The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) is a grassroots people-to-people solidarity movement composed of campaigns and initiatives from different parts of the world, working together to end the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza.
Our goals are:
- To break Israel’s more than 15 year illegal and inhumane blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has not only created an ongoing humanitarian crisis but has deprived Palestinians in Gaza their right to health, safety, and freedom of movement, among other fundamental human rights.
- To educate people around the world about the blockade of Gaza, the unlivable conditions it enforces, and the fact that this colossal human suffering is not a natural catastrophe, but created by political and military choices.
- To condemn and publicize the complicity of other governments and global actors in enabling the blockade. Most notably, the US government has underwritten Israel’s violence against Palestinians for decades, funding Israel’s military at the rate of approximately $4 billion dollars every year and using most of its vetos in the UN Security Council in the last three decades to protect Israel from condemnation for its humanitarian crimes and violations of international law.
- To respond to the cry from Palestinians and Palestinian organizations in Gaza for solidarity for breaking the blockade. We want to show the people in Gaza that people and organizations around the world stand for and support their struggle for dignity and freedom.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition came into being in 2010 and guides its work in accordance with explicit goals and plans of the people in Gaza. Our direct action missions support the dignity and humanity of Palestinians, working with civil society partners, rather than any party, faction or government. Our actions against the blockade are always governed by the principles of non-violence and non-violent resistance.
We respect everyone’s human rights regardless of race, gender, tribe, religion, ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, or language. Because we respect everyone’s human rights, we stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their quest for freedom, equality, and human rights.
The FFC’s member organizations include: Canadian Boat to Gaza; Freedom Flotilla Italia; My Care Malaysia; Kia Ora Gaza [New Zealand / Aotearoa]; Ship to Gaza Norway; Palestine Solidarity Alliance [South Africa]; Rumbo a Gaza [Spain]; Ship to Gaza Sweden; IHH / Mavi Marmara Freedom and Solidarity Association [Turkey]; US Boat to Gaza; an Irish campaign; a Brasilian campaign; the International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza; Free Gaza Australia and Gaza Freiheitsflottille. Our partner organizations include Platform of NGOs for Palestine [France]. See also our FAQ page.
Our partners in Gaza include:
Union of Agricultural Work Committees – represents Palestinian fishers and farmers and empowers their steadfastness and sovereignty, within a sustainable community-based, liberational developmental framework.
We are Not Numbers – aspiring and inspiring young Palestinian journalists telling the human stories behind the numbers in the news about the blockade.
There is extensive information about previous Freedom Flotillas here. Previous Freedom Flotilla missions have included: Ship to Gaza Greece, the European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza and Miles of Smiles.