Madison-Rafah Journal

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To celebrate 60 years of independence, Israel is planning a large-scale birthday bash with events taking place in many different countries around the world. In Jerusalem, a 3-day conference, under the title “Facing Tomorrow” is planned from May 13 – 15, to which many world leaders, such as U.S. President Bush, and French President Sarkozy, and celebrities such as Barbara Streisand and Steven Spielberg have been invited and plan to attend.

It is wrong to celebrate and we need to do something BIG to make the world, and those gathered to celebrate Israel, see and hear us. We* have this idea and we need your help to make it happen! On May 15, we will launch 21,915 (365 days x 60 years) black balloons over the skies of Jerusalem. We aim to turn the skies over Israel’s celebrations black to let people know that there is another side of the story, a side of heartache, suffering and dispossession. At the same time, each balloon will carry a letter from a Palestinian child expressing his/her hope for the future, to let the world know that we believe in and dream of justice.

Please help us make this happen by buying a balloon! $1.00 will help us cover the cost of 3 balloons. Please buy 3, 6, or 9 balloons (or more!) and be part of our action. Donation information below.

Other things that you can do:

• On May 15, we are asking everyone, wherever he or she is, to wear back. PLEASE WEAR BLACK!
• WRITE LETTERS, or help collect letters from Palestinian children. You can email us the letters and we will print them out and attach to the balloons that we will launch;
• If you are in Palestine, volunteer to help us inflate and LAUNCH the balloons on May 15;
• Wherever you are, consider doing an action in SOLIDARITY with our action (in addition to whatever else you may be planning). For example, you can launch your own balloons, fly black kites, march with black banners, etc.

To donate to the cost of the balloons, you can:

• Use Paypal: Donate online at www.60yearsofnakba.org or at www.paypal.com and list the beneficiary as balloons@60yearsofnakba.org

• Make a bank transfer:
  • HSBC Bank — Ramallah
    Account name: Palestinian Strategic Initiative
    Acct No: 011-026630-087
    Swift Code: BBMEPS22
    Contact Number: +970-599-130-426