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The Madison-Rafah Sister City Project

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  • Register for A Virtual Book Club event on Poetry from Gaza


  • The author will be interviewed by Allen Ruff on Thursday, April 18 from 12 noon – 1 pm on WORT 89.9 FM, live online, or future archive. A major Israeli […]


  • Rodlyn-mae Banting, Madison 365, March 28, 2024 (Photo by Rodlyn-Mae Banting) The Madison-Rafah Sister City Project (MRSCP) hosted a Read Palestine! Book Project storytime hour on March 24 for 5-9-year-olds with […]



  • Reserve your tickets!


  • Read Palestine! Book Clubs

    The Read Palestine! project, supported by Madison Rafah Sister City Project, is hosting book clubs for 4th – 12th graders. Please fill out this form if you’re interested in participating. […]


  • He Was Also My Teacher To those of us lucky enough to learn from him, Alareer offered a chance to explore new worlds and stories, defying the laws of physics […]


  • From the River to the Sea: Essays for a Free Palestine An urgent editorial intervention, published in collaboration with Haymarket Books. In the final months of 2023, as this ebook […]


  • 9:00 – noon Memorial United Church of Christ 5705 Lacy Rd, Fitchburg This will be the 19th year of selling crafts and cookies to support a full-year scholarship to a […]


  • Doaa receives a group of schoolgirls at the Edward Said Library in Gaza Israel’s genocidal attacks on Gaza continue and each day more precious lives are lost. We are sad […]


  • Some events require registration — See @solidaritymadison | Linktree  


  • Annual Fair Trade Holiday Festival Monona Terrace 8 am – 3 pm Madison-Rafah Sister City Project, Palestine Partners, and Madison Playgrounds for Palestine will once again be selling our fair […]


  • DEMOCRACY NOW! NOVEMBER 22, 2023 This is viewer supported news. Please do your part today. DONATE   GUESTS Meir Baruchin history and civics teacher from Jerusalem accused of intending to […]


  • PETER BEINART, The Beinart Notebook, SEP 26, 2023   Sources Cited in this Video The Palestine Writes Literature Festival, held last weekend. A letter by University of Pennsylvania alums asking […]


  • Join us on Saturday, September 16th at 7 P.M. CDT for Bright Stars of Bethlehem’s Be The Hope 4th Annual Virtual Fundraising Gala! We’ll take you on a virtual trip […]


  • MRSCP has decided to join in an emergency campaign sponsored by Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) and Stop the Wall Coalition to provide emergency shelter and schools for the families […]


  • International Festival at Overture Saturday-Sunday April 1-2. MRSCP will be there on April 1 with our brand-new shipment of Hirbawi Kuffiyehs! You can browse MRSCP crafts at the Marketplace.  


  • 135 backpacks to Rafah by MECA on our behalf More MECA photos from Gaza     The Madison-Rafah Sister City Project is partnering with the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) […]


  • Back-To-School Backpacks

    Backpacks For Rafah Kids $2,368 & 135 backpacks! 8/25/22


  • Please read this letter to North Carolina’s US Congressional Representatives from VJP leadership urging them to co-sign. May 23, 2022 Dear Representative, We are Voices for Justice in Palestine, a […]


  • 1924 East Dayton Street, Madison (First Street between E. Washington and E. Johnson) 8:00 am – 2:00 pm Rain Date is June 11 Palestine Partners, Playgrounds for Palestine, and Knitting […]


  • Sunday May 22 11 am – 7 pm Warner Park Our friends at Palestine Partners, a Madison-based organization that supports Women in Hebron and Youth of Samud, will be selling […]


  • State and Gilman 4-8 pm THURSDAYS September 8 Map and More Info Our friends at Palestine Partners, a Madison-based organization that supports Women in Hebron and Youth of Samud, will […]


  • Al Samud Playground

    Al Samud Playground $9,750 of $9,750 on 4/21/22


  • More Info & Registration


  • Celebrate Palestinian Heritage and Culture with Sister Cities International 11 am Central Join Webinar


  • Ramadan Mubarak from our family at Playgrounds for Palestine to you and yours!  On behalf of all of us at Playgrounds for Palestine, we would like to wish you a […]


  • 10 am – 5 pm FREE Come celebrate the rich cultural heritage and diversity of our community as International Festival returns live to Overture Center! Enjoy free performances, savor cuisine […]


  • After it was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, Samir Mansour’s beloved book store has been rebuilt and restocked, as tens of thousands of books flood in from around the world The […]


  • Dear Friends– Happy Martin Luther King Day! I hope it finds you well. This week, on Friday, Just World Ed will be launching our new podcast series, “The World From […]


  • Maia Project Update

    For Over 11 Years The new unit providing clean water to the kids in Shuka, Rafah (MECA, 12/29/21) Help us give the gift of Clean Water to the Children of […]


  • Beginning 32:37 Gil Halstead interviews Samir El-Omari about our new campaign for the Al Samud playground at a Hebron kindergarten.


  • Black and Palestinian Perspectives on the Power of Education and Action via Zoom Who: Dr. Ronda Taylor Bullock, Co-Founder and Executive Director of we are (working to extend anti-racist education), […]


  • 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Greenwich, 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm Central The Children of Gaza: Register now! Palestine Solidarity Campaign, The Hands Up Project and the National Education Union […]


  • An Israeli consul general baselessly accused a graduate student of antisemitism and said she shouldn’t teach a course on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The University of North Carolina campus in Chapel […]


  • 6 pm Central Maggie Schmitt and Laila El-Haddad’s The Gaza Kitchen cookbook is back in a new, expanded 3rd edition with an all-new Authors’ Introduction, new recipes, new photos, and […]


  • Handmade. One of a Kind. Diverse. Quirky. Weird. WORT. WORT volunteers bring you 160 hours of music, news, and talk every week that you won’t find anywhere else and your […]


  • An eviction in East Jerusalem lies at the center of a conflict that led to war between Israel and Hamas. But for millions of Palestinians, the routine indignities of occupation […]


  • Pilgrims of Ibillin hosts a Mar Elias Educational Institution Zoom from the West Bank Monday, April 26 12 noon – 1 pm CT Featuring students and teachers from Mar Elias […]


  • 2 pm CT Join UNRWA USA, Mama’s Palestinian Kitchen, and three celebrated culinary artists — Laila El-Haddad (Gaza Mom), Marcelle Afram (Shababi Chicken), and Noor Saif (Because Baking) — for […]


  • Folklore Village, Dodgeville, WI $20.00 An online embroidery workshop with textile artist Wafa Ghnaim Wednesday, March 10 5-7 PM Central Time Hosted over Zoom videoconferencing Register for Online Class Supplies […]


  • Opens 10 am Saturday, February 27 The International Festival usually takes place throughout Overture Center. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 International Festival is a virtual event. Shake the […]


  • Middle East Children’s Alliance Webinar, 10 am CT Only $10 donation, REGISTER NOW! Join the Middle East Children’s Alliance in this unique opportunity to hear nationally-acclaimed chef/activist REEM ASSIL interview […]


  • JULY 27 Pandemic and the Creative Response: How can art pave the way for justice? In recent weeks, we’ve witnessed a global cry for justice in face of systemic racism. […]


  • Oscar Rennebohm Park, Madison 6 pm Vegan Food by JustVeggies 7 pm Community Education 8 pm Vigil Vigil for all Black Lives lost to white supremacy and police brutality, and […]


  • Overture Center 201 State Street Madison 10 am – 5 pm Join MRSCP and many other Madison sister cities, businesses, and organizations at the annual celebration of the rich cultural […]


  • Sister Cities

    Invest in Justice by Building Genuine Connections Image via Sacramento to Bethlehem Cities for Palestine by the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights WHAT’S THE CAMPAIGN ABOUT? Invest in justice by […]


  • For Over 11 Years The new unit providing clean water to the kids in Shuka, Rafah (MECA, 12/29/21) Help us give the gift of Clean Water to the Children of […]


  • Best Photos of 2019 from MECA We are now more than halfway to providing another water filter system to a school in Rafah, Palestine. If you have contributed to this […]


  • EyeWitness Palestine still has some openings available for their fall delegation. Scholarships are available. The Environmental Justice and Olive Harvest delegation is your opportunity to visit Palestine during the olive […]


  • MECA 2018 Annual Report by Middle East Children’s Alliance on Scribd


  • UW-Madison Students for Justice in Palestine‎ Memorial Union UW-Madison 800 Langdon St 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM Register here Despite decades of facing oppression and appropriation, Palestinians continue to resist […]


  • 201 State Street Madison 10 am – 5 pm Once again Overture celebrates the rich cultural heritage within our community with more than 30 FREE performances by artists who call […]


  • November 18, 2018 Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ 1501 Gilbert Road, Madison 9 am – 2 pm Join MRSCP at this annual sale of unusual and beautiful gifts and […]


  • Monona Terrace Convention Center 1 John Nolen Drive, Madison 8 am – 3 pm Come visit the Madison-Rafah Sister City Project and dozens of other vendors selling fair trade products […]


  • October 7 UW-Madison Union South 1308 West Dayton St 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm Door opens at 1:00 PM 1:30 PM: Welcome Remarks by Masood Akhtar, Founder, We Are Many […]


  • UW-Madison Students for Justice in Palestine Rescheduled from April 27. Stop by to see UW SJP’s display memorializing 70 years of occupation and devastation that stills continues today in Palestine. […]


  • Gil Halstead with Islam Maraqa on Access Shahir Hunaina, YouTube, November 16, 2016 My Blood is Palestinian (Dammi Falastini), translation by Sara Ba Keeping my oath, following my religion You […]


  • Josie Shields-Stromsness, Middle East Children’s Alliance, Apr 12, 2018 Fatima Brejia (more commonly known as Um Hassan) is an organic farmer, community activist, founder of a local women’s organization, and […]


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  • GAZA KIDS NEED YOUR HELP! Barb Olson, Madison-Rafah Sister City Project, March 9, 2018 For the third time, the Madison-Rafah Sister City Project (MRSCP) is partnering with the Middle East […]


  • We Are Not Numbers, February 23, 2018 A Gaza man with a SunBox Two of the Gaza Strip’s most pressing challenges are a blockade-induced shortage of both electricity and building […]


  • Free performances, food, and crafts from all over the world. MRSCP was selling our Palestinian products, including extra-virgin Holy Land Olive Oil, olive oil soap, Palestinian-made Hirbawi kuffiyahs, earrings from […]


  • Mark Your Calendars for Sunday Afternoon Annual Rachel Corrie Commemoration Featuring Dessert and a Program Time and place TBD 2018 marks 15 years since Rachel Corrie was killed by an […]


  • Orly Noy, +972, January 24, 2018 By destroying schools in Palestinian villages in Area C and elsewhere, Israel is forcing Palestinians to make a cruel choice — between their land […]


  • Al Hirbawi, supplier to the Madison-Rafah Sister City Project The kaffiyeh is a traditional Arab headdress and a symbol of the Palestinian struggle. Today, it continues to represent an important […]


  • Shared Injustice, Shared Struggle on International Day of Solidarity Claire Gilbert, Grassroots International, November 28, 2017 November 29th is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people. These days, […]


  • The Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) “Many mothers told us the same story. Their children are so scared of the dark they won’t even get up at night to use […]


  • Monona Terrace Convention Center 1 John Nolen Drive, Madison 9 am to 4 pm Come do your holiday shopping with Madison-Rafah Sister City Project, Playgrounds for Palestine-Madison and 54 other […]


  • PCHR’s Women Unit Starts 16 Days of Activism Campaign to End Violence Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), November 26, 2017


  • “Palestine and the Restrictions on Academic Freedom” Listen live online here Tuesday, November 21 11:30 am – 1:00 pm CENTRAL TIME Dr. Rabab Abdulhadi The Palestine Center, Washington, DC The […]


  • First Congregational United Church of Christ 1609 University Avenue, Madison 7:00 pm The local Bright Stars of Bethlehem chapter presents its fourth annual Advent Lessons and Carols service to support […]


  • Featuring beautiful and unusual holiday gifts and items from around the world. All proceeds go to the organizations and their artisans to help them become self-sustaining. MRSCP and Playgrounds for […]


  • Arab American Institute Decode Hate examines the sprawling, deeply embedded network of monetized hate. By underscoring the deliberate misinformation and fear-mongering of featured groups, this project reveals how hate is […]


  • Our campaign to provide 50 “Gaza Lights” systems to families in Rafah is into its last month. We have almost raised the $4700 cost of the project. Thanks to those […]


  • The Sumud Freedom Tour

    This is our moment of unity, of coalition building Holy Land Trust Mission Holy Land Trust and Nonviolence International have partnered to develop a multilayered tour of peace and justice […]


  • HELP US RESPOND TO GAZA’S ELECTRICITY CRISIS A big thanks to those who have helped us get past the halfway point in our campaign to supply rechargeable household “Gaza Lights” […]


  •   Education Electricity Firas Ramlawi, 38 — American Friends Service Committee "Classrooms are crowded, class times are shortened, and schools don’t have resources." Take action today: Restore power to Gaza On educationBefore […]


  • Gaza Unlocked Issues: Electricity — American Friends Service Committee Gaza’s power system is at risk of collapse. In 2006, the Israeli military bombed Gaza’s only power plant, destroying its six […]


  •   Gaza Lights for Rafah Campaign The electricity crisis in Gaza has reached unprecedented heights, with power now reduced to 2 to 4 hours per day (see Desperate Palestinians Try […]


  • Gaza Lights Campaign

    The electricity shortage impacts every family in Gaza. Please support the Gaza Lights Campaign!   It’s been 10 years of living under siege in Gaza. Three years after the most […]


  • We have received an appeal for help from the Atfaluna School for the Deaf in Gaza City. Atfaluna (“Our Children” in Arabic) has for many years been one of the […]


  • Rafah Children in the Samira Project at the Rachel Corrie Memorial Library. (Photo: Jeff Bright) Please Support the Samira Project for Traumatized Children The Gaza Strip, one of the poorest […]


  • Overture Center State Street, Madison 10 am – 5 pm Take a trip around the world in a day! Experience all the cultures that Madison has to offer through food, […]


  • Anees Mansour, December 16, 2016 Dear Friends, Assalamu Alaikum & Hello Everyone, I hope you, your family and friends are doing well. Special thanks to our old and new donors […]


  • Sunday, November 20 Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ 1501 Gilbert Rd, Madison [Map] Annual Fair Trade Fair! Come find unusual and beautiful gifts and holiday items from around the […]


  • Gaza Summer Camp

    Gaza Summer Camp — July 17, 2016 Dearest Friends, I would like to thank you all so much for your support to our project “Gaza Summer Camp”. I would also […]


  • Sara Roy, Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, June 28, 2016 During a brief pause to hostilities in July 2014, families returned to eastern Gaza, which saw some of the heaviest […]


  • Hello from Gaza. My name is Anees Mansour, one of a group of volunteers working with at-risk children in Rafah, Gaza. With your help we’ve already done so much this […]


  • March 16 marked 13 years since 23-year-old American peace activist Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by an Israeli Army bulldozer while trying to prevent the demolition of the Nasrallah […]


  • Sunday, April 3, 7 pm, Christ Presbyterian Church 944 East Gorham Street, Madison WI You are invited to the annual Rachel Corrie commemoration: Dessert and an Eye-Witness Report   Featuring […]


  • Participants at the Madison Central Library Librarians and Archivists with Palestine In January 2016—and beyond!—readers in cities and towns around the world came together to discuss Suad Amiry’s memoir Sharon […]


  • This is from the Middle East Children’s Alliance project assistant in Gaza, who tells us that the program now has 220 children enrolled over two shifts. Photos are taken with […]


  • Samira Counseling Photos

    Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) — Rafah   Related articles: Samira Project Children’s Counseling A Samira Project Success Story


  • The Madison Times, October 22, 2014 In a year when enduring images have been burned into our collective memories of the great loss of life and indescribable destruction that occurred […]


  • Madison Central Library, Rm. 104 201 W. Mifflin Thurs. Sept. 25th 6:30 pm The Zionist Colonization, The British Colonial Regime, and the 1948 War and Founding of Israel Thurs. Oct. […]


  • Anees Mansour says he loves everything about Madison — except our winter weather. Catherine Capellaro, Isthmus, 01/30/2014 I caught up with the 27-year-old Palestinian visitor at the Madison Children’s Museum […]


  • Saturday, October 12th 2013 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm High Noon Saloon $5 Suggested Donation Music con Brio w/ special guest Yid Vicious, Intemperance Collective Family Friendly Benefit/fundraiser with proceeds […]



  • Veena Brekke, Madison-Rafah Sister City Project, October 31, 2012 On October 28th we departed the beautiful city of Nazareth to visit Palestinian towns, villages, farms and spend two nights in […]