Each Apartheid Free Zone are not just about individual consumer choice, but individuals can create their own way to dedicate themselves to the BDS campaign and to the Palestinian people. It seeks to cultivate spaces of genuine, profound ties with many others. These are only a part of many things that we can do.
1. Endorsement
The crucial goal of the BDS campaign and Apartheid Free Zones is to change the social attitude that normalizes the Human Rights violations and the occupation and colonization of Israel. Israel dissuades the people from justifying their apartheid policy and occupation through different enterprises, institutions, and businesses in the world. Therefore, to expose the fact that Israel’s purpose of occupation and the manipulation of reality are very important, as part of the boycott, we would request you to post up our “Basis of Unity” in the spaces when you become an AFZ space. Also, publicizing your statement and sharing information about Palestine will expand the circle of solidarity with Palestine in your space.
Register your organization and add your space in AFZ
Use AFZ signs, stickers and brochures to show publicly your spaces, and to attach AFZ links in your websites.
2. Boycotting products and companies are complicit
Review of suppliers: Do not handle the products that were produced in the occupied lands and settlement.
Use the boycott list: Refer to official BDS list (BDSJapan's posts) and reliable sources to identify products to boycott.
Find alternative suppliers: Proactively choose Palestinian products and fair-trade products.
3. Protest against all forms of oppression and inequality
BDS opposes all forms of oppression and inequality, which is based on intersectionality. The issues in Palestine are caused by racism and oppression; therefore, we respect the human rights of all and oppose all forms of racism and oppression.
AFZ pursues that our spaces are free from racism, sexual violence, and violence of colonialism, class system, and free from inequality in gender, religion, and on the base of capability.
Become a hub of the AFZ community
Your store will be an open and safe space for customers and employees to find the latest information and to learn about Palestine.
Put up posters
Talk with customers
Have events related to the issue
Educate people (Use brochures and stickers)
Check the products in your store
Let’s consider the products you handle in your store with the BDS guidelines and the boycott list.
Example: Avoid books related to Hate
Example: Stop purchasing drinks from Coca-Cola (You can stop purchasing after the inventory is finished if you are handling it right now)
The environment of your employees
Review labor exploitation and harassment in your own space.
Examples that educational institutions and laboratories can do：
Add endorsement of AFZ in your syllabus
Use the AFZ logo and introduce AFZ when you give a talk or lectures
Add endorsement of AFZ in the publication of your academic associations, and make an announcement at the beginning of conferences and meetings.
Educate about the boycott in academics
As the guideline of the Palestinian Campaign for Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, oppose any form of justification of Israel’s oppression over Palestinians.
The educational and cultural institutions take a crucial role in the strategy to justify and to continue the crimes of the settler-colonialism, apartheid, and the military of Israel. PACBI therefore gives a boycott guideline to cut off Israeli cultural and academic society, especially universities, particularly in the field of military research and racism study, with any forms of relationships, such as events, conferences or in the form of accords. PACBI Guidelines： https://bdsmovement.net/academic-boycott
Check your university's relationships with universities in Israel and military research firms
Check whether your educational institutions have a relationship with Israeli universities and the firms that are complicit in the genocide of Palestinians and support the settler-colonialism of Israel, or the government of Israel. Demand that your institutions cut off the relationship with Israel if they are in one.
Dedicated to sustainability in Human Rights
Learn about racism through the history of Palestine and the situation there right now. Learn about colonialism in the history of Japan and the world, which is unshakably laid as a base of racism that we have now and affects our everyday life.
Develop networks that oppose apartheid, and strengthen them by connecting with other AFZ
Plan projects and activities together with other AFZ affiliated universities and educational institutions
Make study projects about AFZ and BDS with other affiliates to expand the network.
Cultural institutions such as libraries, movie theatres, music clubs, playhouses, art galleries, and film festivals can support Palestine in a creative way.
Share the information issued by AFZ with the workers of cultural institutions and their affiliates for fundamental comprehension about the issue.
Clarify the solidarity with Palestine
Israel tries to justify these abominable massacres and the oppression as the cause of their different religion from Palestinians, and uses historical Christian animosity against Islam to support their crimes. However, there are various religions practiced in Palestine, and there is nothing that can justify genocide.
Many religious authorities in the world, including Jewish rabbis, are rejecting the use of religion to justify the genocide. Therefore, because Israel uses religion for justify their atrocious genocide, rejecting their justification by religious people and religious organizations with religious causes is quite significant, and it is crucial responsibility. Moreover, showing sympathy for and solidarity with Palestinians, overcoming the differences in their religions by the authorities, can be admirable.
Publicize your space as an Apartheid Free Zone and show your solidarity with Palestine, and have media releases.
Talk about the solidarity with Palestine and show remorse for what has been lost in Palestine in sermons
Use stickers and our website links to show that your space is AFZ
Talk about the genocide in Palestine
Israel’s crimes against humanity, including genocide began from the establishment of Israel, and it has continued to today. However, the world, including Japan, has ignored it, and ignoring this crime against humanity destroys our ethics and international morale. It therefore needs a sustainable system of education that brings us to understand racism and encourages us to keep rejecting racism continuously.
Learn about racism through the history of Palestine and the situation there right now. Learn about colonialism in the history of Japan and the world, which is solidly laid as a base of racism that we have now and affects our everyday life.
Talk about Palestine in Sunday service
Talk about Palestine and the area within Bible study
write articles in your publications
Take a role in the community
There are many people who individually worry about Palestinians, but the issue is overwhelming as a person. Develop circles and give talks about Palestine, and it would encourage people to get more involved when someone presents supportive ideas or expresses solidarity.
Remorse
Remorse for the deceased in Palestine is crucial as supporting those who live. Let’s express remorse for the deceased at prayer.
Hold support events and gather donations
In Gaza, there is continuing starvation caused by Israel’s blocking trucks from entering with supplies. People who live with genocide need support with International aid supplies. Make plans for solidarity events to support their needs. You can collect donations that support them directly.
Reject Zionism
Sometime Israelis said that Zionism is a religion; however, Theodor Herzl, the one who proposed it, was an atheist, and Zionism is rooted in colonialism. There are some religious organizations that endorsed Zionism in Japan, but we should cut them out and create an atmosphere that rejects Zionism.
Develop networks that oppose apartheid, and strengthen them by connecting with other AFZ
Plan projects and activities together with other AFZ affiliate churches, temples, mosques, synagogues
Make study projects about AFZ and BDS with other affiliates to expand the network
Community councils and local governments can endorse the basis of unity of the BDS movement and strategies along with our guidelines, and they can also play a role in extending solidarity with Palestine. Refrain from purchasing any products and services from Israel and from companies complicit with Israel supporting human rights violations of Palestinians and the colonial occupation of Palestinian lands. Work independently in support of boycott, divestment and sanctions activities against Israel.
At first, learn about the BDS movement, which was started by Palestinian’s call to the world, and think about what governmental administration can do.
Set Out the Norm of Ethics
Set out the international law as a base of the administration ethics, and strengthen their system to cut off companies that are complicit with occupation and war crimes that are against International Law.
Approve sanctions
Approve resolution about Israel ending its occupation and colonization of all Palestinian lands and dismantling the wall
Approve the sanctions about boycott and divestment from Israel.
Approve the resolution about ending the Israel’s setter-colonialism and Palestinian racial cleansing as genocide.
Review the bidding and contracts with the companies you have business with
Check the companies that are complicit with Israel’s occupation and the genocide in the business of bidding and contracting
BDS boycott list includes Axa, HP, Sumitomo corporation.
Boycott the companies having business with illegal setters in Palestinian lands. ( Banks, construction companies and security guard companies)
Do not attend any projects and events that the Israel government sponsored.
Check whether public funds and Pension funds that local government handles are invested in the companies complicit with Israel occupation policy.
Establish an ethical guideline for divestment from military firms and human rights violators.
Check Sister-Cities and International Cooperation
Reconsider relations with Israeli municipalities: Review sister city agreements with cities in Israel.
Establish good relationships with cities in Gaza and The West Bank, and develop good cooperative relationships and support.
Educate about Human Rights and Citizenship
Pursue ending all forms of discriminations and oppression
Teach people to understand about the BDS movement: Through lecture series, exhibitions, classes, and events, people can learn human rights in Palestine.
Introduce culture of Palestine: Through Films, art exhibitions, literature festivals, Learn history of Palestine and cultures.
What's BDS?
What's AFZ?
Learn about Palestine
