5th Cairo Conference - The International Campaign Against US and Zionist Occupation

The International Campaign Against US and Zionist Occupation The International Campaign Against US and Zionist Occupation calls upon all groups and campaigners against Imperialism and Zionism, in Egypt and the Arab World, and upon social and antiwar movements worldwide to participate in the:


5th Cairo Conference "Towards an International Alliance Against Imperialism and Zionism" & 3rd Cairo Social Forum "Against Imperialism and Zionism... Against tyranny and oppression... Against exploitation and corruption"
Both will be held at the Egyptian Press Syndicate
29th March - 1st of April 2007

Background:
The 1st Cairo Conference was organized in 2002, against the US and British imperialism preparing to invade Iraq. The slogan of the conference then was "Against globalization, US hegemony and War". The conference was organized and called for by a group of Egyptian activists building on their previous efforts to break the siege of starvation enforced on the Iraqi people and in solidarity with the heroic Palestinian Intifada. The conference was attended by representatives and activists from various parts of the Arab World, Europe and the Americas. The gathering issued the first Cairo Declaration, which became one of the documents of the international anti-war and anti-globalization movements.

In subsequent years, three further Cairo conferences were organized, in December 2003, March 2005 and March 2006, under the slogan "With the Resistance in Palestine and Iraq... Against Globalization, Imperialism and Zionism". Activists and representatives of many groups and organizations, from various parts of the Arab World and globally, participated in all three conferences as well as members of the Palestinian and Iraqi resistance. All those conferences issued a number of decisions and recommendations, calling for the participation in all international actions organized by the anti-war and anti-globalization movements, to confront the imperialist war in Iraq and in solidarity with the resistance in Palestine and Iraq—starting from the demonstrations of the January and February 2003, onwards.

In all their recommendations and resolutions, the Cairo Conferences have stressed a number of basic principles which guided its strategies: 1) the unconditional support of all forces of resistance against imperialism and Zionism in Palestine, Iraq, and Lebanon; 2) a call for the necessary unity of all resistance groups, bypassing their ideological and political differences, and considering the struggle against US and Zionist colonialism to be the main strategic struggle; 3) supporting the democratic demands of the Arab peoples against the ruling dictatorial regimes as well as the projects of imperialist hegemony, and considering the struggle against tyranny in the Arab world as part of the struggle against globalization and war worldwide; 4) stressing the unity of the international anti-war and anti-globalization movements, and the need to collaborate among all the participant groups against globalization, imperialism and Zionism.

The 1st Cairo social forum was organized alongside the 3rd Cairo Conference (March 2005) under the slogan: "Against imperialism and Zionism.. Against tyranny and oppression.. Against exploitation and corruption." More than 30 political groups and civil society organizations in Egypt and the Arab World organized seminars, workshops, exhibitions and various cultural activities around battles of political and social resistance. The forum also held sessions on issues related to the struggle of workers, peasants, students, women and religious minorities. The 2nd Cairo Social Forum was held alongside the 4th Cairo Conference (March 2006) with the participation of more than 40 groups and organizations.

The Egyptian group for the International Campaign Against US and Zionist Occupation is currently preparing for the 5th Cairo conference and the 3rd Cairo Social Forum, to be held in Cairo between the 29th of March and the 1st of April 2007. The Egyptian group includes a number of Egyptian activists from different national groups and representatives of the following Egyptian groups working against imperialism, Zionism and tyranny: Karama Party, Muslim Brotherhood, Labor Party, & the Revolutionary Socialists Organization.

For more information and to submit any suggestions please contact us:
Email: cairoconference4@yahoo.com
Tel: 00 202 792 3837
Fax: 00 202 792 5327
Mobile: 00 2 012 356 7772

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update: Opening

Selamat Pagi

Selamat pagi. Bukan sebagai ritual ketika pagi menjelang, anggaplah ini semacam cara untuk menyatakan kesyukuran. Tak ada yang istimewa memang. Seperti biasanya, matahari masih nakal menelusupkan sinarnya melalui lubang angin di kamar. Seperti biasa, sesekali burung-burung mampir di jendela sembari bercicit-cuit riang. Yang berbeda, mungkin, sarapan kopi susu dingin ditemani beberapa potong roti. Berbeda? Iya. Biasanya aku menyeduh minuman hangat. Entah kenapa semalam aku kepikiran untuk membuat dua porsi sekaligus. Gelas kecil menemaniku melewati tengah malam, yang besar kusimpan di kulkas.

Selamat pagi. Sebenarnya aku masih ngantuk. Aku baru merebahkan diri di kasur sekitar dua dini hari. Untungnya bisa bangun tepat saat adzan subuh berkumandang. Seperti biasanya, menyalakan komputer lalu bersegera ke kamar mandi. Membersihkan tubuh seperlunya lalu balik lagi ke kamar. Seperti biasa, subuhan lalu membuka jendela lebar-lebar beberapa menit. Selesai menukar udara, ditutup lagi. Seperti biasa, duduk manis di depan monitor, melanjutkan pekerjaan, menunggu matahari datang.

Apa katamu? Pola hidup yang ritmis? Hahaha, bisa jadi begitu. Ritmis atau tak, bukan jadi soal untukku. Yang terpenting adalah bagaimana menghayati apa yang aku jalani. Iya sih, terjebak dalam rutinitas bisa sangat membosankan. Masalahnya, mana yang rutinitas dan mana yang tidak? Maksudku begini, ketika mendengar kata rutin, sebagian orang langsung mengaitkannya dengan kebosanan, dengan aktifitas yang itu-itu saja. Menurutku sih, itu hanya soal mind-set. Tergantung bagaimana seseorang menghayati proses yang sedang ia tempuh. Karena itu, kuucapkan selamat pagi. Bukan sekedar sapa, anggaplah ini semacam doa. Siapapun kamu, di manapun kamu berada sekarang, bisa menikmati proses yang sedang kamu tempuh.

Hmm, aku jadi ingat mbak Hera, guru saat aku di asrama dulu. Setiap kali masuk kelas untuk ngabsen, selalu saja berucap selamat pagi. Padahal dia hanya masuk kelasku saat tutorial sore. Apakah mbak Hera lupa waktu? Ngakunya sih tidak. Dia bilang begini, pagi adalah waktu untuk memulai beraktifitas, karenanya saya mengucapkan selamat pagi, agar kalian semangat. Duh, filosofinya sih boleh juga, tapi buat kami yang sudah masuk kelas sejak jam tujuh sampai setengah dua, lalu masuk kelas lagi setengah tiga sampai jam lima? Capek dong mbak, please deh.

Selamat pagi. Aku mau mandi.