Asia to Gaza Solidarity Caravan

500 civil resisters from 17 Asian countries will join the caravan from India and march through 18 Asian cities of Pakistan , Iran , and Turkey to break the siege of Gaza through the sea route in December 2010

The Asia to Gaza Solidarity Caravan is being organised by the Asian People's Solidarity for Palestine, an alliance of peoples' organisations, social movements, trade unions, and civil society institutions of Asia . This struggle is broad-based, varied and multi-dimensional. It is humanitarian and for peace, freedom and human dignity. It is against occupation, imperialism, apartheid, Zionism and all forms of discrimination including religious discrimination.

The Asian People's Solidarity for Palestine extends solidarity to the courageous people of Palestine in their struggle, resistance, and intifada against the Zionist Israeli occupation and affirms its commitment to Palestinian Self-Determination; Ending the Occupation; Equal Rights for All within historic Palestine; the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees; and the Establishment of a Sovereign, Independent and Democratic state of Palestine with Jerusalem as the capital.

The Asian People's Solidarity for Palestine commits to build the solidarity of Asian people for the freedom of Palestine , provide materials, resources, and volunteers to support the struggle of the people of Palestine and oppose our own governments' decisions and actions that give economic, financial, military and diplomatic support to Israel and allow it to behave with impunity.

India Lifeline to Gaza, which is a constituent of the Asian People's Solidarity for Palestine will have a conference and a large flag off programme in New Delhi on 2nd December 2010. The Caravan will carry relief material for the people of Gaza . The Asia to Gaza Caravan will cross into Pakistan via the Wagah border where members of the Pakistan Solidarity for Gaza will join the Caravan onwards to Iran . In every country and city that the caravan travels through, public meetings will be organised as more activists and participants join the caravan.

TENTATIVE CARAVAN SCHEDULE

1 December
Participants from East and South East Asia reach New Delhi , India

2 - 3 December
Flag off from New Delhi
and travel to Wagah border, India-Pakistan Border

4 December
Reach Lahore , Pakistan

5 - 7 December
Lahore to Karachi/Quetta, Pakistan

08 December
Karachi/Quetta, Pakistan to Zahedan , Iran

9 - 14 December
Zahedan, Iran to Tabriz , Iran

15 - 17 December
Tabriz, Iran to Eskandarun , Turkey

18 - 19 December
Eskandarun, Turkey to Damascus , Syria

20 - 21 December
Damascus, Syria to Amman Jordan

22 - 23 December
Amman, Jordan to Beirut Lebanon

24 - 26 December
Beirut back to Turkey

26 December
We Sail for Gaza ( Palestine )


Peaceful Resistance

The civil resisters have resolved to resist the Israeli sea siege in a peaceful manner and following the example of civil resisters such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela as well as the long tradition of peaceful resistance from all ethical and religious traditions. The civil resisters are willing to be convicted for their peaceful resistance.


India Lifeline to Gaza
This process has been initiated by Indian people’s movements, social movements, trade unions, civil society organisations and multi-faith and ecumenical organisations. In the two months prior to departure of the Asia to Gaza caravan there will be multi-city programmes in solidarity of the people of Gaza and Palestine . Film festivals of Palestinian films and films of resistance, music concerts, photo exhibits, and theatre productions are being organised by the supporters of the people of Gaza and Palestine .


Palestinian Film Festival: Celebrating Cultures of Resistance

A week-long film festival screening Palestinian films and documentaries is being planned across several cities of India in the last week of October (tentatively 23-30 October). Several other initiatives such as solidarity concerts, theatrical performances, photo exhibits, panel discussions and seminars will also be planned in the days leading up to the flag-off of the Caravan.


End the Siege of Gaza ¢ Freedom to Palestine ¢ Boycott Israel


Endorsed by:

Organisations

All India Students Association (AISA)

Aman Bharat

Asha Parivar

Awami Bharat

Bahujan Sewak Sangh

Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM)

Bharat Bachao Andolan

Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha

Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur)

Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha (Mazdoor Karyakarta Committee)

CPI(ML)

CPI-ML (New Democracy)

Forum against Oppression of Women

Free Gaza - India

Global Gandhi Forum

Indian Isladhi Movement

India Palestine People’s Solidarity Forum

Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU )

INHURED International ( Nepal )

Insaaniyat

Intercultural Resources

Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Hind

Jamat-e-Islami-Hind

Loknaad

Mazdoor Ekta Manch

Muslim Intellectual Forum

Muslim Political Council of India

National Association of Peoples Movements (NAPM)

National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers (NFFPFW)

New Socialist Initiative (NSI)

New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI)

Palestine Solidarity Movement

People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL)

Phule-Ambedkar Vichar Manch

Programme against Custodial Torture and Impunity (PACTI)

Progressive Students Union (PSU)

Republican Panther

Saheli Women’s Resource Centre

Sarva Seva Sangh

Solidarity Youth Movement

South Asia Peace Alliance (SAPA)

South Asian Network of Gender Activists and Trainers (SANGAT)

Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO)

Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI)

Vidyarthi Bharti

Yuva Koshish

All India Majlis-i-Mushawarrat


Individuals:

Achin Vanaik

Agdish Nagarkar

Amol Madame

Anand Grover

Anand Patwardhan

Anand Swaroop Verma

Anil Chaudhary

Arif Kapadia

Ashish Kothari

Asif Khan

Aslam Ghazi

Bajrang Sonawane

Brig. Sudhir Sawant

Chetna Birje

Ghazala Azad

Ihtishaam Ansari

Jai Sen

Javed Naqvi

Kabir Arora

Kalyani Menon-Sen, New Delhi

Khalid Riaz

Mukta Srivastava

Mukul Sinha

Mulniwasi Mala

Munawwar Azad

Munawwar Khan

Qurratulain Sundus

Reshma Jagtap

Ritu Menon

Rohini Hensman

Salman Usmani

Sandeep Pandey

Sanjay Shinde

Savyasaachi

Sayeed Khan

Sayeeda Hameed

Shabnam Hashmi

Shahid Siddiqui

Sheikh Muhammad Hussain

Shyam Sonar

Sudhir Dhawale

Sumi Saikia

Syed Iftikhar Ahed

Tusha Mittal

Varsha V V

Vasanthi Raman

Vilas Gaikwad

Winnie Thomas

Yawar Ali Qazi


Indian Coordination Committee:

1. Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan, Editor, Milli Gazette / Majlis-i-Mushawarrat
2. Ashim Roy, National Trade Union Initiative and Member, Asian Coordination Committee
3. Feroze Mithiborwala, India Palestine People's Solidarity Forum and Member, Asian Coordination Committee
4. Com. Ramachandran, CPI-ML
5. Shahid Siddiqui, Editor, Nai Duniya and Ex-MP
6. Dr. Sunilam, Kisan Sangarsh Samiti and Ex-MLA
7. Com. Sanjay Singhvi, Trade Union Centre of India
8. Mujtaba Farooq, Jamat-i-Islami-i-Hind
9. Com. Tapas Ranjan Saha, CPIML-Liberation
10. Niaz Faruqi, Jamiatul-Ulema-i-Hind
11. Dr. Tasleem Rehmani, Muslim Political Council of India
12. Dr. Mrigank, CPI-ML-New Democracy
13. Com. Vasudevan, Blue Star Union
14. Com. Ravi Joshi, Indian Federation of Trade Unions
15. Com. Thomas Matthew, Bahujan Vampanth
16. Sandeep Pandey, National Alliance of People's Movements
17. Bhim Singh, Bahujan Sevak Sangh
18. Com. Aslam Sheikh, All India Students Association
19. Kishore Jagtap, Mahatma Phule-Dr. Ambedkar Vichar Manch
20. Shah Nawaz, Students Islamic Organization
21. Gauhar Iqbal, Palestine Solidarity Movement