Ci-après, version en anglais - version française suivra.

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Le trés important appel à mobilisation ci-dessous ne signifie nullement que, d’ici le départ de ces gigantesques convois maritimes et terrestres, d’autres initiatives n’auront pas lieu, voire sont déjà en cours.

Le Comité de rédaction

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The terrible massacre aboard the Mavi Marmara on 31 May has brought a sea change in international opinion against the inhumane siege on the people of Gaza.

Far from deterring people from seeking to bring that siege to an end, the Israeli assault on the Freedom Flotilla is spurring on even more people to bring humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and to end the blockade. Viva Palestina has organised three massive land convoys to Gaza in the last 18 months - all of which have delivered their aid - and participated in the latest flotilla. Over the last few weeks we have been discussing with partner organisations how to coordinate relief efforts by land and sea so as to have the maximum impact.

As a result Viva Palestina is launching “Viva Palestina 5 - a global lifeline to Gaza”, a gigantic land convoy leaving London on Saturday, 18th September in conjunction with convoys leaving from Casablanca and Doha and timed to coordinate with a larger and even more international flotilla aiming to reach Gaza by sea at the same time as the land convoys reach by land.

Viva Palestina will be leading the Land Convoy to Gaza Lifeline 5, working in partnership with the International Committee to break the Siege on Gaza and organisations from Europe, Turkey, Middle East, Australasia, India, South Africa and more.

Saturday 18 September will certainly be the first clear Saturday after the month of Ramadan.

We are aiming, with the two other legs of the land convoy, to take 500 vehicles with aid to Gaza carrying medical equipment, educational supplies and the wherewithal to rebuild a destroyed mosque, a school for orphans and to construct a maternity facility in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza. We will be supporting the international flotilla that is scheduled for the same time.

Important institutions are now calling for the end to the siege - the European Union, the United Nations, and major charities such as Oxfam. We are appealing for the widest and strongest participation in this latest effort, which will be all the stronger as it takes place in partnership with others who have a proven track record.

You can support the convoy in many ways, as outlined below, by fundraising, promoting it, or taking part yourself. Spaces for participants by land and sea will be limited and we urge you to sign up quickly and begin fundraising now to ensure you can take part.

We have drawn on the experience of the previous Viva Palestina missions to strengthen the organisational capacity and methods of this next one. So even if you have taken part before and want to do so again, please do carefully read through the information below and follow the registration and fundraising procedures.

Please also register for our e-mail bulletin to keep up to date as further information is sent out.

We would like to thank all those who have supported the previous convoys and flotillas and who responded so magnificently when the last one was so brutally attacked.

Now is the time to answer that atrocity with a flood of humanity towards the suffering people of Gaza.

REGISTRATION CRITERIA FOR VOLUNTEER DRIVERS

The Online Registration will be available on the 18th July for those volunteers wishing to register their application to join the Viva Palestina Land Convoy as VOLUNTEER DRIVERS departing from London on the 18th September 2010.

To be eligible to join the convoy as a volunteer driver please read the following requirements.

Volunteer Fundraising Criteria

•ALL vehicles and ALL Aid will be sourced and purchased by Viva Palestina. This is to ensure that all vehicles are of a high standard and along with the Aid purchased meets the specific requirements in Gaza.

•The fundraising target per vehicle is £10,000. This includes the cost of the vehicle, the cost to fill the vehicle with Aid, on route breakdown and repair costs and the cost of the crossing into Europe.

•Each volunteer driver registering is required to fundraise 50% of the Total Fundraising Target for 1 vehicle - 50% being £5000 per person.

•Each volunteer will be required to pay 50% of their individual fundrasing target no later than the 8th of August to Viva Palestina (£2,500).

•The remaining 50% of the fundraising target is to be paid to Viva Palestina by the 7th of September (£2,500).

•Where there is a difference in the price of vehicles purchased by Viva Palestina, a sliding scale will be applied:

◦Vehicle purchased is 60% of the total fundraising target – 40% is allocated to Aid

◦Vehicle purchased is 45% of the total fundraising target – 55% is allocated to Aid.

Volunteer Joining Eligibility

•Every volunteer, including those who are part of a team/organisation or project, is required to register online as an individuall.

•Registration opens on the 16th July.

•Registration will close on the 6th August 2010.

•Minimum age of joining is 23yrs.

•All volunteers must hold a valid driver’s license with a International driving permit and preferably have a minimum of 5 years’ driving experience

Volunteer Costs

•All volunteers will be required to finance 50% of the vehicles fuel costs, 100% of their own ferry costs, tolls, visa’s, accommodation where required, food, transfer fee to Cairo and return airfares. Estimated at approximately £1,000.

•All volunteers will be required to pay an administration of £250 at registration. A breakdown of the administration fee covers is detailed in the online registration.

If you have any queries regarding vehicles and the registration process, please click on the links below to email us:

Convoy Registration queries: convoyregistration@vivapalestina.org

** Please note, additional requirements for registration will be specified in the Online Registration Form