October Gathering in Houston for Apartheid-Free Communities

by Tura Campanella Cook
MEPJAC Co-Chair

September 2023

“… As people of conscience and loving communities, we stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and their call for equal and full rights. Inspired by the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, we want to declare our own communities “Apartheid-Free.” Let’s build an Apartheid-Free world, starting with our own communities: our faith congregations, cities, campuses, and workplaces. We need to educate ourselves and others about racist laws and state systems at home and abroad, and we want to ensure that our communities do not contribute to the maintenance of Apartheid regimes…” 

— from https://apartheid-free.org/

WILPF-US has pledged to be an Apartheid-Free Community. You are invited as a WLPF member, or representing your branch or other local group if you have pledged, to gather prior to the national conference of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) in Houston, TX. The gathering for Apartheid-Free Communities is October 26-27, and the USCPR conference is October 27-29.

Thank you for committing to the Apartheid-Free Communities initiative! We will benefit greatly from being together in physical space to share success stories, get advice, and give input on resources being created. The organizers, led by the American Friends Service Committee, are convening this gathering on October 26 beginning at 4 pm to leave time for people traveling from other states/cities. It will continue on October 27 for the first half of the day. Here is the proposed agenda. Sign up for the gathering here.

You may contact Rev. Chad Collins at chadcollins@fosna.org if you are in need of financial assistance for travel costs and also if your organization can provide a donation toward others in need. Please sign up by September 4 so AFSC can know how much funding is available and what the financial needs are from those who wish to attend.

In addition, registration is available here for the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights conference on October 27 - 29 immediately following the gathering for Apartheid-Free Communities.

For more background and information, see the MEPJAC eNews articles published in May [Join Us in Supporting the Apartheid-Free Communities Pledge] and July [Lobby Your Communities to Take the Apartheid-Free Pledge].