Another convoy is departing for Gaza this weekend. It will leave London and then be joined en route by convoys from Europe, Turkey and Jordan, and be met in Syria by convoys from Kuwait and Morocco. For the first time a team from New Zealand will be joining the convoy.

Once more the convoy will be personed and funded by civil society.

The convoy will bring hope to the incarcerated population in Gaza and demonstrate that lawful and legitimate protest cannot be cowed by shootings, imprisonment and confiscation of cameras, credit cards, laptops etc.

The convoy will keep the seige of Gaza in the headlines and will raise awareness in the countries it travels through. This latter point is important. As more people are made aware of the seige and the occupation - and all that that entails - their voices will be heard.

This is manifesting itself in the growing global BDS movement.

The aim, which the US and the EU seem committed to, is for two independent states to live in security next to each other. Palestine must be a contiguous, unoccupied country. Israel must feel safe. But first the occupation, the seige and the illegal settlements must stop.