Sunday, September 18, 2016

The 2016 Oxfam One World Fair will be held in the town hall on 19 November. This is always an important event for Oxford PSC.

As always we need a team of volunteers to help with the stall. If you can offer an hour or two between 10.00 and 4.00 on the day please let me know. Also if you can help with delivery to the town hall at 9.00 and collection at 4.00 that would be very helpful.

Please get back to Oxford PSC if you can help and let us know if you can offer one hour or two and if you have a preferred timeslot.

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Come and hear Sahar Vardi, Israeli conscientious objector and peace activist, talk on Tuesday 27th September at 7.30pm at the Friends Meeting House, 43 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3LW

Based in Jerusalem, Sahar coordinates the Israel programme for the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), focusing on countering the militarisation of Israeli society. Sahar started protesting against Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people at a very young age, joining her father doing agricultural work with Palestinian villagers, mainly planting trees. She was conscripted to the Israeli Defence Forces at age 18 but publicly refused to serve and spent several months in military prison for conscientious objection in 2008. 

Since then, Sahar has been active with several Israeli peace and human rights groups . Today much of her activism is in Jerusalem in Palestinian-led struggles against house demolitions, child arrest and acts of discrimination against East Jerusalem Palestinian residents.

Sahar Vardi has been invited to the UK by the Amos Trust http://www.amostrust.org/about/ 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We are now continuing to run a regular stall on Cornmarket every week:
   Every Saturday 11.30-1.30pm: OXFORD PSC STALL in Cornmarket by St Michael at Northgate church. The OPSC Saturday street stall on Cornmarket Street is one of the main ways we use for raising the issue of Palestine with the public at large. It is an important activity
for offering information leaflets to the public, inviting them to join PSC or leave their email for Oxford PSC updates. Generally we are there 11:30 to 13:30. Always a minimum of two people on shift. Please consider volunteering for a shift: it’s an opportunity to meet other PSC members, those wanting information and occasionally those wishing to challenge our views, even volunteering for one shift a year would help. Please email Ali at OPSCstall@gmail.com if you're able to help.
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Dr Ramzy Has asked me to publicise a meeting on Thursday 22nd September at 5.30 p m , at the Multifaith Chaplaincy room 20 at Oxford Brookes University,. It is a dialogue on Jewish-Muslim relations to be addressed  by Rebecca Abrahamson  who lives and works in Israel, and is married to an orthodox rabbi.


Sunday, May 01, 2016

Bulletin 24th April 2016


 We are very pleased to have Mahmoud Zawahra as guest speaker at our AGM on the 10th May.
Mahmoud Zawahra is a Palestinian activist and PhD student at Coventry University Department of Peace Studies, one of the founders of the popular struggle co-ordination committee in the West Bank (http://popularstruggle.org) as well as the local coordinator of the popular committee of Al-Ma'sara village, to the south of Bethlehem.
I will be focusing on the Israeli polices after 68 years of occupation and how they change the tactics but not the polices as a settler colonial project 
 aiming to replace the local Palestinians by foreigners settlers
Popular resistance and resilience (sumud) of Palestinians against the Israeli polices in the occupied Palestine, what is missed and what are the challenges and successes




We are keen that newer and preferably some younger people should take on some of the organising roles within Oxford PSC. Don’t be shy. If you wish take on a shared role at first with a more seasoned member if that is what you would prefer.


Dear PSC supporter,

OXFORD PALESTINE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN ~ AGM 10 MAY 2016

I am pleased to invite you to the Annual General Meeting of Oxford PSC at 7.30pm on Tuesday 10 May2016 at the Town Hall, St Aldates, Oxford OX1 1BX. All supporters are welcome to attend but only PSC members may submit motions, vote on resolutions or stand for office. Membership forms will be available at the meeting for those who are not already members but who wish to join and fully participate in the meeting.

We are delighted to have a speaker from Palestine at the meeting.

If you would like to submit a motion to the meeting please email it to us at oxfordpsc@yahoo.com  by Tuesday 26 April. Motions will be circulated to members in advance of the meeting or posted on our website.

The following officers will be elected at the AGM for the coming year:

Chair                                                             Secretary/branch organiser                         
Treasurer                                                      Membership secretary
   Student liaison officerTrade union liaison officer
   Communications/Website coordinator        Stall coordinator

The meeting will also elect committee members to work with the officers on campaigns and activities.        

Please think about standing for one of these positions or as a committee member. All officer posts can be job shared. If you would like more information about what is involved please contact me. Also if there are other ways you would particularly like to be involved e.g. helping with publicity, press liaison or coordinating some BDS (boycott) actions.

We look forward to seeing you on 10 May.

Best wishes,

Caroline Raine

Caroline Raine
For Oxford PSC



Take action today!

We have already had over 4 thousand letters sent to MPs this week but we need more. Please take 2 minutes today to take action and share this post.

Two Palestinian villages, Susiya and Um Al Hiran are under imminent threat of demolition. We need to do everything we can to stop the Israeli forces sending the bulldozers in. We know that if there is international protest on a sufficient scale, particularly from European governments, this will make a difference.

Please write to your MP today asking them to take action and demand that the foreign secretary protests in the strongest terms to the Israeli government to save the homes of the Palestinians living in these villages.


 This from Hugh: 
“I have created the @OxfordPSC Twitter account. Please invite all members and supporters who are on Twitter to follow it. Please tell me if you like the icon and header image that I've created.”




Tickets for 'Flavour of Palestine' Celebration available now. Tickets limited to reserve now!
Saturday 21st May, 7PM - 10PM / Stonehill Barn, Drayton, AbingdonOxfordshire OX14 4AA.
An Evening of Music, Culture & Food: Fundraiser for the 2017 Palestine Unlocked Festival. Entertainment from acclaimed musicians using modern and contemporary Arabic instruments, Palestinian food, auction & raffle with a special guest, Fairtrade Palestinian products, handmade crafts from 'Women in Hebron' Cooperative and much more. Not to be missed!
Tickets: £35 pre-booked or £40 at the door.
To reserve and book tickets simply contact us  by email:
info@palestineunlocked.com



'Flavour of Palestine' Celebration Tickets for 'Flavour of Palestine' Celebration available now. Tickets limited to reserve now! 7PM - 10PM / Stonehill Barn, Drayton, Abingdon Oxfordshire OX14 4AA. An Evening of Music, Culture & Food: Fundraiser for the 2017 Palestine Unlocked Festival. Entertainmen…
PALESTINEUNLOCKED.COM
Palestine Unlocked – May 21st- 23rd 2016

Saturday May 21st

10AM-12PM, St Antony’s College, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6JF
Attacks on Non-Violent Resistance to Illegal Military Occupation:
The Reasons for the New Uprising
Speaker: Dr Mustafa Barghouti, General Secretary, Palestine National Initiative (Mubadara),
Chair: Dr Avi Shlaim, Senior Research Fellow, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford

2PM – 4PM / EP Abraham Lecture Theatre Green Templeton College, 43 Woodstock Rd OX2 6HG
Siege and Survival in Gaza: The Impact on Health and Human Rights
Speakers:
Dr Rita Giacaman, Founding Director, Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, Palestine
Miri Weingarten, Physicians for Human Rights–Israel

7PM – 10PM / Stonehill Barn, Drayton Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 4AA
“Flavour of Palestine” An Evening of Palestinian Music Culture and Food
Entrance: tickets £35 pre-booked or £40 at the door.
To reserve, contact: info@palestineunlocked.com or visit: www.palestineunlocked.com/tickets

Sunday May 22nd
3.30-5.30PM St Margaret’s Institute Polstead Rd, OX2 6TN
The Twice Promised Land
Britain’s Role in Creating 100 Years of Conflict in Palestine
Introductory Speaker and Chair
Karl Sabbagh, British-Palestinian writer, documentary maker, and publisher
Panel members
Mustafa Barghouti, Palestine National Initiative (Mubadara), Ramallah, Palestine
Rita Giacaman, Birzeit University, Palestine
Jeremy Moodey, Embrace the Middle East
▪ Karma Nabulsi, St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford
Naomi Wayne, Jews for Justice for Palestinians

Monday 23rd May
7PM: The Middle East Centre, St Antony’s College 68 Woodstock Rd, OX2 6JF
Human Rights for Palestinian Prisoners
Short film and Panel Discussion with
Sir Stephen Sedley: one of the authors of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office report ‘Children in Military Custody’

William Parry: journalist/documentary film maker ‘Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Jails’

Monday, April 25, 2016

Bulletin 24th April 2016
This from Hugh: 
“I have created the @OxfordPSC Twitter account. Please invite all members and supporters who are on Twitter to follow it. Please tell me if you like the icon and header image that I've created.”

We are keen that newer and preferably some younger people should take on some of the organising roles within Oxford PSC. Don’t be shy. If you wish take on a shared role at first with a more seasoned member if that is what you would prefer.
We are sorry to say that Manal Tamini will not now be able to attend our AGM. Her visa has been denied Manal although she was told a few weeks ago that it was fine and all she needed to do was to pick it up today..    …and there have been attempts to smear her reputation, including representations to Oxford Town Hall.
We do however have the pleasure of the presence of Mahmoud Zawahra who has kindly agreed to step in. Please welcome him by ensuring we have a large attendance.



Dear PSC supporter,

OXFORD PALESTINE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN ~ AGM 10 MAY 2016

I am pleased to invite you to the Annual General Meeting of Oxford PSC at 7.30pm on Tuesday 10 May2016 at the Town Hall, St Aldates, Oxford OX1 1BX. All supporters are welcome to attend but only PSC members may submit motions, vote on resolutions or stand for office. Membership forms will be available at the meeting for those who are not already members but who wish to join and fully participate in the meeting.

We had been delighted to have a speaker from Palestine at the meeting, Manal Tamimi whohas played a crucial role in coordinating popular unarmed resistance activities against  occupation and land and water theft by Israeli settlers in her West Bank village of Nabi Saleh. As a result of their resistance activities she and her family have experienced torture and imprisonment and only last month Manal was kidnapped and detained, though we are pleased to say she has now been released. Now however she has been
Mahmoud Zawahra has kindly agreed to step in. Mahmoud Zwahre is a popular resistance co-ordinator

If you would like to submit a motion to the meeting please email it to us at oxfordpsc@yahoo.com  by Tuesday 26 April. Motions will be circulated to members in advance of the meeting or posted on our website.

The following officers will be elected at the AGM for the coming year:

wChair                                                             wSecretary/branch organiser                         
wTreasurer                                                      wMembership secretary
   wStudent liaison officer         wTrade union liaison officer
   wCommunications/Website coordinator        wStall coordinator

The meeting will also elect committee members to work with the officers on campaigns and activities.        

Please think about standing for one of these positions or as a committee member. All officer posts can be job shared. If you would like more information about what is involved please contact me. Also if there are other ways you would particularly like to be involved e.g. helping with publicity, press liaison or coordinating some BDS (boycott) actions.

We look forward to seeing you on 10 May.

Best wishes,

Caroline Raine

Caroline Raine
For Oxford PSC



Take action today!

We have already had over 4 thousand letters sent to MPs this week but we need more. Please take 2 minutes today to take action and share this post.

Two Palestinian villages, Susiya and Um Al Hiran are under imminent threat of demolition. We need to do everything we can to stop the Israeli forces sending the bulldozers in. We know that if there is international protest on a sufficient scale, particularly from European governments, this will make a difference.

Please write to your MP today asking them to take action and demand that the foreign secretary protests in the strongest terms to the Israeli government to save the homes of the Palestinians living in these villages.




Please be aware that there is at present a coordinated campaign to smear anyone who speaks up for Palestine as an anti-Semite. Many of us have had all our tweets and facebook postings trawed through looking for any comment that can be misconstrued as anti-Semitic. There is no real way of avoiding this short of never saying anything. Most people see through this, except the media, but such crying wolf sadly can obscure real racism, which is a real threat to progress not only in Israel.