Goals & Contacts

Madison-Rafah Sister City Project
22-Mar-05

Goals

The Madison-Rafah Sister City Project involves a group of concerned citizens in Madison, Wisconsin and the refugee camp of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.
We are working together to forge person-to-person understanding between our two communities. We expect to build wider public awareness of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a lasting relationship that will positively affect the citizens of both cities.
Our work will center on understanding Palestinian culture, exposing the daily effects of Israel's occupation of Rafah and Palestine, and opposing U.S. support for those Israeli policies that have created a growing humanitarian catastrophe for the Palestinians.

Israeli army bulldozer (International Press Center, Jan 2002) and building in Rafah (UN Relief and Works Agency, Jan 2003)

To accomplish this we are working with the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza City, Gaza, the Rafah Refugee Committee, and Rafah Municipality.
The Mezan Center engages in human rights advocacy, education, and monitoring, and has field workers throughout Gaza.
The Rafah Refugee Committee is a popularly elected, non-partisan group working with the Rafah Municipality on refugee issues.
The Mezan Center has agreed to serve as the intermediary between the MRSCP and the Rafah Refugee Committee and Municipality to overcome initial language and cultural barriers.

Further Information

Why a Sister City? by the Madison-Rafah Sister City Project 12-Jan-04
Strategies for Rafah by the Municipal Council of the City of Rafah 31-Jun-00
Rafah - A Unique City 07-May-04
Rafah Statistics from the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights 28-Jan-04
Rafah Humanitarian Needs 27-Jun-04
Madison City Council 22-Jul-04
Sister City Debate 24-Aug-04
Contact the Mayor 29-Apr-04
Contact your Alder 29-Apr-04

Dean Bailey
Contacts