Portland Takes First Step Towards Becoming Occupation Free

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Written by Occupy-Free Portland Occupy-Free Portland

Published: 12 October 2015 12 October 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Portland Takes First Step Towards Becoming Occupation Free
Portland Human Rights Commission endorses placing companies on a “Do Not Buy” List for human rights abuses in Israel/Palestine

Portland, Oregon - October 12, 2015– Occupation-Free Portland Coalition congratulates the Portland Human Rights Commission (HRC) for their unanimous endorsement of the coalition’s proposal to the City Of Portland Socially Responsible Investments (SRI) Committee to place four companies on the City’s “Do Not Buy List” due to their serious human rights violations in the ongoing illegal and brutal Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. The companies are Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, G4S, and Motorola Solutions.

The proposal was brought to the HRC by Occupation-Free Portland, a coalition of religious, social justice and human rights groups working for justice for Palestine. The coalition stated: “We applaud the Portland HRC for this action. This endorsement demonstrates that the HRC continues to be a “moral compass” for human rights in our community. They understand that diverse struggles for human rights and dignity are connected and deserve our local attention and commitment to change.”

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Oregon Celebrates Diversity and Inclusion and Stands Against Anti-Muslim Rallies and Events

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Written by Kayse Jama, Center for Intercultural Organizing Kayse Jama, Center for Intercultural Organizing

Published: 09 October 2015 09 October 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2015

Contacts:  Portland
Kayse Jama, Center for Intercultural Organizing, 503-913-5154                                    , This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Jan Elfers,Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, 503-221-1054                       , This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


Contacts: Medford

Michelle Glass, Rogue Valley Oregon Action, 541-292-8201, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rev. Caren Caldwell, Medford United Church of Christ, 541-621-0663, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


Oregon Celebrates Diversity and Inclusion and Stands Against Anti-Muslim Rallies and Events

 
We proudly sign on to this statement in opposition to upcoming anti-Muslim events and in support of and in solidarity with Muslim communities across the State of Oregon.

A group calling itself “Global Rally for Humanity” is organizing anti-Muslim rallies across the country on October 9 and 10, 2015. In some states, the organizers of the events are encouraging attendees to openly carry guns. Their message is one of violence, racism and hate. The events are based on anti-Muslim and anti-refugee narratives.

In Oregon, a rally is planned in Medford in front of the Medford Police Department.   Political leaders, human rights groups, diverse religious leaders of every faith, and community organizations condemn these malicious attacks on the Muslim communities. These rallies and events undermine our core values as an inclusive and just society. They threaten human rights, dignity and equality for all. They are contrary to democratic American values.

In addition, we are compelled to speak out against these Islamophobic events for a number of pressing current reasons:

·                     Oregon and our nation are once again grieving the senseless killing of innocent people following the shooting at Umpqua Community College.  Any fueling of the philosophy of violence is unconscionable.

·                     We are also besieged by images of refugees, many of whom are children, fleeing war-torn nations. We see overcrowded refugee camps where families are starving, dead children washed ashore, and other horrific situations. As a nation with such vast resources, we should be reaching out to re-settle and welcome these individuals, not making them into villains.

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Barbara Lubin to speak on Palestinian children’s rights

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Written by AUPHR AUPHR

Published: 07 October 2015 07 October 2015

Barbara Lubin to speak on Palestinian children’s rights
at Tree of Life Conference: EYES ON GAZA
Saturday, October 17 at First Congregational United Church of Christ
1126 SW Park Avenue, Portland OR 97205

EYES ON GAZA is a three-day series of presentations, films and workshops to educate and empower participants to work for a just peace in Israel/Palestine. Tickets and schedule of events are at http://gazaconference.brownpapertickets.com

Barbara Lubin was born into a conservative Zionist family, but in 1988, after witnessing firsthand the grave injustice, poverty and violence engendered by the Israeli occupation of Palestine, she founded the Middle East Children’s Alliance to provide humanitarian aid, support projects for children, and educate Americans about the effects of U.S. foreign policy on children in the region.

Since then, MECA has delivered millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to children’s clinics, hospitals, schools, and women’s organizations in the Occupied Territories. MECA’s scholarship programs have enabled hundreds of talented young people to attend universities in Palestine and the U.S.

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Dr. Yasser Abu Jamei to report on Gaza health crisis

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Written by Tree of Life Conference Tree of Life Conference

Published: 16 September 2015 16 September 2015

Dr. Yasser Abu Jamei to report on Gaza health crisis
at Tree of Life Conference: Eyes On Gaza
Saturday, October 17 at First Congregational United Church of Christ, Portland
 
Dr. Yasser Abu Jamei, psychiatrist, is director of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program, which provides crisis intervention and rehabilitation services to families in Gaza traumatized by years of military bombardment and siege.  Virtually everyone in Gaza – children and adults alike - suffers from continuous traumatic stress disorder.   The GCMHP was established in 1990 to meet the mental health needs of people exposed on a daily basis to malnutrition, destruction of homes and livelihoods, injury, and loss of family members.
 
Dr. Abu Jamei lost many family members in the 2014 assault on Gaza when an Israeli air strike leveled his home. “There was no place for parents and children to hide,” he says. “You never knew where the bombs were going to fall.” Yet he chooses to stay and help the people of Gaza, saying, “In Gaza, you just have to start by doing something. Select anything that will do good, and that is the right thing to do.”
 
EYES ON GAZA is a three-day series of presentations, films and workshops designed to educate and organize participants to work for a just peace in Israel/Palestine. Tickets and schedule of events are at http://gazaconference.brownpapertickets.com .
 

Read more: Dr. Yasser Abu Jamei to report on Gaza health crisis