[E-rundbrief] Info 1530 - Women's Boat to Gaza

[Matthias Reichl]

E-Rundbrief - Info 1530 - Sail aboard the Women's Boat to Gaza WBG). 
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) will sail this September until 
the Israeli blockade of Gaza is permanently and fully lifted

Bad Ischl, 28.6.2016

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

www.begegnungszentrum.at

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Invitation to Journalists:

Sail aboard the Women's Boat to Gaza

Also, below is the Freedom Flotilla Coalition release (June 27, 2016) 
re. the Turkey-Israel agreement*

Dear journalists:

The women's Boat to Gaza (WBG) is a Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) 
initiative that will sail this September to challenge the Israeli 
blockade of Gaza.  For more info about WBG please visit:
https://wbg.freedomflotilla.org/faq and see our latest press statement 
(https://wbg.freedomflotilla.org/news/womens-boat-to-gaza-presented-at-the-european-parliament), 
released after our meeting with and receiving support from many 
Members of European Parliament in Brussels last month.

The Women's Boat to Gaza is an all-women mission where the boats will 
have only women on board: the crew, activists and prominent people 
sailing in support of the Palestinians of Gaza, as well as the 
journalists covering the voyage.

On board there will be a Nobel Laureate, Members of Parliament from 
different countries, Members of European Parliament, other eminent 
women and activists from over a dozen countries. This is an 
opportunity to share the stories and wisdom of Palestinian women in 
Gaza and the women of the world who support them. We aim not only to 
break the physical barriers of the blockade, but also to break the 
media silence and help the voices of Palestinian women in Gaza be heard.

We are inviting interested women journalists (visual, audio, written) 
from various media organizations worldwide to join the mission.  If 
you are interested please send your CV to delegates.wbg at gmail.com, 
specifying what support you can count on from your media organization, 
if any. If you have any questions or would like more information, 
please do not hesitate to contact us at the same address.

Please note that space is limited so you are urged to contact us 
without delay if you are interested.  Deadline to receive applications 
is July 10, 2016.

WBG Steering Committee


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* The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) will sail
until the Israeli blockade of Gaza is permanently and fully lifted

In September, Cigdem Topcuoglu, whose husband was killed by Israel 
aboard the Mavi Marmara in 2010, will be sailing with women from all 
over the world on the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's latest mission, the 
Women's Boat to Gaza (WBG).  Ms. Topcuoglu's action symbolizes FFC's 
position regarding the Israeli blockade of Gaza.  It must be fully and 
unconditionally lifted.

The Gaza Strip is the largest open air prison in the world. More than 
1.8M persons have been living under an inhuman an illegal Israeli 
blockade since 2007. The blockade is killing Gaza. Five UN special 
rapporteurs found that the blockade of Gaza is illegal collective 
punishment.

MK Haneen Zoabi, who participated in the 2010 on board the Mavi 
Marmara, said that the reconciliation agreement between the two 
countries is a clear "admission of murder" by Israel. Ms. Zoabi called 
for more flotillas in order to remove "the criminal siege on Gaza".

Laura Arau, an organizer with the FFC and herself a Mavi Marmara 
passenger said, "Keep in mind that the FFC is not affiliated with any 
government or political party," and made a call to civil society: 
"Nothing can justify the suffering of the families of the activists 
who were murdered on board the Mavi Marmara in 2010 nor the daily 
violations of the human rights in Palestine.  We, people of the world, 
must take action when our governments remain silent and are complicit 
in war crimes."

Huseyin Oruc of IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation and also an 
organizer with the FFC said "All the participants, all the families, 
all the members of Mavi Marmara are saying we are not looking for 
apologies, we are not looking for compensation.Our main purpose for 
going to Gaza was to end the blockade. If the agreement does not have 
this, it is unacceptable."

In mid September the Women's Boat to Gaza will sail with the same goal 
which is to break the illegal and inhumane blockade of Gaza. The 
Freedom Flotilla will continue until the port of Gaza is open, and 
Palestinians of Gaza have the ability to fish, to import and export 
freely, and to lead a normal life without daily fear and suffering. 
Norwegian participant Gerd von der Lippe asserts that "the Freedom 
Flotilla will continue to sail until the illegal and inhumane blockade 
of Gaza is permanently lifted."



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Matthias Reichl, Pressesprecher/ press speaker,
Begegnungszentrum fuer aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
Center for Encounter and active Non-Violence
Wolfgangerstr. 26, A-4820 Bad Ischl, Austria,
fon: +43 6132 24590, Informationen/ informations,
Impressum in: http://www.begegnungszentrum.at
Spenden-Konto Nr. 0600-970305 (Blz. 20314) Sparkasse Salzkammergut,
Geschäftsstelle Pfandl
IBAN: AT922031400600970305 BIC: SKBIAT21XXX

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Ausgezeichnet mit dem (österr.) "Journalismus-Preis von unten 2010"

Honoured by the (Austrian) "Journalism-Award from below 2010"