Includes Special Live Reading of Words Written by Palestinians in Gaza at 4PM for 'Read Palestine Week'
Everyone is invited to join us for a special community event, a day of connection and creativity in solidarity with the Palestinian people and in celebration of the first day of #ReadPalestineWeek, to be held at 1530 Birchwood Ave (suites C & D), with a special live reading at 4 p.m. featuring the writing and voices of people in Gaza.
Family-friendly, free, and open to everyone, attendees will
have an opportunity to learn more about the connections between our local
community and Palestine, while exploring a variety of creative activities, art,
and unique handmade items. Stop by, wander, and enjoy this comfortable,
inviting, restorative environment, an intentional alternative to the many post-
& pre-holiday commercial spaces focused on spending & consumption.
There will also be opportunities to offer donations to a variety of Palestinian
initiatives or direct aid fundraisers for different families in Gaza, in
exchange for books, crafts, snacks, art, and unique hand-made items.
The special program at 4 p.m. will include a live reading by
local writers and poets of the poetry, short stories, and the words written by
Palestinians who are currently in Gaza, and who are partnering with us on this
event in support of #ReadPalestineWeek. Some of the featured writers in Gaza
also hope to create audio or video recordings specifically for this event,
which if completed in time will also be shared during the program.
Read Palestine Week is an international initiative first
established by Publishers for Palestine, a global collective of publishers and
others who work in publishing around the world, and who stand for justice,
freedom of expression, and the power of the written word. This year’s
international focus of Read Palestine Week is on raising funds to support
Palestinian writers in Gaza. And here locally, anything donated or raised in
support of the reading presentation will be sent directly to the writers and
families in Gaza of those whose words are featured during the reading,
including those who are connected to the families who have become known locally
as ‘Eight Families in Gaza.’
Additionally, on Thursday, December 4 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at
the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center, (1220 Bay Street), there will be a
second event for Read Palestine Week. Named for Read Palestine Week’s theme,
“Read, Rise Up, and Resist,” this combined reading and presentation will touch
upon themes related to reading, writing, and education as being integral to
Palestinian culture, and to the lives of people in Gaza, even in the midst of
the ongoing genocide.
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