Thursday, March 26, 2009

The Heights Cartoon- BC Israel Apartheid Week


About Israeli Apartheid Week

Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) is an annual international series of events held in cities and campuses across the globe. The aim of IAW is to educate people about the nature of Israel as an apartheid system and to build Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns as part of a growing global BDS movement.

Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) took place in more than 40 cities across the globe. IAW 2009 happened in the wake of Israel's barbaric assault on the people of Gaza. Lectures, films, and actions made the point that these latest massacres further confirm the true nature of Israeli Apartheid. IAW 2009 continued to build and strengthen the growing Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement at a global level.

Join us in making 2009 a year of struggle against apartheid and for justice, equality, and peace.

Boston

This is the first annual Apartheid Week in Boston, We are excited to have Boston College students and University of Massachusetts Boston students hosting events at their schools. We have many other colleges and community groups planning events. Apartheid Awareness weeks are taking place in more than 40 cities across the globe (the number of cities is growing daily). This year, IAW happens in the wake of Israel's barbaric assault on the people of Gaza. There is a full week of lecture, stand outs and other events throughout the Boston area. See http://boston.apartheidweek.org/ for program. See http://www.itisapartheid.org/getthefacts for fact sheets on Israeli Apartheid.

http://boston.apartheidweek.org/en/about

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The Armenian Weekly- Viaje a Armenia!

Birthright Armenia Supports Spring Break Alternatives
By Contributor • on March 18, 2009 •


A five-person team of students from Boston College (BC) is back on campus in Massachusetts, absorbing all that just transpired during their whirlwind spring break. This year, instead of going on the cliché tropical vacation to Florida with college friends, or just going home for a relaxing break from school, the group opted for a service trip to Armenia.
The children of SOS Children’s Village working on an art project with the BC volunteers.

The children of SOS Children’s Village working on an art project with the BC volunteers.

What started out, or so they thought, as an impossible concept to pull off, actually resulted in one of the most rewarding experiences of their lives. Brittany Kademian, the leader of the team and president of the BC Armenian Club, admits, “At the end of the day, there are no words to describe our experience in Armenia. We all went on this trip more excited about traveling to Armenia and experiencing the culture than the service component, but we left with such richer experiences than we could have ever imagined.”

Planning and organizing this trip took a great deal of time and hard work, but their persistence paid off. Kademian spread the word to both Armenian and non-Armenian members of the Armenian Students Association who were interested in service trips, rounded up four more fellow students who were committed to the trip, and started to actively fundraise the money required to afford the trip. In addition to Kademian, group members included Mark Buttweiler, Andrea Zeytoonian, Brandon Spears, and Lucia Benavides.

Everything from bake sales to letter-writing campaigns, fundraiser dinners, and more were organized, and the group was constantly coming up with new ways to pay for their trip. Yet, they faced a challenge when it came to the issue of what organization to work with once in Armenia and what type of service to do. Kademian reports, “Our group was open to everything, but we were having a hard time finding a worthwhile group with whom to volunteer.”
BC students Andrea Zeytoonian and Brittany Kademian enjoy a full day of play activities with the children of SOS Children’s Village in Abovian.

BC students Andrea Zeytoonian and Brittany Kademian enjoy a full day of play activities with the children of SOS Children’s Village in Abovian.

Luckily the group was put in touch with Birthright Armenia, who welcomed their spring break initiative with open arms. “We commend Brittany and her BC colleagues for being pioneers. I am sure this experience will open the gates to many other groups of students and ASA teams to choose Armenia as a spring break destination,” says Sevan Kabakian, country director for the organization in Armenia. “It’s all about imagining a wider set of possibilities, expanding the boundaries, thinking beyond the cliché destinations, and redefining what having fun can mean,” he added.

The Birthright staff was more than amenable to assist with logistics, arrange homestays, and organize a detailed itinerary of day-to-day activities and community service to offer the group a taste of both city and rural life, combined with cultural and historical sites, and a look at how the people live. SOS Children’s Village in Abovian and Our Lady of Armenia Orphanage in Gyumri were just two sites where the group members worked, teaching English and initiating other learning activities with the children. In addition, to round out their trip, they were invited to join in on Armenian language classes, attend Armenian dance class, and socialize with the group of Birthright volunteers already living and working in Armenia.

“Going on this trip not only gave us a better understanding of another culture and its people, but inspired us all to want to do more service in the future. A spring break such as ours which was used to help others not only helped the local people, but also allowed us to experience others’ perspectives and culture, helping us to grow from this trip and make us into better people for the future,” Kademian added.

Birthright Armenia’s mission is to strengthen ties between the homeland and diasporan youth by affording them an opportunity to be a part of Armenia’s daily life and to contribute to Armenia’s development through work, study and volunteer experiences, while developing a renewed sense of Armenian identity. For more information, visit www.birthrightarmenia.org.

http://www.hairenik.com/weekly/2009/03/18/birthright-armenia-supports-spring-break-alternatives/?ec3_listing=posts

Monday, March 16, 2009

The Heights Cartoon- Happy St. Paddy's!



BBC NEWS
Policeman shot dead in N Ireland

A policeman has been murdered in Northern Ireland just 48 hours after two soldiers were shot by the Real IRA in Antrim.

The shooting happened on Monday night at Lismore Manor, Craigavon, County Armagh, at about 2145 GMT, police said.

Police were responding to a call for help from a distressed woman. Two police vehicles went to the scene.

As officers got out, shots were fired, one man was hit in the head and died later. He was married with children.

Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde called it a "sad day" for Northern Ireland's force and said the gunmen were "criminal psychopaths".

"It reminds us that a small group of people determined to wreck what is a huge political progress are becoming more dangerous," he said.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has condemned the murderers and insisted there would be "no return to the old days" in Northern Ireland.

"These are murderers who are trying to distort, disrupt and destroy a political process that is working for the people of Northern Ireland," he said.

Mr Brown, who travelled to Northern Ireland on Monday to visit the scene of the two soldiers' murders in Antrim, said gunmen would "never be allowed to undermine the political process".

This is the first murder of a police officer in NI since 1998. Constable Frank O'Reilly was killed by a loyalist blast bomb during disturbances linked to the Drumcree dispute in 1998.

HAVE YOUR SAY These events show that the peace process is still under threat E Breen, Chelmsford

The last police officers murdered by republicans, RUC constables Roland John Graham and David Andrew Johnston, were shot dead by the IRA in Lurgan, County Armagh in June 1997.

The man who died last night was the first PSNI officer to have been murdered by paramilitaries since the force was formed in 2001.

Dissident republicans tried to kill two PSNI officers in shootings in Derry and Dungannon in November 2007.

They have also been linked to a booby trap bomb which exploded under a police officer's car in Spamount, County Tyrone in May 2008.

Politicians from all parties condemned Monday's killing, which Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward insisted would not damage the peace process.

The chief constable said it was too early to identify the killers.

"We are used to being attacked, but we will not step back," Sir Hugh said.

"This will not put off me or my officers delivering the service we do to the communities we are paid to protect."

Asked if the killing was linked to the soldiers' shooting at the weekend, Sir Hugh said: "I think you are giving (the attackers) credit they ill deserve.

"I think these are disparate groups, badly infiltrated and indeed many awaiting trial north and south of the border.

"It just reminds us that a small group of people determined to wreck what is huge political progress are becoming more dangerous."

Mr Woodward said: "It may be that this small number of criminals do regrettably have the capacity, at the moment, to take away life, but what they will never have is the capacity to take away from people the peace process and the political progress that's been made.

"My job and every politician's job in Northern Ireland is to give the people of Northern Ireland what they want, which is freedom, the rule of law and democracy - and we will do that."

The first and deputy first ministers have again postponed an investment visit to the US following the murder.

In the weekend attack, Sappers Mark Quinsey, 23, from Birmingham and Patrick Azimkar, 21, from London, were shot dead at Massereene Army base, Antrim.

The soldiers were killed as they accepted a pizza delivery at about 2120 GMT on Saturday.

Four other people, including two pizza delivery men - Anthony Watson, 19, from Antrim, and a Polish man in his 30s - were injured in the attack.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7933990.stm

Published: 2009/03/10 08:06:54 GMT

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