Palestine & Internationalism: A panel event on Palestinian resistance and the international solidarity movements

“Just as none of us is outside or beyond geography, none of us is completely free from the struggle over geography. That struggle is complex and interesting because it is not only about soldiers and cannons but also about ideas, about forms, about images and imaginings.” ― Edward W. Said, Culture and Imperialism (1993).

Internationalism has been a fundamental tenet of socialist politics for generations and there is a long history of foreign volunteers becoming involved in struggles abroad. This thread extends back at least as far as the “’48er’s” of the United States Civil War (that is, veterans of the 1848 revolutions in Europe who ended up fighting with the Union Army), through the International Brigades in Republican Spain, to foreign volunteers with the YPG/J in Rojava in recent years.

Likewise, the ability of individuals from across the world to travel to Palestine and volunteer their time and expertise has been an important way for Palestinian solidarity groups to foster international ties and put their politics into action. Indeed, even as Israel has decimated Gaza for months on end it has still at least been possible to travel to the West Bank, where escalating settler violence has often not been seen as worth covering by major media.

This panel, consisting of Tali Williams, Nadia Abu-Shanab, and Qusai (and ably MC’ed by Clare Preston), brings together Palestinian activists and New Zealanders who have volunteered in Palestine to discuss the significance of internationalism in the struggle against Zionism.

Tali Williams – Descended from WWII survivors, a Welsh father, and Polish mother, Tali currently lives in Tāmaki Makaurau. Beginning as a delegate, she has organised in the union movement for the past 22 years, as well as studying journalism and writing for both local and international publications. In the wake of the War in Iraq she travelled through Syria and Jordan interviewing Palestinian and Iraqi refugees and went to Gaza in 2012 as part of the Kia Ora Gaza aid convoy.

Nadia Abu-Shanab – Nadia (English/Irish/Palestinian) is a mum, daughter, sister, educator and trade unionist based in Pōneke. She has been a learner in various movements for the last 20 years. She is a co-founding member of the membership-based democratic organisation, Justice for Palestine.

Qusai – Pseudonym of a Wellington Socialist Society member who recently spent a month volunteering with a group of internationals in the West Bank and witnessed firsthand the impact of the collective punishment Israel has imposed on Palestinians since October 7^th.

Clare Preston – Secondary school teacher of history and social studies and member of PPTA executive for Wellington-Malborough, Clare is also a member of Teachers for Palestine Aotearoa and author of the 2024 conference paper ‘Peace is Union Business’.

Event Proceedings:
6:00 pm – Doors Open
6:30 pm – Introductions
6:40 pm – Panel discussion with Tali, Nadia, and Qusai
7:20 pm – Intermission
7:30 pm – Audience Q&A

Please note that this event is at Wellington Trades Hall on Vivian St and not Bedlam & Squalor. Light refreshments will be provided.