jenny Tonge
Jenny Tonge, a member of the House of Lords, joined the mission of Women for Gaza.
Baroness Tonge (Dr Jenny Tonge) worked as a doctor in the National Health Service in the UK for over 30 years, before entering the House of Commons as MP for Richmond Park in Surrey, in 1997. Her speciality in the NHS was Women’s Health.
She was the Liberal Democrat spokesman for International Development for 7 years, and has been a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Population, Development and Reproductive Health since 1997.
She now chairs the APPG on Population, Development and Reproductive Health (APPG on PD&RH) and is the President of the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development.
In recent years she has been first, a member of the group and then, the chair of the group producing three important papers which were presented to the UK government to help influence its thinking on priorities in International Development, i.e. ‘The Return of the Population Factor’ 2007, ‘Better off Dead’ 2009, and ‘Childhood Lost’ 2012
She has been prominent parliamentarian in the UK, because of her support of the Palestinian cause and criticism of the behaviour of the Israel Lobby in the USA and Europe.
She has visited Gaza and the West Bank on several occasions and was a guest at the Haddasseh Hospital in Jerusalem in 2004, looking at injuries sustained by suicide bombers and their victims.
Ann Wright
Ann Wright is a retired Army Reserve colonel and a 29-year veteran of the Army and Army Reserves. She was also a diplomat with the State Department in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Micronesia, Afghanistan and Mongolia. She resigned from the State Department on March 19, 2003, in opposition to the Iraq war. She is the co-author of “Dissent: Voices of Conscience." Wright was on the Mavi Marmari Flotilla to Gaza, and has led numerous delegations there.
Medea Benjamin
Medea Benjamin is the co-founder of CODEPINK, an activist organization committed to forwarding human rights around the world, and the human rights organization Global Exchange. She is author of 8 books. Her most recent book, Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control, is a scathing critique of the US drone policies in its fight against extremist groups. Her work for justice in Israel/Palestine includes taking numerous delegations to Gaza after the 2008 Israeli invasion, organizing the Gaza Freedom March in 2010, participating in the Freedom Flotillas and opposing the policies of the Israel lobby group AIPAC.
As well a these prominent women we are privileged to have the following on board as supporters:
Susan Abulawa, US-Palestinian novelist, Aminata Traoré, former Malian Minister of Culture, Odile Tobner-Biyidi, president of Survie, Larissa Sansour, Anglo-Palestinian photographer, Mona Baker, British academician, Hilary Rose;,an equally tireless British academic activist for the boycott of Israeli universities, Alice Walker, American novelist, Cindy Corrie, the mother of Rachel Corrie assassinated by the Israeli army in 2003 in the south of the Gaza Strip, Christine Delphy, French feminist author, Lynn Gottlieb, US rabbi and Vacy Vlazna, Australian peace activist.
So please, join these wonderful women, and myself on this journey to Gaza and show the Palestinian people you see them, you care and you will not remain silent.
Ladies with one common cause - solidarity with the women of Gaza for International Women's Day.
The call came from the women of Gaza in an open letter:
A MESSAGE FROM THE WOMEN OF GAZA
"Our life has become a nightmare. We are now deprived of such vital elements as electricity, gas, water. Can you imagine that?
That's why we ask you not to abandon us to take the measure of the violation of our most basic human rights and to demonstrate your solidarity.
Women around the world, we invite you to visit us on March 8, on the occasion of the International Women's Day, to see for yourself the sad situation in which we plunged the blockade imposed by Israel.
We Palestinian women of Gaza , who are one of the essential components of Palestinian society, are kept in isolation by the Israeli Apartheid policy and for 7 years have suffered for 7 years due to the blockade and occupation of Gaza.
We make this appeal to you to help us stop this unjust and inhuman blockade. A blockade that affects us in all aspects of our lives as women , mothers, as well as in our work.
We are part of the 1.8 million Palestinians imprisoned in an area of 365 km2 , we are systematically dehumanized on a daily basis.
This blockade is a violation:
- Of our right to life , because we continue to be the target of frequent attacks and assaults without any opportunity to protect ourselves or our families against the bombs dropped by Israel from their aircraft.
- Our right to freedom of movement which has been taken. We are forbidden to visit our relatives in other parts of Palestine, there is no travel outside the largest prison in the world.
- Our right to receive a proper education in all Palestinian universities.
- Our right to economic security, since we are poorer, prevents us from ensuring a dignified life for our families.
- Our right to work, since the blockade deprives us of all opportunities, both internally and for export, and pushes up the unemployment rate."
Heading their call the wonderful people from CAPJO - EuroPalestine decided to answer and organise a delegation with some other wonderful people from CodePink; and so together, 100 women will converge in Cairo on March 5th and then on to Gaza for a week of meetings & tours of solidarity.
Notable women who form part of this delegation are:
Djamila Bouhired
The icon of the Algerian revolution, who, at the age of 22, was the heroine of the Battle of Algiers, decided to answer the call to rescue women from Gaza and join those who will go to their meeting on March 8, on the occasion of the International Women's Day.
Djamila, who was sentenced to death and occupied the cell in a prison Oran, wrote:
"I am honored to be among the appellants of the mission of Women against the blockade of Gaza. I strongly welcome the initiators, organizers and militant.es mission. And I am pleased to accompany you. "
Irish activist Mairead Maguire
Mairead Maguire, also known by her maiden name Mairead Corrigan, is a Northern Irish peace activist , Nobel Laureate for Peace 1976.
In August 1976, a member of the Provisional IRA was killed by police with his three nephews . Mairead Maguire and Betty Williams then organize a first event , bringing together 10,000 women of both faiths . This event was quickly crushed by the police . A week later , a second event took place in the streets of Belfast, involving 35 000 women from both communities. This movement became known as the Women's Movement for Peace (Women's Peace Movement) .
Mairead received the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize with Betty Williams, awarded because of her efforts for reconciliation in Ulster. Mairead Manguire is a member of the sponsoring committee of the International Coalition for the Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non -violence. She is a member of the PeaceJam Foundation.
Jenny Tonge
Jenny Tonge, a member of the House of Lords, joined the mission of Women for Gaza.
Baroness Tonge (Dr Jenny Tonge) worked as a doctor in the National Health Service in the UK for over 30 years, before entering the House of Commons as MP for Richmond Park in Surrey, in 1997. Her speciality in the NHS was Women’s Health.
She was the Liberal Democrat spokesman for International Development for 7 years, and has been a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Population, Development and Reproductive Health since 1997.
She now chairs the APPG on Population, Development and Reproductive Health (APPG on PD&RH) and is the President of the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development.
In recent years she has been first, a member of the group and then, the chair of the group producing three important papers which were presented to the UK government to help influence its thinking on priorities in International Development, i.e. ‘The Return of the Population Factor’ 2007, ‘Better off Dead’ 2009, and ‘Childhood Lost’ 2012
She has been prominent parliamentarian in the UK, because of her support of the Palestinian cause and criticism of the behaviour of the Israel Lobby in the USA and Europe.
She has visited Gaza and the West Bank on several occasions and was a guest at the Haddasseh Hospital in Jerusalem in 2004, looking at injuries sustained by suicide bombers and their victims.
Ann Wright
Ann Wright is a retired Army Reserve colonel and a 29-year veteran of the Army and Army Reserves. She was also a diplomat with the State Department in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Micronesia, Afghanistan and Mongolia. She resigned from the State Department on March 19, 2003, in opposition to the Iraq war. She is the co-author of “Dissent: Voices of Conscience." Wright was on the Mavi Marmari Flotilla to Gaza, and has led numerous delegations there.
Medea Benjamin
Medea Benjamin is the co-founder of CODEPINK, an activist organization committed to forwarding human rights around the world, and the human rights organization Global Exchange. She is author of 8 books. Her most recent book, Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control, is a scathing critique of the US drone policies in its fight against extremist groups. Her work for justice in Israel/Palestine includes taking numerous delegations to Gaza after the 2008 Israeli invasion, organizing the Gaza Freedom March in 2010, participating in the Freedom Flotillas and opposing the policies of the Israel lobby group AIPAC.
As well a these prominent women we are privileged to have the following on board as supporters:
Susan Abulawa, US-Palestinian novelist, Aminata Traoré, former Malian Minister of Culture, Odile Tobner-Biyidi, president of Survie, Larissa Sansour, Anglo-Palestinian photographer, Mona Baker, British academician, Hilary Rose;,an equally tireless British academic activist for the boycott of Israeli universities, Alice Walker, American novelist, Cindy Corrie, the mother of Rachel Corrie assassinated by the Israeli army in 2003 in the south of the Gaza Strip, Christine Delphy, French feminist author, Lynn Gottlieb, US rabbi and Vacy Vlazna, Australian peace activist.
So please, join these wonderful women, and myself on this journey to Gaza and show the Palestinian people you see them, you care and you will not remain silent.