100 days of building power and solidarity
on my mind
it’s still hard for me to grasp that we’ve passed 100 days of the genocide in gaza and appealing to the humanity of our government to stop funding the violent occupation. but amidst the cruelty, we are also witnessing a historic amount of solidarity and grassroots organizing around the world to put pressure on lawmakers and companies to divest funding the occupation, call for a humanitarian ceasefire and the liberation of palestine.
on thursday, i attended an inspiring webinar hosted by muslims for just futures and the building movement project that shared findings from a new report: 100 Days of Building Power and Solidarity: Observations and Recommendations about Immediate and Long-Term Infrastructure Needs for Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab Groups in the U.S.
the conversation also included organizers from Jewish Voice for Peace, Rising Majority, U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and ADC on their insights and experiences organizing around Palestine historically and in this current moment. i encourage you to read the full report to learn more, but here are some highlights (my notes were not verbatim, so i won’t call these quotes) the speakers shared during the webinar that resonated with me:
instead of being focused on putting out reports on the rising discrimination and targeting of pro-Palestinian voices at school, work, social media, we need to figure out why these cases are happening in the first place and how to stop them
we need to invest in training and development of students and young organizers, who are already leading the way with walk-outs and groups like SJP on their campuses
in order for our movements to be sustainable and build power over the long-term, it requires investment in digital security, community care, mental health support, legal defense, narrative power and campaigns, logistics and spiritual care (check out HEART’s INAYA fund to learn more)
“ceasefire now” is an entrypoint. our real demand needs to be to divest from war and invest in things we need like housing, health, education etc. we need to connect our social power to governing power
solidarity can’t be transactional and one-direction
we’re dealing now with the negative impact of the anti-war movement not including and supporting palestine from the beginning
we’ve been slow and building relationships for a long time to be able to go fast now. we must continue to build local relationships and build trust with coalitions and cross-community groups.
it’s important to know your unique part and role in this movement to work together, whether you are an ally or directly impacted and what types of tactics and disruptive action you can take
political education is key - we’re in this moment because of decades of oppression so we have to talk about the Nakba and the BDS movement. we also need to have a space for people to feel safe in the face of Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian and antisemitic sentiment so they can meet, talk and learn from each other.
we need to build a new political home for the future
call to action for philanthropy: give multi-year general support funding for these organizations
call to action for movement allies: join strategy sessions and co-learning spaces help with relationship building and scenario planning
what i’m noting
Read: The Fearless Fund | The frustrating backlash against affirmative action is having a chilling effect on organizations and companies invested in communities of color fearing legal action. Conservative activists are now targeting this venture capital firm dedicated to funding women of color founders and their businesses and have filed a lawsuit, which has temporarily blocked funding.
Read: Finding Liberation and Belonging in Lessons from the Past | A good read by the director of the Muslim Power Building Project on the need to build solidarity and recognize the contributions of Muslims in grassroots organizing for justice and equity in the U.S.
“The social and political realities of American Muslims living in Southern states are missing from national discussions, along with the many stories of how Black Muslim communities have historically been at the forefront of social critique, civic engagement, and grassroots community-based education. Early Black Muslim communities in the United States viewed Islam as a liberatory faith practice with the capacity to address their unique religious, spiritual, and political needs.”
Listen: Relationship Therapy & Setting New Years Intentions with Nedra Tawwab | Nedra is one of my favorite Instagram therapists to follow and this conversation with entrepreneur Morgan DeBaun was a motivating pep talk to start off 2024 with the right mindset.
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— Nesima
This was a really good overview of how this movement is being structured at a high level. The building blocks haven’t been that clear to me about sustaining this energy. Thanks!