by Chris Allert

Jen Marlowe is the author of Darfur Diaries: Stories of Survival (Nation Books), which is included in the Best American Non-Required Reading Collection 2007. (http://www.darfurdiaries.org ) She is directing and editing Rebuilding Hope, a film about South Sudan, ( http://www.rebuildinghopesudan.org ) and writing a book and a play about Palestine and Israel. Her previous film was Darfur Diaries: Message from Home. She serves on the board of directors of The Friends of the Jenin Freedom Theatre ( http://www.friendsofthejeninfreedomtheatre.org ) and is a founding member of the . . .

by Chris Allert

[The Olympia-Rafah Mural Project is an official recognition, by the people of Olympia, Washington, of the sister city relationship that exists with the city of Rafah, Palestine. Through the act of creating a collaborative public mural, we will express our desire for Palestinian self-determination, which is rooted in honoring the common struggles for global justice faced by marginalized people everywhere. By upholding rights for all, we seek to break down barriers to understanding, increase visibility for Palestinian people, encourage imagination, embrace the hope and courage of . . .

A mural by Susan Greene, local artists from Rafah and Khan Younis. The quote on the ribbon reads “I think it’s important that human rights and resistance to oppression be included in the way we define ourselves as a community.” (Photo by John Halaka)

Susan Greene (right) and Lisa Nessan (left) in Olympia (Photo by Ashley Harrison)

Dr Kareem Nasrallah standing where his house once was pointing to where Rachel Corrie was murdered in Rafah. (Photo by John Halaka)

John Halaka, Dr. Kareem Nasrallah, and Susan Greene standing at site of Rachel Corrie's murder (Photo by John Halaka)

Artists in Rafah working on mural that is now outside the Rachel Corrie Center. (Photo by John Halaka)

Completed mural being applied to outside of Rachel Corrie Center in Rafah. (Photo by John Halaka)

Completed mural on Rachel Corrie Center in Rafah. (Photo by Rachel Corrie Center in Rafah)

Susan Greene entertaining a crowd of curious children in Rafah. (Photo by John Halaka)

by Phan Nguyen

On Tuesday, April 17, the Olympia City Council opened a public hearing on the proposal by the Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project (ORSCP) to formalize a sister city relationship with the Palestinian city of Rafah. The public communications period had begun with a racist diatribe against a supposed Asian threat, in reference to the recent Virginia Tech shootings. It followed with several racist diatribes against a supposed Palestinian/Arab/Muslim threat, and it ended with the City Council pandering to this supposed threat and denying formal sister city status with Rafah.

City Hall was packed on April 17 during the public hearing on the Rafah sister city proposal. (Photo by Muhammed Ayub)

Fida Qishta, a member of the Rafah sister city delegation to Olympia, teaching Arabic to children at LP Brown Elementary. (Photo by Ron Eggleton)

The Nasrallah family in Olympia, visiting from Rafah. (Photo by Ron Eggleton)

Craig and Cindy Corrie with Iman Nasrallah in Rafah. The Corrie's daughter Rachel died defending the Nasrallah home in March 2003.

[The following email was sent by Khaled Nasrallah from Rafah, Palestine. It was the Nasrallah family's home that Rachel Corrie was protecting when she was killed by an Israeli military bulldozer. The home was destroyed months later, with no rationale provided by the Israeli military.

Khaled Nasrallah visited Olympia in 2005. He and other Palestinians viewed the April 17 Olympia City Council meeting on the Internet.]

Dear all Olympia Rafah Sister City,

Serena Becker and Rochelle Gause, Olympia-Rafah sister city delegates sharing a birthday celebration with the Nasrallah family in Rafah.

by Rochelle Gause

Looking out over the Rafah skyline at dark from the roof of my apartment building, most families are sleeping. The flicker of a few late night TVs can be seen through an occasional window. The street lights shine down on the sidewalks, highlighting mounds of sand and scattered trash. Laundry and the tattered edges of Palestinian flags blow gently in the wind. Things are peaceful, mostly quiet with the sporadic calls of roosters and donkeys.

Palestinian children in Rafah, in Gaza.

by Serena Becker and Rochelle Gause

Ten hours difference, some 6,800 miles away from Olympia, we are staying in the home of a Palestinian family in Rafah and it feels like an extension of our own families. We are part of a group of four, hopefully five soon, who have traveled to the Occupied Palestinian Territories as a delegation of the Olympia Rafah Sister City Project. After Rachel Corrie was killed, our hearts and minds were drawn to this place. We have come in the hopes of connecting with the community and creating lasting ties through tangible projects and cross-cultural exchanges. . . .

Serena Becker and Rochelle Gause - Serena pointing to their location in Rafah on a map drawn onto a wall.

Olympians Serena Becker and Rochelle Gause (third and second from right) with the Nasrallah family and their neighbors. The Nasrallahs' first home was demolished by the Israeli military after Rachel Corrie was killed defending it.

Craig and Cindy Corrie in Rafah with the Nasrallah family after their daughter Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by an Israeli military Caterpillar bulldozer. Rachel was attempting to defend the Narallah home against demolition by the US-built weapon.