Calling all Arab and Palestinian Youth for the World Social Forum – Free Palestine

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CALLING ALL ARAB & PALESTINIAN YOUTH

CALLING ALL YOUTH OF CONSCIENCE

About the World Social Forum – Free Palestine:

In November 2012, social movements from around the globe will gather in Porto Alegre, Brazil to demand and organize for a free Palestine. The need for an end to the ongoing occupation of Palestine is one of the struggles at the heart of the movement for global justice. The World Social Forum Free Palestine is an expression of the desires of global social movements for justice and freedom, and is an echo of the World Social Forum’s opposition to neo-liberalism, colonialism, and racism through struggles for social, political, and economic alternatives that promote justice, equity, and sovereignty of peoples.

Members of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) – USA and the United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) will be attending the World Social Forum – Free Palestine (WSF-FP) and urge all youth (ages 18 – 35) to join us for this historic occasion.  PYM-USA and the USPCN have been working as part of the US Social Forum sponsored Delegation in building a joint struggle delegation steeped in anti-racist and anti-colonial politics.  For more information about the delegation, visit:://www.ussf2010.org/wsfpalestine.  For more information about the World Social Forum-Free Palestine, visit ://wsfpalestine.net/

Who can Go?:

Anyone can attend the World Social Forum-Free Palestine! The World Social Forum is intended to be an open space where people from various movements, organizing sectors, and organizations can participate, learn, network and cultivate deeper and more meaningful relationships around global social justice work!  PYM particularly urges Palestinian, Arab and youth of color to participate, as the role of youth is critical in transnational justice and liberation organizing.

Importance of Arab/Palestinian-American YOUTH Involvement:

Arab and Palestinian youth have been at the forefront of the Palestinian struggle for liberation for generations.   It is imperative, therefore, that regardless of where we reside in the world, that WE maintain our role at the forefront in the struggle against Israeli colonization of the Palestinian homeland.  The same is true for those of us living in the United States of America—undoubtedly the strongest supporter of Israel—who often feel disconnected from our liberation movement and ineffective in our efforts. Nevertheless in light of our location, citizenship, and privilege, the potential we possess is pivotal to the success of our movement.  Since the Oslo Agreements has taken root in Palestine, our struggle has been defined by discourses and solidarity efforts reducing it merely to human rights and “just peace,” while ignoring the continual and more deeply seated colonial character of Zionism on Palestinians, in and out of Palestine; including the millions of refugees still living in camps throughout the Arab world, who are waiting to go home.  The dream has not ended.  It is our time and prerogative to revive the dream of return.

If you are a youth between the ages of 18 and 35 and want to connect to a body taking the right steps towards Palestinian liberation, email us at [email protected].

How to participate?:

• Register! ://wsfpalestine.net/en/registration
• Apply for a Visa by visiting: s://scedv.serpro.gov.br/frscedv/manterVisto.do?lang=eng#inicio
• Resources for Accommodations can be found at ://wsfpalestine.net/en/accommodation
• Information on Getting There can be found at ://wsfpalestine.net/en/getting_there

For more information about the US Social Forum sponsored delegation or if you would like to make a donation, visit ://www.ussf2010.org/wsfpalestine