Total number of comments: 6 (since 2010-07-28 17:53:53)
Susan Johnson
am friend of Philip's Went to Gaza together. I'm having problems with user name comes up Susan Hohnson (I didn't use that but Philip did) no passwords will work Even when I get a new one. HELP
Boycott Israel on campus, you have told us little about who you are and what you've done. You went to conferences and became bored with them....how involved were you ? because you think more should be done, do you become involved with the planning of the next one? did you pick up your marbles and go home?
It would be interesting to know how many years you've been "involved" and how long it took for you to become so bitter and what the have you done with your bitterness? Your own attitude may be keeping you from doing "anything worthwhile"
Complaining drains your energy and stands in the way of positive action and thinking. It also drives people away from you and your ideas.
Sabeel is educating people, which is as important, if not more important, than any boycott. If people in the US remain ignorant about Palestine and what Israel is doing to it I seriously doubt any boycott against the settlements or Israel can succeed. The BDS movement needs an educated public...they need organizations like Sabeel.
Cooperation between individuals and groups seeing the need for justice and peace in Palestine is critical. Respect for one another is needed....respect for different approaches is needed. You can respect Sabeel and disagree with their approach. In fact, they are deserving of your respect and cooperation.
"A Child's View from Gaza" the art exhibit created by the children in Gaza, is being featured on October 25 at the Boston Palestinian Film Festival. The children's drawings reflect their experiences during Operation Cast Lead and reveal the trauma and emotions caused by Israel's 23 day bombardment and invasion. The Festival's program also includes the video "A Child's View from Gaza" based on the exhibit and created by Rajie Cook with Tom Francisco.
The idea for the exhibit began during a discussion by our delegation shortly before we left Gaza. Lacking a name, the delegation is refereed to as the May 2009 Gaza Trip or Group. Philip was part of that delegation. Many, if not most, of the people we met in Gaza asked that we tell Gaza'z story when we returned to the US. Hopefully, the exhibit does just that!
ACVG is a traveling exhibit. It's headed to Canada where it will go from the west coast to the east coast with five or six stops in between. A few of the upcoming US venues include Boise, Idaho, Wichitaw Kansas, Albequerquey New Mexico and Park Slope in Brooklyn, New York and many additional. It's also gotten requests from cities in Turkey, Germany and other European countries.
For those interested in further information about ACVG, email achildsview1@gmail.com
Annie, thanks for the sharing your experience at the opening of "A Child's View from Gaza" I had hopes of being there but its a long, expensive trip from Philadelphia.
Should memory fail , I coordinated the exhibit from the day our group (Phil was in the group) discussed the idea. The exhibit project was much larger, complicated and time consuming than I'd ever imagined. For the past year it has been shown in libraries, galleries. churches and similar venues on the east coast or mid-west. Attendance has been good, comments thoughtful and very little opposition. When there has been it's the exhibit isn't balanced with drawings by Israeli children; it's showing Israel as violent, which isn't fair; these drawings were brought to the US as propaganda against Israel and Israel is always being mistreated. But, as I said, there exhibit experienced very little negativity.
The Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA) hosted the exhibit in the San Francisco Bay area and secured the Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA) as the venue. What a step up for the drawings, they were going to be exhibited in a museum. It almost sounded too good to be true.
I have never even remotely been in a situation that involved organized pressure from any group let alone Jewish
The attach lodged against "A Child's View from Gaza" shocked and overwhelmed me even tho I was on the other side of the country and not that involved in the minute by minute happenings.
These community relations groups and other Jewish organizations are amazing...and not in a good way! They have many groups who, when needed, organize and function as one.
The Jewish organizations are professionals with no similarity to community groups like Rotary, PTA or Save the Environment. They leave them in the dust. They know exactly what they want; what they need to do to get it AND THEY HAVE THE FUNDS! It's frightening they were able to exert so much power the museum board caved in. They are a lobby, similar to the ones in Washington. Did they threaten to cut off funding and remind the board of the generous donations "their community" gives n support. I think their methods are quit similar to blackmail. or mafia techniques.
In the beginning of their campaign there were statements that the drawings were nothing more than propaganda against Israel to make it appear violent; tarnish their image. Well, if they don't want to be seen as violent they should stop being violent. There was concern about the Jewish children visiting the exhibit. What if they were picked on? What if they were questioned about what the drawings said..."they don't know" There were no cries of antisemitism which is unusual I can't figure that out.
Finally the Jewish organizations became the champions and protectors of children. Children could not be exposed to those violent drawings (children can only be exposed to the real thing, especially Palestinian children) What bull shit. They were not censoring anything they felt they had to speak up for those poor children. They have taken away the parent's right to determine what their child sees or doesn't see.! They worried about little two year-olds wandering through the museum, they shouldn't be exposed to all the blood and violence . Isn't someone supposed to be with a two year old?
And the board caved in to the pressure of Jewish organizations, a power house who said over and over again, all they were doing was trying to protect the children.
They were not allowed to function in silence; go unnoticed; remain anonymous...THANK GOD. MECA didn't put up with their actions. MECA announced that Jewish organizations had put pressure on the MOCHA's board. They then named the groups. They were gutsy and brave; challenging what the groups said, repeating the names of the organizations involved. I was so proud of them for standing up for what is right.
Censorship is wrong and very dangerous. Power is dangerous. The lobbies for Israel are dangerous, powerful and rarely challenged. I'd never seen them in action, been involved with them in any way, My god, what a frightening experience and even more frightening was the realization that this was not an isolated incidence it's the norm and it's happening all over our country. How have we let this happen and how can we bring it to a halt?
"A Child's View from Gaza" will be exhibited in Oakland until the end of November. There have been venues who canceled sending the sponsoring group into a mad search for a new space. People are fearful having witnessed Oakland. I've had numerous calls and emails from people who knew nothing about the exhibit and having heard about Oakland they want to host the exhibit. where they live.
One of the exhibit'sgoals was raising awareness about Gaza and her children; what they experienced during Operation Cast Lead .The Jewish Organizations in the Bay Area campaigned to have the exhibit canceled and won. They may have shot themselves in the foot.Their actions have exposed thousands and thousands of people to Gaza's plight and because MECA "called a spade a spade" the Jewish organizations involved were seen as bullies trying to censor what can be seen. I don't think that was the result they expected.
The response and support your comments have given "A Child's View from Gaza" has been fantastic. Having been involved with these drawings and the exhibit from the time time the project was proposed I'd like to offer the following
Yes, the drawings were created by children age 7 t0 14. Some of you have offered back up examples the fact that some children posses artistic skills way beyond those of most children their age. The children's centers in Gaza encourage the arts....drawing, dance, etc.
Reading the comments about the crayons and paper made me laugh....you guys don't realize don't realize how close you were to the truth. The materials Palestine receive from the outer-world is controlled by...you've got it, Israel ! Israel has a list of approved goods. (granted and thankfully some things enter Gaza through the tunnels) Most of the time crayons, markers, paper...even school books and supplies are not allowed into Gaza. Many of the drawings in the exhibit are draw on recycled paper....the reverse side was used for another project, flipped over and drawings s for the exhibit were created!
The response and support your comments have given "A Child's View from Gaza" has been fantastic. Having been involved with these drawings and the exhibit from the time time the project was proposed I'd like to offer the following
Yes, the drawings were created by children age 7 t0 14. Some of you have offered back up examples the fact that some children posses artistic skills way beyond those of most children their ageswho have mentioned people they knew who drew
Post is exceptional Phil. By sharing your transition from a journalist, a very good journalist, into a man with a cause, a passion and a terrific blogger. Your blog, like you, is exceptional; a place to learn, express positions, enjoy humor and cry when the truth brings pain. You openly share your mistakes, changes in thinking, your questioning, sharing information, actually you share yourself with readers. Thanks!
And you've attracted quite a group of readers. We' re fortunate to have Mondoweiss as a daily read. The readers provide a wealth of information, humor and attempts to keep Wittty under control. ,which is no easy job. Again, what a group!
Your voice for Palestine is loud, clear and effective; one we should all hear. The I/P situation from the Jewish perspective. Not being Jewish, I've gained a perspective I lacked. You bring the reader so much to consider. I've read other blogs "from the Jewish perspective;" they lack what Mondoweiss offers.
Thank you for sharing so much of yourself! You are an exceptional person.!