The truth will set us free as we stand with you.

Since visiting Israel and the occupied territories in 2006, I have been part of an international movement to support the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom, justice and equality.

I am honored to have been asked by the Palestinian BDS National Committee, to announce an initiative, to hold the World Social Forum Free Palestine in Porto Alegre, Brazil in November of this year, in cooperation with the Brazilian social movement and international civil society networks.

The object will be to create an international gathering there, that will encourage the basic human instinct in all men and women of good faith to unite in support of the Palestinian people in their struggle for self determination.

All over the world, our movement is growing.

Encouraged by events like the one coming here to Brazil, our voice will grow.

We will continue our call for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, for the tearing down of The Walls of colonization and apartheid, for the creation of a Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem, for the granting of full and equal rights to the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel and for promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes as required by the Geneva convention, as stipulated in UN resolution 194, in 1949 and as restated by the International Court of Justice on the 9th of July 2004.

I find myself greatly encouraged by the growth of this movement in Israel, particularly among young Jewish Israelis, not least ‘Boycott From Within,’ With whom I am in contact.

We stand with you.

Events in Israel and the occupied territories are not widely or accurately reported in the west. The coming World Social Forum Free Palestine in Porto Alegre will help to break down The Walls of misinformation and complicity.

I urge people of conscience to support this forum and help make it a turning point in the international solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The truth will set us free

In Solidarity,

Roger Waters

A Note From Roger Waters 3/28/12 Iluminados Por El Fuego

By Roger Waters The Wall on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at 6:22pm ·

To The Unknown Soldier:

As many of you know, wherever I am in the world, I invite 20 vets to each of The Wall shows. In Buenos Aires these were inevitably veterans of the Malvinas/Falklands war. I meet them at half time. Some times, in appreciation, some of them give me gifts, usually small things, badges and so on, which mean a lot to them and in consequence to me also. About halfway through the BA run one of them gave me a DVD. It is a film by Tristan Bauer called "Iluminados Por El Fuego". It is a beautiful film, which touched me deeply. Also on the soundtrack and over the end credits, is a haunting song, I listen to it every day. Whoever you are who gave me the gift of these great works, if you see this post, please reach out through facebook so that I may thank you more personally.

With Respect, Roger Waters


P.S. Just done a bit of research, the song is "Para La Vida" by Leon Gieco. Beautiful

President Pinera Meeting

SANTIAGO - Eight days after the meeting between President Piñera and Roger Waters, the latter sent a public letter to the radio station “Radio Futuro” describing the details of the meeting.

In the letter sent to the “La Ley del rock” (The Law of Rock) host Hernán Rojas, Waters admits he was shocked after hearing Piñera’s statements about the social conflicts in which Chile is currently involved.

“His answers were astonishing, I cannot repeat the whole conversation, it was a friendly meeting, but I have to share with you some of the answers,” the singer wrote.

“The President said children and young people between 5 and 18 years old have options. There is private education for those who can afford it and public education which is free. The state-subsidized education has four main branches: public municipal schools, schools managed by churches, schools managed by non-profit organizations and schools managed by for-profit organizations. According to Piñera, the child’s father is responsible for the school the boy is going to go to, meanwhile the State worries about the whole system,” Waters said in the letter.

“This was like a utopia, I thought. So, I answered him, “but, what if a father wants to send his or her children to a school because it is better than others?” He answered to me, “They take him to that one.”

“What if there is not enough space for the kid?”

“So we build more of that kind of school,” the President answered.

“What happens with those schools that are becoming empty?”

The answer, “We close them.”

Waters continued in his letter, “According to the information I’ve gathered, any school financed by the State is good enough to send its student to the universities, so parents then have to get into big bank debts in order to send their children to university. It is a systematic discrimination in the educational system against poor people who cannot solve their income problems.”

In the letter, Waters also explained what he talked with the President about the manifestations. “Since Piñera came to office as President, there have been more than 2,000 manifestations authorized by the government. Of these ones, there have been more than 1,200 injured… 1,100 were police officers and 100 civilians.”

When I left the La Moneda building I was shocked, but I did not say anything to the media waiting outside.

“Am I tough with the President? I hope I’m not. Is that why politicians are not so worried about what they say? After a while, the doctor Pablo López suggested that I read the following sentence at the end of the show last Saturday, and I did.”

“Mr. President, listen to the people. Now.”

“It is not bad advice”, concluded the musician.

Much like a Enigma Translation is difficult. A note to you from Roger Waters

Dear Fans, Murdoch has too much power already, check out the petition below.Also for all those of you who are dumb enough to believe everything you read in the papers, the idea that I would come down on one side or the other on an issue as complex and sensitive as claims on the sovreignty of the Falklands/Malvinas is ludicrous, you should know better. The journalist who wrote the story was at a news conference in Santiago Chile which I conducted through a translator, he just got it wrong, shit happens in translation. I do have a position which I am happy to share on this page, but right now I have to go and rehearse. Chile is so beautiful.

Roger

Dear friends across the United States,

In 4 days, the Federal Communications Commission could begin to lift a 35-year-old ban preventing corporate thugs like Rupert Murdoch from creating media monopolies. But if we can flood their public consultation now we could save our independent media.The ban stops any company from owning a major daily newspaper and a television station in the same market. If lifted, the new rule would pave the wa y for media moguls to gobble-up local, independent media from New York to Sacramento. This plan was put together secretly but we can stop it -- the courts want the FCC to address public concerns via a comment period ending March 5th.

Let's inundate the FCC with thousands of public comments to say nobody should be allowed to monopolize our print and broadcast media. Sign now to stop this sneak-attack on free media: http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_media_barons/?tta

We take pride in America’s diversity, yet 6 giant corporations control more than half of what we watch and read everyday -- down from 50 companies four decades ago. The perils of media consolidation are already on clear display. Local newsrooms are closing, investigative journalism is collapsing and diverse viewpoints are shrinking from our airwaves.

Lifting the ban on TV-newspaper dual ownership would give media empir es like GE and News Corp the final greenlight to toast their competition from coast to coast. This is not the first time they’ve tried - the FCC tried to pass nearly identical rules in 2007, which was thwarted only after massive public outcry got the courts to rule against it. But this time they’re in it to win it, and free media advocates tell us that public opposition is the only way to break the deal.

The FCC was created to protect the public voice, not drown it. We have just 4 days to be heard. Let’s shower the FCC with thousands of public comments -- they’re required by law to respond to every single one of them -- and shine the people power needed to kill this poisonous rule:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_media_barons/?tta
Any thriving democracy gives its citizens the fundamental right to choose between truly diverse sources of media. Last year, Avaazers in the UK helped stop Murdoch's consolidation through a huge public outcry. Let’s unite here in this key election year and protect our democracy from Murdoch and other media barons once and for all.

With hope and determination,

Jamie, Brant, Emma, Ricken, Paul, Michael and the rest of the Avaaz team
.