"These are the times to grow our souls..."
"These are the times to grow our souls..."
“These are the times to grow our souls. Each of us is called upon to embrace the conviction that despite the powers and principalities bent on commodifying all our human relationships, we have the power within us to create the world anew.” – Grace Lee Boggs
This inspiring quote was shared by one of the thoughtful readers
who joined last week’s discussion of Except for Palestine. Everyone shared so generously as we talked through thoughts, ideas, and questions while also
holding space for our collective grief and frustrations in this moment.
A sincere thank you to everyone who joined us.
What of this moment? As we ended the evening we collectively expressed a hesitant hope and determination to support efforts for Palestinian liberation. And in these last few days that hope has been stretched and challenged again as the “pause” ended and the Gaza genocide has resumed with an almost casual indifference at the increasingly desperate cries of a people being massacred.
It is difficult to overstate how much Palestinians need us to become ever more relentless in our efforts to pressure elected officials to end the inhumane assault on innocent lives.
If we can find any solace in this moment it is in the fearless and creative resistance happening all over the world. We can only hope that the masses are being radicalized and moving us closer toward liberation and the realization that we belong to each other.
Here are a few of the many fearless organizations sharing ways to take action on behalf of Palestinians now:
Shut It Down for Palestine | Find opportunities to participate in a direct action near you
US Campaign for Palestinian Rights | Links to contact elected officials, resources, tool kits, and more
Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) | Palestinian-led movement and resource hub with action alerts, boycott info, and other ways to resist
If you want to continue reading and learning about Palestine and the importance of international solidarity in the fight for liberation, stay tuned for our announcement next week on what we’ll be reading through January.
In the meantime, here are a few resources shared in our discussion that uplift the Palestinian people and their fight for liberation.
Decolonize Palestine
Democracy Now interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates on Israel’s “Segregationist Apartheid Regime”
Publishers for Palestine
And last but not least, a quote from Except for Palestine we are holding in our hearts.
“Gaza may force us to glimpse into the heart of darkness, but it equally reveals the heart of humanity that never gives up. Gaza is not a footnote, it is the larger than life shadow of the colonizer’s fear: a people that cannot be quelled…Gaza is larger than life: captivating, awesome, mythical, mesmerizing, extraordinary, impressive, monumental, unreal, burdensome, miraculous, and most of all durable. Gaza is our obligation.” – Helga Tawil-Souri, Palestinian scholar