This is the vigil against Islamophobia that Hudson Valley JVP did with MECR (and a number of other local groups). It was such an important event last holiday season that it is being included now, even though it occurred in December 2017.
Vigil last December
This is the vigil against Islamophobia that Hudson Valley JVP did with MECR (and a number of other local groups). It was such an important event last holiday season that it is being included now, even though it occurred in December 2017.
Understanding racism is the underlying theme
MECR showed “Al Helm: Martin Luther King in Palestine” at the New Progressive Baptist Church, 8 Hone St, Kingston. This free documentary follows an African American gospel choir as it travels the Holy Land singing in a Palestinian play about Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Al Helm (the dream) explores cultural differences, human rights, and the power of nonviolent action. The New Progressive Baptist Church Choir performed live at the end of the film. Sponsored by: Middle East Crisis Response mideastcrisis.org, Hudson Valley BDS hudsonvalleybds.org, Jewish Voice for Peace-HV jvphudsonvalley.org, and Veterans for Peace.
This was a great event with a fair turnout. It was a little disappointing with such an interesting movie and the participation of the New Progressive Baptist Church Choir. MECR is still committed to building bridges to other groups in the Hudson Valley. The fight for racial and economic justice is the same, whether it is in Palestine or in the streets of Kingston NY. When the majority of white people in America discover one, they will be able to understand the other.
Talk and Book Signing with Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh
Fri, Jun 22 at 7 pm. Talk and Book Signing with Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh at the Inquiring Minds Bookstore & Gallery, 200 Main St, Saugerties, NY. Professor at Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities and founder of the Palestine Museum of Natural History (palestinenature.org), Dr. Qumsiyeh will talk about his book, “Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Empowerment.” Hear how environmental and social justice movements can come together to fight both climate change and racial injustice. Sponsored by: Middle East Crisis Response mideastcrisis.org, Hudson Valley BDS hudsonvalleybds.org, Jewish Voice for Peace - HV jvphudsonvalley.org, and Veterans for Peace.
We had a great crowd for Mazin, who was at the top of his game explaining how colonialism has worked in the US and in Palestine. Over sixty people listened to his talk.
Break the Blockade of Gaza, an Evening of Music and Discussion with Yonatan Shapira
I will be playing one of Yonatan's songs next Thursday on Activist Radio. The song, "We Will Return" is about Palestinian refugees. The following Thursday, I will play some of Yonatan's stories from the night along with another haunting song in Hebrew.
Activist Radio is on Thursdays from 5-6 pm (91.3 FM or streamed live from http://www.classwars.org). Once broadcast, Yonatan's songs will be on the website for the next ten weeks. You can also hear Activist Radio on the Progressive Radio Network each Sunday from 5-6 pm (http://www.prn.fm).
Thanks,
Fred
Fri, Jun 1 at 7:30 pm. Break the Blockade of Gaza, an Evening of Music and Discussion with Yonatan Shapira (former IDF Air Force pilot) and Elis Elhanan (co-founder of the Israeli-Palestinian NGO Combatants for Peace) to Benefit the 2018 Gaza Freedom Flotilla. At the Mountain View Studio, 20 Mountainview Ave., Woodstock. Suggested donation $10. Sponsored by: Middle East Crisis Response mideastcrisis.org, Hudson Valley BDS hudsonvalleybds.org, Jewish Voice for Peace - HV jvphudsonvalley.org, and Veterans for Peace. Contact: mecr@mideastcrisis.org or 845 876-7906
Bethlehem to Brooklyn: Breaking the Surface
Friday, May 4, 7-8:30 PM. Film “Bethlehem to Brooklyn: Breaking the Surface” at the Holy Cross Santa Cruz Episcopal Church, 30 Pine Grove Ave, Kingston. Documentary spotlights the world of Latino, African American, and Palestinian teenagers struggling with the circumstances in their daily lives. They don’t join a jihad or a gang, but find a way to resist through writing and activism. SPECIAL GUEST: A member of Black Lives Matter - Hudson Valley will talk about the campaign to bring racial justice to our local communities. Sponsored by: Middle East Crisis Response mideastcrisis.org, Hudson Valley BDS hudsonvalleybds.org, Jewish Voice for Peace - HV jvphudsonvalley.org, and Veterans for Peace. Contact: mecr@mideastcrisis.org or 845 876-7906
Joel Kovel, a founding member of MECR, died this week
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| Joel Kovel (from Democracy Now!) |
Joel Kovel: “And I feel that the notion of Zionism, as that there is this kind of destiny of the Jewish people to have their own state, is just a wrong idea. And it’s an idea that requires signing on to imperialism. It means signing on to ethnic cleansing. It means—despite everything that has been said about it, it means basically becoming a racist situation, where you’re oppressing an indigenous population and depriving them of their right to existence, and then thinking that somehow you can go ahead and have a decent life on that basis. And you can’t, in my view. And I join hands with those people who feel that the time has come to basically think of Israel in the same category as South Africa, as a state that just has gone wrong and needs replacement.”
That’s author, scholar and activist Joel Kovel, speaking on Democracy Now! He died Monday in New York City at the age of 81.
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