IJAN Twin Cities is very excited that one of our own – Sylvia Schwarz –is going on the Gaza Freedom March. Schwarz' activism and writing has received local and national media attention.

Sylvia has published two articlesexplaining her motivation for the trip and the purpose of the march. One was published at MinnPost, a Twin Cities daily news journal, and the other at Twin Cities Indymedia, which was picked up by Indymedia nationally.

Sylvia and Ouahib Chalbi, who is also participating in the Gaza FreedomMarch, were interviewed on the TV show BelAhdan, which airs on ourlocal public television station. Click on the following links to watch Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of the interview. 

Because Sylvia has taken such an active role in organizing andpromoting the march, IJAN Twin Cities is now involved in a newcoalition focused on the work of the march - before, during and after.This new coalition showed the film “Occupation 101” as a fundraiser onDecember 6, 2009. The evening included the movie and a paneldiscussion. A national organizer for IJAN was a featured panelist. Theevent drew a large and diverse crowd and raised urgently needed funds.Once Sylvia returns from Gaza, we look forward to coordinating manyreport-backs and other activities with the broader coalition.

During the week of November 4-11, IJAN-Twin Cities was pleased to endorse three visiting speakers: Omar Barghouti, Cynthia McKinney and Ala Jaradat.

Omar Barghouti spoke on November 4th,sponsored by Teachers Against the Occupation, which includes IJAN TwinCities members. Barghouti spoke to a packed audience at the Universityof Minnesota, addressing the key reasons why he and other Palestinianacademics and activists have initiated PACBI (the Palestinian Campaignfor the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel). Click here to view Barghouti’s talk.

U.S. politician Cynthia McKinney spoke on November 6th, presenting a lecture titled “Breaking the Siege of Gaza.”

AlaJaradat, of Addameer - Prisoners' support and Human Rights Association, spoke twice on November 11th - at Hamline Law Schoolin St. Paul and at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

IJAN Twin Cities endorsed and was represented at the Barghouti,McKinney and Jaradat events. In addition to learning from the speakers,we were able to help our allies with the Minnesota Break the BondsCampaign to collect postcard signatures for the campaign to pressurethe Minnesota legislature to divest from Israel.