SUGGESTIONS for TOPICS. (Originally titled BLURB WITH SUGGESTIONS FROM JEFF
This brief idea paper is intended to give you some suggestions of the topics, issues, types of presentations, materials and audiences I can address so as to help you organize my tour in the most effective way.
Because each country is different and each sponsoring organization has its priorities and main issues, I offer all this just to lay before you the range of talks and materials I have. I am happy to adapt my topics or materials to whatever audiences and issues you think are most important to you. By now I am very good at "reading" my audiences and at the spur of the moment adapting what I say, how I say it and the visual materials I present to them. So there is a great deal of
flexibility.
I have presented from kindergartens through universities and general audiences to specialists, activists and the elderly, including conversations across cultural borders. I'm adaptable. I have several basic presentations which I can give, or combine, depending on the audience:
1) My basic presentation, for a general audience, is: ISRAEL/PALESTINE: TOWARDS PEACE OR APARTHEID? It presents the political situation in maps, and also walks them through a house demolition in slides. It ends up asking: Where do we go from here?, in which I talk about options for resolving the conflict – two states, one state bi-national or democratic) or a regional confederation.
The presentation lasts an hour and a quarter. I can a shortened version without the home demolition piece, or the house demolition presentation with a shortened political presentation, often better for student audiences.
2) For more activist or political audiences, I go beyond apartheid to discuss the possibility of permanent "warehousing" of Palestinians.
PALESTINE: FROM APARTHEID TO WAREHOUSING argues that Israel is attempting to formally impose an apartheid regime over Palestine in the guise of a two-state solution – which is the thrust of the so-called "Annapolis Process." But if it can't get away with that (at least until the next Administration is installed), then it will simply continuing to strengthen the de facto apartheid regime that exists today, turning it into a permanent state of warehousing.
Taking a cue from Naomi Klein and others, I argue that the Palestinians are the first entire people to be classified as "surplus humanity," and that the significance of the Israeli Occupation is as a model of warehousing that can (and is) being exported.
3) ISRAEL AND THE GLOBAL ARMS TRADE. The issue of Israel's involvement in the world's arms trade – in weapons development especially hi-tech components for weapons systems and "counterinsurgency" weaponry and tactics, a profitable by-product of the Occupation), weapons production, weapons distribution and the use
of weapons and Israeli mercenaries in conflicts throughout the world (Israel, for example, built the Singapore army since the 1960s) – is an issue that gives a global perspective to the conflict and helps reach audiences beyond those interested only in Israel/Palestine.
It is more for advanced audiences of activists, dwelling on the globalization of the Palestine issue (I use the concept "Global Palestine"), and can be connected to the talk on warehousing.
4) RE-FRAMING THE ISRAEL/PALESTINE CONFLICT. This presentation is for more advanced audiences who are interested in sharpening their advocacy efforts or on launching campaigns. Reframing represents ICAHD's main approach to de-constructing the Israeli framing of the conflict, from one based on "security" in which Israel is merely a
victim of terrorism to one which presents the Occupation as a pro-active policy of claiming control of the entire country between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River. Such a reframing holds Israel accountable for its actions as the Occupying Power and opens new possibilities for conceiving a just peace.
The basic reframing presented is one based on human rights, but for those interested in adapting it for their political purposes we can jointly develop reframings geared to particular audiences: a Jewish reframing, a Christian reframing (both mainstream and evangelical), an American, European, etc. reframing, a women's reframing, and the like.
The idea is to find that "hook" into different target audiences using their concerns, images, values and language so as to transform the conflict from one far-away into one that resonates with local audiences.
We also have informational materials available both for sale and for free distribution at presentations. To have them ready, contact Elyse Crystal at ICAHD-USA
Because I am willing to spend 3/4 days in a particular city, I try to address as wide a range of audiences as possible while also making time for informal meetings with activists, decision-makers, journalists, influential people and the like. We are trying together to build a world-wide civil society network, and I try to contribute to developing its infrastructure, in terms of issues, campaigns and
networks. A
mong my target audiences (although it is up to you to decide how exactly to "use" me) are:
1) Public lectures;
2) Talks at universities, churches, trade unions, etc., both formal and informal and, if possible, at a venue in the local Jewish community);
3) Interviews with newspapers, radio and/or TV. If possible, appearances on popular mainstream media, like radio talk shows;
4) Brainstorming/strategizing/up-dating meetings with local activists;
5) meetings with political or other public figures; and
6) meetings in the community with local leaders, both political and religious.
Although tours are a prime way in which ICAHD raises funds, the main purpose is to reach audiences. We therefore try to make our appearances affordable to grassroots groups, by staying people's homes rather than hotels, by travelling economy class, by organizing several events a day, by sharing expenses with other groups, and by being flexible on fees, etc. Still, opportunities to do raise funds for us –
through passing the hat at events, holding fund-raising events in public or in someone's home or through asking for an honorarium – should be maximized.
All funds raised go entirely to the workings of ICAHD.
I hope this idea paper helps.
Thanks for your efforts.
Jeff
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