Madison-Rafah Journal

Monday, October 20
8:00 pm
Orpheum Theater
216 State Street, Madison

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

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.

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!

Watch for more details to come.

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.

As always, we thank you for your support!

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Editorial, The New York Times, June 8, 2008

Seven highly qualified and carefully vetted Palestinian students from the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip will come to the United States for advanced study after all.

After reporting in The Times by Ethan Bronner drew high-level American attention, top State Department officials intervened to restore the students’ Fulbright fellowships that lower-level functionaries had notified them would be withdrawn. Israel has agreed to facilitate special exit permits.

It is a welcome victory — for the students; for Israel, which should want to see more of Gaza’s young people follow a path of hope and education rather than hopelessness and martyrdom; and for the United States, whose image in the Middle East badly needs burnishing.

It should not be the end of the story. There are hundreds of other foreign fellowship winners still trapped in Gaza by the same Israeli policy that nearly blocked the Fulbright Seven. On Thursday, an Israeli official told The Times that the government would allow a very limited number of additional students to leave Gaza to study abroad. That is a clear step in the right direction, but not enough. Gaza is home to roughly 1.5 million Palestinians. Some 600 foreign scholarship winners have been barred from leaving.

The ban on student departures is part of the wider Israeli economic blockade imposed on the civilian population of Gaza in response to Hamas rule and a steady rain of rocket attacks. This also needs to be re-examined.

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Atfaluna Society Services and Programs in Gaza, Palestine:

The Atfaluna School for Deaf Children: Deaf academic education is offered to 270 children at pre-school, kindergarten, primary, and middle school levels. The primary teaching mode in the Atfaluna School is Palestinian Sign Language. The Atfaluna School curriculum includes subjects of particular importance to deaf children in addition to Arabic, English, Geography, Mathematics, Technology, Civics, and Science. The Atfaluna School is certified by the Ministry of Education.

Audiology Clinic: The ASDC Audiology Clinic is open to the general public and is staffed by two audiologists who conduct diagnostic evaluations and hearing aid fittings for infants, children, and adults. A social worker is attached to the Clinic to assist needy clients to access all their audiological needs. A hearing aid bank, hearing aid repair unit, and earmold-making workshop are all located on premises in order to provide a comprehensive service for clients.

Speech-Language Pathology Clinic: This is an outpatient clinic staff by two speech-language therapists. The clinic serves both children who are students at the ASDC School for Deaf Children as well as children and adults in the community who are in need of speech-language pathology for any number of reasons.

Community Screening and Awareness: Four times annually, audiologists conduct free hearing screening programs in four geographical locations in the Gaza Strip. Approximately 3,000 persons are screened annually in these programs which are well-advertised through local media. Persons failing screening tests are referred to the Audiology Clinic for diagnostic evaluation or are referred to medical service providers if indicated. The Community Screening and Awareness Program staff also provide free-of-charge screening at kindergartens, schools, and institutions upon request. Informal awareness and prevention lectures are conducted during screening days and printed literature is distributed.

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