Shunpiking Online Vo.4 No.4 Student-based groups unite in forming first ever Canada-wide organization dedicated to the defence of Palestinian Human Rights

McMaster Conference, "Palestine Lives", March 2005 attended by over 200 people

(19 March 2007) - FOR the first time in Canadian history, campus-based Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) and affiliate groups joined together to form a unified national organization which advocates for Palestinian human rights.

At SPHR's Fourth National Conference delegates from various campus-registered organizations dedicated to the defense of Palestinian human rights convened in Kingston on February 17-18, 2007. The attendants included SPHR branches from 10 campuses, as well as Students for Palestinian Rights-Waterloo and Palestinian-Canadian Student Society-Calgary.

Representatives attended from across Canada in an effort to unify organizations devoted to the protection and promotion of human rights for Palestinian people through collaborating efforts on a national level.

This accomplishment was a result of years of Palestinian solidarity activism by various groups across Canadian campuses. These groups have unified to coordinate actions, events and efforts in order to strengthen the Palestine solidarity movement within Canada.

The meeting concluded with the ratification of the constitution and election of a Board of Directors and an Executive Committee. Dana Olwan, Ph.D. candidate from Queen's University, was elected the first Chair of SPHR National.

The new executives replace a temporary committee that guided SPHR over the past few years. The new board would like to extend its thanks to Chadi Marouf, Sabine Freisinger, Abdirahman Ahmed, Laith Marouf and Marc Tetrault for acting as care takers of SPHR during that crucial period.

For full details on the composition of the Board of directors and Executive Committee, please visit our website at www.sphr.org.