AL-AWDA WEST COAST REGIONAL CONFERENCE

For Immediate Release 24 October 2004 EMPOWERING THE PALESTINE RIGHT TO RETURN MOVEMENT ON THE WEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA
Please Note - Because of space limitations, early registration is highly recommended: http://www.al-awdacal.org/west_conf/register.html San Diego, California 10/24/04 - Al-Awda San Diego in conjunction with Students for Justice at The University of California at San Diego will be hosting a one-day West Coast regional conference for the Right to Return Movement for Palestinian refugees. The conference will take place on Saturday 20 November 2004 at UCSD in La Jolla, California.
The objectives of the conference are to: 1. Begin preparation and mobilization for Al-Awda's third International Convention, which will be held in Los Angeles California in the Spring of 2005. 2. Further develop and coordinate intra- and inter-state grassroots activism to further empower the Palestine Right to Return Movement on the West Coast. BACKGROUND Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition's Second Annual International Convention in New York City named California as the site of the organization's third convention. The convention is scheduled to take place in mid-April 2005. During the past year, new Al-Awda chapters have emerged on the West Coast of North America from San Diego, California to Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada. In order to solidify and strengthen the network of Palestine Right to Return chapters and action committees on the West Coast, it is vital that activists meet, plan and strategize to insure a successful Al-Awda convention in 2005 while developing mechanisms to coordinate intra- and inter-state grassroots advocacy for the Palestinian refugees' right to return. The one-day regional conference, "Empowering the Palestine Right to Return Movement on the West Coast of North America", will take place on 20 November 2004 at the University of California in La Jolla, San Diego. The conference is important. It represents the first regional meeting for the Right to Return Movement on the West Coast. INVITATION We are inviting Palestinian, Arab and other community members, grassroots activists, students, and solidarity organizational representatives to attend and share their thoughts, needs, and how they'd like to see our collective efforts for the rights of Palestinian refugees develop on the West Coast of North America and at Al-Awda's upcoming International Convention in Los Angeles California. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 1. Program http://www.al-awdacal.org/west_conf/prog.html 2. Registration http://www.al-awdacal.org/west_conf/register.html 3. Accommodation http://www.al-awdacal.org/west_conf/hotel.html 4. Map, driving directions and transportation http://www.al-awdacal.org/west_conf/maps.html Al-Awda California The Palestine Right to Return Coalition PO Box 131352 Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA Fax: 1-360-933-3568 E-mail: info@al-awdacal.org WWW: http://al-awdacal.org