Since August 2001, the International Solidarity Movement, in close cooperation with Palestinian community leaders, has been organizing campaigns against the injustices of the Israeli Occupation. We, the ISM and the people of Palestine, have called on international civilians from all over the world to join us in Palestine for active nonviolent resistance against 56 years of Palestinian displacement and dispossession, specifically the violence, discrimination and oppression resulting from Israel’s 37-year military Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Over the past 3 years, thousands of you answered our call in one way or another, mobilizing to send a message to the Palestinian people – that they are not alone – and to the international community – that we will not stay silent in the face of brutal occupation and injustice.

Today, the Israeli government is implementing yet another plan that has and will have serious repercussions on Palestinians’ land and their ability to survive – the building of the Apartheid Wall. The Wall symbolizes the obstacles to freedom imposed by the Israeli government and reminds us that the struggle in Palestine, despite the varied representations seen in the media, is purely a struggle for freedom. We need you to join us in Palestine for a massive campaign against the Wall and all other elements of the Occupation.

Commemorating 56 years of Palestinian dispossession (since the exile of 750,000 Palestinians in 1948 and the destruction of hundreds of Palestinian villages), Freedom Summer 2004 will be 56 days of community-organized resistance and direct-action against the Israeli Occupation, with the last two weeks dedicated to a freedom march along the path of the Apartheid Wall.

Campaign dates: June 25 - August 19, 2004


Two-day orientation & training sessions will be held once a week on Fridays and Saturdays. The first training of the campaign will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, June 23 and 24. Please see www.palsolidarity.org for more information and registration.

While the official leadership talks about a "just peace" and the "road map," few people, especially the citizens of Palestine, have seen any true progress towards peace or a solution encompassing basic human rights of the Palestinians. We urge you to take part in working for justice on the ground in Palestine and paving the road to freedom.

We look forward to welcoming you in Palestine!


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For friends that wish to join us from now until the start of the Freedom Summer 2004 campaign, the ISM is engaged in actively supporting nonviolent community-based resistance to the destruction and confiscation of Palestinian land for the path of the Apartheid Wall. For reports, photos and journals of actions and efforts, please see:
 http://www.palsolidarity.org/reports/journals_reports_main.php

Orientations and trainings will be given on an almost weekly basis (according to need) on Thursdays and Fridays. If you are planning to join us during the months of April, May and June, please arrange your schedule so that you are in Jerusalem by 8:00AM on Thursday morning. You can contact Hisham for more information on training (contact information below).


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[LOGISTICAL INFORMATION]

FREEDOM SUMMER Palestine 2004

Training:

Orientation and training is mandatory for all who are coming to join the ISM campaign. Even if you have been on previous ISM campaigns or otherwise have significant experience in the region, affinity group building and updates on the situation are important elements of the training and orientation that cannot be missed. Also, insight and help from experienced activists greatly enhances trainings for new activists. The training dates for the summer campaign are as follows:

Wednesday/Thursday June 23 -24
Friday/Saturday July 2-3
Friday/Saturday July 9-10
Friday/Saturday July 16-17
Friday/Saturday July 23-24
Friday/Saturday July 30-31
Friday/Saturday August 6-7
Friday/Saturday August 13-14

The ISM cannot accept volunteers who do not attend the training and orientations in Palestine.

Training site:

Training sites may change due to circumstances in the region. However, when you arrive in Jerusalem and contact the ISM, you will be given updated information about the next training. An ISM volunteer will meet you and other new arrivals on the morning of the training and accompany you from Jerusalem to the training site. Trainings are usually held in hotels where we can all be together. You can expect to pay approximately $40 for a one-night hotel stay in a double or triple room with other ISM trainees, two full days of meals at the hotel, and transportation to and from the hotel.

Costs:

In addition to the cost of your airline ticket, you can expect to spend approximately $100 - $150 per week of stay in Palestine. This will include food, accommodation and travel.

Other costs (not required but strongly recommended)

Purchasing a mobile phone: $80 - $100 Better and in the end cheaper than renting at airport
Mobile phone cards: $35 per week on average
Campaign t-shirts: $10.00 each

Accommodations:

If you arrive in Palestine before the scheduled training and orientation dates, there are a number of low-cost accommodations available in Jerusalem:

Hostels - there are many. Generally activists choose:

Faisal Hostel: 25 NIS per night (approx. $5.50). Usually crowded and noisy, but the location is great - across from Damascus Gate, and you will meet a lot of activists.
Phone number: +972-2-628-7502

Golden Gate Hostel: 30 NIS per night (approx. $6.50) Very clean; generally quiet; good location. Located inside the Old City walls (enter from Damascus Gate, take the right fork in the road, after approximately 50 meters (at the Via Dolorosa) take a right. The Golden Gate is on the left.)
Phone number: +972-2-628-4317

Hotels:
The Knight's Palace: $25 per person per night based on double occupancy and stated affiliation with the ISM. $40 for a single room. Located inside the New Gate. Reservations usually not required.
Phone number: +972-2-627-4058

During the campaign:

International activists will be staying in towns and villages in the West Bank and Gaza (if we are able to enter). Accommodations will be arranged by local coordinators in ISM housing or with Palestinian families.

Upon arrival:

Please contact Hisham upon arrival to Tel Aviv, or Jerusalem. Hisham will give you updated information on training and instructions regarding getting to training. He can also answer questions you may have about orienting yourself in Jerusalem. If you cannot reach Hisham, please feel free to use one of the other numbers listed below.


Hisham – +972-52-244-983 or +972-67-429-651
ISM Office – +972-2-277-4602
George – +972-54-351-339
Ghassan – +972-54-369-975
Huwaida – +972-67-473-308 or +972-59-866-836


INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT
www.palsolidarity.org