Among the most invisible contributions of the gift economy are efforts deployed by activists, especially peace activists in Palestine. Dating back to the early 1900’s and continuing until today, Palestinian women have sought alternatives to conflict first by establishing charitable societies to provide food and shelter, and bring hope and healing to those devastated by the Zionist enterprise. Later, women became more politicized, took to the streets to protest and challenge the brutal occupation and to protect their children from Israeli soldiers. The world press continues to ignore this aspect of nonviolent struggle. While led by women, it has not been exclusive to women’s efforts. The Israeli response to peaceful demonstrations and civil disobedience has been incredibly brutal. Not only against Palestinians but also against internationals and Israelis –the International Solidarity Movement, Women in Black and others — who joined Palestinians in their struggle for freedom. In contrast, the U.S. government continues to underwrite the dismantling of Palestinian society by further militarizing Israel, providing it with financing, and giving it diplomatic cover in the form of a disingenuous “peace process” and the UN votes to shield Israel from international law. This presentation will contrast the patriarchal values underlying US policy to the values of the gift economy that characterize the struggle for Palestinian freedom.
This talk was presented by Sylvia Shihadeh at the International Conference on the Gift Economy in 2004.
for more information, visit:
http://www.gifteconomyconference.com
http://www.gift-economy.com
George Cadman of Free Radio Santa Cruz interviews Peretz Kidron about the current political situation in Israel and about his book, “Refusenik! Israel’s Soldiers of Conscience”. Peretz Kidron is a freelance journalist, broadcaster and writer. In the late 1960’s he became active in the radical left and the peace movement in Israel. He is a founding member of the Israeli Council for Israeli-Palestinian Peace and serves on the steering committee of the Israeli human rights group B’tselem. Having refused to perform military duty in the occupied Palestinian territories, he now handles international contacts for Yesh Gvul (There Is A Limit). Founded at the time of the invasion of Lebanon in 1982, the group has become the voice and campaigning vehicle for the so-called refuseniks-Israeli soldiers who refuse morally objectionable assignments (notably in the West Bank and Gaza).
This program was produced by George Cadman for Free Radio Santa Cruz on September 7, 2006.
For more information, visit:
http://freakradio.org
http://otherisrael.home.igc.org/ICIPP.html (Israeli Council for Israeli-Palestinian Peace)
http://btselem.org
http://www.yeshgvul.org/
Rose Marie Whalley explores non-violent resistance in the Middle East. Paul Pierce is helping to encourage young Israelis to opt for conscientious objection rather than serve in the military, while Kathy Kamphoefer works with villagers in Palestine.
This podcast was produced for CitizenShift by Karen Loeb, a freelance audio journalist, translator and writer who lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
For more information, visit:
http://citizen.nfb.ca/onf/info