PSN is thrilled to announce that Craig and Cindy Corrie will be keynote speakers at the Fifth Annual Edmonton Israeli Apartheid Week, running March 4 – 8, 2013. Check out the full schedule of events for IAW 2013.
The Legacy of Rachel Corrie: A Family’s 10-year Journey for Justice and Peace
Featuring Cindy and Craig Corrie
Wednesday, March 6 (7:00 – 9:00 pm)
Telus Building Room 150
Corner of 111 Street & 87 Avenue, University of Alberta Campus
(Click here for map)
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Ten years ago, Cindy and Craig Corrie’s daughter, Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old human rights activist and observer volunteering in Palestine, was killed by an Israeli military Caterpillar D9R bulldozer in the Gaza Strip as she tried to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian family’s home. The Corrie family has spent the last decade fighting for answers and accountability for Rachel’s death, and have continued Rachel’s work by becoming active in Palestinian solidarity through the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice.
Join us for a unique opportunity to hear firsthand about Rachel’s legacy and the Corrie’s decade-long search for justice through US and Israeli courts, and the Corries’ ongoing work in Palestine. Cindy and Craig will also explore why the Palestine/Israel issue is relevant to all North Americans, and discuss the critical role North Americans can play in taking action to support the ongoing worldwide movement for Palestinian human rights.
This is a free event. Donations to the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Human Rights are gratefully accepted.
Organized by the Palestine Solidarity Network as part of Edmonton Israeli Apartheid Week 2013.
PSN is a Working Group of the Alberta Public Interest Research Group (APIRG), which provided financial support for this event. This event is also supported by the University of Alberta Department of Political Science.
About Cindy and Craig Corrie
Cindy and Craig Corrie are the parents of human rights activist and observer Rachel Corrie who on March 16, 2003, was killed by an Israeli military, Caterpillar D9R bulldozer in the Gaza Strip as she tried to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian family’s home. Motivated by their daughter’s work and example, the Corries have dedicated themselves to the pursuit of justice and peace in the Middle East and have made numerous visits to the region, most recently in fall 2012 leading Interfaith Peace-Builder delegations to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. “Rachel wrote of the importance of making commitments to places and initiated this one to Rafah and Gaza. The commitment she made continues,” said Cindy Corrie.
The Corries have continued to seek accountability in the case of their daughter and to promote changes in U.S. foreign policy in Israel/Palestine through efforts with the U.S. Congress, U.S. Departments of State and Justice, the Israeli Government, the Israeli and U.S. court systems, and at the corporate headquarters of Caterpillar Inc.
It is the continuing policy of the U.S. Government that the matter of Rachel Corrie’s killing has not been adequately investigated and addressed by the government of Israel. Encouraged by U.S. officials, the Corrie family in 2005 filed a civil lawsuit in Israel in their daughter’s case. On March 10, 2010, seven years after Rachel Corrie’s killing, oral argument in the case began in Haifa District Court. It proceeded with sporadic court dates until a final hearing on July 10, 2011. In an August 28, 2012 ruling, Judge Oded Gershon absolved the Israeli military and state of all responsibility. The Corrie family has recently filed an appeal with the Israeli Supreme Court. A hearing is scheduled for February 14, 2014.
Rachel Corrie was a prolific and gifted writer. With their daughter Sarah, the Corries co-edited Let Me Stand Alone: the Journals of Rachel Corrie, a collection of Rachel’s poetry, essays, letters and journal entries, published by W.W. Norton & Co in 2008. The Corries speak widely of their daughter’s story and experience, and of their own work with the people of Palestine and Israel They are frequent guests at post-performance discussions of the play My Name is Rachel Corrie, co-edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner, and produced in theaters across the U.S. and world.
The Corries have resided in Olympia, Washington, for over thirty-five years where with community supporters, they now carry on the work of the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice. In December 2010, the foundation was recognized for “outstanding service for Human Rights-Unique Achievement” by the Thurston County Diversity Council. The Corries are recipients of a Human Rights Advocate of the Year Award from Seattle University’s Human Rights Network and a Pillar of Peace Award from the Pacific Northwest Region of the American Friends Service Committee. In October 2012, they accepted the LennonOno Grant for Peace on behalf of their daughter Rachel.
For information about the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice:
http://rachelcorriefoundation.org
For further information about Rachel Corrie:
http://criticalconcern.com/rachelcorrie.html
http://rachelcorrie.org
Let Me Stand Alone and My Name is Rachel Corrie website: http://www.letmestandalone.com
PALESTINE SOLIDARITY NETWORK 