Do you share the goals and principles of the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation?

Do they reflect the goals of your work for peace with justice in the Middle East?

Then join us at an organizers conference of the U.S. Campaign to share what we have learned and coordinate our efforts, so that together we can achieve the greatest impact on public opinion — and on Washington.

Coming Together – Phyllis Bennis will introduce the conference and the campaign; a keynote speaker (Mahmood Mamdani) will discuss why the U.S. government supports the Occupation and how we can organize to overcome such support.

How the U.S. Perpetuates the Occupation – Panel discussion on the nuts and bolts of how U.S. policy sustains the Occupation, from military aid to diplomatic cover at the UN. Phyllis Bennis (chair), Carl LeVan, other speakers pending.

Challenging the Occupation: Political/Legal Frameworks – Occupation is a concept most Americans don’t understand, even those who have an understanding of the constant dehumanization of life in occupied Palestine. What is the political/legal context of occupation? How can we make it real for different audiences? Naseer Aruri (chair), Judy Chomsky, Nadia Hijab.

What Have We Been Doing? – Representatives of different activist organizations will share how they have been organizing to address the Israel/Palestine crisis. Breakout groups will explore different strategies (legislative advocacy, direct action, public education) so that we can learn from each other’s experiences. Conference participants; chaired by Jerry Silberman.

Building for the Long Term – Working together across constituencies requires that we understand the preconceptions and fears Americans bring to this issue and the obstacles they create. How do we respond to pervasive anti-Arab racism? How do traditional and new forms of anti-Semitism play themselves out? Marc Ellis & Hussein Ibish; respondent David Wildman; chaired by Rachael Kamel.

Learning from Other U.S. Movements – How does this work compare to other progressive movements that have won broad public support from Americans, such as the civil rights movement or the anti-apartheid movement? How can we reach out to new constituencies?Presenters pending; chaired by Zoharah Simmons.

Mandates We Can Take Back – Sunday’s sessions will be devoted to developing a basic action program to oppose U.S. support for the Occupation that we can all support and integrate in our work at home. A common program with a national voice can complement the vitality of local efforts as we develop this new movement for peace with justice. Chaired by Mona Younis.

Costs, logistics, etc. – A registration charge of approximately $125 will cover costs of food, lodging, and other conference organizing expenses. The conference will run from 8:30 Saturday morning to 2:00 Sunday afternoon; double-occupancy rooms are available for Friday & Saturday nights. For more information or to register, please contact us_endoccupation@yahoo.com.