Tuesday, March 15, 2011

TO GAZA WITH LOVE

The U.S. Boat to Gaza, THE AUDACITY OF HOPE, is committed to breaking the siege of Gaza by sailing a U.S. flagged ship in the International Freedom Flotilla this May. Around the country thousands of people have been contributing, organizing, fundraising, and preparing to support THE AUDACITY OF HOPE. Not everyone can sail on the boat, but you all are just as much a part of the campaign as the passengers and the crew.

We are happy to announce the launch of an exciting new effort
-- To Gaza with Love -- to collect letters from people in the
U.S. to the people of Gaza. Your letters will be precious cargo on
the ship.

THE AUDACITY OF HOPE will challenge the complicity of the U.S. government in the isolation and imprisonment of 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza. We are committed to breaking our government's support of the brutal Israeli military and policies of "delegitimizing" Palestine and destroying Palestinian life. This campaign will add to those voices actively breaking the silence and confronting the lies and distortions.

The blockade is not just a blockade on goods, but also on human contact and communication. Your personal message will reach people who have literally been imprisoned by the Israeli siege and blockade. Your letters will build solidarity and make a human connection. They will convey our dedication to ending the Israeli occupation, and the liberation of Palestine guided by international law, justice and human rights.

Already mothers, farmers, teachers, students, cab drivers and artists are writing. Whether it's a letter from a U.S. mother to a mother in Gaza, a child in the U.S. to a child in Gaza, or letters from students, teachers, business people, religious leaders to their counterparts in Gaza, the siege cannot withstand the power of our words to break through.

Alice Walker talked about the radical power of love to create change. The campaign To Gaza with Love allows you and thousands of other people to be part of that change.

Please write your letter today.

To participate in To Gaza with Love

- Write a letter and then encourage your friends and family to join this collective action of friendship and solidarity with the Palestinian people.

- Organize letter writing parties in your home, school or place of worship.

- You can simply write a few lines on a postcard, a few paragraphs on paper or a card, or film a short video clip.

- Be creative. The only restriction is we need to be able to get it to Gaza. If you do a sculpture or a wall mural, you will have to send us a picture, not the real thing.

Where to Send Letters

Letters To Gaza
119 West 72nd Street
#158
New York, New York 10023


How We Will Share These Letters

When THE AUDACITY OF HOPE sails, your letters and messages will be part of its cargo. Meanwhile, we will send some of these messages right away and make them public through Twitter, Facebook, on our website, and in statements to the press. We'd also like to archive them and create an exhibit or book.