Actions and Callouts

Labour for Palestine is pleased to announce the second issue of Jafa - Labour Bulletin in Solidarity with Palestine.

Download it here!

Modelled on similar bulletins issued during the South African Anti-Apartheid struggle, Jafa is a tool for workers and trade union activists involved in building labour solidarity with Palestine. It is designed and written by trade unionists, for use in our unions and workplaces.

In yet another desperate move to curtail freedom of expression, on May 11, Thornhill MPP Peter Shurman filed a motion in the Ontario legislature condemning the use of the term “Israeli Apartheid Week”. The motion is coming to a vote on Monday May 25. Motion #93 (a private members motion) reads:

Friday, May 15
7:30 PM
Room 5-250
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)
University of Toronto
252 Bloor Street West (at St. George subway)

Speakers:
Kole Kilibarda – author, “Canadian and Israeli Defense-Industrial and Homeland Security Ties” (2009), a report for The New Transparency: Surveillance and Social Sorting research project; and Organizer with Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid

AND Yves Engler – author, The Black Book of Canadian Foreign Policy; and Canada in Haiti: Waging War on the Poor Majority (with Anthony Fenton

Discussant: Jason Kunin

Dear all, please respond to and disseminate the joint call for the release of the activists arrested in al Ma'sara and for BDS, signed by the popular committees against the Apartheid Wall in al Ma'sara and Bethlehem district, the Bethlehem branch of the PGFTU and the Palestinian grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign. See below and in attachment. regards Jamal Juma' - Palestinian grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign - coordinator

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*Release the Palestinian Activists Arrested in al-Ma’sara! *

End the killing in Sri Lanka! Stop the genocide now!
City-wide rally and march

Saturday, May 9, 2009
12:00pm - 3:00pm
United States Consulate
360 University Avenue

The Government of Sri Lanka has unilaterally abandoned the internationally mediated ceasefire, and is killing civilians in an intense war on the Tamil minority. Since January, more than 6,000 people have been killed, over 10,000 wounded, and hundreds of thousands internally displaced.

The international community has not stopped this massacre. Join us to demand an end to the killing in Sri Lanka.

Organized by

FIRST INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF POETRY OF RESISTANCE In Honour of the Cuban Five

resistancepoetryfest@gmail.com

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Cuban Revolution

Innis Town Hall – 2 Sussex Avenue

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009, 7:30 p.m.

Masters of Ceremony: Nancy Morejon, poet, and City Councilor Maria Augimieri, Her Excellency Teresita Sotalongo, Ambassador to Canada from Cuba.

Presenters: Elizabeth Palmeiro, wife of Ramon Labañino, one of the Cuban Five Orlando Silverio – sings songs of poetry of Ramon Labañino

Subject: THEE once-in-a-year opportunity to PROTEST BARRICK

Affected Indigenous communities from Papua New Guinea and Chile are coming to Toronto to give Peter Munk a piece of their mind. Come out and support them! Rally at the annual general meeting of Barrick Gold on Wed. April 29th.

WHAT: Barrick Gold Annual General Meeting Protest!
WHEN: Wednesday, April 29th: Start gathering 9am (the meeting starts at 10am and we want to hand the shareholders information on their way in!)
WHERE: Toronto Metro Convention Center, 255 Front Street

Backstory on the Indigenous Representatives:

Jewish Voice for Peace - Let me cut down to the chase. We have just learned that a number of Israeli peace activists have had their computers confiscated, have been called for interrogations, and have only been released upon signing agreements not to contact their political friends for 30 days. We are asking you to contact the Israeli Attorney General to demand an immediate stop to this harassment (see: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/301/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27127).

Dear Colleagues, Friends and Allies,tTwo weeks ago many of your responded to our CALL to protest ADL's attack against Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who is an Honorary Advisory Board member for our US Campaign 4 Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. We believe that your many emails to the Chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill influenced his decision not to succumb to ADL. Now, we have another opportunity to act in concert - this time to help promote the cultural boycott of Israel.

April 22, 2009 - As many of you will be aware through today's news reports, the Mountain Equipment Co-Op (MEC) Annual Meeting will be the target of a boycott resolution calling on the company to stop buying Israeli goods. If adopted, this non-binding resolution would set an amazing precedent. It is therefore critical that we work together to ensure the motions success and your support for MEC's existing sourcing policy.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: