Petitions including - tell Andy Burnham to Sanction Israel, Write to the Foreign Secretary: Demand the Release of Dr Abu Safiya, Swim With Gaza - Free Swimming Lessons for Children in Gaza....
HASTINGS TOWN CENTRE INFORMATION STALL
Saturday 22 August 12noon until 2pm Town Centre.
We will be running our weekly stall as usual. With information leaflets, the petition calling on Hastings Council to ditch the General Dynamics' lease, boycott stickers, keffiyehs, tote bags, books and badges.
HASTINGS AND AL-MAWASI - CULTURAL EXCHANGE MEETING
Sunday 23 August 10am. Online. The meetings we've been having with a group of young people from Al-Mawasi have proven to be very popular; they have given us a great opportunity to share the culture, traditions and daily life experiences of our two communities. Please email us for the link to the meeting.
INTERNATIONAL SWIM WITH GAZA
Saturday 29 August 2.30pm. Marina Beach, by the Azur TN38 0BU.
Join us for this year's solidarity swim, paddle and picnic. This will be an International event with 45 swims already confirmed in the UK, Palestine, USA, South Africa, Malaysia, Australia, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Canada, waiting to hear from Hawaii, Thailand and Cuba. The plan is that these swims will coincide with the Carnival in Gaza where approximately 2,500 children will run into the sea and swim after going through swimming lessons carried out along the seafront in central and southern Gaza (see section below 'Free Swimming Lessons for Children in Gaza.').
More information from the #swimwithgaza website. Hastings: #swimwithgaza 2023 #swimwithgaza 2024.
AHMED MASOUD AT THE RYE ARTS FESTIVAL
Monday 14 September Doors Open: 5:45 Starts: 6:00. The George In Rye TN31 7JT.
We're really pleased to see that Ahmed Masoud will be at the festival. We know Ahmed - he came to give a talk in Hastings a few years ago about his life in Gaza.
"Ahmed is a writer, poet and director who grew up in Palestine and moved to the UK in 2002. He is the author of the acclaimed novels Vanished - The Mysterious Disappearance of Mustafa Ouda and Come What May. He has written many widely-praised theatre and radio dramas. Ahmed is the founder of Al Zaytouna Dance Theatre where he wrote and directed many productions with subsequent tours in the UK and Europe. After finishing his PhD research, Ahmed published many journals and articles including a chapter in the Britain and Muslim World: A Historical Perspective. He certainly has a lot to talk about!" Ticket information.
NATIONAL MARCH FOR PALESTINE
Saturday 10 October 12noon Central London. Save the date. More information.
Sign the petition calling on Hastings Borough Council to evict General Dynamics from council premises for carrying out 'illegal and immoral activities.'
SIGN THE PETITION
I DO NOT CONSENT TO PALANTIR
The 'I do not consent to Palantir' campaign has got off the ground with this petition to put pressure on the East Sussex Heathcare Trust to ditch Palantir. If you want to get involved in the campaign please email. More information about the campaign is on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
"I do not consent to Palantir accessing my personal information and I insist that East Sussex Healthcare Trust drops Palantir immediately" Please sign and share widely.
SIGN HERE
PETITION: TELL ANDY BURNHAM TO SANCTION ISRAEL
This is the PSC's petition demanding the new Prime Minister ends Britain's complicity in Israel's ongoing genocide, illegal occupation, and system of apartheid. Call on the government to recognise the fact that Israel is engaged in genocide; impose comprehensive sanctions on Israel, including a full arms embargo; ban all trade in goods and services with Israel's illegal settlements; and end the use of public order and anti-terror legislation to suppress protest in support of Palestinian rights. Apologies for the incorrect link in last week's newsletter. This is the correct link.
SIGN THE PETITION
WRITE TO THE FOREIGN SECRETARY: DEMAND THE RELEASE OF DR ABU SAFIYA. IMPLEMENT SANCTIONS NOW
Support the PSC e-action: Write to the Foreign Secretary to demand the release of Dr Abu Safiya. The PSC letter also refers to the 9,000+ Palestinians who are currently imprisoned by Israel in the most horrific conditions imaginable and subjected to beatings, torture, rotten food and unsanitary environments. "The British government must take urgent action to hold Israel accountable for these crimes by implementing comprehensive sanctions now."
WRITE TO THE FOREIGN SECRETARY
FREE SWIMMING LESSONS FOR CHILDREN IN GAZA
This is a project we support that we really hope people can get behind. #swimwithgaza is working with and supporting this incredible project where pools are being constructed along the Gazan coast with boulders and sand bags forming mini-lido-like structures. So far five pools have been completed by Amjed Tantesh and his helpers. Amjed's life ambition is to teach as many children in Gaza to swim as possible.
The money is needed to pay the teachers, the support staff and for Amjed's helpers who are setting up and maintaining the pools.
The fundraiser page is here: Free Swimming Lessons for Children in Gaza.
Amjed features in a recent Guardian podcast. It gives the background to his projects to teach children to swim; also there's a glimpse of everyday life for children in Gaza. Podcast: The Man Building Swimming Pools in Gaza. An accompamying article in the Guardian about Amjed and the Swim with Gaza project: Reclaiming stolen childhoods: swimming classes resume in Gaza after three years of war Article here.
More information at the Swim With Gaza website and at its Facebook and Instagram pages.
PALESTINE - ISRAEL: FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
Much of the 'information' in the corporate media is misleading. Here are some useful sources:
Middle East Eye. Electronic Intifada. Al Jazeera. Middle East Monitor.
Mondoweiss. Palestine Chronicle. Al Mayadeen. Mintpress. The Grayzone.
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor. Jonathan Cook.
The Cradle. MediaLens. Declassified UK. The Hind Rajab Foundation.
Rania Khalek. Craig Murray. The Canary. Double Down News.
Glenn Diesen.
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Hastings and District PSC online membership and donations
Becoming a member of Hastings and District PSC is an important way of supporting our work.The annual subscription is £10 waged, £5 unwaged. We now have an online membership payment form. It can also be used to renew membership. If you would rather not use Paypal, you can pay directly to our bank: please contact us for the details. Or alternatively pay at one of our events.
The work of Hastings and District PSC could not continue without the donations from members of the public. If you would like to support our work without becoming a member please visit our shop page here and see the right hand column:
Donate to Hastings and District PSC.
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