Climate Change, pipelines – Suzanne Berliner Weiss

LEILA KHALED TO SPEAK: FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE NOT WAR

Suzanne Berliner Weiss, activist, author of Holocaust to Resistance: My Journey:

I am proud to add my name to the supporters of Leila Khaled, a world-renowned leader of Palestinian resistance. It will be an honour for us all to hear her testimony at a forum in Australia on fighting climate change, not war.

I am a survivor of the Jewish Holocaust carried out by the German Nazis. I was saved by the solidarity of many individuals and a whole community who protected Jews and others marked down for death. The world’s peoples did not know of the mass murder being committed, although their governments knew, were silent, and thus, complicit.

Another crime was initiated in 1947 with the Nakba, the catastrophe, when the Israeli government with military might, expelled over 750,000 indigenous Palestinians from their homeland.

This crime continues to this day in the name of the Jewish people — without their consent.

The world’s peoples did not know the extent of the Palestinian misery but were rudely awakened in 1969 by the courageous Leila Khaled. She demanded freedom, dignity, equality, and peace for the oppressed Palestinians.

The world’s people were once again awakened on October 7 with the same demands to end the cruel occupation and daily bombardment of Gaza. Today, we all insist on an immediate enduring cease fire to the genocide.

Leila Khaled has dedicated her life to the resistance and for a free Palestine. It will be an honour to discuss with her and to work together on better ways to live in equality, dignity, and peace to save this planet.

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Nick Riemer, academic, refugee and union activist says Leila Khaled must not be prevented from speaking in Australia.

Wendy Bacon, journalist and researcher: “I am appalled that the Albanese government will not provide Leila Khaled with a visa”

Ecosocialism 2024

Rabbi Rosen of Tzedek Chicago hosts Suzanne Weiss, author of ‘Holocaust to Resistance’

Here’s the video record of a talk I gave September 2 hosted by the Tzedek congregation in Chicago. Thank you to Tzedek congregation Rabbi Brant Rosen, my friends Linda Loew, Guy Miller, and my life partner, John Riddell for organizing this event.

Rabbi Rosen says: “I urge friends to watch and listen to the special program, attended by participants from across the country, Canada, and beyond…. It’s a powerful conversation with Holocaust survivor/activist Suzanne Weiss, who shared her story of wartime survival and discussed how she applies it to the solidarity struggles of today.”

As reviewer, Naomi Allen says of Suzanne Weiss’s memoir: It is a “Thrilling and sometimes harrowing account of her life, from war orphan to immigrant to socialist activist, can be read almost as a catalog of liberation struggles from the post-World War II era through the first decades of the 21st century…. Reaching deeply into her Jewish heritage, she pulled out the traditional solidarity of Jews with oppressed people everywhere, paying tribute to her parents’ sacrifice as part of their struggle for human values. Thus, she understood that her support of Palestinian human rights flows directly from the best values of her Jewishness…”

Here’s the video:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=738959426952382&extid=SR4rLxpcRXwKZ9kc

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: From Holocaust to Resistance w/Suzanne Weiss. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

Watch the video on my presentation featuring my book: Holocaust to Resistance: My Journey – (you can purchase it from Fernwood Publishers).

Six three-minute speeches …

I’ve learned to make concise and cogent speeches in the three minutes appropriate for rallies and meetings. Of the several dozen “three-minute” talks I have on file, here are six examples.

Against Islamophobia and white supremacy

The video version of this speech made a rally against Islamophobia and white supremacy went viral and received over 26,000 views as of this posting.

I speak today as a survivor of the Jewish Holocaust. Nazism took the lives of most of my family and six million my Jewish community. I and so many other Holocaust survivors are here only because of people united to protect us.

What is anti Semitism? It is simply the hatred of Jewish people. Amazingly, Donald Trump honoured the Holocaust by omitting, and in essence denying history. He forgot to mention that that six million Jews were murdered in the attempt to eliminate the whole Jewish people. It’s amazing that we heard no one object to this omission, and we especially did not hear a peep from Israel who prides itself on building a Jewish state. Continue reading Six three-minute speeches …

Montreal protest supports Chippewas, calls for Line 9 shutdown

28 December 2016 – In Montreal, protesters called for an end to the 9B pipeline on Dec. 18, walking through snow and sleet from Suncor refinery in Montreal East to Montreal City Hall. The protest marks one year since Enbridge Inc. began transporting its dangerous oil from Alberta to Montreal through Line 9.

Stopping along the route of their 16-kilometre march, the protesters expressed their views to those who stood to listen. “Enbridge Line 9B is a threat to our drinking water,” said Louise Morand, a member of Regroupement Vigilance Hydrocarbures Quebec (RVHQ), which is made up of 130 citizens groups across the province. Continue reading Montreal protest supports Chippewas, calls for Line 9 shutdown

A historic demonstration of indigenous unity for land, clean air, water

7 November 2016 – In Toronto, on Saturday, November 5, we participated in an event that could be called historic. About five thousand indigenous peoples and supporters from many different communities from across the city united in support of the Sioux in North Dakota. Their fight is against a pipeline that would carry dangerous oil sands on their territory without their consent.

Standing Rock will not stand alone

The event was organized by the indigenous peoples themselves, speaking in their own voices, in the largest indigenous outpouring I have witnessed. A panorama of homemade signs told the tale: Among them were, “Water Is Life; Mother Is Earth; Stand with Standing Rock; No Pipelines on Indigenous Land; Leave the Oil in the Soil; We Can’t Drink Oil; Stop the Slaughter. Continue reading A historic demonstration of indigenous unity for land, clean air, water

Climate crisis and respect for Mother Earth

The following talk was given by Suzanne Weiss and John Riddell at Glen Rhodes United Church, Toronto, September 18, 2016.

Suzanne Weiss: What will Toronto’s weather be like thirty years from now? A study commissioned by Toronto City Hall says climate change will hit our city hard. Within thirty years:

Extreme rain storms will be three times heavier.
Days with extreme heat will be five times more frequent.
The need for air conditioning will be six times greater.

Continue reading Climate crisis and respect for Mother Earth

The case for a tar sands moratorium

11 August 2015 – The following is based on a presentation that Suzanne Weiss did at an August weekend this year at Elbow Lake sponsored by Ideas Left Outside.
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Global warming translates into tragedies of millions of lives lost to starvation, lack of drinking water, and disease.

Climate scientists agree that 85 percent of the oil in the tar sands must remain buried in the ground if global warming is to be held to 2 degrees Celsius. The current pace of tar sands production in Canada contradicts this aim with its plans to increase tar sands extraction far beyond their present level.

As activists, we must focus on what the scientist say is the fundamental reason for climate change – carbon emissions fuelled by fossil fuels like the tar sands. Continue reading The case for a tar sands moratorium

California cities take a stand on toxic oil

7 January 2015 – During a holiday visit to Davis, California, I was thrilled to learn that the local City Council has passed a resolution opposing the transport of hazardous crude oil through their city.

In Addition to Davis, three other California cities – Berkeley, Richmond, and Oakland – have passed motions to halt the rail corporations in their goal to transport tar sands through their communities.

Davis climate action activists at Sept. 21, 2014, New York march

The strong stand of the City of Davis, overwhelmingly adopted by council members on Earth Day, April 22, 2014, states in part: Continue reading California cities take a stand on toxic oil

Candidates duke it out at mayoralty debate

17 September 2014 – Five East End Against Line 9 supporters handed out “Ban toxic oil” leaflets and gathered signatures for a petition to City Council for no toxic oil in Toronto, at a mayoralty debate. It was held Sunday at the Evergreen Brickworks under sponsorship of an environmental NGO. Attendance was 500+: a youngish and well-educated crowd.

The most outstanding feature of the Evergreen Brickworks debate was on the the effects of climate change. The facilitator said that costs of extreme weather events in Toronto, driven by climate change, are now ten times higher than a few decades ago. Continue reading Candidates duke it out at mayoralty debate

Toronto activists honour the victims of Lac Megantic

7 July 2014 – On the July 6 anniversary of the Lac Megantic rail disaster, the pointless death of 47 residents was commemorated by moving ceremonies in dozens of communities across the continent. The actions had a common theme: Community activists across North America, along with ForestEthics, 350.org, Oil Change International and the Sierra Club, are holding events during July 5 to July 13 to honour the victims.

In Lac Megantic, more than 1,000 people marched in solemn silence after observing a moment of silence at 1:15 a.m. ,the moment on July 6, 2013, when the train laden with fracked Bakken oil derailed and exploded in a series of catastrophic fireballs leaving deep emotional scars and physical damage which remain on the local landscape. Continue reading Toronto activists honour the victims of Lac Megantic