 |
| UKPALMHN Solidarity Space The next Solidarity Space meeting will be on Monday 1 September 2025. Regrettably, this means that there will not be Solidarity Space meetings on: Monday 25 August – no meeting Ahed Tamimi – National Symbol of Resistance on Liberation, Law & Living Under Occupation (rare 50-minute interview) Source: The Enlightenment Podcast Date: 9 August [Many of you will remember our UKPMHN conference on Palestinian Children in March 2019. We wanted to hear directly from Palestinian children and Mohammed Mukhaimer, one of our Steering Group, interviewed Ahed on zoom.. We are pleased to circulate this recent interview with her especially as violent settler attacks on her village, Nebi Sala and all over the West Bank are escalating.] From Hanan Kattan in the Enlightenment Podcast: “A young Palestinian girl raises her hand and slaps an IDF soldier. It was an iconic moment that put Ahed Tamimi, her defiant face and blonde curls, on front pages all over the world. Ahed resisted, she wrote a book ‘They Called Me Lioness’, she refused to submit. She was jailed, then put under house arrest by the IDF. She rarely gives interviews, but we’re honoured that Ahed is our guest. Risking yet more time in Israeli prisons, Ahed speaks openly, with raw honesty, about her experiences, her frustration and her vision of the future. We believe that at this crucial moment for Palestine, Ahed’s message needs to be amplified, and we’re asking if you will take the time to post a link to the full episode for your followers and community today.Thank you in advance for considering helping get Ahed’s words to a world that needs to hear them.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BanFKA9Vep4 (50 minute episode. The interview with Ahed starts at 2:00) Strong responses to an inadequate statement by the International Federation of Social Workers. On 19 July, the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), which has hitherto been silent on the genocide in Gaza, published a “Public statement of solidarity with Palestinian social workers and the people of Gaza” – https://www.ifsw.org/public-statement-of-solidarity-with-palestinian-social-workers-and-the-people-of-gaza/ The IFSW is STILL silent on the genocide in Gaza, as this weak and inadequate statement makes no mention of it, nor of apartheid, occupation, settler colonialism, or ethnic cleansing. It refers to Palestinian suffering, but makes no mention of who is causing this suffering. On 29 July, the Irish Association of Social Workers issued a groundbreaking response: “The omission of terms like ‘genocide’, ‘ethnic cleansing’, ‘starvation’ and ‘war crimes’ significantly weakens the moral and legal clarity needed to address the ongoing crisis. […] The passive language used, phrases like ‘end the violence’ and ‘protect the lives of civilians’, masks the agency of the perpetrators. These vague statements obscure the direct actions of the Israeli state and the Israel Defence Forces, which are causing the suffering and deaths of countless innocent civilians. Without explicitly naming the aggressors, the call for peace risks becoming a neutral stance in the face of oppression, erasing accountability and downplaying the urgency of confronting the reality of state-sponsored violence.” Their full response: https://iasw.ie/Response_to_IFSW_Statement_on_Palestine On 2 August, the Palestinian Union of Social Workers and Psychologists lambasted the IFSW statement: “While framed as ‘solidarity’, the statement is little more than a carefully worded exercise in neutrality. It fails to name the aggressor, omits the term genocide, and avoids addressing the occupation, settler-colonialism, and apartheid that underpin the Palestinian tragedy. This is not solidarity. This is complicity masked as diplomacy.” https://ukpalmhn.com/resources/puswp-response-to-ifsw-statement-july-2025/ The UK group, Social Workers for a Free Palestine, have contacted BASW and called on them to also speak out against the IFSW statement. The group is working on its own response. To find out more about Social Workers for a Free Palestine: email: sw4palestineuk@gmail.com X: @SW4PalestineUK Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialworkersforafreepalestine/ ACTIONSWANT TO TAKE ACTION? As of 13 August, we have 14 actions posted in July and August on our dedicated Actions Page: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ We have a record number of recent actions listed on our web page this week so a big shout out to the volunteers who are helping to scan the web for relevant material. You know who you are! If you know of any future, relevant actions that can be added to the page then please let us know at: ukpalmhn@gmail.com FEATURED ACTIONS Write to your MP: Recall Parliament for Gaza Israel is escalating its abhorrent attacks against the Gaza Strip, including by announcing plans to “take control of all Gaza”. Palestinians cannot wait for parliamentarians to return from their summer break to respond to the ongoing genocide they face. Please write to your MP to demand the government recalls Parliament from its summer recess in order to impose immediate sanctions against Israel, including ending all arms trade and military cooperation. https://palestinecampaign.eaction.org.uk/recallparliament Think these are unrealistic demands? https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/1/slovenia-becomes-first-eu-country-to-impose-arms-embargo-on-israel From Palestine House, 113 High Holborn, London WC1V 6JQ: Good morning. The British Palestinian community will be holding:a 3 day vigil outside Palestine House starting from Tuesday 12 August between 7pm-10pm to commemorate Anas and all the journalists in Palestine. They ask all groups to get involved. EVENTS WANT TO NETWORK, LEARN AND SHOW SOLIDARITY? As of 13 August there are 25 upcoming, curated events listed on our dedicated events page: https://ukpalmhn.com/events/ This week we have a record number of events listed on our web page so it is time to say a big thank you to the volunteers who are helping to scan the web for relevant material. You know who you are! If you know of any future, relevant events that can be added to the page then please let us know at: ukpalmhn@gmail.com FEATURED EVENTS  Welcome to Gaza Friday 22 and Saturday 23 August Palestine House, London WC1V 6JJ Source: Hands Up ProjectWe’re thrilled to invite you to witness Welcome to Gaza- a powerful, moving theatrical performance created by young Palestinian voices. After heartfelt showings at the Totnes Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Welcome to Gaza is heading to London Palestine House. These aren’t just plays. They’re a raw and brave expression of life under siege, told by the children who live it. Featuring a unique blend of drama, and real-time verbatim messages from Gaza (before and after October 7, 2023), this performance gives space to voices too often unheard. Directed by Peter Oswald and performed by a group of incredible Palestinian talents, Welcome to Gaza is a rare chance to connect with the resilience and creativity of Palestinians. https://www.tickettailor.com/events/palestinehouse/1794023 Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk (film) Wednesday 20 August – UK Premiere Edinburgh Film Festival From Friday 22 August – in cinemas For a year, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi recorded her video calls with photojournalist Fatma Hassona, creating a vivid and haunting video testimony of her daily life in Gaza. Through the faltering intimacy of the phone screen, a strong bond develops between the two women, and Fatma’s unfailing resilience creates a powerful contrast to the ongoing devastation and destruction around her. Combining their video calls with Fatma’s arresting images of Gaza, Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk is a testament to this talented photographer, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike days after the film’s completion. https://releasing.dogwoof.com/put-your-soul-on-your-hand-and-walk Official trailer: https://youtu.be/9yaSKI1wc-M BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS (BDS)A founding aim of the UK-Palestine Mental Health Network is to “encourage our colleagues individually and collectively to consider their response to the Palestinian call for boycott, sanctions and divestment (BDS).” Cumberland Council commits to divest from companies enabling Israel’s crimes Cumberland Council has declared that it will end financial ties with companies supplying weapons to Israel, and those active in Israel’s illegal settlements. The council will also call on Cumbria Pension Fund to similarly divest. Cumbria Pension Fund must immediately heed this call, and commit to begin to divest the £74million+ it has invested in companies facilitating Israel’s atrocities against Palestinians. This win is testament to the tireless campaigning of Carlisle & District PSC. Cumberland Council is the 17th council in Britain to support divestment from companies enabling Israel’s genocide against Palestinians. This link provides material for further action: https://palestinecampaign.eaction.online/councillorsaction |
الشبكة البريطانية الفلسطينية للصحة النفسية 