WNPJ Group of the Week: Rafah Sister City Project

Submitted by staff on Tue, 11/18/2008 - 6:58am
Madison-Rafah Sister City Project Contact Us!    

http://madisonrafah.org/indexold.html

 

Slide show here:

http://www.madisonrafah.org/images/rafah_jan_05/rafah/rafahslides.html

 


Madison/Rafah Sister City Project

 

 

 

Contact:  Jennifer Lowenstein or Barb Olson

 

Address:  MRSCP, PO Box 55371, Madison, WI 53705

 

Phone: 608-215-9157 E-mail: rafahsistercity@yahoo.com Website: www.Madisonrafah.org

 

 

History: Founded January 2003.

 

 Membership: About 15 active members and much larger group of supporters. Open to anyone who wants to participate in our projects.

Geographical area of work: Mainly Madison and Dane County, with some outreach elsewhere.

Who does the work: Volunteers.

Working links: Rafah Partner: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights; Member of Madison Sister Cities group, member of the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, working relationship with Olympia-Rafah Sister City in Olympia, Washington; member Madison Area Peace Coalition.

Purpose: To establish a people-to-people relationship between citizens of Madison and Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip, occupied Palestine; to focus on humanitarian, social, and cultural issues of concern to both cities; and to provide material assistance and support to the devastated community of Rafah; and to carry out public education and advocacy work on behalf of a just peace for Palestine and Israel in accordance with international law and human rights. We were denied status of an official Madison Sister City, but continue to work as an NGO.

 Projects: Health Committee: Provide collection of requested professional books to mental health workers in Rafah (2007); Family Support Committee: Marketing beautiful, handmade embroidery by the women of Rafah (ongoing); Olive Oil Project, selling West Bank Fair Trade olive oil (ongoing); Large lending library of films about Palestine; slide presentations, speakers, and videos available. "Weekly Briefing" of links to important Middle East-related articles and notification of area events available by e-mail. Public Policy Advocacy Committee: focusing on advocating Middle East policy change with public officials and others. Will continue to sponsor a variety of public educational activities.

Congressional District: 2nd, US Representative Tammy Baldwin’s district. (Update 12/07)

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This holiday season there are two opportunities to

 "Give the gift that gives twice: Once to the producer and once to the recipient"

 

Sunday, Nov. 23

8:30 am to 3:00 pm

 Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

 Fair-Trade Christmas Sale

 

This is at 1501 Gilbert Road, Madison in the Church's Friendship Hall.  Call 271-7212 for more information.

 A complete list of vendors is below.

  

And

 

 Saturday, December 6, from 9 am to 4 pm

Community action on Latin American (CALA) sponsors the

12th Annual Fair Trade Holiday Festival

at Monona Terrace! 

 

 

 

Right-click here to download pictures. To help protect your privacy, Outlook prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet. 

12th Annual Holiday Fair Trade Festival Dec. 6:

Bigger and better than ever!

Find the perfect unique gift while you support fair trade producers
around the world.

Fair Trade seeks to shorten the path between you and the artist who makes your gift, so the artist can make a living wage and you can know they receive the largest possible portion of the purchase price.

Shop a wide selection of art, crafts, clothing, home decorations,
pottery, weavings, food gifts, and more. International fair trade
products will be available from Mexico and Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and beyond.

New for 2008: Domestic Fair Trade products made in Wisconsin and throughout the country, with the goal of supporting sustainable small businesses and family farms.  Domestic fair trade products will include cheese, maple syrup, honey, sausage, granola, wool products and more.

For more information (including list of items for sale) visit www.calamadison.org  or email
Festival@calamadison.org or call 286-0865.

 

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ORCHARD RIDGE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

Fair-Trade Christmas Sale

ORUCC is sponsoring a Fair-Trade Christmas Sale where you will find unusual and beautiful gifts and holiday items.  Proceeds go to organizations that help people around the world to be self-sustaining.

 

List of Vendors and items: 

 

 

SERRV promotes social and economic justice by marketing hand-crafted items in a just and direct way.  They will offer a wide selection including jewelry, Christmas decorations, baskets, carved animals, musical instruments, food, and toys. 

 

GLOBAL REFLECTIONS offers hand-painted mirrors, ornaments and pottery from Mexico and Guatemala.  Sales of these beautiful pieces provide a sustainable livelihood for the artisans.

 

CHIRIPA sells exquisite hand-hammered copper vases, bowls and other ornaments and also offers hand painted wooden animal from Oaxaca, Mexico, jewelry, ceramics, rugs and other artisan crafts from the Americas.

 

TERRA EXPERIENCE specializes in ethnic doll clothes, hand-woven in South and Central America, and also sells clothing, books and art.  Sales support local artisans and sustainable development for their communities.

 

VILLAGE HEALTH PROJECT focuses on public health in Uganda. They will offer paper beads made by Ugandan women.

 

PLAYGROUNDS FOR PALESTINE raises funds to build a playground for children of the Jenin Regugee Camp. Items include coffee, olive oil, soap, spices, teas, chocolate. 

 

DOERS offers humanitarian aid to victims of war, poverty, oppression and natural disaster.  They will be selling books and handmade Afghan blankets, pillows and jewelry to support that country's refugees.

 

MADISON-RAFAH SISTER CITY PROJECT builds relationships in order to improve living conditions in Palestine. Items offered include embroidery, olive oil, soap and calendars.

 

VENUS IMPORTS markets hand-made clothing from Nepal as well as artisan crafted jewelry, musical instruments and other exceptional gift items.

 

HEIFER PROJECT provides the chance to buy shares of farm animals, trees, fish and honey bees for impoverished rural families so they can produce their own food and a livelihood. 

 

MASAII HANDCRAFTS from Kenya sent by Pastor Benson Kishoyian who works directly with the artisans and was a global exchange preacher with ORUCC several years ago.

 

TUPENDANE COTTAGE INDUSTRY sells greeting cards handmade by African AIDS widows.

 

RHUMY WARA is raising money to build a clinic and provide school books in Ecuador. Crafts and weaving by local artisans will be available.

 

PORCHLIGHT provides housing for the homeless. They will be selling jams and sauces made locally.

Holy Land Olive Oil 

  www.sabeel.org     

The Madison-Rafah Sister City Project is taking orders for Holy Land Olive Oil, an extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil imported directly from Palestinian growers.

Palestinian farmers, whose income has been devastated by Israeli policies of occupation and closure, are having great difficulty selling their produce. Neither Jordan nor Israel, the two natural markets, will accept the oil which is now the only source of income for many people. The oil is fresh and flavorful and in the process of organic certification.

This olive oil is supplied in cooperation with the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC). PARC is a not-for-profit organization that develops and markets Palestinian agricultural products. PARC pays farmers a fair price, and gives priority to farmers whose land is under threat of confiscation or affected by the wall, as described by Rev. K. Jeanne Person from New York.

 

West Bank farmers struggle to find a market for their oil because, as a form of economic collective punishment, Israel prohibits the sale of olive oil from the West Bank inside Israel.  An added irony is that Israel has an annual olive oil deficit of 14,000 tons, whereas the West Bank has a surplus of 25,000 tons.  

The following co-ops supply oil for Holy Land Olive Oil

  • The Organic Cooperative of Keereh, Salfit area
  • The Cooperative of Koufer-eh-Deek, Ramallah area
  • The Oil Cooperative of Bedeah, Salfit area
  • The Cooperative of Beit Reema, Ramallah area
  • National Cooperative Association of Taybeh, Ramallah

    Holy Land Olive Oil certifies that all oil is of West Bank origin and makes available a "Certificate of Origin" issued by the Palestinian National Authority to that effect.

    Buyers in Madison have been impressed with the oil's quality and flavor. The oil is "Extra Virgin," complying with new International Olive Oil Council standards for acidity of less than 0.8%. The oil has a beautiful brilliant-green color and a freshness that you can literally taste: nutty with a little sharpness or bite - particularly in the finish - typical of fresh oil.

    If you are interested in ordering, contact Leslie Moy by e-mail at lesliemoy@yahoo.com, specifying the number of bottles. The current price is $14 per 500 mL bottle.

    Leslie is looking for volunteers to help expand this project; anyone interested in working on it should contact her.

    For more information on Holy Land Olive Oil, see "Palestinian Olive Oil Venture Meant to Harvest Stability" from the Contra Costa Times, Oakland, CA.