Dear Comrades and Friends,
Durban-based artist and member of the South African Artists Against Apartheid collective, Iain EWOK Robinson, has released a music track, "Freedom for us All", as part of (and for) today's international "BDS Day of Action". This is the second music video in support of Palestine that has come out of South Africa in less than two weeks. On the 12th of March, the Mavrix released their single, "The New Black" which received over 12 000 hits within 10 days!
“FREEDOM FOR US ALL”
Lyrics/Instrumental: Iain EWOK Robinson
Mixed and mastered: Colin Peddie for Sonic Studios, Durban (South Africa)
Video capture and edit: Donovan Fletcher
Cast and crew: Natasha Hosken; Kivithra Naiker; Tumelo Khoza; Julia Wilson;
Dashen Naiker; Thando Mlambo; Clare Craighead; Ndabenhle Christopher Tobo
The track is a must watch, you can find it here:
36 years ago, in March 1976, Israeli authorities declared that 5,500 acres of Palestinian-owned land would be confiscated. The land, of the indigenous Palestinian people, was expropriated for ‘security and settlement purposes’, and declared a closed military zone. The Israeli decision to confiscate Palestinian land was followed by announcements of curfews on Palestinian villages, effective from 5pm, March 29. Palestinian leaders responded by calling for general strikes in protest against the confiscation of their land, to be held the following day, March 30, 1976. This day, the 30th of March, has been commemorated ever since, as Land Day. Since 2009, Palestinians called on the international community to also join the Land Day commemoration by marking the day as an international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions day of action: "BDS Day of Action".
Today, on the international "BDS Day of Action", we share with you four recent boycott of Israel victories from the last 7 days:
- Last week Thursday, on the 22nd of March, graduate students at Carleton University in Canada, voted (by a majority of 72%) for their university’s pension fund to divest from four companies complicit in the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Carleton students, in a press release, stated: "In 1988, the Carleton Anti-Apartheid Action Group forced the university to divest from South African apartheid. We did not stand for South Africa's apartheid system back then; we will not stand for Israel's now. [Carleton students are] once again standing on the right side of history!" (http://pacbi.org/etemplate.php?id=1842)
- Earlier this week, on Monday the 26th of March, the largest trade union federation in Africa, the ITUC-Africa, in an official resolution called for the, "active participation and intensification of the implementation of the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel, including a boycott of Israeli goods and the immediate ending of diplomatic relations between African countries and Israel." ITUC-Africa is the regional arm of the world's largest trade union, the International Trade Union Confederation. ITUC-Africa represents 56 African trade union federations, from 45 countries, and represents a total of 15 million workers. (www.ituc-africa.org/IMG/pdf/Adopted_Resolutions.pdf)
- Tomorrow, the 01st of April, marks the first year since the University of Johannesburg (UJ), with the support of over 450 leading South African academics including 9 Vice-Chancellors and Deputy Vice-Chancellors, officially terminated its institutional relationship with Israel's Ben-Gurion University. UJ became the world's first university to impose an academic boycott on Israel. Senior Professor at the University of Johannesburg, Professor Peter Alexander, commented after UJ's academic boycott of Israel victory: "Under apartheid [in South Africa] it was convenient for academics to claim that they were apolitical, but those days are over. I am proud to have spent half a century opposing racism, including anti-semitism. And I am now proud to be part of a university that has taken a principled stand in providing solidarity with the oppressed [Palestinians]." (www.ujpetition.com)
Some still question whether the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) of Israel campaign is feasible; yet, it is already working - claiming major victories across the world!
BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS in SOUTH AFRICA (BDS SOUTH AFRICA)
Office 915 | 9th Floor | Khotso House | 62 Marshall Street | Johannesburg
PO Box 2318 | Houghton | 2041 | Johannesburg
T: +27 (0) 11 241 7813 | F: +27 (0) 86 650 4836
BDS South Africa is a registered Non-Profit Organization. NPO NUMBER: 084 306 NPO
BDS South Africa is a registered Public Benefit Organisation with Section 18A status. PBO NUMBER: 930 037 446
**********Special Movie Screening and Live Music Gig**********
For those in Johannesburg, tonight at 19h00, in Newtown, there will be a special screening of the film "Roadmap to Apartheid", followed by an album launch and live performance by the rock-band, The Brother Moves On.
