Media Workshop Report Back

Proposed Action Plan approved by Report Back

1. To establish a committee to handle mainstream and alternative media in ways other than the important ones that are currently being carried out and used by Al-Awda's letter writers (whose work should not be interrupted) but with the same goal of bringing the Right to Return (Al-Awda) without compromise into the center of public discourse.

a. The committee would communicate with each other on an ongoing basis to interpret the changing political situation in order to clarify the content of our work.

Objectives:

1. Name for this committee - Reps mtg suggested 'Al-Awda-Press' or 'Al-Awda Communications'. (Open for other suggestions).

2. Identify the major media outlets we wish to deal with and focus on engaging them directly on a regular basis. This should also include Palestinian and Arab sources.

3. (From Ed) Within twelve months launch a Palestinian video initiative in multiple American cities broadcasting half hour documentaries about the right of return and other Palestinian topics.  Immediately launch the Al-Awda and Alternate Focus video contest using brochures and email announcements worldwide.

4. Publish first Al-Awda newsletter by June 2005 - perhaps monthly - which will have educational and political analysis, updates on refugee situation as well as other announcements, projects, action alerts and fundraising. Will need more volunteers. Need someone with skills to design and layout of the Newsletter in a format suitable for posting to our website.

5. Organize training workshops on producing different public relations materials by September 2005, at which the different collaterals, e.g. pamphlets, media kits, brochures, press releases, etc, will occur. Very Important! It occurs that we should have at least a skeletal media kit in place before we begin to approach in person more of the media outlets.

Notes:

It was discussed at the cultural report back that we should pay heed to the words used in our work - rather than the 'diaspora' the word 'exile' should be used. Also 'expulsion' and 'Arab homeland', etc. We need to begin to escalate the narrative in all of our work.

Our committee should interact with all the work groups.

Since we have many excelent writers in Al-Awda we must utilize these talents in a more comprehensive way by encouraging and even calling for coordinated op-ed pieces, articles in journals in magazines, etc. This was not discussed in our workshop but was raised at the Reps meeting because there are several deportation hearings of Palestinians coming up in Los Angeles, Florida and NY. The first one in June. The press group can take on the task of recruitment of writers or this can be left to the Reps or Alerts groups. Reps meeting assigned Rhoda Shapiro to come up with 'talking points' for the Los Angeles hearing (LA 8) since she is very familiar with it.

The report was greeted with strong approval by the convention. We can do it and have fun at the same time.

Respectfully submitted

Rhoda Shapiro