The Deir Yassin Remembered Blog

Announcing the RAW (Recycle Apartheid Walls) Prize

Posted on August 27th, 2012 at 12:59 am by

Photo by joeskillet via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-2.0)

Most people recognize that the apartheid wall Israel has been building for the past ten years will one day be removed. But few have given serious consideration to how best to recycle hundreds of miles of this “separation barrier.”

Now RighteousJews.org, Gilad Atzmon, and several human rights organizations are offering a significant prize for the best proposal of how to recycle the concrete portion of this wall.

Prize: The initial prize is $1,000, but as paid sponsors are added the prize is expected to increase to $25,000.

Judges: Submissions will be judged by the Board of Advisers of Deir Yassin Remembered, a “balanced” group of human rights advocates, Palestinians, Jews, and others.

How to Apply: Written submissions can be sent to Deir Yassin Remembered, c/o Daniel McGowan, 9 One Mile Point, Geneva, New York 14456 (USA) along with a $25 submission fee, which will be waived if the submitter comes from the West Bank or Gaza.

Deadline: All submissions must be received by January 31, 2014. The winner will be announced the following Deir Yassin Day, April 9, 2014.

Sponsors:

 

Other sponsors donating at least $250 are most welcome, even Zionist and settler advocates who share the belief that the wall will be recycled.

The RAW Prize is unique within Palestinian/Israeli activism.

First, it changes the narrative from separation to reunification, from racism to universal human rights, from two states to one with equal civil rights for all.

Second, it focuses attention on the enormity and the cost of this instrument of separating the “chosen” from the “children of a lesser God.”

Third, it is forward-looking, not static. It neither condemns nor justifies the wall, but simply looks at what will be come of it in the future.

Fourth, it is “green.” It is not about destruction, but about recycling – recycling for the benefits of humanity. Could houses be made from these huge T-shaped blocks of reinforced concrete? Could breakwaters and coastal erosion projects use such easily dismantled objects?

Fifth, both Jews and non-Jews recognize that the wall will go. Now both can work to recycle it. It promotes activism now, even by those who are not into boycotts and vigils and writing blogs.

Sixth, media attention will be generated as proposals are revealed and as the prize is increased with the addition of new sponsors.

One Response to “Announcing the RAW (Recycle Apartheid Walls) Prize”

  1. Redacted

    I am a [redacted] Jewish guy from [Latin America] now living in Salem, MA. I just watched the documentary about Deir Yassin. Like every other Jew, i would expect, i was brainwashed all my life to support Israel. I felt that they had my back so i should have theirs. As I grew older I started thinking for myself and having my own opinions. I started disliking Israeli foreign policy more and more. This past bombardment of Gaza was a huge turning point for me where I became extremely displeased with Israel. So i started watching Al Jazeera Live, and looking for documentaries that would hopefully bring me the Palestine point of view. Today i came across Deir Yassin Remembered. Now i am embarrassed for my people and for the state of Israel. Embarrassed. I wasn’t even born when this happened, but i am still embarrassed. I want to offer my apologies for myself and if it makes sense for my people too. Sorry.

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