Palestine, Structural Violence, and Sitti.
We are still reeling from the violence towards the Palestinian people in Sheikh Jarrah, in Gaza and throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). Our immediate community in Jerash Refugee Camp is predominantly one of Palestinian refugees who themselves and their families have been forcibly displaced from their homes since as early as 1948. 91% of the refugee population living in Jerash Camp are registered as ex-Gazan refugees. Many of these individuals fear for their families and close friends who are still living in Gaza, as well as other areas across the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).
First and foremost, we support our affected team members, our program beneficiaries, and their loved ones. We recognize the deep-seated generational trauma that continues to manifest itself as a result of over seven decades of displacement and conflict for the Palestinian people. We will continue to work on building access to supportive mental health services, as well as resources that fill the holes that structural violence has left for our community to navigate.
What we do now is important. The mission we continue to fulfill far into the future is required. Our primary belief in empowering refugee individuals through education and employment, particularly women and persons with disabilities, is critical to support individual and community self-reliance.
As a social enterprise, we work to build an inclusive global economy and community where economic justice and opportunity are respected as human rights by institutions and individuals alike, regardless of status. Human rights are not solitary or exclusive from one another. All human rights are equal in worth, as are all human beings they are meant to protect and defend. As Nelson Mandela said, "To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity."
We call on you - a member of the international community - to go beyond the hashtags and the Instagram feeds. Start here by examining the facts. We’ve compiled a small, yet reputable list of resources. (There are more, but here’s a place to start.) We encourage you to read them and consider how you can take action beyond re-posting.
As human beings, we must see that injustice against one is injustice against all. It’s not only about saving Sheikh Jarrah, or saving Gaza. It’s about saving humanity.
Please. Do your part. We’ll continue to do ours.
Noora + Jackie
Resource List:
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Institute For Middle East Understanding (IMEU)
Palestine Children’s Relief Fund
Leave a comment