for those who couldnt make it or are still looking for ways to plug in, former staff, Rochelle Gause, put together this really comprehensive list of suggestions that needs to be shared.. WHAT TO DO ABOUT GAZA I have seen a lot of people in my life, myself included, going through hard times right now with the extreme escalation of colonial violence in Palestine. People are sad, angry, and praying. Many people are overwhelmed. Worried for our families. Many people in our communities are learning more about Palestine for the first time, and want to know ways to connect. Its hard to know what to do from so far away, and easy to feel helpless when you dont know what to do. This list is for all of us, to recommit to the work weve been doing, to get grounded when this massacre has knocked us off our feet, and to get connected where we havent been before. Please share with your communities! 1. BDS – BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT, & SANCTIONS Boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) is a movement that was called for by Palestinian civil society. It is a grassroots, nonviolent form of resistance that there are so many ways to participate in. Here is the Palestinian Civil Society Call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions: bdsmovement.net/call Divestment: Get involved with (or start) a campaign for your university, workplace, union, etc. to pull out its investments in companies that are connected to Israeli human rights offenses. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) has led many successful divestment campaigns at universities across the country. sjpnational.org/ We Divest is a project of Jewish Voice for Peace, which has successfully pressured TIAA-CREF around its occupation investments. https://wedivest.org/ Consumer Boycott: Here is a quick list of companies that profit from Israeli human rights offenses. mic/articles/81363/9-brands-you-can-boycott-to-hold-israel-accountable-for-its-violation-of-international-law Consumer boycott is about individually deciding not to buy these products, but its also about popular education. Flyering to educate people about whats behind this stuff. Encouraging local shops not to sell these products. There are ongoing successful consumer boycott campaigns against SodaStream and Sabra Hummus, for example. Cultural and Academic Boycott: As artists and academics, its very important that we decolonize the way we produce our work, and dont let it be used to normalize violent structures. There is a set of guidelines for cultural and academic boycott from the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) that artists and academics can sign on to. Academic boycott guidelines: pacbi.org/etemplate.php?id=1108 Cultural boycott guidelines: pacbi.org/etemplate.php?id=1047 If you are an Israeli citizen, you can also sign the Boycott from Within statement, and get involved with their work: boycottisrael.info/ An excellent resource, which can help you find information for whichever kind of BDS campaign you decide to get involved with, is the Who Profits? database: whoprofits.org/ 2. DONATE Donating money is not an action that everyone can afford to get involved with, but if you have even a small amount to spare, here are some great places to donate to: Middle East Childrens Alliance: mecaforpeace.org/ Palestinian Center for Human Rights: pchrgaza.org/portal/en/ American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA): anera.org/ United Palestinian Appeal: helpupa.org/ 3. PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL PROTESTS & VIGILS Protests and vigils are a great way to make the Palestinian struggle visible in your city, and also to build community with other people who are feeling the same way you are. If you go to a protest, come through with good friends that you can trust, and have a plan for what to do if police or counterprotestors escalate. For organizers: Palestinian liberation is connected so intricately with all of our liberation. Reach out to members of other oppressed communities and build coalitions, feature their voices at your demonstration (for example, African, Latin@, and Indigenous activists). Keep racial, gender, and disability justice as the foundations of your work. 4. MAKE ART! & SUPPORT ARTISTS This is giving us a whole lot of feelings, right?! Write/draw/paint/act/sing/print/dance it out! Bring attention to Gaza and Palestine within your artistic communities. Endorse the USACBI statement, commit to its principles. Educate other artists you know about it, and encourage them to sign as well. usacbi.org/about/ Tell your story and tell it true. Be ethical and accountable in the way you handle the stories of others. If you are not an artist: Help support Palestinian artists, and artists from other communities in struggle against Israeli apartheid. Donate, purchase work, host events, for example. 5. CHECK YOURSELF Make sure that the information you have is accurate. Behind every single news story is a human being with a life as full as your own, and you owe it to them to get the facts straight. Do not re-post gory images of dead children on social media with no context—this is extremely disrespectful. Below are a few (but not the only) reliable English-language news sources: Al Jazeera English: aljazeera/ Maan News Agency: maannews.net/eng/ The Electronic Intifada: electronicintifada.net/ Jadaliyya: jadaliyya/ Palestinian Centre for Human Rights: pchrgaza.org/portal/en/ Read and understand the BDS call, and its demands and guidelines, and do not present false information about it. This is very important, because oftentimes even people who are part of the Palestine solidarity movement can misunderstand the guidelines, and fall for Zionist misinformation about them. Read the calls for yourself and figure out how you can plug in. (see above for the guidelines) Think about what your role is in this movement. Ask yourself some questions before you take action: What is your relationship to Israeli apartheid historically, and the recent colonial violence? What are you directly complicit in and what can you do to address that? Who are you being accountable to? Amplify the voices of, and support people who are more directly impacted than you. Step back when you need to and when you are told to. Avoid false and oppressive binaries, like Arab/Jew. Remember that Israeli apartheid is a multi-layered system, and bring that understanding to your work. Think about your social position in the country where youre doing this work, and consistently check yourself on this, too. Again, keep racial, gender, and disability justice as the foundations of your work. Dont judge people for not being able to take part in the same forms of resistance as you. 6. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF & EACH OTHER Mourn the dead. Speak their names. Publicly and privately. Do rituals if this helps you. Read/watch/listen to/share poems/music/film/art by Palestinian artists. Make art. (even if you are not “an artist.”) Write it out. (even if you are not “a writer.”) Cook Palestinian food. Share it with your loved ones. Take time and space to feel. Lean on your friends and let them lean on you. Tune out the news if you need to. (Keep the news on, if you need to be reassured by the steady flow of information.) Dont go to protests/demos/events alone. Take alone time if you need it. Turn to your faith if that helps you. Stay committed to healing, and recognize healing as part of the work. If you are close with them, stay in touch with your family and friends in Palestine. Remember, it is not your responsibility to educate your oppressors! Keep checking yourself. Affirm life. Affirm life. Affirm life. “We teach life, sir” by Rafeef Ziadah : https://youtube/watch?v=aKucPh9xHtM “What I Will” by Suheir Hammad : https://youtube/watch?v=LFbE8RBhSDw
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 09:31:06 +0000