Valerie Zolezzi-Wyndham’s Post

Very pleased to have had the chance to present this morning on behalf of BSocialCol our insights on victim-centred activism in Colombia as part of our research and co-creative work with Impunity Watch. It was great to have heard about the connections and differences with the Indonesian and Syrian contexts in regards to grassroots possibilities, challenges and prospects when it comes to informal transitional justice. My main takings from today's panel: - Political agency expresses itself in a myriad of ways: advocacy in public policy, activism, reclaiming of one's own culture, engagement in resistance practices, demands for change, networks for social organization and participation. - Solidarity between organizations as a process that can lead to networks for advocacy around human rights and transitional justice. Solidarity requires trust-building particularly to address a "trust gat" occurring between organizations, which permits the creation of space to negotiate and acquire resources for activism. - Lack of political will as a commonality in the three contexts: how violence, relocations and threats all affect the prospects for successful activism. -The importance of equitable partnerships between donors, practitioners, activists and state entities, particularly amidst demands for addressing economic equity within those partnerships. Despite the early start (presenting at 4:30 a.m. from Bogota), it was an amazing space, but one that went by very quickly. Thank you Habib Nassar and Christalla Yakinthou for enabling such an important space for research dissemination.

Today is World Refugee Day. In this blog, Gulwali Passarlay describes what it was like telling his story of coming to the UK as child refugee, his reflections on the hostile rhetoric and what we can do. How about marking the day by reading the interview?

You have likely seen endless posts and stories about Jews being harassed. Here’s a post about something different—Jews fighting back. Jews trying to make their community better for everyone. And, yes, ok, a modest attempt at fundraising. Since the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on October 7th, Teaneck, the New Jersey town in which I live, has become a target of pro-Hamas activists. I've posted about some of their activities here before. Maybe you've read about it in the press, which is increasingly noticing what is happening here. In short, pro-Hamas activists, most of whom are not from Teaneck, have been targeting our town. Holding car rallies in our streets, marches in our parks, walkouts in our local public schools, again and again, week after week. They have even targeted our places of worship--last week, a local synagogue was targeted by an angry mob that hurled objects and paint at pedestrians over an Israeli real estate expo being held there. Even purely civic activities like town council and board of education meetings are consistently hijacked by out of town activists who spew in some cases outright antisemitic vitriol and turn these meetings into hate-fests. If you are a regular person reading this, you are probably asking yourself, "Why Teaneck?" What is the geopolitical significance of this relatively quiet, random New Jersey suburb that has made it such a flashpoint for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? What are brings these activists here and not to, say, other, larger New Jersey towns like Hackensack, Trenton and Newark? The answer is us, Teaneck's Jews, who are 40% of Teaneck's population. They are here because we are here. Regardless of your view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, what is happening in Teaneck should outrage you. Diaspora communities should not be proxies for foreign conflicts half the world away. America's historical uniqueness has been as a melting pot. Its strength has been its ability to bring together people who don't get along in other parts of the world. As neighbors. Even friends. And we should keep it that way. Foreign conflicts don't belong here. Nothing that these activists do in Teaneck will change the Israel-Palestinian conflict, and seeking to terrorize a local community over its perceived ties to a different part of the world is the very essence of bigotry. Thankfully, our community is standing strong in the face of all of this. We cannot and will not allow hatred to triumph. Specifically, a group of us got together and formed the Bergen County Jewish Action Committee ("BCJAC"), a grassroots communal organization dedicated to not only fighting the haters and protecting our community but to find way to bring our town together, and to repair that which the past months have broken. We have spent months on the front lines of this important fight, and it is a fight we intend to win. Please consider supporting by visiting our website and donating!

@Nightwatch we stand for HUMANITY first. There has been so much unrest in Middle East recently and a common human suffers the most, children living in distress, loosing their loved ones and medical providers suffering and trying to help. This is not a political post but a post on humanity. Protecting and promoting human rights should be our responsibility as a good citizen. Please look at some of they ways you could participate. ✔️Research Human rights issues ✔️Contact your local governments to see how you can help ✔️Donate to good organizations ✔️Protest inequality ✔️Take action against discrimination ✔️Support good causes #humanrights #humanityaboveall #nodiscrimination #fridaypost

Like a forest,peace is not an individual effort. It takes you and the rest of us to ensure peace reigns in our community. In Ondo State, we say "Yes" to"PEACE" Make peace your priority today,in your thoughts, conversations and actions. Support our peace advocacy movement today!!! osmdmovement #OSMD #ÓNDÒSÌMÀDÀRÀ #ONDO2024 #peace #peaceadvocacy #sdg16 #SDG16 #SDG4 #SDG17

Modern Slavery! Many type of forms! Which we can't described but definitely can acknowledge! Look at this boy(13years) that sacrificed his life for his family due to poverty😭He works more than 16 hours without any earnings except the required needs because he needs to clear the advance that was paid by trafficker while he was picked up on false promises(both substance are here, HT and MS) . Every Wednesday of the week, I shares my live experience about my encountered with criminal network and the victim of Modern Slavery. Sometimes I missed to post it on specific day due to busy schedule.Today I am sharing about the face of Anti human trafficking & Anti Modern Slavery! Shout, Boom marketing and produced the objective of ongoing trend. But until when? Can we just follow the things or do we have any concern and preparing to fight with right things? We can! Together! But without collaboration we can't! How many believe on it? #modernslavery #humantrafficking #humanitarian #Philanthropy #childrights

Kiranjit Ahluwalia: A Beacon of Resilience and Justice ✨ Join us in celebrating Kiranjit Ahluwalia's inspiring journey from survivor to advocate. Her story sheds light on the power of resilience and the pursuit of justice. Let's stand together to support survivors and advocate for change. #SurvivorStories #Empowerment #JusticePrevails #JusticeAndEmpowerment #InspiringResilience #JusticeForAll #WomenEmpowerment #LegallookwithLegalLock #LawwithLegallock

The #WinterSolstice may be the day with the least amount of 🌞sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere, but #JewishWarVeterans reminds everyone to #ShineALight -- an initiative led by ADL to raise awareness about modern #antisemitism through education, community partnerships, workplace engagement, and advocacy -- to help #DispelTheDarkness. Since October 7, there has been an alarming surge in #antisemitism. The #Jewish community is facing overwhelming levels of antisemitism nearly everywhere - even in the streets. In the first 40 days following the Hamas attack, there was an average of 35 incidents every day across the United States. Shine A Light comprises a #coalition of over 175 Jewish and non-Jewish organizations, corporations, and US state governors committed to addressing rising antisemitism. It has never been more important to Shine A Light On Antisemitism together. https://ow.ly/1vqf50QjNEK

#bilhashares I advocate for safe spaces where girls and women can use their voices to drive the change they want in their communities. To spread hope ,love and build connections by providing a safe space for them to be just them and enjoy non judgemental christian friendships ,mentorship and conversations with other girls/women in similar life stages. #advocacy#education#endingperiodpoverty

We stand in unwavering solidarity with all those living in fear of violence across the UK, especially our Black and Brown communities, and our Muslim brothers and sisters. The recent wave of Islamophobic and racist violence is a devastating reality for visible minorities who are simply trying to live their lives. This violence is not random; it is targeted and it is cruel. Muslims, particularly women wearing hijabs, People of Colour, and those seeking asylum are bearing the brunt of this hate. It is heart-wrenching that the tragic crime in Southport has been twisted to fuel ongoing attacks against these communities. The families and community in Southport deserve to grieve in peace, not amidst a wave of violence and fear. To our beneficiaries, please remember that we are here to help and support you during these trying times. Our community is built on solidarity, love, and mutual respect. To our partners and supporters,, your role is crucial in these challenging times. We urge you to amplify messages of solidarity and support, advocate for promotion of equality and justice, and engage with your networks to spread awareness. Together, we can create a united front against hate and violence, ensuring safety and inclusion for all. #WeStandWithYou #AntiRacism #Community #Support #Empowerment #SocialJustice #MigrantsWelcome #NationOfSanctuary #CityOfSanctuary #EndRacism #SupportEachOther