Thank you, thank you, and thank you!  Each one of you has made a contribution to WESPAC Foundation this year and each of you has allowed us to remain strong, vibrant and viable! We have had an extraordinarily busy Summer with each one of our board members and many individual members getting personally involved in efforts to promote social and economic justice both at home and abroad.  These efforts are at the core of what WESPAC Foundation accomplishes by “thinking globally and acting locally” with your moral and financial support.

WESPAC Foundation, its Board Members and its Middle East Committee, has been mobilized and active in local and national efforts to protest Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, to protest US policy that fostered and encouraged the invasion, and to protest arms shipment in support of Israel’s war effort.  We have expressed moral outrage at the targeting, bombing and killing of civilians, demanded an immediate ceasefire, joined the various Israel boycott and divestment campaigns, placed the Lebanon invasion into the wider context of Israeli and US policies and militarism in Palestine, Iraq, and the Middle East:

• Mirene Ghossein has been on Pacifica Radio twice reading e-mails from back home in Lebanon.  She has attended every single action in NYC.  She was part of a WESPAC Middle East Forum in early August that was very well attended.  Mirene is also coordinating “Adopt a Palestinian Orphan” where interested WESPAC members can send $20 a month and write letters to a parentless child in Gaza.  Please call the office if you are interested in helping out.
• Howard Horowitz, along with other members of our Middle East Committee, has written a position paper (available on our website under Middle East Committee) demanding a “sea-change” in U.S. foreign policy, and has presented this paper to Cong. Nita Lowey in person with other WESPAC members.  This policy statement was also submitted to Senator Hillary Clinton, but we have thus far received no response from her. 
• Yoram Gelman participated in a Jewish “Die In” in front of Penn Station in NYC on August 22 with other Jewish Americans to call attention to the death of civilians in both Gaza and Lebanon (you can watch the video on our website under “Discussions” – Jewish Voices).  He and other members of our Middle East Committee are involved with the re-energized Israeli Boycott and Divestment Campaign.
• Classical Musician and WESPAC member Margot Dilmaghani is donating all the proceeds of her most recent music CD to “If Americans Knew” www.ifamericansknew.org .  The Middle East Committee is organizing an evening with the Executive Director of “If Americans Knew”, Alison Weir, on Friday, October 27^th at 7pm at the Memorial United Methodist Church in White Plains.  Rev. Joe Agne will also share photos about his recent trip to Israel/Palestine and Margot Dilmaghani will open and close with her piano music.
• Phil and Fran Greenspan along with Daniel Strum are busy planning a WESPAC Middle East Committee Film Festival that will take place in both Rockland and Westchester Counties.
• WESPAC hosted Professor Norman Finkelstein, Mayor Jason West and Professor Deepa Kumar as part of our Summer Conversations Series.

All this has taken media attention away from Iraq where on average a hundred Iraqis are being killed every day by bombings that have been precipitated by the U.S. invasion and on-going occupation of Iraq.  Our elected (or unelected) officials are repeating the same empty phrase “we must stay the course” with no end in sight to the immense suffering of the Iraqi People, many of whom have had to endure deadly 120 degree Fahrenheit weather without power this summer, like the Palestinians in Gaza.  This is an election year, so we all have the responsibility to vote our values. Here at home, No War Westchester has been extremely busy fasting, educating, protesting and meeting with elected representatives about the ongoing presence of U.S. troops in Iraq and the insanity of the “stay the course” mantra.  130 people attended the No War July 4^th anti-war parade and rally through Sen. Clinton’s town of Chappaqua.  A huge thank you to Chuck, Ellie, Dennis, Debbie, Jane, Jonathan and to all those who continue to work so hard on bringing the troops home and ending the occupation.

Margaret Eberle has recently returned from the Pastors for Peace trip to Cuba and will be giving a report back to the community sometime in October.  Joan Indusi has been WESPAC Foundation’s liaison with the Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition.  IPSEC is bringing internationally renowned anti-nuclear activist Dr. Helen Caldicott to White Plains on Sept. 17^th.  Details enclosed as well as on our website calendar.  Both Margaret and Joan have already started planning for our Annual Fair Trade International Crafts Fair to be held on Saturday, December 2^nd at the Memorial United Methodist Church in White Plains from 10am to 5pm.  We need lots of help with volunteers as we were understaffed last year.  Please let us know soonest if you can help set up Friday evening, staff a WESPAC table on Saturday, help in the kitchen, bring home-made goodies or a large batch of soup, or help with clean up.  Over 1,000 people passed by our crafts fair in 2005.

WESPAC member Tracy Basile has initiated a “Friends of Turtle Island” group at WESPAC.  It is a wonderful initiative that expresses our solidarity with the ongoing struggles of the many different Indigenous Nations of North America.  I recently joined Tracy on a trip to the Mohawk Community and the Onondaga Nation where we learned so much about their ongoing land rights struggle that is barely visible in both the corporate and independent media.  Two million Indigenous Peoples survived the massive genocide that took place on this continent; they are determined to regain their dignity and rights and we are determined to support their efforts.  WESPAC members of Friends of Turtle Island will work with Tracy’s class next spring at Pace University on Indigenous issues.

Please keep our enclosed Calendar of Events for future reference.  On Monday, October 16^th, we take an evening at WESPAC to support and better understand the issues of lesbians and gays, who continually experience oppression in the U.S. and around the globe.  Heather McDonnell & Carol Snyder, one of the five couples featured in Greenwald’s 30 minute documentary “Gay & Lesbian Rights”, will be with us to share insights and answer questions. Joann Prinzivalli, a local attorney and the state director of NYTRO (NY Transgender Rights Organization), will provide the legal perspective on the issue.

The Black Agenda Group that meets monthly at WESPAC has asked me to include a request for volunteer tutors who could come to WESPAC on a weekly basis for an hour or two and work with youth in the community who need help with math, science, reading or writing.  The ages range from middle school through the high school level.  Please let me know if you can help out.

On a final note, I am requesting that each one of you attend our Annual Meeting of Members scheduled for October 12^th at 7pm at WESPAC where we will elect our board directors.  If you are in a position to make an additional contribution at this time, we would be very grateful.  Your money is well spent and makes a big difference.  A contribution of $500, $100 or an early membership renewal of $45 will allow us to continue the pace of action and education for peace with justice.

For the WESPAC family,                                                    

Nada Khader

Nada Khader Executive Director WESPAC Foundation www.wespac.org 914 682-4690