ANN ARBOR — At the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, student activists put on a week of events to raise awareness about the plight of the Palestinian people.  Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) organized the week of events in concert with other week-long commemorations at universities around the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom, from Oxford University to the University of North Carolina.

A Palestinian boy looks out from a shattered window after an Israeli military operation in the West Bank town of Qabatiya

SAFE’s small core of members worked very hard to organize and promote the events.  They often stayed late into the night posting notices and sending out e-mail and Facebook announcements.  It appears their work paid off.  The events were attended by enthusiastic and curious crowds. The week featured academics and activists from around the world.  Among the speakers were Neve Gordon, a professor of politics and government at Ben-Gurion University in Israel; Thomas Abowd, a professor at Wayne State University; and Ali Abunimah, the founder of Electronic Intifada and author of a book calling for a bi-national state in Israel-Palestine. Thomas Abowd led the week off with a primer on Palestinian history.  The talk was tailored to be an introduction for those less familiar with the context of the current events. On Tuesday, Neve Gordon, a visiting professor in the Department of Political Science, addressed the dynamics of control that define the Israeli occupation of the Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.  He said, “Israel has not withdrawn its power from the Occupied Territories but rather continues to control the Palestinian space — both through forms of violence applied from remote control and through economic sanctions.” During his presentation, Professor Gordon explained that Israel has a fundamental responsibility to the Palestinians living under occupation. He discussed the recent escalation in the loss of Palestinian life.  As SAFE’s co-chairs pointed out, he said that “twice as many Palestinians were killed during the second intifada than in the prior 34 years of occupation.” Professor Gordon has a long track record of support for Palestinian rights.  He was the director of Physicians for Human Rights – Israel during the first intifada and he co-edited “Torture: Human Rights, Medical Ethics and the Case of Israel.”  He has also authored a book on Israel’s occupation, which is forthcoming. On the following day, Wednesday, the focus turned to Palestinian cinema.  “The Cultural Resistance of Palestinian Film” looked at the ways in which Palestinians use visual media to convey issues they face.  It featured Dr. Rima Hassouneh of U of M’s American Culture department and Department of Near Eastern Studies, and Tirtza Even of the School of Art.  The week rounded out with events on Israel’s brand of apartheid featuring Hani Bawardi of UM-Dearborn and myself.  Friday evening, Ali Abunimah spoke about “Visions of Peace.”  The evening concluded with “Words of Struggle,” a poetry slam dedicated to promoting Palestine awareness and civil rights.  It was sponsored in honor of Black History Month. SAFE put this week of events together to further educate the campus body about a variety of issues concerning Palestine and Palestinians. One of their crowing achievements was to build a long list of co-sponsors.  Around seventeen student groups and academic departments put their names to this list.  From the student chapter of the Amnesty International, to the Black Student Union and United Asian American Organizations, a diverse coalition put the week together.