Picture with thanks to:   Mary Sanderson & to other advocates, often including Stephen Lewis, gather weekly for Palestinian liberation at Kingston Rd. & Victoria Pk Ave in Toronto .  Albert Einstein says on poster: 

 It would be my greatest sadness to see Zionist (Jews) do to the Palestinians Arabs much of what Nazis did to Jews."

The Call to "Do" Something to End the Horror in Palestine

Observing what is happening in Gaza, Palestine, and the Middle East is just not good enough for most people who yearn for a world where justice and peace are married with respect, self-determination, and being at home - the norms for God's one human family.   Many of us are moved to rage, despair, lament, collaboration, and action when it comes to the State of Israel's historic and current military warfare to exterminate Palestinians and to erase Palestinian presence from their ancestral lands so that Israel's Zionist plan can be fulfilled.   Now that more than 60,000 Palestinians have been annihilated and another 100,000 have been wounded and maimed and all Palestinians are burdened by the depths of grief and despair, it is time for many of us to not only pray and reflect, but also to act.

"What Can I Do?"   was the title of a workshop the Focus on Palestine group of First United Church, Ottawa sponsored.   About 40 participants gathered in the church hall to respond to the question.   As they arrived, they were treated to Palestinian finger food and flavoured drinks.  When all were seated in a large semi-circle, people were asked to state their name and how they were feeling in light of the horror in Palestine.  The dominant mood that characterized the responses was sad, angry, despairing, frustrated, disempowered, - most sharing in the minor key!

Participants were then asked to take markers and go to six large sheets of newsprint each headed with categories:   Learn; Church Life; Advocacy; Economic Pressure; Community Action; Other (e.g. legal, donate, culture, connect/go).   The task:   write down one or more of the things you have already DONE in response to the horror in Palestine.   The sheets were quickly filled.  (You will find the results below.)

The next step was to hear the testimony of several people who had been part of significant action in advocating for liberation.

Then in groups of three, participants were next asked to reflect on what they had heard and seen on the newsprint.  The buzz-groups were followed by general discussion, including a report on a recent Justice for Palestine conference several participants had attended at St. Paul University, Ottawa at the end of May.  Here is Heather Douglas' account of that conference:

“'A Cry for Repentance: Settler Colonialism, Palestine and the Western Church'  was the theme.   We were honoured to share in meaningful, engaging and sobering sessions with Palestinian Christian leaders, advocates, academics, activists and church leaders from across Canada and the globe. They challenged, encouraged and spurred us onwards as we collectively lamented, grieved and learned from the wise, experienced and faithfully perseverant presenters and attendees. We left heartened by the connections and reminded of the gravity - and call of our faith - to seek steadfastly and humbly to walk in solidarity with our Palestinian neighbours and siblings."

Before concluding the workshop,  all were asked once again to say in a word or two how they were feeling in light of the workshop.  The tone said it all - the sharing was in the major key.   Encouraged, informed, strengthened - by the sharing and the community of support - and empowered and inspired to take more action to foster justice, peace, and liberation for Palestinians and their land.  We were all pleasantly surprised and blessed.   The Spirit of gentleness, goodness, fairness, and caring had moved among us..

What Participants in the Workshop Have Already Done:

What follows is a curated list of the actions participants listed on the newsprint sheets and some added from subsequent conversations.   Our hope in publishing these actions is that it may encourage and inspire more communal efforts to strengthen their advocacy for the end of the horror and the emergence of justice, peace, and liberation for the Palestinian people. 

What Participants in the Workshop Have Already Done:

The categories are helpful, but overlap. Community actions become advocacy. And individual actions become Community Actions. Etc.

1.     LEARN

Subscribe to News and Info sources – all formats (e.g. Al Jazeera, Maple, Guardian, Saturday G&M,)

Conferences

Webinars (e.g. organized by Centre for Justice & Piece in Middle East [CJPME])

Documentaries and videos

Podcasts

Social media – follow Gaza folks

Read books (Octopus Books, Ottawa has curated lists)

Theatre Films

Speakers (e.g. Queer Solidarity with Palestine Panel)

Take courses (e.g. online, Peter Larsen in Ottawa)

Talk to Palestinians and Israelis

Educational Tours – go in person

Tatreeze Circle (women embroidering as space for learning, story telling, cultural preservation)

 2.     CHURCH LIFE

Organize and attend meetings of Focus on Palestine at First United

Submitted participatory actions (solidarity) in the Friday File at Kitchisippi United

Meetings at Parkdale United

Make announcements at church

Circulate petition for sending to MP at church

Making negative connections with some readings in the Hebrew scriptures /

Preached on O.T. and related to Gaza

Helped organize information evenings at church

Got church to host speaker from Bethlehem Bible College, Palestine

Emailed ministers to request action and followed up

Regular fundraisers for Gaza

Wear Palestine Pins

Sold Zatoun products in the social hour

Crafts and Children’s programs, kites

Prayers

Vigils.

Congregational Leadership and governance – approach Regional Executive Minister

Wrote various letters to Moderator and General Secretary & Executive of General Council

Introduced Apartheid-Free Communities

Attended religious services elsewhere (with other faith groups, e.g. at university encampment)

Fosna:  Friends of Sabeel North America; Canadian Friends of Sabeel

3.     ADVOCATE

Call and email MP and PM and Min of Foreign Affairs (use weekly call list, circulated June 9^th letter to all Ottawa MPs)

Meet with my MP

Sign petitions and letters (including e-commons, CJPME)

Email CBC – News, ombudsman, reporters and programs – also laud good media 

Joined CJPME media team (upcoming Lobby Corps) 

Create and share letters and petitions

Spoke at City Council meetings for Defend Dissent, and email Councillors / Mayor

Join demonstrations and marches

Expound on Palestine with others (union / professional association / workplace / university)

Talk about Palestine in my classes

Connected workplace with Anti-Palestinian Racism training

Sign / Flag in front of my house

Library: to purchase Palestinian books

SENT books to MP and MoFA: A Short History of Israel-Palestine by Pappé (postage free)

Spoke with MP and Rev. Robert Oliphant (as Parliamentary Secretary for Global Affairs

Invite people to meet my Palestinian friend

Start “Peace Café” meetings

Called / emailed School Board OCDSB

Emailed Alma Maters

4.     ECONOMIC PRESSURE

BOYCOTT ... e.g. Chapters Indigo, Scotia Bank / Teva  

(noted on poster: Shoppers, AirBnB, settlement products, Starbucks)

Use apps: Boycat, No Thanks

Complained to store staff about Israeli Products

Divested my RRSP

Support Divestment – students and faculty at universities / my own association

BUY PALESTINIAN – from Palestine, and support local Palestinian businesses

Buy Palestinian olives, olive oil, delicacies

5.     COMMUNITY ACTIONS

Marches, protests (Parliament, university, streets, university encampment

Organize and participate in Ceasefire Pilgrimage

Joined Palestinian Employee Network (National) at work

Organizing and attending meetings at church

Prayer vigil

Support Palestinians living in Ottawa

Be visible and heard... show up and speak out

-           Wear a symbol (clothing, bag, pin, umbrella, watermelon slice )

-           Talk with family, friends and colleagues

6.     OTHER

DONATE: e.g. Charities in Gaza / Palestine, Newcomer Gaza families Ottawa (money or transportation, goods); PCRF Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, UNRWA, UNICEF, UNHCR, WCK. People and organizations working in Palestine

 Supported LEGAL challenges. ... Support Legal Centre for Palestine / Community Legal Fund 4 Palestine

 CREATE: “Gaza for Good” / hosted a garage sale

RELATING: Meet, love and support Palestinian friends

Lots of conversation with a friend who is a Zionist

PRAYER – individual, group, vigil

 CULTURE - music, Palestinian film festival, food, dance, tatreeze

CONNECT... other faith communities – attend their events, support their work;

 Independent Jewish Voices – support, connect, learn, encourage, appreciate

 GO... Visited Palestine and Israel, brought back perspectives to gov’t decision-makers /

ECUMENICAL partners in other denominations;

Sabeel visits / Internship with Palestinian NGO in Ramallah

We have many colleagues and they encourage us all to courageous acts for truth, justice, peace and  liberation in Palestine.   

Blessings,

The Focus on Palestine Group at First UC, Ottawa:    

Sandra Ballantyne, Ibrahim Daibes, Nira Dookeran, Heather Douglas, Paul Durber, Glenys Huws, Harry Oussoren, Judi Varga-Toth.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Another Inspiring Street Witness to Stop the Killing in Palestine (with thanks for sharing):

Michelle Landsberg, celebrated author, spouse of Stephen Lewis & mother of Avi Lewis, writes in the Toronto Star:   

On June 6, with the help of volunteers, we lugged the 50 signs to the corner and were stunned when 300 black-clad women came pouring onto the street to stand with us. We lined the curb around the corner from Yonge and along Bloor St. all the way to Park Road. The honks and cheers from passing trucks and cars told us how many others are as shocked by the genocide as we are. And we’ll be doing it again and again, until the killing stops. Not in our name, not now or ever, not to anyone. We will not let threats and abuse choke our humanity into silence. We cannot and will not be silently complicit anymore.