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New Committee Member Helps MEPEP Remember the Courage of Rachel Corrie

Cindy & Craig Corrie in Atlanta

My name is Elizabeth Corrie. For those who follow news from the Middle East closely, that last name might sound familiar. My cousin, Rachel Corrie, was killed on the16th of March, 2003 in the Gaza Strip. Rachel went to Palestine as a nonviolent peace activist and human rights observer, and hoped to raise awareness in the US about the devastating effects of the Israeli occupation. Rachel's work and death in Palestine has propelled my family into this conflict in a personal and emotional way. As a teacher, it seemed logical that I should join AFSC-Middle East Peace Education Program(MEPEP) here in Atlanta, as education and consciousness raising forms a central aspect in this program's work. I am excited to be a part of the AFSC's work, and feel that its commitment to nonviolence and justice is a fitting way for me to honor Rachel's memory and continue her work.

Last year, MEPEP remembered Rachel and supported the work of her family by hosting Rachel's parents, Craig and Cindy Corrie, in Atlanta, and by participating in the Friends of Sabeel Conference in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, at which the Corries spoke as panelists. In Atlanta, we hosted the Corries at a public forum on November 13th, and at several smaller engagements within the community, to allow people from around the city to hear firsthand the stories of Rachel, their work in pursuing an independent investigation into her death, and their experiences in visiting Israel and Palestine. Later that week in Chapel Hill, the Corries joined numerous peacemakers from around the world to talk about "Bridging the Divide" and reconciliation.

Back in Atlanta on Wednesday, November 19th, over 60 people gathered at Cedars Restaurant to welcome Craig and Cindy. The MEPEP-sponsored buffet dinner brought together a range of people, from long-standing activists and community leaders committed to justice and peace in the Middle East to new faces who have recently become interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through hearing the story of Rachel Corrie.

Rachel, a 23 year old college student from Olympia, Washington, traveled to the Gaza Strip as a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, a nonviolent, Palestinian led organization comprised of people from around the world. Rachel and other ISM activists used nonviolent direct action to protect the homes, water supplies and lives of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. While protecting the home of a pharmacist and his family on the border strip with Egypt, Rachel was run over by an Israeli soldier driving a D-9 Caterpillar bulldozer. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has conducted its own investigation into the incident and has declared it an "accident," bringing no charges against the driver or his commander. Eyewitness accounts from the other ISM activists with Rachel that day stand in stark contradiction to the IDF's account. The Corrie family is currently calling for a U.S.-led independent investigation into Rachel's death, citing the need for a more thorough investigation, similar to the one currently being conducted by the FBI in connection with the deaths of three other Americans in the Gaza Strip on October 15, 2003.

In addition to building for support for House Concurrent Resolution 111, the resolution introduced into the House of Representatives calling for an independent investigation, Craig and Cindy have been traveling around the world - accepting awards in honor of Rachel, including the Clarence Jordan Humanitarian Award from the Koinonia Community; supporting the work of organizations and institutions dedicated in Rachel's name, such as the Rachel Corrie Women's Empowerment Center in Rafah and the Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project; and speaking to groups about Rachel's life, work and death, raising awareness not only about Rachel but also about life for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and the attempts by Israeli, Palestinian and American human rights groups to end the occupation.

The benefit dinner raised over $2500 to support the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice, which will in turn serve as a source of support for peace and justice projects connecting the United States and the Middle East.

Rachel speaking to IDF bulldozer operator minutes before her death.

For more information about Rachel

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