Home

Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice

Mon, 03/03/2008 - 2:34am — RCF
Mission Statement:
Continuing the work that Rachel Corrie began and hoped to accomplish and carrying out that work with her vision, spirit, and creative energy in mind, we create and support grassroots programs that foster connections between people, that build understanding, respect, and appreciation for differences, that promote cooperation within and between local and global communities and that pursue human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice--pre-requisites for world peace.
Recent Highlights:

In 2007, the Rachel Corrie Foundation... .

  • supported speaking tours in the US that brought speakers from Palestine and Israel
  • supported projects in the West Bank and Gaza including the Rachel Corrie Children and Youth Cultural Center in Rafah.
  • facilitated and supported connections between US and Gazan members of the Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project.
  • coordinated with Al Mezan Center for Human Rights and Gaza Community Mental Health Programme to educate American citizens and members of Congress about conditions in Gaza and human rights violations that occur there.
  • networked with the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation in support of June events in Washington DC marking the 40th anniversary of the Israeli occupation.In Olympia, we partnered with other organizations to mark the 40th anniversary with street theater checkpoints, a statement at the Olympia City Council meeting, and a teach-in about the ’67 war with remembrances from Palestinians.
  • awarded the third annual Rachel Corrie Memorial scholarship at The Evergreen State College
  • sponsored and co-sponsored events to educate and inspire grassroots activism and to build momentum for the painting of the Olympia-Rafah mural in 2008:
  • 65th anniversary celebration of the American Friends Service Committee-Seattle where the foundation received a Pillar of Peace Award.
  • presented Peace Works—an annual Rachel Corrie Foundation event which in 2007 supported local performances of the Seattle Repertory Theatre’s production of My Name is Rachel Corrie including educational outreach to three area high schools and post-play discussions at The Evergreen State College. Peace Works also brought Voices of a People’s History of the United States to The Washington Center for the Performing Arts.
  • supported the work of the Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project including an enormous effort to seek official sister-city status from the City of Olympia.
Upcoming News:

What is planned for 2008?

  • We are very engaged with the Olympia-Rafah Mural Project, a people's recognition of the sister city relationship that exists between Rafah, Palestine and Olympia. Through the act of creating a collaborative public mural, we will express our desire for Palestinian self-determination, which is rooted in honoring the common struggles for global justice faced by marginalized people everywhere. By upholding rights for all, we seek to break down barriers to understanding, increase visibility for Palestinian people, encourage imagination, embrace the hope and courage of Rachel Corrie, and bring people together in one voice for change.

A design team of local and visiting artists is creating a vision for the mural from image ideas generated in the community during the past year. An afternoon workshop is scheduled for March 8th at The Olympia Center. Committees are forming for Educational Outreach and Publicity, Fundraising, and to plan events to launch and celebrate the mural. We plan to bring artists from Rafah to participate in the painting and celebration.

  • Peace Works 2008—a major conference in Olympia in October--will focus on Duo-Occupations from Palestine to Iraq. Committees are forming to plan for Program, Logistics, Finances, and Publicity.
  • We continue to partner with the Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project to expand efforts to build connections with people in Rafah and to provide support for grassroots efforts there that assist women, children, and families.
  • With publication of a book of Rachel Corrie's writing, Let Me Stand Alone by W.W. Norton & Co., there are plans for curriculum development around the story of Rachel Corrie, including work with both the book and the play My Name is Rachel Corrie.
  • Tuesday, March 4th, Dr. Alice Rothchild, physician and author, will read from and speak about her book Broken Promises, Broken Dreams, Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience. The event is at the Worthington Conference Center at St. Martin's University, 5300 Pacific Ave SE.
  • Sunday, March 16th, Adrien Niyongabo from Burundi, Dr. Steve Niva, Evergreen faculty, and Jennifer Marlowe, writer and author with experience in both Israel/Palestine and Africa, will speak at a gathering commemorating the fifth anniversary of Rachel Corrie's stand in Gaza. The event will be at The Olympia Ballroom from 3-6 PM.
  • We continue to provide support to students working to bring Iraqi refugees to study in 2008. How can you help?


Follow our work at our newly designed website, www.rachelcorriefoundatio.... There you can sign up to receive email alerts or participate in our online forum. • Contact our office with questions and ideas and to join a committee– we love to hear from you!

Tell your friends about the Rachel Corrie Foundation and point them to our website.

Location(s)

Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice
203 East 4th Avenue Suite 307
Olympia, WA, 98501
See map: Google Maps
Contact Name:
Alice Zillah, Operations Manager
Contact Phone:
360-754-3998
Contact Email:

[email protected]

Website:

www.rachelcorriefoundatio...

Dues or membership fees:
Not Applicable
Approved:
P