women and peace

Palestine and Israel

"I was a human shield"
Billie Moskona-Lerman

"The death of human rights activist Rachel Corrie, crushed to death while trying to stop an IDF bulldozer, was reason for Billie Moskona-Lerman to go to the Rafah Refugee Camp and to spend 24 hours at the most miserable place in the Gaza Strip. A place where shooting never stops, where shells whistle by the windows, the walls are covered with bloodstains on the walls, houses turn into ruins and people walk the streets."

That is the introduction to the article "I was a Human Shield" by Israeli journalist Billie Moskona-Lerman, which was published in Hebrew in the Israeli newspaper "Ma'ariv" on 28 March 2003, following Rachel's death on March 16th. An English translation of her story is on the website of the Israeli peace organization Gush Shalom:
http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/shield_eng.html

For information on the situation of international solidarity workers in Palestine -- including the deaths of and attacks on members of the international teams, see http://www.palsolidarity.org

Photos of Rachel Corrie and of the situation in Rafah, where she was killed while trying to prevent the destruction of Palestinian homes, cane be found on a website created by Muhammad, a young student from Rafah:
http://www.rafah.vze.com.

Rachel Corrie Scholarship Fund
In honor of Rachel Corrie and to her memory, the Palestine Childrens Welfare Fund is setting up a scholarship fund for a student studying human rights or peace oriented studies at Olympia College. The money will come from donors who specifically donate to this fund. Please forward this message to your friends and colleagues and ask them to forward it to their friends and to announce it on their websites and through their activities. Donors can donate online at our website http://www.pcwf.org and specify in the comments line "Rachel Corrie's Scholarship Fund". Or they can send a check favoring the Palestine Children's Welfare Fund and specifically designate the money to the scholarship fund. The check can be mailed to Riad Hamad, Coordinator, PCWF, 201 W. Stassney # 201, Austin, Texas 78745. Let's remember and honor Rachel Corrie as a symbol for peace and justice.

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