One of the greatest weapons against the cause of justice is telling individuals that we are powerless to affect change. The world is big, you are small, anything you do is not enough, etc etc etc. Please believe me when I say that, not only do you as an individual have more power than you've been led to believe, but we as a collective have power that *terrifies* our corporate and political overlords. But by doubting your power, you diminish your power. Stop that. Stand up and do something. Here's a list of things you can do.
And the actions that support it. A good video to watch to highlight why it's so important for us to follow through with our actions instead of just yelling at politicians who have not shown that they will listen to us. Yes, the revolution starts now. Your participation is appreciated and, in fact, vital.
The first thing we have to do is know what we're talking about. It's really hard to advocate for a cause you're clueless on, which I think is why a lot of people stay quiet. This has been going on for over 140 days
Primary Sources, and so much more.
In order to understand the gravity of settler colonialsim and how it has shaped literally our entire worldview, we have to understand our place within that. Literally, whose land are you living on?
by Hala Allan
How much of your money is going to fund genocide, and what could that money be doing if we spent it helping people here instead?
https://uscpr.org/activist-resource/us-military-funding-to-israel-map/
By Susan Maddie Darraq
edited by Teresa Aranguren and Sandra Barrilaro, forward by Mohammed El-Kurd
by Hala Allan
Add a footnote if this applies to your business
Boycott list sourced from the Human Rights Council Database of All Business Enterprises Involved in Israeli Settlement Activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
More info: https://www.pcrf.net/about-us
Someone left a trip advisor review about continued operation in illegal settlements, it's not news but it's a nice example of how people express their views to corporations:
This is a weird one. They were on the list, then they were removed, but... just read the article and form your own conclusions.
Pull your money from investments that support or profit off of genocide. When companies withdraw their investment in harmful institutions of state violence - such as Apartheid, prisons, militarized policing, and war - they also withdraw their political and financial support of these institutions and help create new behavior standards which respect human life, human rights, peace, and sustainability.
It should be easy to know where your money is being spent. There should be transparency the ethics of your investments. This website makes it easy, you just search the company you're invested in, and find out if it's profiting off of and support state violence.
"If you pay into a pension, that money is being invested. If you are a student, your university invests its funds through endowments, and even if you are simply a holder of a bank account, your bank will be investing some of its assets."
https://www.rs21.org.uk/2024/01/08/how-to-divest-from-israel/
list of companies that have provided Israel with weapons and other military equipment used in its genocide by American Friends Service Committee
Who Profits is an independent research center dedicated to exposing the role of the private sector in the Israeli occupation economy.
This is the part where the government needs to do their jobs
Right now Israel thinks they can get away with anything, because they can and they are. Our government is allowing it. So the sanction part is where they make Israel stop. The Biden administration has done very little to deter Israel from continuing in their genocide on Gaza. The US has consistently vetoed UN resolutions for ceasefire.
Humanitarian relief efforts to support
Save the Children has been providing essential services and support to Palestinian children impacted by the ongoing conflict since 1953, and have had a permanent presence in the occupied Palestinian territory since 1973.
https://www.savethechildren.org/us/where-we-work/west-bank-gaza
Sometimes (often) I am overwhelmed by how hard it is to find stores/companies who aren't complicit in genocide. Capitalism is the boss level bad guy. But here are several Palestinian owned stores to shop from. (I will also include shops that aren't Palestinian, but are donating profits to Palestine.)
The Palestinian Soap Cooperative
Historic olive oil soap, keeping tradition alive, good for sensitive skin.
Organic extra virgin olive oil, made in Palestine
Even if you don't buy olive oil, check out their website to learn more about the beautiful, generational relationship between Palestinians and the land.
Nonprofit organization supporting women artisans in Palestine, fairly traded and handcrafted (and beautiful)
With studios in Amman and Chicago, Watan is dedicated to exploring Palestinian heritage & identity.
Curated craft and design from Palestine and the Arab World.
All natural olive oil soap and so much more; social enterprise creating long term income-generating opportunities with and for the refugee community.
$5,000 donated to Palestinian Emergency Relief (so far, let's get those numbers up)
Gorgeous jewelry with deeper meaning. Each purchase donates a meal to people in Palestine, cooked and distributed by Pious Projects.
In December Nominal fed 8,000 families.
In January Nominal fed 4,734 families.
Palestinian jewelry designer
Art, Apparel, and Liberation.
Palestinian owned brand, based in US, sharing Palestinian heritage and symbols.
At Palestinian Coffee Company, we believe that great coffee can serve a greater purpose. Through the sale of our coffees, we support organizations and initiatives that aid children of Palestine.
With attempts to erase Palestine from the map, we want to amplify the names of the towns and cities within. This is what inspires the names of our blends.
20% of all Palestinian Coffee Company profits support organizations that aid children in Palestine
Vintage Palestinian Thobes
@thobnah
Cultural Merchandise, nostalgia for diaspora kids
Palestinian woman owned business operating in California using locally sourced, natural ingredients.
Express solidarity through clothes that donates 15% of to UNRWA, PCRF, and IRUSA
Students ask a speaker from Lockheed Martin (the world's largest military company, an active participant in the ongoing genocide) how many children he has killed, what it's like to work with genocidal murderers, and if, as business students considering internships there, they would personally be killing Palestinians or working on separate side projects.
The role of artists is never more important than in times of great social change. We are the social conscience, we are conduits to empathy, and that is a critical role. It is hard. But it is your calling. Not to be dramatic, but you were made for this moment, don't waste it.
We have a tendency to talk ourselves down from speaking up, and we gotta cut that sh*t out.
Reasons I silence myself:
I have no platform, it won't make a difference, nobody listens to me anyway, nobody cares what I have to say, even my mom doesn't text me back about Palestine so how can I expect anyone else to listen to me, etc.
I don't know this kid, but he is, as his TikTok username claims, my favorite guy. Speak up, Be nervous, but speak up anyway. The people around you need you to, so they know who to direct their questions to.
Call them, email them, use pre-drafted letters or give them a piece of your mind. Yell outside their houses, offices, and councils, do whatever works for you to tell them that they are supposed to represent you and that they have failed catastrophically, with great cost of human life. Kind of like how nobody has ever been as good at their job as LeBron James is at his job, nobody has ever been as bad at their job as our representatives are at their job of representing us.
Finds your reps for you, gives you topics and scripts, and phone numbers.
A prewritten message to send to your representatives.
Email congress to stop the genocide. A prewritten message.
The UN, Human Rights Watch, and humanitarian organizations have warned that starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is being used in Gaza. Starvation of the civilian population is illegal under International Humanitarian Law, and in direct breach of UNSC Resolution 2417.
Blue no matter who, huh? You're still good with that? (Looking at you, mom)
Biden is negotiating a deal that may trade away the right to seek asylum. Honestly if this thing passes we should be forced to give back the Statue of Liberty. Sorry huddled masses, Biden says no.
So here's a prewritten email.
If you're don't like funding genocide, don't do it! Here's how.
by Hala Allan
Add a footnote if this applies to your business
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