Over recent years, LSE's apparent failure to support the Right to Education Campaign for Palestinians has caused uproar on campus, whilst there were only two Palestinian offer holders expected to attend the university for the current academic year.

The LSE-Palestine Solidarity Initiative ( http://www.palestinesolidarity.org) provides an opportunity for those with links to the London School of Economics to actively support the right to education for Palestinian students. It aims to encourage all students, alumni, staff and academics connected with LSE to assist those hindered in exercising their right to education by the Israeli Occupation - politically, educationally and financially – by encouraging and supporting increased applications from Palestinian students to the vast array of Masters degree programs that the LSE has to offer. This is primarily through twinning potential Palestinian applicants with those in the LSE community with the relevant subject knowledge.

Exhibiting clear political aims, the Initiative also aims to encourage people to lobby LSE to provide scholarships specifically aimed at Palestinians, abolish all postgraduate application fees and establish formal links with Birzeit University's Right to Education Campaign. The LSE-Palestine Solidarity initiative also demands that the university divests from companies profiting from the Israeli occupation, which is the explicit policy of the LSE Students' Union.

The Initiative was founded by James Caspell and Ziyaad Lunat, two LSE alumni and student activists who have long campaigned for the liberation of Palestine.

James Caspell stated, "The systematic denial of the right to education is a political problem that will ultimately require a political situation. Therefore this Initiative not only aims to support individual Palestinians, but raise the level of political consciousness and activism within the LSE community, supporting the Palestinian people collectively in their struggle against Israeli Occupation."

Ziyaad Lunat added, "The LSE-Palestine Solidarity Initiative is an attempt by activists to bring together political demands with practical solutions and bypass the LSE bureaucracy's pro-Israel bias. Through providing direct support to Palestinians living under Israeli Occupation, we encourage the LSE community to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinian students whilst providing more opportunities for Palestinians to fulfil their academic potential"

Notes to Editors

For more information or to register your support:  http://www.palestinesolidarity.org

For more information on the Right to Education Campaign visit:  http://right2edu.birzeit.edu/

The London School of Economics Students' Union is officially twinned with Al-Najah University and recently voted to divest funds from those companies profiting from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. In an attempt to curb the pro-Israel bias of the LSE administration, a number of students involved with the LSE Students' Union Palestine Society occupied a meeting of LSE Council, the highest decision making body, in October 2007 in order to have the opportunity to address their concerns to Director Howard Davies [picture attached].For more information about the occupation of LSE Council in October 2007, visit:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/10/384758.html

Contact:

James Caspell
 James.caspell@gmail.com

Ziyaad Lunat
 z.lunat@googlemail.com