SUSTAIN: January 2007

Tuesday, January 30

February 13: LOVE PHILLY Letters!

Join us on February 13 to launch LOVE PHILLY: Bring Our Money Home! The campaign's first event will be a Valentine's Day letter-writing party. We'll send valentines to mayoral candidates reminding them that they should be advocating for the city we love. They should be paying attention to where the money Philadelphians put into the federal pot goes, and demanding that it come back here, toward affordable, accessible health care, housing, and education, instead of sponsoring occupation in Palestine. Come to learn more about the campaign, meet others who are interested, and spread the word about where our tax money is and isn't going.

At Kaffa Crossing (4423 Chestnut), 7-9 pm. Art supplies provided, but feel free to bring your own as well!

To find out more or RSVP, contact us or read about the first letter-a-thon and the LOVE PHILLY Campaign.

Wednesday, January 24

Next SUSTAIN Meeting: February 6

Come work on LOVE PHILLY!
Tuesday, February 6 at 7 pm
Kaffa Krossing (44th & Chestnut)

Sunday, January 21

Abir Aramin, daughter of Bassam Aramin of Combatants for Peace, killed by Israeli troops

Many Philadelphia activists witnessed the power of the organization Combatants for Peace when members toured Philadelphia spreading their message of nonviolent struggle to end the Israeli occupation.

One of their members has suffered a terrible tragedy, a result of the ongoing brutality of the occupation. Please do what you can to end to suffering of Palestinian kids and families. Do what you can to fight for a just peace!

from Faculty For Israeli-Palestinian Peace:

Dear friends,

I am sorry to inform you about terrible News: Abir Aramin, the 10 year old daughter of Bassam Aramin from Combatants for Peace was killed by Israeli troops during her school's recess.

We ask faculty and students world wide to condemn this action by the Israeli army and the general practice of firing in the vicinity of schools without regard for the lives of young Palestinian children. We call upon the Israeli army to punish those who are responsible for this tragedy and stop killing Palestinian children. In 2006,140 Palestinian children were killed by the Israeli army, almost triple the number killed in 2005. This practice must end.

Yoav Elinevsky

Thursday, January 18

LOVE PHILLY: Bring Our Money Home!

SUSTAIN Philly [Stop U.S. Tax-funded Aid to Israel Now] demands that our tax dollars stop destroying in Palestine and start building in Philadelphia.

Right now, billions of dollars each year go from U.S. taxpayers to the Israeli military, funding the destruction of Palestinian homes, agriculture, and infrastructure. At the same time, people in the U.S. -- including in Philadelphia -- face crises around health-care, housing, and education. Federal taxes need to come home to support our cities instead of a militarized, racist foreign policy in Palestine, Iraq, and around the world.

SUSTAIN aims to raise awareness in Philadelphia about where our tax dollars are going and where they're not going, the violence they're funding in Palestine and the positive change they could make if they were redirected to fund our city's needs.

SUSTAIN Philly and our friends use multiple tactics to educate and agitate around U.S. tax policies. Ideas for action include public art; teach-ins; letter-writing parties; fundraising for organizers in Philadelphia and Palestine; and public service announcements on the radio and TV. This is just the beginning!

To get involved, email us. For events and updates, keep checking sustainphilly.blogspot.com!

Thursday, January 4

SUSTAIN Meeting this Tuesday

SUSTAIN Meeting at the Last Drop Coffee Shop (13th and Pine)
Tuesday, Dec 19th at 7pm
Bring a friend or two!

Thanks for all that came to our last organizing meeting. We are excited to launch our new campaign: Love Philly: Bring our Money Home!

If this sounds interesting to you, come to the SUSTAIN Meeting to be part of this dynamic movement building initiative.

email sustainphilly@gmail.com for more information or call 267-455-9279

Monday, January 1

Endorse the LOVE PHILLY Campaign!

If you support the LOVE PHILLY Campaign statement, we would love to hear from you! We want to show our own city government, federal policy-makers, activists in Philly and around the world, and Palestinian movements for justice that Philadelphians want our money to be building Philadelphia, not destroying Palestine.

Email us to tell us you support the campaign as an individual or an organization; we will add your name to this list. If you don't wish to make your name public, just let us know -- we still appreciate your words of solidarity.

LOVE PHILLY: Bring Our Money Home!

Organization Endorsements:
Philadelphia SUSTAIN

Individual Endorsements: