Boycott Israel Network: 2nd Residential Workshop on Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)

BDS Weekend: 26-28 March 2010     REGISTRATIONS CLOSED

  • Working on a strategy to defeat Israeli apartheid
  • Taking forward the strategy and practical goals of the Cairo Declaration
  • Participating groups and individuals from across the UK, Ireland  & beyond

Building on the success of the Wooler BDS weekend, the Coalbrookdale weekend workshops will bring together activists from all over Britain and abroad. This will be a key event where we can share best practice, discuss tactics and develop a co-ordinated boycott divestment and sanctions strategy for 2010.

The accommodation will be in Youth Hostel with en-suite facilities in all rooms. We will have sole use of the building. Simple meals will be available.
Please contact secretary@scottishpsc.org.uk for a report of the proceedings.


Participants include:
Action Palestine
BDS France
BRICUP (British Committee for Universities in Palestine)
CAPJO-EuroPalestine
French Coalition Against Agrexco
Friends of Al Aqsa
Dutch BDS Coalition
Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods
Northern Palestine Solidarity Network
Norwegian Committee on Palestine (Bergen)
Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Sheffield PSC
United 4 Palestine
War on Want
endorsed by Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI)

Time and Location
The workshop will take place at the Coalbrookdale Youth Hostel which is located half a mile from Ironbridge village. The hostel can be reached by an hourly bus from Telford Station (6 miles away) which has a direct train service from London and Birmingham. Car parking for 12 cars is available at the hostel. Other cars can park in the nearby museum car park. This is locked overnight, but still allows continued access to your car.

The workshop will commence at 7pm on Friday evening (with a social event) and end at 3pm on Sunday.

Booking
*** The event is now fully booked *** 
To get on the waiting list please email campaign@scottishpsc.org.uk and we will contact you if there are cancellations and spaces become available.


WEEKEND SCHEDULE:   

Friday 7pm    
Welcome and housekeeping: Plan for the weekend

Saturday 9am - 10.30am: Session 1      
Moving forward from Cairo Declaration:
- The Cairo Declaration - the outcome of international co-operation during The Gaza Freedom March – an important step forward for BDS.
- Building BDS: expanding the network and campaigning to a wider constituency – activist groups, including faith groups, grassroots trade union members, on campus, other societies/campaigns/NGOs, etc.   

Saturday 11am - 12.30pm: Session 2    
An integrated approach to the boycott of Israeli goods:
- How the trade union movement, activist groups and consumers can work together to build a co-ordinated approach for the prevention of the import, handling and sale of Israeli goods throughout Europe, e.g. Carmel-Agrexco campaign.
- Maximising involvement: direct action, filming etc.
- How to deal with legal issues: private/public property etc. 

Saturday 12.30 - 1.30pm            Lunch

Saturday 1.30 - 3pm: Session 3
Acting against Israeli war criminals:
This session will discuss how to defend Universal Jurisdiction and intensify and broaden its targets in order to extend the threat of legal action deeper in to Israeli Society.

Saturday 3.30 - 5pm: Session 4 
The International Campaign against the JNF (Jewish National Fund):
- Looking toward the international JNF conference, May 8/9 in Edinburgh.
- Challenging the JNF in the UK.

Saturday 5 – 5.30pm
Reflections on the day.                                  

Sunday 9 - 10.30am: Session 1           
Best practice in the academic, cultural & sports boycott:
- Practical application of boycott consistent with PACBI guidelines.
- The academic boycott on campus: for students and academics.
- Dealing with cultural visits to and from Israel.
- The sports boycott. 
- Questions on ‘normalisation’.

Sunday 11am - 12.30pm: Session 2
Divestment
- How best to go about developing divestment campaigns.
- Research, building up a data base and developing ideas for a sustained campaign.
- Grassroots street activism: public awareness raising, targeting the company, its shareholders, those with equity through pension funds which include the churches, universities, trade unions, financial institutions etc.
- Lobbying politicians, working/forming alliances with other BDS campaigners/NGOs etc, options for legal actions, taking complaints to the OECD, Human Rights Commissions etc.

Sunday 12.30 – 2.00pm   
Working Lunch: Dealing with the counter-attack to BDS:
- This session will pool experience and advice on how to counter attacks on the BDS campaign & activists.
- Attack on Palestinian activists.
- Dealing with organised Zionist groups on campus and in trade unions.
- Use of media and the law against BDS campaign.
- Dealing with branding of BDS as part of the ‘new anti-Semitism’.
- Responding to arguments for Palestinian/Israeli partnerships vs. BDS, e.g. Histadrut, One Voice.

Sunday 2 – 3.30pm
UK & International Co-ordination for BDS action:
- International South African/Palestinian trade union speaking tour
- Co-ordinated actions: Israeli Apartheid Week, Week of Action Against the Wall, Nakba commemoration, etc.?

ENDS