More than sixty years after the creation of the Palestinian diaspora, we in those countries ostensibly responsible for the refugee enclaves of Gaza and throughout the West Bank know very little about either the Palestinian people, or the lives they lead there. Beyond strikes and counterstrikes, beyond the two-dimensional pictures presented to the world, there is a largely untold saga unfolding within every city, town, and village of Palestine; a story of a people's epic struggle to maintain dignity amidst an occupation showing no signs of ending.

Robert Massoud is a Canadian whose family emigrated from Occupied Palestine when he was a child. He is the founder of Zatoun, an organization begun to import Olive Oil from the West Bank to provide market opportunities for Palestinian goods, and a chance to bring to the outside world a more accurate and humane representation of Palestinian life today. Robert is currently on the road presenting 'The Taste of Peace: From Palestine to Canada,' a cross-country tour that hopes to, quote; "...[B]ring the reality of life in Palestine, turn it into hope in Canada and return it as peace." Robert will be here in Victoria this coming Thursday, March 10th at the University of Victoria Graduate Student Centre's George and Ida Halpern room, just behind the Student Union Building, at 7:30pm.

Robert Massoud in the first half.

And; The liberation of Palestine has been taken up by those concerned with justice and human rights the world over. The campaigns vary, but one of the most effective in recent years has been the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, or BDS effort. Similar to the internationally coordinated shunning of Apartheid South Africa, BDS activists hope to pressure Israeli business by shutting down its ability to profitably export. In Canada, one of the most prominent targets of BDS attention is Mountain Equipment Co-op, or MEC. MEC features Israeli-made products, some developed for the military there, and has refused to sever its ties to those companies despite the determined objection of the public and much of its own membership

 

Dru Oja Jay is a freelance journalist, researcher, and activist. He is a co-founder of the Dominion newspaper and The Media Co-op, and author of the report, 'Offsetting Resistance: The Effects of Foundation Funding from the Great Bear Rainforest to the Athabasca River.' Dru has thrown his hat into the upcoming Mountain Equipment Co-op's board elections to better foster, quote; "democratic participation of the membership; effective environmental advocacy; support for cooperatives; and, social justice [while] strengthening MEC's commitment to ethics."