Proposal
right2return@yahoo.com
The 40/60 Campaign for freedom and return invites hip-hop, funk and international musicians and other celebrity artists with universal appeal, focused on social justice and environmental responsibility interested in the following proposal to submit an entry.*
What: A one to three-day musical festival of international musicians and artists for justice and peace. A demonstration of solidarity to Palestinian and all displaced, under-served/represented, inner city and indigenous people (in the US and abroad) seeking justice and/or self-determination. The concert will emphasize the 60 year plight of Palestinian refugees, equality and justice through music and the arts. A broad communications effort will highlight the issue of displacement - including victims of Hurricane Katrina and Darfur, and the struggle for self-determination, such as for Native Americans. It will also draw direct parallels between devastating effects of imposed borders on native communities and subsequently the walls which need to be built to keep them out – such as in Mexico. Most importantly, it will focus on the need of communities to determine their own destinies and create their own economic and democratic institutions, which serve the people-such as in Iraq, not corporate interests. It will also highlight civil society’s hope for sustainable solutions for the earth, and a more just world-including an end to nuclear weapons building, and diplomacy with Iran.
Target Date: Between May - July 2008 - May 2008 will mark 60 years since the “Nakba” or catastrophe of the Palestinian homeland, and displacement of 750,000 Palestinian people (numbering app. 7.5 million refugees today, who remain displaced). The timing of this event is critical as US militarization, political ambitions and corporate interests move forward; and because it precedes the 2008 presidential elections.
Why: The event is an appeal to the world community and on a diplomatic level to remember the historic injustice that was perpetuated against the Palestinian people, like many other indigenous and marginalized communities, is yet unresolved. It will showcase international and local celebrities as well as indigenous artists, who will provide a message of solidarity to under served and represented communities. Media campaign goals will work to initiate dialogue and healthy debate towards reaching comprehensive and just solutions on these issues, which have otherwise been blacked out of the “mainstream” media.
Today, over 10 million Palestinians are the largest and longest running communities refugees in the world, and IDPs (internally displaced persons) as a result of Israel’s wall and settlements; with no hope for a just solution in the foreseeable future. Most importantly, the event can serve to connect and empower the communities, artists and individuals who are affected by the same issues to realize that they are not alone and that together we can create the change we want to see. It can also serve to build a core movement based on popular support.
Endorsement & Advisory Committee: the event has been endorsed by the Al-Awda Palestine Right-to-Return Coalition and BADIL Resource Center. The 40/60 Campaign for Freedom and Return will act as an Advisory Committee to recommend decisions about: artist participation, venue selection, sponsor orgs. and other programmatic matters. This committee includes long standing human rights advocates, professionals and legal experts based in the Bay Area, nationally and in Palestine. Messaging and general decision is taken directly from the leadership of the Palestinian people.
The 40/60 campaign will design outreach strategies to use as a catalyst to begin the process of political awareness, education and action of attendees, by providing ways to plug in to their communities.
Endorsement of Progressive Candidates: Cong. Dennis Kucinich is the front runner of presidential candidates endorsing peaceful and just solutions based on human rights and international law, and on all of the relevant environmental and social issues. This event can be utilized as an unprecedented opportunity to leverage mass popular support to endorse him, and other progressive candidates who are aligned with the issues.
Proposal for Contractual Agreement Event Management: The Advisory Committee is seeking bids from an Event Management/Production company to provide additional creative input, oversee and manage the planning and execution of event logistics.
The proposal of the Advisory committee is for Event Management company, to accept a small retainer to begin production, then share the majority of payment for services rendered of the money’s raised on the back end of event planning by receipt of a negotiated percentage of funds raised, ticket and sponsorship sales, as well as vendor costs.
Where: A thorough search for appropriate venues in Northern or Southern California must be conducted --final recommendations to be made and determined by event management co., and agreed upon by Advisory Committee.
Additional Considerations: Building Base – The 40/60 Campaign for Freedom and Return, in the SF/Bay Area is calling on campaign supporters, and all aligned groups and individuals to form a coalition with. We are interested in working with all individuals and groups who organize around social justice, namely on issues of displacement, Apartheid and occupation, economic justice etc. locally and abroad-based on principles of equality, civil rights, indigenous/land rights and international law.
Engaging all sectors of the Palestinian people and Anti-Zionist Jews/Israelis is vital. We will partner with organizations, indigenous + inner city communities and civil society. We will explore the cultural, political and artistic diversity and attempt to incorporate a wide array of community voices.
Raising Funds: Donations and sponsorship sales from the private sector, ticket and vendor sales will be the primary means for covering the costs of this event. Additional support from individuals and organizations, including in-kind contributions, will be solicited. Other potential fundraising sources include separate private artist events; and donations generated at the actual event.
Priority of food vendors and arts/crafts booths: will go to various arts, crafts and foods made by women and indigenous peoples.
A fundraising goal is to cover festival expenses and donate surplus to youth centers in Palestinian refugee camps.
The bulk of the cost of the event will take the form of production and PR considerations:
Event production company retainer fee
State of the art sound, video and technical equipment.
Promotional materials - posters, advertisements, tickets, etc.
A complete multi-pronged international public relations campaign.
Cost of venue/space & building a secure stage for world-class recording artists.
If/when possible: artist travel expenses, including band members and equipment.
Advisory Committee Bio’s (partial list)
Noura Khouri – Palestinian-diaspora. Received her B.A. in International Relations at San Francisco State University in 1996. Lived and worked in Occupied Palestinian Territories in 2004 and again from 2005-2007. In 2002, she started her own event marketing company, eGeneration, promoting non-profit organizations, socially responsible artists and alternative media to advocate for understanding the complex global reality. She has planned many events and advocacy campaigns for human rights organizations, and has a background in fundraising and community outreach. She has a diverse background as a writer, and as a communications specialist for non-profit organizations and political campaigns. She is currently living and working in Las Vegas NV, as a Campaign Organizer - mobilizing volunteers to lobby Presidential candidates for the 2008 elections for Peace Action West (www.voters4peace.org) on pursuing a fully funded, immediate withdrawal of US forces out of Iraq, and to end nuclear weapons building and testing, beginning in the US.
Nancy Hormachea is a community organizer and an immigration lawyer and practices in Berkeley, CA. She is a member of the Arab Resource and Organizing Collective [AROC] in San Francisco and member of the National Lawyers Guild. She specializes in asylum cases and has worked extensively with immigrant women fleeing persecution, domestic violence or trafficking. Nancy has been active in defending the rights of Arabs, Muslims and others targeted by the government after 9/11.
Monadel Herzallah - Founder and President of the Arab American Union Members Council. Herzallah, is an active and passionate community leader, is a voice against prejudice for the Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian communities and has been for the past 27 years. Throughout this time, he has been working to improve the social, political, and employment conditions of these communities. Mr. Herzallah came to California for his Graduate education in 1978 and since has been a citizen and community advocate. Monadel has organized workshops, seminars, and rallies centered on civic education, informing workers, tenants, and union members of their rights and responsibilities. Monadal has acted as a liaison between Muslim community organizations and the greater community as well as a Political and Community Coordinator in Northern California for the Service Employee International Union (SEIU) Local 1877 (Justice for Janitors Campaign). He received his Graduate degree in Public Administration from Cal State Sacramento. He is currently working as Faculty member of the National Organizing Institute for the Classified School employees Union , the largest school employees union in the nation
Erinn Ransom is a community activist, radio host and Ph.D. Candidate in African Diaspora Studies and the Co-Chair, Hip Hop Studies Working Group at the Department of African American Studies - University of California, Berkeley. She can be reached at: eransom@berkeley.edu-and is currently on a 6 month trip to Africa.
Financial support should be directed to Al-Awda
Please make out checks to Al-Awda and indicate that the donation should be directed to “40/60 Bay Area.”
If you have any questions, or are interested in participating please submit artist entries to: right2return@yahoo.com, as soon as possible.
http://www.badil.org/campaign40-60/proposal/proposal-40-60-campaign.html
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