The full schedule for Edmonton’s Fifth Annual Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW), March 4 – 8, 2013 is now available!
First launched in Toronto in 2005, Israeli Apartheid Week has grown to become one of the most important global events in the Palestine solidarity calendar. Last year’s IAW was incredibly successful, with 216 cities participating. The Israeli Ministry of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs has even announced it will be dispatching “envoys” around the world in an attempt to undermine the week.
This year, Palestinians have endured another massacre in Gaza, the enlargement of illegal Israeli settlements in Occupied Palestine, increased settler violence and ongoing daily indignities and brutality under occupation. Hence our role in the international community to support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement is more important than ever. This year’s IAW will highlight many faces involved in the Palestinian struggle, from the periphery and the centre, from the diaspora to diplomats, Indigenous groups in solidarity to Palestinian professors, highlighting the many levels of resistance to Israeli apartheid.
IAW 2013 will also take special care to voice the narrative of the changing regional context. Around the world, people are standing in solidarity with each other in struggles for democracy, equity, human rights and economic justice. The resolve of Palestinians as they continue their 64-year struggle against colonization, occupation and apartheid has provided inspiration for movements struggling for freedom, justice and equality around the world. Palestine, too, will be free.
IAW 2013 Edmonton highlights include:
Keynote presentation by Cindy & Craig Corrie, parents of Rachel Corrie, who was killed 10 years ago in March 2003 defending a Palestinian homes from destruction by the Israeli Defense Forces
Palestinian-American poet and activist Remi Kanazi speaking on the cultural and academic boycott movement
Idle No More to Occupation No More: a panel discussion on the connections between grassroots Indigenous movements and the role of solidarity activists from Turtle Island to Palestine
Artists Against Apartheid poetry night at Rouge Lounge, featuring local poets and a guest set of spoken work by Palestinian-American poet Remi Kanazi
A film screening of the award-winning documentary Roadmap to Apartheid, and discussion of the parallels and differences between the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and Palestine
A presentation of women’s voices from the Palestinian diaspora to mark International Women’s Day (March 8, 2013)
- A full schedule of events and details will be posted at psnedmonton.ca next week
- Please ‘Like’ PSN on Facebook to receive event postings and help us spread the word about IAW 2013 by inviting your friends
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- You can also check out what’s happening for IAW in other cities by visiting apartheidweek.org
PALESTINE SOLIDARITY NETWORK 