October 10, 2009

The crisis in Gaza is unacceptable. For nearly four years, Israel has subjected the Gaza Strip to an increasingly cruel blockade, leading to severe increases in unemployment, poverty, and childhood malnutrition. Israel's 22-day assault on Gaza last December & January killed over 1400 civilians and destroyed thousands of homes, schools, mosques and hospitals. It’s been almost a year since these attacks and thousands of Gaza’s Palestinians are still living in rubble. Maintaining the Gaza siege and denying Palestinians the right to rebuild their lives is unconscionable.

Free Gaza Ireland is working closely with the international Free Gaza Movement to acquire an "Irish boat" to sail to Gaza as part of an international flotilla challenging Israel’s brutal siege. Since August 2008, international volunteers in the Free Gaza Movement have been sailing to Gaza, suceeding 5 times to break the siege. Ours remain the only ships to reach Gaza since 1967. More than simple charity, the Palestinian people need our solidarity and political action. They need us to challenge the policies that leave them in need of humanitarian aid.

With Ireland’s help, the Free Gaza Movement hopes to sail to Gaza before winter sets in with ships carrying badly needed humanitarian and reconstruction supplies. On board will be Irish TD's, journalists, human rights activists & Irish musicans who will perform in Gaza with local artists as part of a series of cultural events linking up with Ireland. We urge everyone to join us in concretely asserting the right of the Palestinian people to have access to the outside world. We will not stay silent as the Palestinian people are deliberately starved and humiliated. Like all peoples in the world – Palestinians have a right to life with dignity.

EVENTS

FREE GAZA IRELAND TO SEND "IRISH BOAT" TO GAZA

'TURNING MILITARY VESSELS INTO PEACE BOATS'


TO LAUNCH A SERIES OF CULTURAL EXCHANGE EVENTS LINKING IRELAND TO GAZA, PALESTINE

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME TO IRELAND...

. LOWKEY .

AMAZING RAPPER, POLITICAL POET,ACTIVIST & PLAYWRIGHT

'Lowkey is the fastest rising star in British urban music.

The rapper/poet of mixed Arab and British descent has been dubbed as "one of the best lyricists in the Western Hemisphere" by Benjamin Zephaniah as a solo artist. Lowkey is also lead vocalist of Mongrel - made up of members of the Arctic Monkeys, Babyshambles and Reverend and the Makers.

* 14TH OCTOBER - WED CORK @ AN SPAILPIN FANAC, CORK @ 9PM
* 15TH OCTOBER - THUR GALWAY @ COLLEGE BAR, NUI UNIVERSITY @ 9pm SUPPORTED BY MUPEID MC (rapper as Gaeilge)
* 15TH OCTOBER - THUR GALWAY 2 GAZA - video link up with students/artists in Gaza @ 4pm in NUI
* 16TH OCTOBER - FRI DUBLIN @ TRIPOD One Concert - Two Cities, live link up with Gaza @ 7pm

Dublin will extend the hand of friendship to the besieged city of Gaza when a very special concert will be transmitted from Tripod in Dublin LIVE to an audience in Gaza City – One Concert - Two Cities

Celebrated Irish musicians, Liam Ó Maonlaí, Lumiere, Kíla, Naisrin and Zahara El Safty will be joined on the bill by Palestinian singer, Shadia Mansour & Lowkey, as will the Dublin-based Discovery Gospel Choir.

The evening will celebrate culture and use the power of music to unite people in Ireland and in the besieged city of Gaza.

Caoimhe Butterly, Irish Free Gaza Project Coordinator in Gaza,

will be there to share her experience of volunteering with the ambulance service during Israel's 22 day assault on Gaza last winter.

Caoimhe is currently on tour to raise support for the next international flotilla to sail to Gaza & break the siege.

Filmmaker, Dearbhla Glynn, Filmmaker, Dearbhla Glynn, (Dust Devils, Dambé – The Mali Project), will screen some of her footage from her recent visit to the costal strip, to shed some light on the remaining devastation, nine months on from the January attacks

DUBLIN - Tickets are priced at 15 Euros and available from Ticketmaster. www.pod.ie

http://www.freegaza.org/