“World without Walls” has shown to be as urgent and inspiring as it was 4 years ago, when we launched the call in the aftermath of Trump’s electoral campaign promising a ‘big, fat, beautiful wall’, insprired by Israel’s walls. In ocasión of this year’s Global Day of InterAction for a #WorldwithoutWalls, hundreds of people and organizations have taken to the street and to the net across the globe.
Since November 9, we have reached 615 thousand people with the collective effort to bring the call for a #WorldwithoutWalls on the agenda, on the timelines and inboxes worldwide.
World without Walls 2020 is made possible by contributions from some 30 countries across all continents. It has been truly an ongoing process. Already on July 9, we have released a photo exhibit on “Walls in Times of Pandemic” with contributions from Palestine, the Philippines, HongKong, Greece, the Spanish State, Western Sahara, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and the US.
Beyond the webinar series directly coordinated by Stop the Wall with partners, November 9 has given impulse to webinars in Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka. ‘From the Ground Up – the Global Gathering for Climate Justice’ hosted a webinar with Abdelrahman Tamimi of the Palestine Cop26 Coalition and Noelie Audi-Dor from Gastivists to discuss the Western Powers in the Middle East: Fueling Apartheid, Oppression and Climate Change. In the US, World without Walls Bay area has released a discussion guide to host a Watch Party of the Webinar “Abolition and Liberation: A conversation with Angela Davis and Jamal Juma’”. In Mexico the project Heteronomies of Justice has held a webinar to mark the Global Day of InterAction for a World without Walls.
A new report ‘Walled World, Towards A Global Apartheid’, produced in cooperation between Centre Delàs d’Estudis per la Pau, Transnational Institute (TNI) and Stop Wapenhandel, has been released. The report examines the expansion of walls built by a growing number of states, the underlying causes of the emergence of a global apartheid, and the corporations that are seeking to profit. As well as providing a global overview of border walls, the report looks at seven case studies: Australia, India, Israel, Mexico–Guatemala, Spain, Syria and Western Sahara. “Changes in public opinion, particularly as a result of successful mobilisation of popular movements, can undermine even the strongest systems of oppression. Walls that divide us may seem permanent but education and political action can bring them down. It is time for a new wave of mobilisation – against the walled world that merely serves a small elite and betrays the hopes of the vast majority of humanity who want to live in dignity and with justice.” Read the report here and watch the video of the press conference here.
Radio programs have been organized in the Basque Country, Argentina and Italy, among others.
In Vienna, Austria, Women in Black have taken to the streets in their vigil while in Paris, the municipality has prohibited the gathering being organized by a large number of anti-racist organizations, solidarity organiations with the Palestinian people, the Saharawi people, the Walmapu people and more.
Association France-Palestine Solidarité in France has coordinated photographic mosaics for a World without Walls.
Statements have been coming in and new trade unions, including the International Labour Network of Solidarity and Struggles and CUPE Ontario and CUPE local 3902 from Canada, have signed on the #WorldwithoutWalls call.
In Mexico and Latin America, activists and groups have been organizing to raise the call to #StopCemex from building Israel’s apartheid Wall and settlements. The Latin American #StopCemex working groups has released infographics and is organizing a webinar on November 20, the Students Comittee of Solidarity with Palestine at the UNAM, Latin merica’s biggest university, has given out a call for action
We are still collecting the feedback as the activities for a #World without Walls continue… Please let us know what you did!
