International Day of Action
Against Caterpillar |
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OLYMPIA ASKS PEOPLE TO DEMONSTRATE FOR JUSTICE
From left to right: Cindy Corrie, Rochelle Gause and Serena Becker. This photo was taken on the second anniversary of Rachel Corrie’s death at a memorial in Olympia, WA. Rochelle and Serena are both founding members of ORSCP and are leading the Western Washington CAT action.
Organizations worldwide are expected to sponsor their nonviolent protests at regional CAT locations to highlight the company’s human rights violations. At least 40 demonstrations are planned in the US alone. STOPCAT says they want to “send the board of directors and the Cat dealerships a strong message that cooperation in human rights abuses will not be tolerated.” [5] WESTERN WASHINGTON TARGETS THE HARNISH GROUP The Western Washington action is being led by the Olympia Rafah Sister City Project [ORSCP]. People are being asked to gather at the state's largest Caterpillar distributor, NC Machinery, in Tukwila, Washington at 2 pm for a creative, non-violent and family friendly event. [6] The demonstration is planned as a regional effort and great attention is being paid to both strategy and publicity both pre and post event. According to the ORSCP, the Harnish Groups had a revenue of $450 million from Caterpillar sales and rentals in 2004 and is being asked to “lend its weight to this important campaign.” A letter from ORSCP requesting a meeting to discuss their position has been sent to John Harnish, CEO of the The Harnish Group, Inc. owner of NC Machinery. The letter was endorsed by over 40 organizations including the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice, the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace and Veterans for Peace Rachel Corrie Chapter 109. [7] Broad based support for the ORSCP was evidenced by the number of national and international groups signing onto the letter, they range from the Middle East Children’s Alliance, three chapters of Women in Black [Maryland, Vienna and Australia chapters] to the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace in Ontario. Individuals have also been encouraged to write the Harnish Group directly to voice their concerns about Caterpillar’s human rights abuses. In its letter, ORSCP talks about the killing of Rachel Corrie, gives facts about the uses of D9 bulldozers by the IDF and how this use contradicts both the values statements of Caterpillar Inc. and NC Machinery. ORSCP requests that the Harnish business adhere to its promise to be “uncompromising in our adherence to moral and ethical principles. We do what is right, even when it is not the easiest solution.” ORSCP points out that Caterpillar’s own Code of Worldwide Business Conduct states that the company’s commitment to financial success “must also take into account social, economic, political and environmental priorities.” [8] The group requests that CEO John Harnish support the Jewish Voices for Peace shareholder resolution as well as the demand by Human Rights Watch to cease the sales of militarized Caterpillar bulldozers to Israel. They also look for a public statement of concern about the use of the deadly machines. “This letter to you is inspired by our serious concern for the welfare of the people in the Middle East, but also by the need for all of us to work together and take responsibility for the deplorable actions that occur in our names. We strive to continue the peacemaking work of our fallen friend Rachel Corrie, and of those who came before her. We hope you will not let us down.” The group recognizes that “Mr. Harnish and NC Machinery alone cannot change Caterpillar’s role in the Occupied Territories. With this in mind we have made requests of Mr. Harnish that are reasonable steps that he can take to communicate his concerns about the misuse of Caterpillar bulldozers in the OPT and their violations of international law, Caterpillar’s code of Conduct, as well as NC Machinery’s code of conduct.” [8] The group reports no response. CHANGE IS POSSIBLE One of ORSCP’s founders and a lead organizer of the April 13th event, Rochelle Gause, believes that events like these will ultimately make a difference. In an in-depth article she wrote about Caterpillar, Ms. Gause states “This campaign is winnable.” She explains, “The labor practices of this company are notorious, including strike breaking and union busting providing strong opportunities for cross issue solidarity. Sales to the Israeli military represent a very small part of Caterpillar’s business and, unlike military contractors, Caterpillar sells primarily to civilians making it a company vulnerable to public pressure.” [9] At a March 19th protest marking the 2nd anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, Ms. Gause offered moving words about Rachel Corrie’s continuing influence, ‘Remembering Rachel is not about seeing her as beyond human, as separate from ourselves, Rachel’s memory represents a potential in each one of us to make a brave stand for compassionate justice. The question is not ‘How did Rachel become so spectacular?’ but ‘What is keeping us from reaching our own courage, preventing us from taking our own stand for justice, acting in solidarity with people outside of ourselves and realizing the power that we as Americans hold?’” The International Day of Action is an opportunity to fulfill this vision and connect with others and within oneself to remember Rachel and let her family know that the world stands in solidarity. The volume of the turn out will also send a strong message of care and hope to the people of Rafah and the OPT; every day is a day of resistance for them as they face the horrendous damage of American made Caterpillars paid for with American tax dollars. candio lives in the Northwest and has an art and writing career spanning two and a half decades. Her work has been found on the street and in museums. For the past two years she has written about the Palestinian Solidarity movement in Olympia, WA. She can be reached at candy@candio.com. All material copyright 2005 candio. Other Articles by candio *
The Continuing
Influence of Rachel Corrie in Olympia |