Uniting for Action: Strategies to Amplify Voices for Justice in Palestine

In this era of digital disruption, our virtual meeting on December 20, 2023, brought together compassionate change-makers to discuss action strategies and campaign ideas to amplify the voices advocating for justice in Palestine. The meeting focused on the importance of collective effort, the power of financial divestment, and the urgency to create a stronger, louder voice.

Engagement and Action

Our meeting commenced with a review of actions taken during the previous week. Salman and Heer’s visit to an MP’s office, and the subsequent productive phone call, underscored the importance of persistence in our advocacy efforts. They emphasized the need for supporting each other and the power of collective voice in getting our messages heard.

Our group’s skills database and the form to submit campaign and action ideas were also discussed. These tools, which can be accessed through the provided Google Forms links, are instrumental in mobilizing our efforts and streamlining our campaigns. We agreed to sort through the submissions and report back during our next call.

Campaign Ideas

Two main campaign strategies were discussed: financial divestment and creating a stronger, louder voice.

Campaign Idea #1: Financial Divestment

Saif introduced the concept of financial divestment, a strategic move that could impact Israel’s military-industrial complex. The idea is to divest from banks investing in Israel’s war efforts and switch to ethical banks or credit unions. Saif volunteered to prepare a one-page plan for the group to discuss and finalize. Adil provided us with a valuable LinkedIn resource to aid in this effort.

Our discussion touched upon the effectiveness of the divestment and BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement, a nonviolent form of protest that has Israel worried. We concluded that divestment is a long-term action with the potential to bring about broader institutional awareness and inflict PR damage. However, we also recognized the need for immediate impact through letters to politicians and workplace campaigns.

Campaign Idea #2: A Stronger, Louder Voice

Heer emphasized the urgent need for a real ceasefire and a consolidated effort to make our collective voice louder and more cohesive. The idea is to inundate the media and people in power with our messages through social media posts, emails, letters, and phone calls. Celebrities, we noted, are particularly sensitive about their public image and hence, their Wikipedia pages and Twitter accounts could be potential platforms for our advocacy.

We also discussed the importance of consistent messaging. Salman volunteered to work on crafting a clear, simple message with a picture, to be disseminated across our network. We emphasized the need for the message to be personalized to avoid looking like spam.

Brainstorming Session

Our discussion and brainstorming session generated a wealth of ideas. These included the creation of a library of resources, tools to facilitate workplace conversations, and public reviews of companies’ DEI agendas. The idea of mobilizing those who are witnessing the genocide and are concerned but haven’t taken action yet was also discussed.

Next Steps

As we concluded the meeting, we were reminded of our collective responsibility to persist in our efforts and strengthen our voice for justice. The importance of a united front, consistent messaging, and the strategic use of various platforms were underscored. We look forward to regrouping in our next meeting to review the actions taken and discuss the progress of our campaigns.

Freedom Advocacy Network

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