Looking toward the future
August 17th, 2006Friends,
Thank you for your interest in joining the civilian resistance in Lebanon initiative. These past 2 weeks have been full of meetings, planning and organizing. The convoy on August 12 was due to be the first step of a campaign of civilian resistance in which international activists would join Lebanese and Palestinian activists in creative, strategic nonviolent resistance to Israel’s aggression and war policies.
Following the action on August 12, we met with our colleagues to evaluate and to start strategizing to move forward. Yesterday we were set with two plans – one in case of ceasefire, and one in case of no ceasefire. Both plans were focused on seeking to help displaced Lebanese return to their homes.
However, by 10 AM Monday, it became clear that the displaced were not going to wait and see, but were ready to reclaim their homes, villages and fields. Even if these things were destroyed, people wanted to return right away to their places that they knew.
While the ceasefire is not yet solidified, and there is indeed a serious wariness of what Israel might try to do to upset the withdrawal of its troops and the end of the hostilities, with every passing hour, more and more people flood into the south, and it seems more and more as if engaged resistance will halt (recognizing, of course that the issues of occupation of Shebaa Farms and overall Israeli aggression to Lebanon does require bombs to be falling or troops on the ground).
There are, of course, many things that need to be done here, and for that there will certainly be a need for volunteers. Whether it is with rebuilding, or with continuing to assist the displaced who have been made homeless or whatever, I am sure international volunteers will be welcome to be in solidarity with our Lebanese friends. Additionally, there is clearly much that needs to be done internally in Lebanon among citizens here to make sure that one of Israel’s goals (fracturing Lebanese society) is not yet realized sometime after this war.
Therefore, unless things change and the ceasefire ends, we don’t think we can ask for more people to drop what they are doing and join a civilian resistance effort, as it is not clear the presence of internationals is a value added in this regard. We will put up on the website (www.lebanonsolidarity.org) information about local grassroots groups that are working in the post-war effort who may wish to receive international volunteers. To set that up, we will be meeting over the next couple of days with our Lebanese colleagues.
If things change yet again (entirely possible) we will need activists to come and join the civilian resistance. Making plans is therefore impossible, as it is totally out of our hands if the war restarts. But we will contact you immediately if it seems we will start this type of resistance activity again.
Thank you again for your support and willingness to join. If you have not done so, you might consider joining the efforts of the International Solidarity Movement in Palestine, where the occupation continues unabated and seemingly without end (www.palsolidarity.org).
In solidarity,
Adam Shapiro
Beirut, Lebanon
