Page Index
General Advice
It is one thing to be well informed but this alone does not amount to actions that can make a difference. How do we effect change? What can individuals do to make a difference?
Start organising for Palestine – get active in a local community group
Dozens of local groups have sprouted around the country as concerned Australians seek ways to respond to the unfolding genocide of the latest Israeli invasion of Gaza since October 2023.
Get involved with Free Palestine Melbourne… or find a local group in your area on this APAN listing: LOCAL GROUPS
Here’s some local groups around Victoria:
Free Palestine Apollo Bay – instagram / facebook / email
Free Palestine Ballarat – instagram / facebook
Free Palestine Bendigo – instagram / linktree
Free Palestine Central Victoria – instagram / facebook / linktree
Free Palestine Dandenong Action – instagram / facebook / linktree
Free Palestine Geelong – instagram / facebook / linktree
Free Palestine Macedon Ranges – facebook
Banyule Palestine Action Group – instagram / facebook / linktree
Brimbank for Palestine – instagram / facebook / linktree
Darebin 4 Palestine – instagram / facebook / linktree
Hobsons Bay 4 Palestine – instagram
Hume for Palestine – instagram
Knox for Palestine – instagram / linktree
Melbourne City Council for Palestine – instagram / linktree
Menzies Friends of Palestine – instagram / facebook
Merri-bek & Northern Suburbs 4 Palestine – instagram / facebook
Moonee Valley 4 Palestine – instagram / facebook / linktree
Nillumbik for Palestine – instagram / facebook / linktree
Port Phillip for Palestine – email
Whittlesea for Palestine – instagram
Wyndham for Palestine – instagram / facebook / website
If you have a local group starting up, let us know!
Writing to politicians
Australia plays a key role in the UN when it comes to Palestinian affairs. It is often siding with the US and blocking any investigations of Israeli activities. This is a problem that we can do something about.
As Australian citizens, our politicians must represent our views, concerns and opinions. That is the crux of a representational government. The politicians are elected to represent the concerns of their constituents: the citizens they supposedly represent. Therefore, if you write to a politician, they have an obligation to convey these views. Whether they do or not, relies on many things, one being the extent to which an issue is being presented to them.
WRITE to your representative or local member of parliament. It is not difficult to find your local member and your letter does not have to be an essay. Simply conveying your concerns is enough, and the more of us that do it, the less easy it is for the member to ignore or brush aside.
Guidelines for Contacting Senators and Members
How to find your electorate https://electorate.aec.gov.au/
Contact details https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members.
Writing to your MP | Oxfam Australia
Writing an effective letter to a Member of Parliament
Writing a Letter to Your MP | Citizens for Public Justice
Writing to newspaper editors
WRITE a letter to the editor of one or more newspapers. If you see an article that raises issues that are important to you, respond as soon as is practicably possible. Editors do pay attention!
Below is a guide to letter writing collated by Jessica Morrison (APAN) from a workshop given by Maher Mugrabi, features editor at The Age, and foreign editor of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald from 2014 to 2017.
Please note that when writing to editors, it is necessary to include your address and phone number, even though only the suburb will be printed.
Email addresses of the main papers in Melbourne:
- letters@theage.com.au
- letters@theaustralian.com.au
- https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/letter-to-the-editor
- edletters@afr.com.au
Use your purchasing power
Ethical purchasing has become more commonplace. We have become more discerning when we make purchases and seek products from companies that try to do the right thing whether it be the environment or fair trade and workers conditions. This consumer power can be used to support Palestine, by ensuring that we are not purchasing products that are made by those that exploit Palestinians in one way or another. Very simply put, if you know the first three barcode numbers of a product you can avoid products made in Israel*. There are also apps that allow you to scan a barcode. [Buycott] Please visit the BDS website for more information.
*A barcode starting with 729 usually indicates a product of Israel. But this is not always reliable. The best way to tell if a product is made in Israel is to look for a “Product of Israel” label or to ask the retailer if they can guarantee a product isn’t from Israel. https://bdsmovement.net/get-involved/what-to-boycott
- #BoycottHP – HP provide technology for the Israeli army and police. Pledge to stop buying HP products. Read more: https://bit.ly/2S0z3B6
- #ShutElbitDown – Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest arms manufacturer and field-tests weapons on Palestinians. Pressure the Victorian Government to end its partnership with Elbit Systems. Read more: https://bit.ly/3ygKKUY
- Buy fair trade. Palestine Fair Trade Australia
Donate
Donate as a final option. Palestine needs your voice and your political pressure more, but donations help to support the various groups advocating for Palestine.
Organisations to donate to include: Free Palestine Melbourne for local organising and support, Olive Kids and Medical Aid for Palestinians – MAP. BuildPalestine put together this good article: Trusted organizations to donate to Palestine – BuildPalestine
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