3CR 855am

Australian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Conferece in support of Palestine

29 Oct 2010 - 19:00
31 Oct 2010 - 17:00
Etc/GMT+10

SPEAKERS AND INITIAL CONFERENCE AGENDA

Building Solidarity, Combating Occupation and Apartheid

National Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions conference

Melbourne, 29 - 31 October 2010

- activism in support of Palestine -


Endorsed by the Palestinian BDS National Committee


Our confirmed speakers so far include:

 

Rafeef Ziadah

Rafeef is a Palestinian activist, unionist and spoken word artist. She is a member of the steering committee of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) Rafeef is also a founding member of the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA) promoting the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestement and Sanctions (BDS) campaign in Canada and an organizer of the international Israeli Apartheid Week. Rafeef is a member of the Canadian Union of Public Employees and was a member of the CUPE’s international solidarity committee for 3 years


Samah Sabawi

Samah is an Australian-Palestinian writer and social justice activist. She is co-author of Journey to Peace in Palestine and a former executive director of the National Council on Canada Arab Relations.


Ofer Neiman

Ofer Neiman is a co-editor of the Occupation Magazine, and one of the activists in the Israeli support group for the BDS campaign, “BOYCOTT! Supporting the Palestinian BDS call from within”. He works as an editor and a translator. He believes that Israeli peace and anti-occupation groups will not be able to change reality from within, without support from the outside.


Alex Whisson

Alex is a long time Palestine solidarity activist. He is the former convenor of Friends of Palestine in Western Australia and is currently the Public Advocate for Australians for Palestine in Melbourne


Yousef Alreemawi

Yousef is a Palestinian academic and advocate for Palestinian and refugee rights. Yousef also presents Palestine Remembered, Australia’s only English language program on Palestine, on Radio 3CR. He is also the founder of ASPIRE – the Australian Society for Palestinian Iraqi Refugees Emergency – an humanitarian project which seeks to resettle in Australia, Palestinian-Iraqi refugees living in refugee camps on the Iraq/Syrian border.


Kim Sattler

Kim is a long-time unionist, who was active in the South African anti-apartheid campaign. Kim is currently the Secretary of Unions ACT in Canberra. Kim has recently returned from Palestine, where she participated in the Union Aid Abroad APHEDA Middle East Study Tour 2010


Ginny Adams

Ginny is an organiser with the Health and Community Sector Union. Ginny has been active in the Palestinian and refugee rights campaigns for more than 10 years. She recently returned from Palestine, where she participated in the Union Aid Abroad APHEDA Middle East Study Tour 2010


Ken Davis

Ken is a long-time unionist and social justice campaigner. He is a member of the Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine in Sydney.


 

 


INITIAL CONFERENCE AGENDA

Conference Registration: All weekend $30/22 (incl: Conference launch meeting) Daily $15/$10 Conference Launch meeting $5

Conference registration: email ausbds@gmail.com

FRIDAY – 29th October


TIME

PUBLIC MEETING - LAUNCH

SPEAKERS

7pm –

International Boycott campaign and the struggle for a Free Palestine

Kim Sattler (Secretary, Unions ACT)

Rafeef Ziadah (Palestinian BNC)

Yousef Al Reemawi (Palestinian academic)

SATURDAY – 30th October


TIME

SESSION

SPEAKERS

9am

Welcome/Opening

Conference Organising Committee

9.15am – 10.30am

Taking it to the streets: a short history of civil disobedience movements for boycott, divestment sanctions

Alex Whisson – Australians for Palestine

Julia Terreu - Action for Palestine

10.30-11am

Break

 

11am – 12.30pm

Struggle and Solidarity: Lessons from Palestine Solidarity work internationally

Samah Sabawi – Palestinian writer/former Executive Director of National Council on Canada Arab Relations

Rafeef Ziadah - Palestinian BNC

12.30pm-1.15pm

Lunch

 

1.15pm – 2.15pm

National Targets Proposals

Conference organising committee

2.15pm – 3.45pm

Discussion of proposed National Targets

Break into sectoral groups – Unions Campus/Faith based/ Community/Culture

3.45pm – 4.15pm

Break

 

4.15pm – 5.30pm

Education Workshops


Workshops to be confirmed

6.30pm - midnight

CONCERT FOR PALESTINE AND DINNER Featuring: Fear of a Brown Planet, The Brothahood, The Conch, Phil Monsour Band and Rafeef Ziadah $25/$20

SUNDAY 31st OCTOBER


TIME

SESSION

SPEAKERS

9.30pm – 10.45am

Apartheid: South Africa, Israel and international law.

Ken Davis - Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine

Ginny Adams – union organiser

10.45am- 11.15am

Break

 

11.15am-12.15pm

Discussion of proposed National Targets

Continued solidarity sector discussion from the day before

12.15pm 1pm

lunch

 

1pm – 2.15pm

Hasbara busting: Countering Israel’s propaganda war and attempts to delegitimise BDS.

Samah Sawbawi - Palestinian writer/former Executive Director of National Council on Canada Arab Relations

Kim Bullimore – International Women’s Peace Service-Palestine

2.15 –2.45 pm

Break

 

2.45 pm – 4.30pm

Decision on National BDS target

 

4.30pm – 5pm

Closing of conference