Last year at the University of Houston, we hosted a conference, which explored a reimagined world, striving for the dismantlement of walls from Palestine to the Rio Grande. There we saw a significant increase in attendance, having brought together hundreds of students, organizers, academics, and more to a space committed to decolonization and Palestinian liberation. In the Deep South especially, this is no small feat, and attendance well exceeded conferences in years past.

Nevertheless, our work continues. We are excited to announce that the 8th Annual National Students for Justice in Palestine Conference will take place at the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) from November 16-18, 2018. This year’s theme, “Radical Hope: Resistance in the Face of Adversity,” is a timely one. Palestinians continue to persevere against all odds, even as Zionism continues its decades-long campaign of ethnic cleansing and systematic destruction of Palestinian life. From assaults on Gaza and the leveling of Palestinian villages, to the chilling of free speech on college campuses and the legalized harassment of Palestinian educators for their steadfast solidarity with their own, this year’s conference calls for a hope which is “directed toward a future goodness that transcends the current ability to understand what it is.” It is radical hope that enables Palestinians to call for that very same reimagined world, and it is radical hope that sustains them.

This year, we underscore the power of collectively transcending current realities in order to anticipate the inevitable future. Palestinian freedom is neither a simple dream that can be realized, nor a mere speculative-thought experiment. You and I say it will be realized, shaped by both past and present. Due to the continued repression of Palestine solidarity work, our funding this year has seen a massive decrease that will, simply put, not sustain us in the long-run. To create a conference that allows us to offer travel support to hundreds of passionate individuals committed to collective liberation and the dismantlement of Israeli apartheid, we need your help. Donations are tax-deductible and made through WESPAC, our fiscal sponsor, and every cent will pave the way for what we hope will be NSJP’s most successful conference yet.

If you cannot donate, you can still help! We encourage you to share our donation page with your friends, family, community members, networks and anyone who wishes to help the Palestinian cause thrive and expand throughout the country. This conference is an amazing opportunity to get new students involved in the Palestinian cause and keep discussion around Palestine at the forefront of campus life. Donations are central to making this happen, as they assist us in our many funding expenses, such as meals, lodging and programs.

Thank you for your support and commitment to Palestinian liberation, justice, and equality.

In Solidarity,
National Students for Justice in Palestine