Looking for Trouble

Seattle medical delegation to give report on Gaza on July 18

In May, Gerri Haynes led a Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility delegation to Gaza. As Gerri reported in her blogs, while there, the delegation of nine provided humanitarian services and support for hundreds of patients and colleagues in Gaza.

The medical delegation included specialists in the fields of cardiology,neurosurgery, urology, psychiatry, orthopedics, oncology and grief and bereavement. In addition to clinical work, the delegation toured the area and met with hundreds of individuals to learn more about the consequences of the ongoing Israeli siege.

On July 18th, these delegates from the Seattle area will give an eyewitness report on what they saw, did and learned while in Gaza.

You are invited to join them for an informative presentation with time for discussion.

The program begins at 7:00 pm at the chapel at University Temple United Methodist Church, at 1415 NE 43rd Street.

This presentation is co-sponsored by Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Church and Society Committee of University Temple United Methodist Church, United Nations Association of Greater Seattle, and Interfaith Network of Concern for the People of Iraq.

For more information, please email Collin Tong at collin_tong@yahoo.com, or call Collin at 206-782-5802.

Amnesty International: ‘Break the silence, buy radios for Burma’

The junta in Myanmar, also known as Burma, has announced plans for the first elections in two decades and Amnesty International UK has launched a campaign to raise money for portable radios to help people get information on the vote and on political parties.

The online campaign called “Break the silence” wants to get 4,000 radios, 60 walkie-talkie kits and 6 satellite kits into Burma by mid-July. Each radio costs $18.50, and that includes batteries and the cost of getting it into the country.

The Associated Press reports:

“So far, 33 new political parties have been approved by the Election Commission and five existing parties have reregistered to contest the polls. Global criticism has failed to win the freedom of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose now-defunct party overwhelmingly won the last election in 1990, but was never allowed to take power.

“Under recently enacted election laws, Suu Kyi and other political prisoners — estimated at more than 2,000 — are effectively barred from taking part in the polls. Her National League for Democracy party has called the laws unfair and undemocratic and is boycotting the vote. The party was disbanded after refusing to register for the elections by a May 6 deadline.”

Break the silence, buy radios for Burma from Amnesty International on Vimeo.

The elections have been denounced as a sham designed to reinforce military rule, and the junta hasn’t announced an exact date for the vote, but others see this as a chance to call for change. Even a faction from within the disbanded NLD has applied to form a new political party, to be called the National Democratic Force, in a bid to advance the movement’s two-decade campaign to end military rule.

Amnesty organizer’s say:

“In Burma’s harsh media environment a number of courageous individuals work hard to break through the wall of censorship. Although millions tune into broadcasts daily, not everybody in Burma has access to the crucial information they provide. With your help we can break the silence for many more.”

The site says, “The humble radio can play a vital role in empowering the voting public. One radio could help a family or community learn about their rights and show them the international solidarity that Burma’s military regime works so hard to silence.”

About 12 people will use each radio, so if Amnesty reaches its target, 50,000 more people inside Burma will have access to independent news broadcasts.

Donations can be made online, but, if you want to send a check with your donation you can send it to:

Supporter Care Team
Amnesty International UK Section
The Human Rights Action Centre
17 – 25 New Inn Yard
London
EC2 3EA

Add a note saying that it’s for the Burma radio campaign

For more information, see:
Break the silence, buy radios for Burma

Guest blog by Gerri Haynes: Reflections on the Public Health Crisis in Gaza, 2010

(Gerri will give a report on the current situation in Gaza at the Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church in Kirkland at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 22.)


In May, 2010, I traveled to Gaza with eight other members of Physicians for Social Responsibility to work with medical colleagues in hospitals and clinics. This land has been under siege by Israel for more than three and one half years. The passage of essential goods into and out of Gaza is severely restricted by guarded walls, fortified gates and a sea blockade enforced by Israel.

The World Food Programme reports that 80% of households in Gaza depend on international food aid. The Palestinian Health Ministry recently reported that 70% of Gaza’s residents suffer from anemia. Ard Al-Insan, a health organization in Gaza City, states that 10.4% of households in Gaza City suffer from chronic malnutrition.

During our visit, we heard again and again about the critical state of public health in Gaza. The current population is estimated to be 1.6 million people. By 2025, Gaza Municipalities estimates the population will be 2.97 million. With this increasing population, the health crisis – pollution of the water, air and soil and the challenges to the mental health of the population will reach increasingly urgent levels.

Reflecting on what we heard and saw, and the possibility that there may be some positive benefits to the opening of the siege on Gaza in the wake of the Free Gaza flotilla tragedy, this article is a review of some of the critical issues and some possible solutions for the public health of Gaza.

Water

Gaza is a semi-arid land; the over-all rainfall is approximately 317 mm/year and this is decreasing through drought. (The average rainfall is Seattle is 920 mm/year.) The groundwater aquifer, sole source of water, which extends from Haifa to the Sinai, is not being adequately replenished by rainfall. Also, according to Gaza Municipalities, Israel has constructed wells along the eastern part of the Gaza strip to catch the flow of water before it enters Gaza, and Israel has built dams along the Gaza valley to collect the flow of rainwater outside of Gaza for use by Israel.

Lack of replenishment and increased demand for water is resulting in over-pumping of the aquifer in the Gaza area – resulting in the seepage of sea water into the aquifer.

The United Nations reports that 90 – 95 percent of Gazans do not have access to clean water. Untreated and partially treated sewage is seeping into the soil and the aquifer and flowing directly into the Mediterranean.

Lacking basic equipment, spare parts and adequate electricity because of the siege by Israel, the sewage treatment system of Gaza is unable to handle the level of sewage that needs to be processed.

Fishing, a primary source of income and food in the past, is restricted by the blockade – deep water fishing is closed to Gaza and fishing in the nearby shallow, polluted water yields an inedible catch.

To remedy the water crisis, construction of sewage treatment and desalination plants will be essential. This will require access to Gaza by sea or through Israel and/or Egypt in order to bring in critically needed equipment.

Also, given the present level of unemployment and poverty (70% below the poverty line), financial aid from the international community will be required.

Air

Based on observation and anecdotal evidence, the air quality in Gaza is poor. The absence of reliable electricity (bombing by Israel of Gaza’s power plant in 2006, the unavailability of repair parts due to the siege and lack of fuel to run the functioning parts of the power plant) results in power cuts that last from four to eight hours per day for all of Gaza. The use of small, private generators is wide-spread and the resulting pollution of the air is felt throughout the region – concentrated in the cities where the population also is concentrated.

Physicians report a high incidence of burns from touching generators and pouring gasoline into generator fuel tanks and that childhood asthma is rapidly increasing. Whether the increase in asthma is caused by poor air quality or pollutants from other sources is under study.

Soil

In parts of Gaza the groundwater and the soil are contaminated with nitrites, from pesticides and sewage, and chlorides, from seawater intrusion. Both carry health risks, particularly to developing fetuses and small children.

Mental Health

The presence of the siege, profound lack of employment, death of loved ones through air and ground attacks, presence of continuing disabilities from injuries sustained in those attacks, death and injuries caused by fighting inside Gaza, and the ongoing threat of further attacks by Israel have created a sense of despair, tension and fear – and a level of hopelessness in the population of Gaza.

Every person our group spoke with had been affected by the siege and the 2008/2009 attacks by Israel. While the pervasive belief that “all things come from Allah” provides comfort, the daily life of the average person in Gaza is fraught with difficulties.

Mental health workers describe seeing what has been reported in the homes of U.S. war veterans: increased rates of episodic rage and domestic abuse. They also report high rates of depression and an inability to find hope in any activity among the people of Gaza.

However, during our visits to women’s clinics and during our work in health care facilities, a sense of resilience was palpable. Innovative efforts to overcome the health crisis go on despite desperate conditions. The Gaza Community Mental Health Programme – host to our delegation – is developing a program to teach primary care providers how to assist patients in recognizing normal responses to the abnormal situation of life in
Gaza.

Ultimately, the most essential remedy for the public health crisis in Gaza is to end the collective punishment of the population by ending the siege. Among many other things, this will allow the resumption of trade which will create jobs in Gaza and lead to the revival of hope for a healthier future.

Zapatista corn attacked in ‘hate crime’ – replanting planned

A corn field planted in San Diego, Calif. on Earth Day 2010 in solidarity with the Zapatista movement of Chiapas, Mexico has been destroyed by vandals.

Supporters say the “corn seed for this planting was donated by Mayan farming families to publicize their resistance to genetically modified – GMO – corn and to seek sanctuary for their heritage corn seed which is now threatened with GMO contamination.”

The destruction of the corn field might not seem like a big deal, but those who helped plant the corn say they believe the attack is a “hate crime” and can been seen as part of the same anti-immigrant and anti-Mexico “hysteria” that has been spreading across the U.S. recently.

They also say, “As a symbol of hope and life, this tiny GMO-free corn field must be replanted to provide continued sanctuary to corn from Chiapas, Mexico.”

They are asking people to join them to replant the field on Sunday, June 27, from 2pm to 4pm at the Zapatista Milpa on Park Avenue near Balboa Park’s World Beat Center in San Diego.

“We want to make this replanting a joyful and celebratory event so bring shovels and musical instruments; bring food and drink to share; bring seeds and poems to swap, but mostly bring your hearts and your friends. If you live nearby, it will be wonderful if you can join us in the flesh. If you are far away – join us in your heart by sending love and hope.

“We hope those who stomped and uprooted the living garden of Mayan corn in Balboa Park can find a way to heal. Specifically we invite them to join us at the replanting celebration on June 27. Everyone who believes the Mayan people of Chiapas have a right to save their GMO-free, heritage corn – those who work in community or school gardens, those who work on organic farms or backyard gardens – please consider a solidarity planting of Zapatista ‘Mother Seeds in Resistance.’ ”

For additional information about the Zapatista resistance to GMO-contamination in the birthplace of corn, click here:

http://www.schoolsforchiapas.org/english/projects/ecological-agricultural-education/mother-seeds-in-resistance-gmo-free-chiapas.html

To obtain Zapatista corn seed for planting in your own garden or to learn more about the “Zapatista Milpa” in San Diego, or for more general information, you can call Libby Navarro at 619-232-2841 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              619-232-2841      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or email her: Libby@SchoolsforChiapas.org

Israeli military boards aid ship MV Rachel Corrie, passengers ‘unharmed’

The Israeli military seized the aid ship MV Rachel Corrie early this morning, preventing the delivering of over 1000 tons of medical and construction supplies to besieged Gaza.

The Free Gaza Movement said all the passengers “are believed to be unharmed.”

The Rachel Corrie carried 11 passengers and 9 crew from 5 different countries, mostly Ireland and Malaysia. The passengers included Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Maguire, Parit Member of the Malaysian Parliament Mohd Nizar Zakaria, and former U.N. Assistant Secretary General, Denis Halliday.

On Monday elite Israeli military commandos stormed six humanitarian aid ships taking part in the ‘Freedom Flotilla’ to Gaza, killing between at least 9 civilian passengers and injuring dozens more while the ships were in international waters. The Rachel Corrie was part of the flotilla but had to stay behind in Malta for repairs.

Earlier, Halliday had said that everyone on board the Rachel Corrie was prepared to cooperate with the Israeli military when they boarded.

“When they tell they are about to board we will cooperate because it’s too dangerous not to do so, particularly as you say it may be at night which is the usual tactic. We’re not fools, we’re not about to throw away our lives,” Halliday told ABC News on Thursday.
Israeli military confirmed on Saturday noon, Gaza time, that the Rachel Corrie had been boarded without incident. An Israeli Defense Forces spokesman said the ship would be directed to dock at Israel’s southern port of Ashdod.

The Rachel Corrie is a converted merchant ship bought by pro-Palestinian activists and named after the 23-year-old American peace activist from Olympia, Washington, who was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in 2003, set off Monday from Malta. The ship carrying medical equipment, wheelchairs, school supplies and cement, a material Israel has banned in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

According to organizers of the aid effort, the Freedom Flotilla was an effort by a coalition of human rights and humanitarian organizations to nonviolently break through Israel’s illegal blockade, and deliver much needed humanitarian and developmental aid to the Palestinians of Gaza. The United Nations and activists who have recently visited Gaza, say the Israeli blockade, in place since 2007, denies residents of Gaza the basic needs of life: a variety of foods, building materials, electricity, fuel, medicines and school supplies.

2nd UPDATE: Israelis shadowing aid ship Rachel Corrie but not boarding

Update 10:13 Friday, June 4

UPDATE 10:05:

Greta Berlin, of the Free Gaza movement says the MV Rachel Corrie, is being tailed by the Israeli navy, and at one point came along side, according to reports. But, at this point, no one has tried to come on board.

Berlin says the ship is now about 35 miles from Gaza’s shores.

“There were two warships in the back of them … and a smaller boat was approaching,” Berlin told the Belfast Telegraph from the movement’s headquarters in Cyprus, citing a passenger on board.

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/rachel-corrie-aid-ship-tailed-by-israeli-warships-14831352.html#ixzz0px4xhgPn

Update 9:25 p.m. Friday, June 4:

The Free Gaza movement, one of the organizations behind the flotilla of ships that has been trying to take aid to Gaza, just reported that the MV Rachel Corrie is being boarded by Israelis.

According to one of the passengers on the ship, Jenny Graham, Israeli ships had been following them for about 2 hours, and that in the last few minutes 2 ships were approaching from the port side. Graham also said that equipment on board had been jammed by the Israeli navy, and that they expected their satellite phone to be jammed soon as well.

EARLIER REPORT:

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Andy David told ABC News today that the MV Rachel Corrie, which may be off the coast of Gaza as early as Friday, will be prevented from entering the blockade area.

“The Rachel Corrie will not be allowed into Gaza,” David said. “We are watching it and waiting to see what will happen. Hopefully, the people on board will direct to the port in Ashdod. “The naval blockade is still in effect and the ship will not be allowed to enter into the naval blockade area.”

On Monday elite Israeli military commandos stormed six humanitarian aid ships taking part in the ‘Freedom Flotilla’ to Gaza, killing at least 9 civilian passengers and injuring dozens more while the ships were in international waters. The Rachel Corrie had been part of the flotilla but had to stay behind in Malta for repairs.





According to organizers of the aid effort, the Freedom Flotilla was an effort by a coalition of human rights and humanitarian organizations to nonviolently break through Israel’s illegal blockade, and deliver much needed humanitarian and developmental aid to the Palestinians of Gaza.

The United Nations and activists who have recently visited Gaza, say the Israeli blockade, in place since 2007, denies residents of Gaza the basic needs of life: a variety of foods, building materials, electricity, fuel, medicines and school supplies.

Former U.N. assistant secretary-general Denis Halliday, who is on board the Rachel Corrie, told ABC News that they do not intend to stop their mission or head to the Israeli port of Ashdod instead.

“It’s a totally unacceptable embargo. There’s no justification for it, there’s no legality for it, it’s not endorsed by the U.N., it’s not endorsed by anybody else. It’s an Israeli military zone which is without legal status,” he said from the ship today in a phone interview with ABC.

“When they tell they are about to board we will cooperate because it’s too dangerous not to do so, particularly as you say it may be at night which is the usual tactic. We’re not fools, we’re not about to throw away our lives,” Halliday said, according to ABC.

He said the Rachel Corrie expects to be boarded by the Israelis Friday when they are approximately 80 miles off coast. Some organizers of the aid ships are still saying that the Rachel Corrie may wait until Monday or Tuesday to try to run the blockade. There have been reports that Turkey may send a warship to accompany the aid ships.

The Rachel Corrie is a converted merchant ship bought by pro-Palestinian activists and named after the 23-year-old American peace activist from Olympia, Washington, who was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in 2003, set off Monday from Malta. The ship carrying medical equipment, wheelchairs, school supplies and cement, a material Israel has banned in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

Passengers on the Rachel Corrie, which embarked from Ireland, include Northern Irish Nobel peace laureate Mairead Corrigan-Maguire and several other Irish citizens. Corrigan-Maguire, is a Northern Irish peace activist who co-founded, with Betty Williams, the Community of Peace People, an organization that worked for a peaceful resolution to the fighting in Northern Ireland. The two women received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976.

Aid ship Rachel Corrie still heading for Gaza

The MV Rachel Corrie, a converted merchant ship bought by pro-Palestinian activists and named after the 23-year-old American peace activist from Olympia, Washington, who was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in 2003, set off Monday from Malta.
The organizers – the Free Gaza Movement – said their intent remains to break Israel’s blockade of the 1.5 million people in Gaza.

Rachel Corrie was killed while undertaking nonviolent direct action to prevent Israeli bulldozers from demolishing the home of a Palestinian family.

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said the ship is Irish-owned.

“The government has formally requested the Israeli government to allow the Irish-owned ship … to be allowed to complete its journey unimpeded and discharge its humanitarian cargo in Gaza,” Cowen told parliament in Dublin.

Israel has said it is prepared to block the ship.

Organizers say that passengers on the Rachel Corrie include Northern Irish Nobel peace laureate Mairead Corrigan-Maguire and Denis Halliday, an Irish former senior UN diplomat, and several other Irish citizens. Corrigan-Maguire, is a Northern Irish peace activist who co-founded, with Betty Williams, the Community of Peace People, an organization that worked for a peaceful resolution to the fighting in Northern Ireland. The two women received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976.

Israel’s Army Radio reported that the ship would reach Gazan waters by Wednesday, but activists say it might not attempt to reach Gaza until early next week.

The Rachel Corrie is carrying medical equipment, wheelchairs, school supplies and cement, a material Israel has banned in Hamas-ruled Gaza, organizers said.

Mark Daly, a member of Ireland’s upper house of parliament who had been due to join the convoy but was refused permission to leave Cyprus, told Reuters in Dublin that the ship had fallen behind the rest of the aid convoy that was attacked by Israel early Sunday morning because it was slower.
Passengers aboard it had heard about the Israeli attacks that killed at least 10 people but decided not to turn back.

Meanwhile, Adam Shapiro who is on the board of the Free Gaza Movement, said yesterday: “CNN is looping footage of mayhem on one of the ships, but is not giving the context that the Israelis had killed someone already at that point. The ship was in international waters, there was no plausible rationale to take it over by the Israelis. The ships were not going to Israel, they were going to Gaza, they had no plans to enter Israeli waters. All this could have been avoided if Israel had let the ships deliver their aid to Gaza.”

Richard Falk, a professor of international law emeritus at Princeton University and the Special Rapporteur on Occupied Palestinian Territories for the United Nations Human Rights Council, said yesterday: “The Israeli naval and helicopter lethal attack on the Freedom Flotilla bringing needed humanitarian relief to the civilian population of Gaza is a shocking crime against humanity. Some of the facts are contested, but an Israeli military attack on the high seas is an act of aggression, and those on board the ships had a legal right to act in self-defense.”