Confronting Israeli Apartheid 2014 student Palestine conference
University of Sheffield
October 11-12th
Since student activists for Palestine last met in London in October for the 2013 Confronting Israeli Apartheid conference we’ve seen a year of great successes, with the student movement going from strength to strength, especially in the field of BDS.
There have been a number of universities who have hosted successful BDS campaigns, and it was heartening to see a number of great student activists be elected to positions within their Student Unions.
From G4S losing out on contracts at Kings College London, Kent, and Southampton University, to Sheffield, where we saw both the election of Palestinian activist Malaka Mohammed to the position of Education Officer and the cancellation of the university’s contract with Veolia.
Despite these successes however, the situation in Palestine remains grim, with recent events during Operation ‘Protective Edge’ seeing Israel resorting once again to sustained acts of wanton violence and massacres against Gaza, its infrastructure and its people, with thousands killed and much of the population facing further displacement in the face of Israel’s ground invasion.
It is more important than ever to help amplify the voices of Palestinians, whose resolve and steadfastness in the face of such relentless oppression remains our inspiration.
The deep injustices perpetuated against the Palestinian people during this latest assault had also led to an unprecedented wave of popular outcry, translating to escalated Boycott, Divestment and Sanction action against Israel.
It remains crucial for the student Palestine solidarity movement to carry forth this momentum with stronger and more unified BDS organising, campaigning and victories.
Last year’s conference was a hugely successful event, with over 150 attendees, and a brilliant line up of speakers, panels, and workshops, all tailored towards student activism. One of the goals of the conference was to move towards greater national coordination, and this too has seen some great progress made, with a national tour of speakers arranged for Israeli Apartheid Week, and more plans for coordination in the pipeline. However there is much more to do, with the opportunity to build a really exciting and dynamic student movement for Palestine, and so we are pleased to announce that the 2014 Confronting Israeli Apartheid conference will be held this year on the weekend of the 11th and 12th of October.
The conference will focus on the practical side of student activism and the BDS movement, and will be a not-to-be-missed opportunity for essential training and skill sharing with some amazing speakers and workshops, as well as with other student activists from around the country. As the voice of student solidarity with Palestine becomes increasingly audible, it has never been more important for us to work together and form a well-coordinated movement, and there is no better way to do this than for student activists from around the country to meet together and build some strong links and plans.
Save the dates and keep your eyes peeled for future announcements, including location and programme.
We look forward to seeing you in October!
Confronting Israeli Apartheid Student Committee (Established at the 2013 Conference)