Sunday, November 14, 3:00 pm:
An Afternoon with ASWAT Bay Area Music Ensemble -- an exquisite
community ensemble for classical and folk Arabic music. Includes ASWAT
Youth, Palestinian & Andalusian folk dance, Palestinian poetry, and
former SF poet laureate Jack Hirshman -- a message of peace and social
justice. Families welcome! Cosponsored by the Islamic Cultural Center of
Northern California.
Tickets $15 advance, $20 door, $10 student/low income/children under
12, $50 priority reserved seating and supporting MECA's Maia Project.
$15 tickets at bookstores: (east bay) Books Inc., Diesel, Moe's
Books, Pegasus/Solano, Pegasus/Shattuck, Walden Pond (SF) Modern Times
or
Buy online using
brown paper tickets.
Cosponsored by KPFA, Arab Film Festival, many others
More info at
www.mecaforpeace.org, 510-548-0542
Benefit for MECA's Maia Project: Clean Water for Gaza's ChildrenIn support of
the MAIA Project of the
Middle East Children’s Alliance, the
Aswat Ensemble brings you classical and folk Arabic music, Palestinian
and Andalusian folk dance, and Palestinian poetry on November 14th -
including performances by
Aswat Youth and former SF poet laureate Jack Hirschman. Musical Direction by Morroccan Virtuoso,
Rachid Halihal. Families are welcome!
Tickets are now available!
MAIA Project
There is a growing water crisis in Palestine that affects agriculture,
industry, and the health of virtually every adult and child. In the Gaza
Strip, poor sanitation and over-extraction have polluted the limited
water supply. In September 2009, the Middle East Children’s Alliance
(MECA) launched the Maia Project (Arabic for “water”) to provide Palestinian children with clean, safe drinking water.
This project began when the Student Parliament at the UN Boys’ School
in Bureij Refugee Camp, Gaza were given the opportunity to choose one thing they most wanted for their school: They chose to have clean drinking water.
MECA’s partner in Gaza heard about this vote and, after meeting with
representatives from the school and the Student Parliament, came to MECA
to see if we could respond to the children’s request for drinking
water. MECA provided the funds to build a water purification and
desalination unit for the school in 2007.
MECA is working in partnership with community organizations to
build water purification and desalination units in schools throughout
the Gaza Strip. We have provided clean water to twelve large UN
schools in Palestinian refugee camps and to ten kindergartens in
refugee camps, towns, and villages.
MECA is seeking supporters to expand the Maia Project to schools
throughout Gaza. A large purification unit for a UN school in a refugee
camp costs $11,300. The UN schools run in shifts due to overcrowding and
each unit provides drinking water for 1,500-2,000 children and staff. A
small purification unit for a preschool or kindergarten costs $4,000
and serves 150-450 children. Many of the small units are located in
community centers with after-school programs and summer camps so the
units serve these children as well. Many organizations, individuals, and
schools around the US are raising the whole cost of a unit in their
communities.
You can help!
-
Sponsor a school or kindergarten in Gaza: Consider creating a group at
your school or in your community to raise funds and build a connection
with a “sister school” in Gaza. Email Josie if you would like more information.
-
Make a secure online contribution to the Maia Project. New projects will begin as funds are raised.
-
Buy a Maia Project water bottle! Help the environment and children in Palestine with a reusable water bottle.
-
Organize a house party or event to raise awareness about the water crisis in Palestine.
-
Sign the “Clean Water for Children in Palestine” petition asking President Obama to put pressure on Israel so that Palestinian children can have access to clean drinking water.
-
Support the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions of Israel until it complies with international law.
