OXFORD PALESTINE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN ~ AGM 11 MAY

I am pleased to invite you to the Annual General Meeting of Oxford PSC at 7.30pm on Tuesday 11 May 2009 at the Town Hall, St Aldates, Oxford. All supporters are welcome to attend but only PSC members may submit motions, vote on resolutions or stand for office. Membership forms will be available at the meeting for those who are not already members but who wish to join and fully participate in the meeting.

Our guest speaker will be Tony Gratrex who recently went to Gaza with the Viva Palestina convoy.

If you are already a PSC member and would like to submit a motion to the meeting please send it to carolineraine1@btinternet.com by Tuesday 27 April. Motions will be circulated to members in advance of the meeting.

The following officers will be elected at the AGM for the coming year:

§ Chair
§ Secretary
§ Treasurer
§ Membership secretary
§ Student liaison
§ Trade union liaison
§ Communications officer
§ Stall coordinator

The meeting will also elect committee members to work with the officers on campaigns and activities.

Please think about standing for one of these positions or as a committee member. All officer posts can be job shared. If you would like more information about what is involved please contact me. Also if there are other ways you would particularly like to be involved e.g. helping with publicity or press liaison.

We look forward to seeing you on 11 May.

Best wishes, Caroline Raine



PSC Weekly Update 16 April http://www.palestinecampaign.org/Index7b.asp?m_id=1&l1_id=4&l2_id=106&Content_ID=1259

With the General Election only weeks away, now is the time to find out if the Parliamentary candidates in your area support peace and justice for the Palestinians.
Use our campaigning tool to contact your candidates and let them know the strength of public feeling for a just resolution for Palestine, and make them aware that this is a key election issue. http://www.palestinecampaign.org/ Note the STW hustings at the Town Hall on the 20th April.


Upcoming Events:




PSC Annual General Meeting. Tuesday 11 May, Oxford Town Hall, 7.30pm: this is our AGM, all
welcome, but only PSC members can vote.

Saturday street stall: (notice from Seyda) Could people please contact me on my home number 01865 880344 mobile7983334322 or e-mail me seydacooke@virgin.net. Please let me know what you can do even if it means an hour slot, which is fine too. Volunteers needed 11.30 – 1.30. This is one of the main ways we raise the issue of Palestine with the public at large. It takes a couple of hours (plus a bit each side to collect and return the materials). Two people at all times means you always have backup. If each supporter did one Saturday a month we would be covered.

Tuesday 20th April Oxford Ramallah Friendship Association. Oxford Town Hall. 7.00. A short meeting before the hustings.

Oxford Stop the War Coalition invites you to General Election Question TimeTuesday 20 April, 7.30pmOxford Town Hall, St AldatesFeaturing local General Election candidatesConfirmed so far: candidates from Labour, Liberal Democrats, GreenParty, and UKIP, plus Sami Ramadani (Stop the War Coalition)Also invited: candidate from Conservative PartyAll welcomeCome and put your questions to the panel.—GENERAL ELECTION 2010: MAKE PALESTINE THE ISSUE - LOBBY YOUR PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES

Saturday 24th April: OXFORD: People's Charter conference 10.00 - 15.30. And On Sat. 24th April the Oxford People's Charter Programme is holding a panel question event at East Oxford Community Centre at 2.30pm.:Oxford People's Charter Conference10am-3.30pm Saturday 24th April (registration 9.30am)East Oxford Community Centre, Cowley Road, OxfordFull details from:Oxford People's Charter Campaign Grouppeoplescharter.oxford@yahoo.co.uk07967392229www.thepeoplescharter.com(Several members of Oxford PSC will be leading workshops, wearing other hats, and I will chair a workshop for OSTW which will certainly tackle questions on Palestine)

This film is one that the women from the Synagogue have been urging the NOW Gaza exhibition committee to see.It's on at the University Church on April 22nd at 7.30pm.Here's a link to a review in the Electronic Intifada which is probably a fair description of it. Sounds like it would be worth seeing http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article6781.shtml

Nizar Rohana Concert in Oxford , April 27th at 7:30 Location: Holywell Music Room - http://www.music.ox.ac.uk/facilities/Holywell-music-room.html Guest Musician: Shirley Smart- Cello. Tickets available from: http://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/ticketsoxfordor directly on 07809450546
.
‘In the grip of UNRWA’s Educational Policies and State Discrimination: young Palestinian students in refugee camps in Lebanon’
The seminar will investigate whether or not UNRWA educational policies in Lebanon are addressing the particular needs of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon who are deprived of their main human rights such as the right for education and employment. The study will report the results of an empirical study of the quality of education in UNRWA secondary schools in Lebanon and its impact on young Palestinians.
Dr Maha Shuayb,Senior Visiting Fellow,Centre for Lebanese Studies,St Antony’s College on Tuesday 27 April at 5 p.m. The Middle East Centre 68 Woodstock Road

Mayday Rally! Saturday 1st May, Oxford MAY DAY Rally. Assemble 12.30pm Manzil Way for the march to Bonn Square. A PSC speaker will talk about the Palestinians on international workers’ day.


Levellers Day. 10:30 - 18:00 Saturday 15th May 2010. Burford, Oxfordshire. Oxford PSC will have a presence at this enjoyable day. http://www.levellers.org.uk/

minutes of branch meeting

Oxford PSC – notes from meeting 9 March 2010

Present: Dave, David, Pam, Tony, Caroline, Stephen, Jenny

1. Previous minutes given orally. Matters arising:
i. Advert re boycott sent in to Trades Council bulletin by Caroline and Tony.
ii. Students to be informed about our boycott actions but not here end of March. Try next term (starts mid-April). They will try one college first re not buying Israeli goods for kitchen.
iii. Cairo Declaration – Dave has signed on our behalf.

2. Reports:
i. Israeli Apartheid Week – we covered each event except Thursday – excellent esp. Ilan Pappé on Tuesday, Karma Nabulsi on Friday, and S. African speaker on Saturday. V. little opposition now (cf US).
ii. Film ‘With God on our Side’ – Pam reported – by American who was pro-Israeli then changed, showing Bible Belt (where he grew up) Christian Zionist rallies, quite shocking, all about ‘Covenant’ – recent invention (last 70 years).
iii. Pam met couple at the FMH showing of ‘To Shoot an Elephant’. She is the Chair of the UK Friends of Sabeel group, he was the head of World Vision in Palestine. Stephen Sizer who was showing the film in his church in Virginia Water (Surrey) wrote ‘Zion's Christian Soldiers?’ Contacts to be followed up?
iv. Tony on Monday 8 March meeting in London (SOAS) with Palestinian women – one from Shufat camp in E. Jerusalem which is worse than W. Bank, with 40 – 50,000 people in limited space.

3. BOYCOTT DAY OF ACTION TUESDAY 30 MARCH plans discussed. Decided:
i. Picket of Tesco Cowley Road 5-7pm on Tuesday 30 March
ii. Make our own leaflet as before and/or use general BIG leaflet (but not new cards which are mainly for trade unions)
iii. Let students know and aim to do more actions together with them next term.
iv. Let national PSC know.

4. National Branch Forum Saturday 13 March: Dave attending, prepared on all topics:
- students
- boycott actions
- trade unions
- getting people to join
Discussion re centre not able to let us know who our local members are, because of Data Protection. Caroline reported they will send out our AGM notice to local members without email. Pam proposed they have slot on national M’ship form ‘Understand my details will only be shared with my local PSC branch’.

5. Trade Unions: Get involved through advert (above) and cards.
>> Possible joint meeting?

We should start planning for this now – at the minimum a picket of Waitrose and Tescos. The BDS National Committee (BNC) is calling on you to unite in your different capacities and struggles for a Global BDS Day of Action on 30 March 2010 in solidarity with the Palestinian people and for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. see http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/2175.shtml

Nobel Peace Prize for Dr Barghouthi Ask your MP to sign the EDM 849 welcoming and supporting Mustafa Barghouthi nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in organising non-violent resistance against the Israeli occupation.

Click here for Amnesty’s briefing and email your MP to ask them to sign Early Day Motion 502 on universal jurisdiction – check here to see if they have already signed – and if they have, please email to thank them. Read update : 5 MARCH 2010 No change in Universal Jurisdiction before election - Amnesty continues to oppose any changes to our war crimes legislation. Amnesty International thanks the thousands of AIUK supporters, NGOs, MPs and lawyers who have taken action to stop the UK Government weakening our war crimes legislation. Amnesty is deeply concerned that changes to the law would undermine the capacity of victims of serious international crimes to hold accountable alleged perpetrators who come within the UKs jurisdiction.

Debate on war crimes in Parliament
Read the full debate on war crimes and universal jurisdiction that took place in Parliament. If you haven't written to the Prime Minister asking the government not to change the law and give impunity for Israeli war criminals in Britain - its still not too late. Click here to use our lobby tool to email Gordon Brown.

BRICUP has sent an open letter to Elton John asking him to cancel his planned concert in Israel in June. Write to him. HERE

Swee Ang has sent us this to sign : * We endorse the Civil Rights for Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon Petition to The Cabinet and Parliament of Lebanon. Read the Civil Rights for Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon


PSC Weekly Update 4 March 2010 http://www.palestinecampaign.org/index7b.asp?m_id=1&l1_id=4&l2_id=24&Content_ID=1182 Findings of the Russell tribunal are here http://www.scribd.com/doc/27775868/Russell-Tribunal-on-Palestine-findings


Upcoming Events: Local

Monday at 8pm at Wadham Old Refectory.Oxford University Palestine Society : Time to globalise the intifada?" - stories of resistance from Bil'in to the Gaza Strip, with Jody McIntyre



Tuesday 9th March PSC branch meeting.7.30. Oxford Town Hall. All Welcome.