Worldwide Activism
The Wall, Israeli Apartheid and the Right of Return in Focus at the Norwegian Social Forum
Activism, PENGON/Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, October 30th, 2004

Only two weeks after the European Social Forum, the Norwegian Social Forum took place in Oslo from the 21st - 24th of October. Among the over 90 different workshops and seminars that took place, the Norwegian Association of NGOs for Palestine (a platform of 20 Norwegian trade unions, political parties and humanitarian organisations that coordinates the solidarity movement with Palestine) helped in arranging three seminars on Palestine, further promoting the calls that had been the common ground during the three days in London of the European Social Forum.

The humanitarian and political consequences of the Apartheid Wall were discussed in a seminar organised by the Norwegian Tear Down the Wall Campaign in which the Norwegian Association of NGOs for Palestine is a driving force. A second seminar titled "The Palestinian Refugees - Forgotten Victims of the Conflict" presented the movie "500 Dunam on the Moon" followed by a debate on how to put the Right of Return on the political agenda.

Lastly, the seminar on Israeli Apartheid "Israel - the New Apartheid State?” discussed the similarities between the South African Apartheid regime and Israel in the Occupied Territories. Øystein Gudim, a long-time activist from the Norwegian movement against Apartheid in South Africa spoke about the needs of effective sanctions against Israel, and Virginia Setshedi, a South African activist from Soweto, also addressed the meeting.

For more information see: www.palestina.no. and www.rivmuren.no