Saturday, November 14, 2009

Hampshire BDS Conference Transcript

I've been having a little fun over at my friend Sol's blog (www.solomonia.com) regard next weekend's divestment conference at Hampshire. I'll try to post thoughts on that event here, but in the meantime you can find stuff on a blog which, unlike this one, has the advantage of actually being read by thousands...

http://www.solomonia.com/blog/archive/2009/11/hampshire-bds-planning-meeting---exclusi/index.shtml

http://www.solomonia.com/blog/archive/2009/11/hampshire-sjp-planning-meeting---continu/index.shtml

http://www.solomonia.com/blog/archive/2009/11/buy-cott-invest-celebrate/index.shtml
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6 comments:

  1. This is the best anti-BDS blog on the net, period. You really should be contracted by Israel's foreign and trade ministries.
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  2. The Norwegian University of Science and Technology has voted unanimously to scrap the anti-Israel BDS garbage from its agenda. Massive victory against BDS.

    http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1127734.html
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  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
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  4. Below, I've pasted more details on just one example of using a creative tactic against upcoming BDS conferences, like the one at Hampshire...and donating the money raised, as we discussed, to one or two charitable organizations...perhaps like One Heart Global that helps victims of terrorism everywhere. (Or others that would be looked on favorably by the mass populace (who may not be invested in Israel one way or the other but would respond to the charity's mission...like domestic terrorism: World Trade Center Survivors' Network or Tuesday's Children (children of 9/11 victims, etc.)...feel free to make suggestions.)
    This tactic also has the benefit of promoting democracy; that the Palestinians in Israel live in a democracy, as we do in America, and are free to voice their opinions. We're not protesting their right to speak, which is protected. But we also don't stand by idly while conferences promoting hate, antisemitism, and terrorism (BDS) come to our towns--we respond to the message...with a message of love/support for those victimized.
    Thoughts?

    ANN ARBOR, MI - When the Reverend Fred Phelps came to town, the gay community here decided not to get mad. They decided to get rich.
    He and his partner, Martin Contreras, did not want to promote a counter-demonstration, feeling that Phelps gains the most attention – and hence is most effective – when he provokes anger and outrage from his opponents. Rather, Orr decided to use his Phelps visit to the community’s advantage.
    With little time, Orr used the Internet to organize a unique fundraising scheme. In an email message to customers, supporters, and friends, he proposed that people pledge money to the Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project (WRAP), a local gay advocacy group and community center, for every minute that Phelps picketed the bar. In this way, Orr explained, the longer Phelps stayed to spew hate, the more money he would raise for WRAP. He and Contreras kicked off the drive by pledging $1 per minute.

    At the same time, Orr continued, “I didn’t want to give Phelps what he wanted,” meaning a counter-demonstration. “But just ignoring him seemed wrong.”
    Only two minutes after Orr sent out his email message pledges began to pour in, not only from Ann Arbor, but from as far away as New Hampshire, Texas and California. The pledge drive gained such momentum that by the day of Phelps’s demonstration – only 48 hours after Orr and Contreras kicked off the drive – friends and supporters of Ann Arbor’s gay community had promised to contribute a total of $107 for every minute Phelps picketed the /aut/ BAR.
    “Normally a fundraising event of this magnitude takes months of planning and a lot of up-front costs. In 48 hours we raised over $6000 without spending a dime. I was astonished.”
    “The great thing about this kind of fundraiser is that no one is excluded. People can participate at any economic level,” said Orr. “Phelps is free to spread his message, however perverse we find it, wherever he wants. The First Amendment protects his right to do that. But we turned what could have been a negative into a positive. This has been an incredible community-building experience for us.
    “We hope that cities and towns across the country will do this everywhere he goes. I get a charge thinking that every time he hits the road he will help us build our communities and fund our organizations.”
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  5. I guess, that this post will be deletet soon, although I hope you don't and that you alow freedon of speech and opinions in your blog.

    I was at the Hampshire BDS conference and I have to tell you that I was a trully amazing experience.
    So many people from so many different backgrounds united for une only reason, BDS against human rights violators.
    Dispite what you may think this was not a completely one sided conference, there where a lot of israelis, jews and zinists; and they where all given time to speak ang voice their opinions.
    Although, I have to say that all their arguments where defeated by the great speakers at the conference and I sincerely hope that they changed their opinion about the issue, by seeing the truth and coming to our side.
    But anyways, I just wanted to tell you that the conference was great and that it was the most informative conference that I have ever attended to. It was an absolute success.
    All the students that attended have brought back to their campuses an incredible ammount of techniques and tactics to implement BDS at our campuses in order to stop the occupation and the Israeli apartheid state.
    I wish you guys the best and I hope you can take the time to learn about what Israel is doing to the palestinain people.
    Thank you!
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  6. Nothing to fear, Anonymous. The only comments I’ve deleted to date have either been spam (two), and an unintelligible rambling about Jewish space aliens polluting the Greek race (I think). Unlike places like Muzzlewatch (and Hampshire College), I think you’ll find that this site welcomes commentors like yourself who disagree with the premises of this site.

    And speaking of Hampshire, while I’m happy that you spent an enjoyable weekend there, I can’t say that anything I see in the conference program shows that the event included speakers (Jews, Israelis, Zionists, etc.) who disagreed with the overall BDS agenda. And from people I’ve talked to who attended the event, the only Jews and Israelis involved with the program were those who were already in full agreement with you and the conference organizers on the virtues of boycott, divestment and sanction.

    Now there’s nothing wrong with Students for Justice in Palestine or anyone else with including just those with whom they are already in agreement in their conference. But I don’t think it’s accurate to then present what took place as a welcoming discussion of all opinions.

    In truth, if you and others who took part in the SJP BDS event would like to demonstrate your open-minded bona fides, you could always include a comments section on all of your BDS sites which, like this one, would welcome dissenting opinions. Or better still, you could invite me to your school to present the other side and, unlike Hampshire, not shout speakers who disagree with you off the stage.

    Just a suggestion.
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