To all Jordan Valley Solidarity activists who plan to attend the gathering: 
Please can you contact Brighton Jordan Valley Solidarity with your details so they can prepare for the gathering.

If you plan to attend the events in London please also email Brighton JVS at brightonjvs@gmail.com and they will send you details.

You will find details of venues, and a broad outline of the gathering at the end of this article.

This will be the first gathering of Jordan Valley Solidarity its kind and presents an exciting development for the campaign.

The idea is to bring together activists involved in the Jordan Valley Solidarity Campaign across the world to discuss the situation on the ground and how we, as an international network, can work together more effectively and formulate practical steps to build a stronger network.

As many of you know, Israel has a clear plan to forcibly relocate Bedouin communities out of Area C to further consolidate it’s control of the West Bank. Phase one of this plan is already taking place, with the transfer of Bedouin families living outside Jerusalem to an area adjacent to the al-Abdali landfill site. Phase two of this plan will be to transfer the Bedouin population out of the Jordan Valley.

For more information see: http://www.jordanvalleysolidarity.org/news/palestinian-bedouin-in-the-forgotten-jordan-valley-face-ethnic-cleansing

The urgency of the situation resonates in the rapid upsurge in settlement expansion throughout the Valley during the past months of June and July. This comes after both the EU and Oxfam released reports condemning Israel’s construction of settlements in Area C – not that Jordan Valley Solidarity activists needed these organisations to confirm this.

Due to the short time scale Israel has set itself to carry out this transfer (3 years) it has been decided the gathering will take place over four days in Brighton on the weekend of 10th November 2012. It is envisaged that the gathering would facilitate:

  • general discussions about the tasks facing us and what we need to do as a campaign to deal with them;
  • specific workshops about how to put our plans into practice; and
  • develop the communication infrastructure needed to ensure effective international coordination between different groups within the network.

With this in mind an initial programme has been drafted into which we encourage all groups to add their thoughts and suggestions, both before and during the gathering.

Friday 9th November

Arrive in Brighton – there will be a central venue where people can arrive, eat and socialise.

6.30 – 9.00pm at Brighton Dome, Church Street: ‘Don’t dance with Israeli apartheid’ boycott picket outside Brighton Dome where Batsheva will be performing.

Saturday 10th November

Day 1 of the gathering: 10.00am – 6.00pm at Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton

Morning:

  • Welcome and Introductions
  • Workshops led by Palestinian JVS activists on on key areas of our solidarity work on the ground.

Afternoon:

  • Working groups followed by plenary discussion on
  • the key challenges facing Palestinian communities in the Jordan Valley over the next couple of years
  • how we need to focus our campaigning to meet these challenges

Evening:

We had planned a picket of the Batsheva performance at the Dome, but on Tuesday 16th October we heard that it had been cancelled!

We will try and arrange for a space where those attending the gathering can meet and socialise during the evening.

Sunday 11th November

Day 2 of the gathering:

Morning sessions from 10.00am – 1.00pm at Community Base (south wing), 113 Queens Road, Brighton:

  • Working groups to develop networks and plan the practical work needed to achieve the key aims identified on Saturday afternoon (pert 1).

Lunch and afternoon sessions 1.00pm – 6pm at Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton:

  • Working groups on boycott work directly connected to the Jordan Valley
  • Working groups to develop networks and plan the practical work (part 2)
  • Closing Plenary session

We hope arrange for a space where those attending the gathering can meet and socialise during the evening.

Monday 12th November

11.00am – 4.00pm at Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton

  • A further day of more informal working groups to cement the discussions that have happened on Saturday and Sunday, and prepare for the events in London on Tuesday 13th November.

Tuesday 13th November

  • 10.00 – 11.30     Meeting with NGOs – Palestine (P21) Gallery*
  • 12.30 – 2.00       Meeting in Parliament hosted by Caroline Lucas
  • 3.30 – 5.00         Press Conference – Palestine (P21) Gallery*

* Palestine (P21) Gallery, 21 Chalton Street, London, NW1 1JD

In addition to the ‘Don’t Dance with Israeli Apartheid’ pickets in Brighton, another boycott action is being planned for during the weekend. Details will be provided during the weekend.

This will be the first time many of the campaign’s international and Palestinian activists have come together in one place and represents a fantastic opportunity for us to strengthen the network and build a coordinated response to Israel’s attack on communities living in the Jordan Valley.

If you are thinking of coming to the conference please email us at: brightonjvs@gmail.com

If you would like more infomration and want to speak to a member of the Brighton Jordan Valley Solidarity group you can phone us on (0044)7778625910 or (0044)7778110961.