Yesterday I attended the May Day vigil and rally for immigration reform in front of the Mickey Leland Federal Building in downtown Houston.
We started with a vigil. My amazing coworker Pancho led it, and we melted ice (ICE, get it?). Then there was a rally with music and spoken word, and we ended it with a prayer and by singing We Shall Overcome/Vamos a Vencer. In the last prayer, my coworker Hamilton prayed passionately for the families separated by deportation. Singing We Shall Overcome was especially moving - when I was in El Salvador, my praxis partner Patrick and I taught our young students that song.
It was a small turn-out (some people told us they weren't coming because they were afraid of the swine flu!), but it went very well. I'll try to post my pictures soon! (I forgot to bring my camera to the internet with me...)
Speaking of immigration, here's a good video to watch.
1 comment:
To Shiny Things Blogger
This month many Israelis are celebrating the 61st anniversary of the creation of Israel.
Yet, the 15th of May marks the 61st anniversary of what Palestinians observe as Nakba Day.
Nakba is the Arabic word for “catastrophe,” which refers to the Palestinian people’s displacement and dispossession that began during the creation of Israel and continues to this day.
To mark this important anniversary, I hope you’ll watch our recently produced two-minute video www.afsc.org/mideast dealing with the effects of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the continued Palestinian dispossession. View it at: www.afsc.org/mideast
(After you’ve seen it, please take the time to tell your friends about it.)
We believe that addressing what is happening today in the occupied territories – as well as acknowledging and understanding what happened in 1948 – are key to building a lasting and just peace in Israel and Palestine.
We hope that our new video will illuminate some of the realities of occupation in the West Bank.
We ask you to:
• Watch the video on our website:
o http://www.afsc.org/israel-palestine/ht/display/ContentDetails/i/76850
• Embed on your website/blog:
by right clicking on video
• Use the link to send a letter to your representatives. Urge them to stop using our tax dollars to create barriers to peace in the Middle East
• Forward this message to your personal and professional networks
Thank you for your help. By working together, we can help bring about a just and lasting peaceful solution in the Middle East that will indeed be cause for celebration.
Peace,
Nicholas Ellliott
Chicago AFSC Middle East Peacebuilding Intern
nelliott@afsc.org
Post a Comment