Seven Palestinians #running4freedom in San Francisco Marathon tomorrow
Donna Baranski-Walker
CONTACT: Donna Baranski-Walker, 1 650 440-9667, Con...@RebuildingAlliance.org
#running4freedom #gazaunderattack
Running for Freedom in Gaza: Palestinians Set to Compete
in San Francisco Marathon
7 young adults prepare to cross the finish line for freedom and a
viable future for Gaza.
July 26, 2014 San Francisco – Seven Palestinian marathoners who normally train by running through the restricted West Bank Area C countryside will be running through the streets of San Francisco as they compete in the city’s marathon this weekend. (See them train here: Palestine Marathon Training Run—March 22, 2014)
The marathoners say that with over 188,000 Palestinians in Gaza in dire need of
emergency shelter assistance, it is essential that they “run
for freedom in Gaza” to raise funds for the Gaza Emergency Shelter.
“I want Americans to understand that we are ordinary people just like them, who love life and hope one day to live peacefully with a real future for Gaza,” said Issa Baa’besh, a 22 year-old customer service representative from Bethlehem who is running the full marathon.
The runners are from Right to Movement, a non-profit, non-political, non-religious organization of over 300 runners based in Bethlehem. This group organizes the annual Palestine Marathon along the Separation Wall and through the streets of Bethlehem. (See this year’s Palestine Marathon May 17, 2014)
“Together with a friend of mine, we started a running group that went on to organize Palestine Marathon, now in its 3rd year,” said George Zeidan, co-founder of Right to Movement.
“The Right to Movement is a human right, not just a Palestinian right and that's the right we run for, every day,” said Luma Sakakini, 23, who works at a medical supply company in Ramallah and studies Public Health.
“When we first invited Right to Movement to run in the San Francisco Marathon, we knew Americans would warmly welcome them,” said Donna Baranski-Walker, founder and Executive Director of Rebuilding Alliance. “Now, we hope their voices will open hearts and remind us of our common humanity.”
Right to Movement: Facebook: Right To Movement - Ramallah حرية التنقل
Photo Op: Come meet them at the Finish Line
George Zeidan is the co-founder of Right to Movement. Born and raised in the old city of Jerusalem, George is a Christian who attended university in Murfreesboro, NC. He has been working for three years for a non-profit organization called DanChurchAid, in Jerusalem as the Finance, Procurement and Admin officer. He is keen to participate in the San Fran Marathon, represent Palestine and share with the people our Right to Movement.
Rebuilding Alliance: Rebuilding Alliance is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to rebuilding war-torn communities and making them safe. Our Life-Affirming Vision: A just and enduring peace in Israel and Palestine founded upon equal value, security, and opportunity for all. With three homes just completed just completed in Area C, Rebuilding Alliance’s signature project, Rebuilding to Remain, is the first affordable mortgage loan in Area C in Al Aqaba Village, the first Palestinian Village to issue its own building permits, just like an town here. RebuildingAlliance.org
Donna Baranski-Walker is founder of Rebuilding Alliance. She is an M.I.T. engineer (masters from University of Hawaii) who is keenly interested in making peace and justice through tangible work that both helps families caught in the middle of conflict and rallies people around the world to help them. Donna is not Israeli or Palestinian; she is Polish-American from Detroit. In August of 2010, Donna was given a Medal of Gratitude in front of 27,000 people at the Gdansk Shipyard in Poland for her work 30 years earlier in support of the Polish Solidarity Movement. In 1990 Donna drew upon a tactic used by Polish Solidarity to propose a viable way to avoid the coming war with Iraq - some 10,000 Americans participated (pre Twitter). Her op-ed in the NYTimes was translated into Arabic and hand-carried to the Iraqi Women’s Association where it was warmly received, a week before the war. Her work in Israel and Palestine started in 1996.