Momentum for Gaza: Report by Joshua Brollier of VCNV - Madison

Submitted by staff on Mon, 02/22/2010 - 3:44pm
Event Dates: 
03/18/10

Momentum for Gaza:Report by Joshua Brollier of VCNV

 

Thursday, March 18th at 7:00 pm

Predolin Hall- Room 307

Edgewood College

 

Joshua Brollier, a co-coordinator for Voices for Creative Nonviolence in Chicago, will give a slide presentation and reflect on his experiences as a participant in the Gaza Freedom March in January 2010.  

 

The Gaza Freedom March goal was to challenge Israel’s ongoing siege and blockade of Gaza and to commemorate the lives lost during last year’s Operation Cast Lead, a 22-day Israeli military assault that left over 1,400 Palestinians dead and another 5,300 wounded.  

 

One of over 1300 delegates from 43 countries, Josh found the original plans for a March from Rafah across the Israeli border at Erez thwarted by the Egyptian government.  The resulting large and small unsanctioned demonstrations in support of Gaza in

Cairo were also met with disruption and force. 

 

While the original plan was not achieved, the actions in Cairo raised awareness, strengthened international solidarity and resulted in the formation of the Cairo Declaration.

 

Joshua will talk about the Cairo declaration and open up a discussion about ways for activists to become involved in local campaigns to support the movement to free Gaza.    

 

Joshua Brollier, 27, a Co-Coordinator with Voices for Creative Nonviolence in Chicago (www.vcnv.org ), is a writer, musician and activist.  Josh participated in Witness Against War—a 500-mile walk from Chicago to St. Paul to challenge the US wars and occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  He has been an organizer for other projects like Camp Hope and the Peaceable Assembly Campaign.

In addition to work with Voices, Brollier has been active with the St. Francis Catholic Worker Community and with Chicago’s Northside Action for Justice’s Community Justice and Copwatch programs in Uptown.

Co-sponsored by

Pax Christi-Madison, (trudijenny@yahoo.com)

Madison-Rafah Sister-City Project,

and the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice