MENDOCINO CO., 9/17/24 – Nonprofit advocacy group Mendocino for Palestine will hold a teach-in to discuss the Israel-Gaza conflict Friday and Saturday at the Caspar Community Center. The two-day event will run from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The event will inform residents about the impact of the war in Gaza.
Dr. Feroze Sidwha, a critical care surgeon from Stockton who volunteered at Gaza’s European Hospital, will provide a special presentation on Friday evening. Doors open at 6 p.m. and Sidwha’s presentation will start at 7 p.m.
Saturday morning will feature a screening of the film “The Night Won’t End,” a new documentary about the conflict, followed by lectures on the history of Palestine in the afternoon.
Mendocino for Palestine’s mission statement says the group “desires freedom for the Palestinian people and an end to the U.S.-backed Israeli occupation.”
Cal Winslow, a volunteer for Mendocino for Palestine and one of the organizers of the teach-in, said the group aims to organize events that will inform citizens about this ongoing war.
“Our activities have been primarily educational and about learning,” Winslow said. The group has organized several workshops and rallies in Mendocino County. “We have tried to talk about why we are concerned about a genocide and why we are concerned about the U.S. arming the Israeli forces in carrying out the genocide.”
There have also been other local reactions to the nearly year-long conflict.
Mendocino County for Ethical Investing, a group of residents advocating for the county to divest from entities tied to Israel, is requesting that county leadership change its investment policy to prohibit taxpayer dollars from being spent on companies that “receive a significant portion of their revenues from the manufacturer of tobacco products, firearms, or weapons not used in our national defense.” The group has been circulating an online petition for Mendocino County residents who support the policy change.
Winslow, who also supports the divestment efforts, said it’s crucial for the community to stay informed.
“We hope that we will help educate people to be able to educate themselves,” Winslow said about the event. “To be able to listen critically to news outlets and to social media.”
Learn more about the event here.