Madison Rafah Journal

Saturday, May 16
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Goodman Atwood Community Center
149 Waubesa Street, Madison

Sponsored by Madison East High School Students for Justice in Palestine

A vegetarian Middle Eastern dinner will be served at 6 pm with a cooking demonstration by Chef Sabi Attiyeh of baklava and dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), followed by a presentation with slides by Lora Gordon, recently returned from two months in Rafah and Gaza. Entertainment will be provided by the East High School jazz quartet.

Funds raised will go to the Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA) for Gaza relief. Tickets: $15 in advance. For reservations contact Bill at kursk1(at)tds.net. Supported by the Madison-Rafah Sister City Project; for more information visit call (608) 238-1227.

Mama’s Sweet Baklava
Suheir Hammad

(Read on …)

Bigger and better than ever!

Find the perfect unique gift while you support fair trade producers around the world.

Fair Trade seeks to shorten the path between you and the artist who makes your gift, so the artist can make a living wage and you can know they receive the largest possible portion of the purchase price.

Shop a wide selection of art, crafts, clothing, home decorations, pottery, weavings, food gifts, and more. International fair trade products will be available from Mexico and Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and beyond.

New for 2008: Domestic Fair Trade products made in Wisconsin and throughout the country, with the goal of supporting sustainable small businesses and family farms. Domestic fair trade products will include cheese, maple syrup, honey, sausage, granola, wool products and more.

For more information (including a list of items for sale) visit www.calamadison.org, email Festival (at) calamadison.org, or call 286-0865.

Sunday, Nov. 23
8:30 am to 3:00 pm
2008 FAIR TRADE CHRISTMAS SALE
ORCHARD RIDGE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
1501 Gilbert Road, Madison

Orchard Ridge UCC has been sponsoring this event for over 20 years…here you will find unusual and beautiful gifts and holiday items. Proceeds go to organizations that help people around the world to be self-sustaining.

Come and get an early start on your holiday shopping, and give the gifts that give twice: once to the recipient and once to the producers who receive a living wage and the ability to support themselves and their families. MRSCP will be selling our crafts, olive oil and olive oil soap.

For more information contact: 271-7212.

Friends,

Thank you so much for your support of the Rachel Corrie Ramadan Soccer Tournament for Youth. Because of your kind contributions we made our goal and the event was a huge success. Twenty teams of youths and mentors played as neighbors in an uplifing community event. Together we helped created a genuine community space where Gazans could meet to heal the wounds of internal violence. Already plans are forming for next year's tounament and we hope you will be there with us to make it happen.

To get all the updates, photos and commentary, please visit us at Rachel Corrie Ramadan 2008 Cup.

Sincerely,
John Harvey and Andrew Ford Lyons

Sunday, November 9, 2008
1:00 – 4:00 pm

Save the date for a fun fair trade house party event!

PfP-Madison will sell fair trade Palestinian olive oil, olive oil soap, and za'atar spice blend!

We will also have, thanks to our friends at Just Coffee, our "Play Grounds" fair trade organic french roast coffee for sale (whole bean and ground regular, and ground decaf), plus fair trade teas and chocolate.

Get a head start on your holiday shopping, and feel free to bring friends!

For more information, email pfpmadison (at) gmail.com or call 345-8659.

Monday, October 20
7:00 pm
UW Memorial Union
Rathskeller

Madison premiere of Slingshot Hip-Hop, a film by Jackie Saloum about the Palestinian hip-hop scene. Part of El Mes Xicano 2008!

One of the Palestinian hip-hop groups featured in the film, DAM, is scheduled to perform. DAM can be seen performing "Meen Erhabi" (Who's the Terrorist?) on YouTube.

For more info contact Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlan. (MEChA, Chicano Student Movement of Aztlan) at 608.263.4830 or e-mail mechistasyque (at) yahoo.com.

Dear Members and Friends of MRSCP,

We have been asked by some of our friends from Olympia, Washington, Rachel Corrie's home town, to solicit support for an ambitious new undertaking to benefit the young people of Rafah.

In September, during the month of Ramadan, the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP), one of our partner groups in Rafah, plans to host the first ever all-Rafah youth soccer tournament. They hope that this tournament will begin the process of establishing a soccer park and organized soccer leagues in the war-ravaged Rafah community, providing a healthy outlet for Rafah's youth (over half the population of Gaza is under 18).

Organizers have set a modest but critical goal of raising $2,500 by August 1. MRSCP has agreed to contribute $500 to this cause. We urge you to join us.

Tax-deductible U.S. donations will be channeled through the Gaza Mental Health Foundation, an approved 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Please do not make out checks or send donations to MRSCP.

(Read on …)