Freedom Flotilla II – Stay Human

June 23, 2011

People from across Canada are rallying in support of the Canadian boat to Gaza which is part of the international convoy Freedom Flotilla II.

Over one thousand people from all over the world will soon sail to Gaza to break Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza which has imprisoned 1.5million Palestinians since 2007.

Canadians of all ages, from many backgrounds, have generously contributed money and time to this courageous citizens' initiative which was undertaken because of the longstanding political impasse in addressing the basic human needs of Gaza's civilian population. The boats are about to embark, and supporters in Toronto are holding a vigil this Friday, June 24, in front of the Israeli Consulate.

People throughout Canada call for the safe passage of the Flotilla and for the immediate provision of liveable conditions in Gaza.

The sailing of Flotilla II could not be more timely.

The level of abject poverty among the Palestinians of Gaza has tripled since the imposition of the blockade, with 61% of households not having enough food.

The World Food Programme, the Food and Agricultural Organization, and U.N. Development Programme all report dire conditions of malnutrition and untreated health problems.

There is ample will to help, so ending the blockade is crucial.


From a letter of 4 Laureates to Ban Ki-moon:

Safe passage for Gaza Flotilla:

“The blockade in Gaza is clearly having a harmful impact on the people of Gaza, and indeed UNDP and other agencies report high levels of malnutrition and other disturbing health problems. According to a report by the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization, the level of ‘abject poverty’ among the Palestinians of Gaza has tripled since the imposition of the blockade, with 61 % of households not having enough food. The blockade has crippled the Gaza economy and destroyed Palestinians’ livelihoods and homes.

We believe our requests to you are in keeping with UN Security Council Resolution 1860 of January 2009 as well as the 2010 UN Human Rights Council fact-finding mission on the attack on Freedom Flotilla I, which are calling for a lift of the blockade to allow humanitarian assistance. We urge you to do all you can to support this nonviolent international humanitarian effort, to provide UN representatives to inspect and seal the cargo, and to appeal to all governments to allow safe passage of the Freedom Flotilla II.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to your positive response.“

Sincerely,

Mairead Maguire (1976), Rigoberta Menchu Tum (1992), Jody Williams (1997), Shirin Ebadi (2003)


Please join us -- and keep up with the Tahrir @ www.tahrir.ca




CBG spokespersons

English:
Ehab Lotayef: 514.941.9792
lotayef@gmail.com
Wendy Goldsmith: 519.619.6766
wendygoldsmith21@gmail.com

French:
Lorraine Guay: 514.278.1167
lorraineguay@videotron.ca
Denis Kosseim: 514.923.5594
denis.tahrir@gmail.com



For more information contact:
Ehab Lotayef
Phone: 514.941.9792
Email: lotayef@gmail.com
Website: www.tahrir.ca

Wendy Goldsmith
Phone: 519.619.6766
Email: wendygoldsmith21@gmail.com
Website: www.tahrir.ca

Lorraine Guay
Phone: 514.278.1167
Email: lorraineguay@videotron.ca
Website: www.tahrir.ca