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Eliza Bates is raising money to complete a Peace Fellowship with the Advocacy Project this summer. The Advocacy Project partners with local organizations around the world to support them in their social justice work. 

Eliza will work with AP’s partner organization, the Democracy and Workers’ Rights Center, which supports independent labor unions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The goal of the DWRC is to build a democratic society in Palestine with a focus on human rights and social justice. The DWRC strives to do this by supporting independent and democratic labor unions and by targeting marginalized groups such as the unemployed and informal-sector workers.  The DWRC is currently working on a campaign to pressure Palestinian leaders to development comprehensive occupational health and safety laws and to ensure the enforcement of guaranteed rights. This is crucial in light of a recent tragic accident in workplace in the West Bank, in which eight Palestinian workers were killed at a gas station. Because labor unions are largely factionalized along political party lines, and because the occupation of the Palestinian territories has kept focus away from workers’ rights, the protection of workers’ health and safety has stayed out of the limelight. Additionally, the DWRC is working to guarantee workers’ rights while fighting the devastating levels of unemployment and poverty resulting from the occupation. Eliza will assist the DWRC in its mission to support and foster a democratic labor movement in Palestine by writing new website content, helping to establishing mechanisms for disseminating information about DWRC activities and struggles at the international level. Additionally, Eliza will produce press releases and reports, and support the DWRC staff in making connections with labor organizations in the United States.

In order to complete her fellowship, Eliza will need to raise approximately $3500. She has successfully raised $600 so far. Any money raised in excess will be directly donated to the DWRC.
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Photo courtesy of www.observatoriodeltrabajo.org