From The Rebuilding Alliance

Dear Friends I am writing to convey a gentle, determined invitation from Haj Sami Sadek, the Mayor of Al Aqabah, asking your help to save his kindergarten and his village from imminent demolition. Their petition goes before the Israeli High Court on April 17, 2008 -- and WE'VE GOT A PLAN! To hold on to hope, the kindergarteners of Al Aqabah started making Pinwheels for Peace - and they with their mayor invite you to make one too. Make your own pinwheel and email the kindergarteners and Haj Sami Sadek at Aqabah@RebuildingAlliance.org. Then tell a friend or two, show your children's teacher, then call your senators and representatives, and show your pinwheel to a reporter at your local newspaper. Need more info? Call me at 1- 650 - 325- 4663 Everyone -- the attorney for Al Aqabah (Elia Tusya Cohen), the desk officer at the U.S. State Department in Washington DC, Rebuilding Alliance board members (incl. Cindy Corrie and hon. board member Craig Corrie), colleagues at Gush Shalom and ICAHD -- says the same thing: Get this story into newspapers everwhere, and get Senators, Congresspersons, and elected representatives everwhere to call the Israeli Embassy to express concern. That's what it will take to save this village. 130 children attend kindergarten in Al Aqabah, the only kindergarten in this lost and damaged region, on the edge of the Jordan River Valley in the West Bank, Palestine. Another 70 boys and girls go to Al Aqabah's primary school. After the Rebuilding Alliance finished rebuilding the kindergarten in 2004 (see Amir Terkel's sparkling short film), the Japanese Embassy, Belgian Embassy and the people of Norway added a second floor! Here's what it looks like today: Court-ordered negotiations with the Israeli Army have all failed so the Israeli High Court will hear the case on April 17th. As Jeff Halper of ICAHD explained in the film, "Here, we are fighting the whole legality and the morality of the Israeli government demolishing the homes of Palestinians. In general demolishing homes, but here demolishing with ABSOLETUELY NO REASON -- there's no security reason, it's not state land, it's not public land, it is not bothering anybody. It is purely, purely land owned by the local people for their own benefit." Mayor Haj Sami Sadek invites you to make a "Pinwheel for Peace" and help save the Kindergarten in Al Aqabah. The instructions are simple -- and there's even a Quicktime movie that shows you how: "Write your thoughts about war and peace, tolerance, living in harmony with others on one side of the pinwheel. On the other side of the paper, paint, collage or draw to visually express your feelings." Please let us know your progress. In the days and weeks ahead, we'll keep you posted with news from the village of Al Aqabah, templates for your calls/letter to elected officials, – and news from adults and children everywhere who are determined to save our kindergarten. In Rebuilding Peace, Donna Donna Baranski-Walker Executive Director & Founder The Rebuilding Alliance, 650 325-4663 P.S. We need extra help and talent to save this town. To join the organizing committee (we'll meet via teleconference call each week), call me. To get help forming a constituent committee to join you in meeting with your congressional staffers, call me. If you are good at writing press releases, calling media, updating web pages, or posting to Facebook or Myspace, call me. If you can visit Al Aqabah, call me: 650 325 4663 or email us at Aqabah@RebuildingAlliance.org. If you are near Palo Alto California, stop by our office. If this rebuilding work and village saving is of value to you, please

The Rebuilding Alliance is a 501c3 nonprofit
organization (EIN 56-239 h2452).
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The Rebuilding Alliance

457 Kingsley Avenue
Palo Alto, California 94301
United States

phone: 650 325-4663
fax: 650 325-4667

email: contact@RebuildingAlliance.org
www.RebuildingAlliance.org