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Day of Action for Palestine – Ceasefire NOW – Stop the Genocide in Gaza Saturday 23 March Details of local actions: https://palestinecampaign.org/events/day-of-action-for-palestine-ceasefire-now-stop-the-genocide-in-gaza/ Resist! Palestinian women and non-violent resistance to occupation Thursday 21 March 2024 at 3 pm UK time Balfour Project webinar with Rula Salameh from Palestine for Just Vision https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LNc6mlnXSOC_aiWvKgdfIw#/registration UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour Monday 25 March at 1 pm UK time An informal space to share thoughts and feelings, and to channel these into actions that we take together. This Action Half-Hour will highlight the campaign that the UK should re-institute funding to the Palestinian relief agency, UNRWA. Zoom link: Please write to ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like a link to this meeting. All of the actions for this event and previous events can be found on: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ National Demonstration – Ceasefire Now – Stop the Genocide in Gaza Saturday 30 March at 12 pm in central London The route has not yet been published. https://palestinecampaign.org/events/national-demonstration-ceasefire-now-stop-the-genocide-in-gaza-2/ DETAILS ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH NETWORKS CAMPAIGN IN SUPPORT OF PROFESSOR NADERA SHALHOUB-KEVORKIAN ARE AVAILABLE HERE: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ Humanitarian Violence and the weaponisation of humanitarian measures A new investigation from Forensic Architecture The information is presented using sophisticated mapping software with text, location specific videos and satellite images to explain events of the past months. The report is dispassionate but the detailed evidence of cynical and inhumane mistreatment of vulnerable refugee populations is shocking . The Israeli army has weaponised humanitarian measures such as ‘evacuation orders’, ‘safe routes’ ‘and safe zones’ to support their military operations and facilitate the mass displacement of Palestinians. […]Where Israel’s evacuation orders might individually be framed as humanitarian in nature, in fact when closely analysed and considered over time, they reveal patterns of systematic mass displacement, with Palestinians deliberately and repeatedly being expelled from one unsafe and under- resourced location to another.https://gaza.forensic-architecture.org/displacement Geno-Ecocide at its cruelest – Zionist crimes in Gaza The Palestinian Environmental NGOs Network- Friends of Earth Palestine is a coordinating body among different Palestinian NGOs working in the field of environment. The network has issued a new report.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h8dq32xHiPQs3jqikp1YooKr03WlKgyz/view?pli=1 Israeli Civilian Harm Mitigation in Gaza: Gold Standard or Fool’s Gold? An expert in ‘Civilian Harm Mitigation’ who worked as a senior adviser in the US State Department forensically dissects the Israeli government claim that its efforts to minimize civilian casualties are deliberate and “unprecedented”’. https://www.justsecurity.org/93105/israeli-civilian-harm-mitigation-in-gaza-gold-standard-or-fools-gold/ Gaza Faces, not just numbers! GAZA Faces is an international campaign to re-humanize Palestinians when mainstream media represent them only as number. https://gazadesvisages.com/index.php/en/ ![]() No evidence from Israel to back UNRWA accusations, says EU humanitarian chief The European Union’s top humanitarian aid official said on Thursday he had seen no evidence from Israel to back its accusations against staff from the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), which should continue playing a “critical” role in Gaza. https://www.yahoo.com/news/no-evidence-israel-back-unrwa-172039861.html ‘This man-made starvation under our watch is a stain on our collective humanity’ Philippe Lazzarini Commissioner-General of UNRWA on 18 March https://twitter.com/UNLazzarini/status/1769711761136009310 BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS (BDS) One of the founding Aims 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)’ During March there will be a number of actions under the umbrella of Israeli Apartheid Week organised by the BDS Movement. You can find information about a range of events organised by the Palestinian BDS National Committee here: https://bdsmovement.net/ #IAW2024 #NoTechforApartheid Palestine Solidarity Campaign also organises a range of national and local events, including a Boycott of Barclay’s Bank and of Israeli dates: https://palestinecampaign.org/emergency-response-2023/ Ceasefire Now Coalition response to Michael Gove’s statement in Parliament The government has used the protests we have organised in response to Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people as a core rationale for the need to redefine extremism. Successive government minsters and pro-Israel voices have attempted to demonise those protesting as hatemongers, Islamist mobs and antisemites. The reality is that, as the police themselves have publicly affirmed, the marches have been overwhelmingly peaceful and attended by a broad cross section of British society, young and old, of all faiths and none. https://palestinecampaign.org/coalition-statement-on-michael-goves-statement-in-parliament FIONA BRUCE: “Is there anyone here who welcomes what Michael Gove had to say?” *pindrop silence* https://twitter.com/implausibleblog/status/1768399715937178009 |
Author: ukpalmhnadmin
Study Tour, Boycott Apartheid week, and What has Zionism done to psychoanalysis?
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| Visit Palestine/Israel on an extended study tour – May 2024 The UK-Palestine Mental Health Network have arranged a number of mental health study tours to Palestine/Israel working with the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions. The tours are still going ahead and are encouraged by our Palestinian partners. Nonetheless, some participants have withdrawn for understandable reasons. This means that some places have become available on the tour in May that was previously fully booked. The tours offer an amazing programme of appointments that would not be possible to organise if travelling on one’s own. Despite continued unrest, Palestinians are calling for internationals of courage and conviction to be with them to demonstrate their solidarity during this dark time. For more information: https://ukpalmhn.com/resources/mental-health-study-tour-may-2024/ To receive an application form, please email us at ukpalmhn@gmail.com Abolition, Settler Colonialism and State Crime Thursday 14 March at 18:00 – 20:00 (UK time) With Joy James, Nadera Shahloub-Kevorkian, Stephen Sheehi, and Abeer Otman Online and Room 313, Third Floor, School of Law, Queen Mary University of London, E1 4NS State Crime Journal is sponsoring a launch for its special issue ‘Abolition, Settler Colonialism and State Crime’. The panellists will discuss abolitionist perspectives and practice – perspectives that not only theorise settler colonial governance but offer empirical analyses of a variety of carceral structures, mechanisms, relationships and discourses that are particular to the racial capitalist formations of settler states. https://www.qmul.ac.uk/law/events/items/abolition-settler-colonialism-and-state-crime-joy-james-nadera-shahloub-kevorkian-stephen-sheehi-and-abeer-otman.html Psychoanalysis Under Occupation: Practicing Resistance in Palestine Friday 15 March from 18:00 – 20:00 (UK time) at Freud Museum, London Red Clinic event: Lara Sheehi and Stephen Sheehi in conversation with Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian In-person tickets: sold out Online tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/psychoanalysis-under-occupation-online-tickets-tickets-850177542917 UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour Monday 18 March at 13:00 (UK) These informal events provide an opportunity to talk, swap ideas and take actions together. Please write to ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like a link to the meeting. All of the actions for this event and previous events can be found on: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ A Palestinian Dabke troupe performs inside a school sheltering displaced people in the Gaza Strip https://twitter.com/AJArabic/status/1766708060935078103 Israeli human rights groups accuse country of failing to abide by ICJ’s Gaza aid ruling Twelve of Israel’s most prominent human rights organisations have signed an open letter accusing the country of failing to comply with the international court of justice’s (ICJ) provisional ruling that it should facilitate access of humanitarian aid into Gaza. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/11/israeli-human-rights-groups-icj-gaza-aid-ruling On 8 March, a Rabbi urged his IDF students to kill all Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including infants, children, women, and the elderly. https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye/status/1766231485546111400?s=20 Palestinian prisoners allege brutal treatment in Israel jails A powerful 7-minute video from Channel 4 News. Munther Amira, a renowned non-violent community activist in the West Bank, describes his brutal mistreatment whilst held without charge. He is bravely speaking out in public in support of the other, unknown Palestinian hostages who are still being held without charge. Israel’s response to the October the 7th attack has involved a huge surge in the number of Palestinians being detained – seven-thousand in the West Bank alone, according to authorities there, with an unknown number of Gazans also in custody. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1dZhYTWDus&rco=1 BBC News investigation: Israeli troops accused of beating and humiliating Gaza hospital staff An 8-minute BBC news video. A detailed and verified account of breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza that had the UK Foreign Secretary spluttering in Parliament that “we need answers from the Israelis about that”. Palestinian medical staff in Gaza have told BBC journalists they were detained, blindfolded, forced to strip and repeatedly beaten by Israeli troops after a raid at their hospital. Ahmed Abu Sabha, a doctor at Nasser hospital, described being tortured by Israeli forces. He said he was held for a week in detention, muzzled dogs were set upon him and his hand was broken by an Israeli soldier. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnU3mMMqNm0 The children of Gaza, amongst war and bombing, are children who love life https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3nkKoDM_aX/ Israeli Apartheid Week 2024 Social Media Storm The Social Media Storm started on Tuesday 12 March and lasts for a week using the hashtag #IAW2024 The link below provides comprehensive information about actions to take, plus images and template text that can be used. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oSCBefjJc6MfCcFy_Z4g3MDyKkydwWHUkOcaj_DJ-24/edit Impact of the Israeli military activities on the environment By Mazin Qumsiyeh, a well-known Palestinian scientist and author, founder and director of the Palestine Museum of Natural History and the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability at Bethlehem University where he teaches. A paid-for academic article published by Routledge in the International Journal of Environmental Studies. In his popular blog post, Mazin has invited anyone who cannot see the article to write to him directly. Many conflicts in Western Asia over the past 75 years left devastation and refugees and the last war on the Gaza Strip is a good example. Our interests as environmentalists are the effects of conflict (including active conflict, pre-conflict activities, and post-conflict impact). https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/EKIHYDKHHZNNKHDN73MJ/full?target=10.1080/00207233.2024.2323365 What has Zionism done to Psychoanalysis? Following up on our Report from November last year, ‘The moral bankruptcy of psychoanalysis’ , we have now published a piece entitled ‘What has Zionism done to psychoanalysis’. The mental health professions are built on a commitment to open-minded truth-seeking and still strongly associated with Sigmund Freud who rejected nationalism in all its forms. What’s gone wrong? The original article ‘The moral bankruptcy of psychoanalysis’ appears here: https://ukpalmhn.com/resources/ukpmhn-statement-the-moral-bankruptcy-of-psychoanalysis/ The new article, ‘What has Zionism done to psychoanalysis?’ appears here: https://ukpalmhn.com/resources/what-has-zionism-done-to-psychoanalysis/ March 2024: The Palestine Trauma Centre (UK) is operating in all parts of Gaza Details about the current, inspiring work of PTC (UK) in Gaza The vicious, genocidal campaign currently being waged against the people of Gaza is being met with resistance of a very special kind. A number of organisations are striving to help traumatised children build and sustain their resilience in response to terror, deprivation and the destruction that surrounds them. PTC(UK) is contributing to this effort in all parts of Gaza. https://www.palestinetraumacentre.uk/news/march-2024-ptcuk-operating-in-all-parts-of-gaza ![]() ![]() Photos from PTC (UK) FINALLY From Norman Finkelstein: Surprise Biden Announcement in State of the Union Address https://twitter.com/normfinkelstein/status/1766568042807300114?s=20 ‘The US will supply the Starship Enterprise with 1,000,000 Morton pot pies and Captain Kirk will beam them down. The starship’s phaser banks will be set at medium warm to heat the pot pies on the ground. We consider this the most practical solution to the famine conditions in Gaza.’ ![]() |
Edward Said memorial lecture and news from Gaza Community Mental Health Programme
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| National March – Ceasefire Now in Gaza Saturday 9 March Assemble 12 noon at Hyde Park Corner. Marching to the US Embassy. https://palestinecampaign.org/events/national-demonstration-ceasefire-now-stop-the-genocide-in-gaza/ The UK-Palestine Mental Health Network will assemble at 11:45 with our banner by the statue of the goddess Diana inside the corner of Green Park directly opposite Green Park tube. There is a tunnel from Green Park tube directly to the statue in the Park. (There are toilets and a coffee shop). Map location: 51.50650542798134, -0.14146747279794697 There is some building work in Green Park necessitating a small but simple detour if you are walking from Victoria station. ![]() UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour Monday 11 March at 13:00 (UK) These informal events provide an opportunity to talk, swap ideas and take actions together. Please email ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like to receive a link to the Zoom meeting. All of the actions for this event and previous events can be found on: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ Recent, brief interview with Dr Yasser Abu Jamei, Director of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) Bombed out of their offices, forced to flee south, and living in school corridors or tents, staff at GCMHP (www.gcmhp.org) have regrouped and continue to support severely traumatised Palestinians. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7166785956367265794/ Who Does GCMHP Support and What Do They Suffer From? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7rzQBwiLwI&rco=1 Psychoanalytic Therapists Against Genocide in Palestine As reported in a previous mailing, a group of UK-based clinicians belonging to the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) recently issued a letter headed Call for Psychoanalytic Professionals to Address the Human Catastrophe in Gaza. They have now formed a group, Psychoanalytic Therapists Against Genocide in Palestine. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fruVb-Sb3sAT2IgWHQPbLfvU5lyXpgDSXgHTI2wWna4/edit?pli=1 240 BPC members and former members have signed the letter, which calls for an end to the genocide, a future peace built on international law, and protests an atmosphere of intolerance that silences discussion of Palestine within their professional community. A version of the letter has been set up where all psychotherapists, psychologists and counsellors can register their support for this initiative. 230 clinicians have signed so far. We encourage all therapists and counsellors to sign here: https://sites.google.com/view/pc4gaza/home New Vision Statement of The Palestine-Global Mental Health Network The Palestine-Global Mental Health Network is made up of Palestinian mental health professionals dispersed throughout the globe. The Network was created in 2019 with the aim of promoting the ideals of mental wellbeing, liberation, dignity, and social justice for peoples and societies throughout the planet and for Palestinians in particular. There are international counterparts to the Palestine-Global Network in Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Palestine-Global Network has recently issued an important, new Vision Statement https://www.pgmhn.org/about-us Edward Said Lecture “Radiance in Pain and Resilience: The Global Reverberation of Palestinian Historical Trauma” by Dr Samah Jabr What is the role of cultural identity in preserving wellbeing and navigating the wounds of history? This lecture explores the profound historical trauma ingrained in the Palestinian experience and its global repercussions. Grounded in the wisdom of Edward Said, the lecture delves into the psychological dimensions of displacement, dispossession, and cultural distortion. It analyzes the lasting impact of trauma on representation and psychical wellbeing, especially in the face of the continuous distressing military attacks on Gaza. https://mediacentral.princeton.edu/media/Edward+Said+Lecture+%22Radiance+in+Pain+and+ResilienceA+The+Global+Reverberation+of+Palestinian+Historical+Trauma%22+by+Dr+Samah+Jar/1_6199t49t Social Workers for a Free Palestine – public online launch event Tuesday 19 March at 19:00 (UK time) On World Social Work Day, the inaugural event of Social Workers for a Free Palestine will take place. Social workers from Gaza have recently sent messages to their social worker colleagues around the world calling on us to act. Please join the meeting when we will unveil the Social Workers’ Pledge for Palestine, and at which you can hear directly from social workers from Palestine, including Munther Amira, who has recently been released from the administrative detention he has been held in by the Israelis since 18 December. Renowned film director and long standing supporter of the Palestinian struggle, Ken Loach, will also be speaking. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/social-workers-for-a-free-palestine-uk-world-social-work-day-online-event-tickets-846912527167 Munther Amira released from prison Munther Amira has finally been released after more than 2.5 months in prison without charge. Amira is the director of the Board of the Aida Youth Center, a grass roots community organization that serves the children and youth of the Aida Refugee Camp. He is also a leading activist at the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee (PSCC), a community-based resistance movement that believes in the power of popular struggle, through various forms, such as civil disobedience, peaceful protests and legal campaigns. His detention was the subject of an Amnesty International Urgent Action: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde15/7601/2024/en/ Upon his release, Munther spoke about the horrendous situation in prison. ‘It was hell’, Munther commented on prison conditions, ‘not even animals can live like this’. […] One young man tried to commit suicide due to the hopelessness of the situation. ‘They oppressed and humiliated us, and buried any hope for life’. https://www.change.org/p/free-munther-amira/u/32393543# Israel defying ICJ ruling to prevent genocide by failing to allow adequate humanitarian aid to reach Gaza Detailed, harrowing account of how Israel is carrying out – in the words of Mazin Qumsiyeh – “genocide by hunger”. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/02/israel-defying-icj-ruling-to-prevent-genocide-by-failing-to-allow-adequate-humanitarian-aid-to-reach-gaza/ Toddler Anhar from north Gaza had puffy cheeks & bright eyes. 4.5 months of Israel assault turned her into skin & bones. She died of starvation on Tuesday 27 February. Posted by Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur occupied Palestinian territories https://twitter.com/FranceskAlbs/status/1763466551968035006 We’ve been calling for peace in Palestine – these sinister Tory proposals would silence us By Ben Jamal is director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign Instead of seeking to demonise protesters for justice, the government should be putting pressure on Israel https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/05/palestine-peace-protest-tory-government-israel Rishi Sunak’s chilling speech denouncing Gaza protesters exposes sinister plan As an incandescent counter-part to Ben Jamal’s measured opinion piece, here is a passionate and insightful deconstruction from Owen Jones of Sunak’s recent speech on the steps of Downing Street about “extremism”. “For the right to protest and to put pressure on our rulers to be construed a violence – this is what dictatorships do. And if you care about democracy, you should be very worried indeed”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bwgp0qqAY8 Israel/Gaza: impacts, human rights and routes to peace Thursday 21 March, 19:00 – 20:30 (UK time) Panel discussion with Q&A organised by Amnesty International Central England Network Speakers include: Dr Marwan Darweish – Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University Dr Samah Jabr – Head of Mental Health Unit, Palestinian Ministry of Health Prof Lynne Segal – activist, author and Professor Emerita of Psychosocial Studies at Birkbeck, University of London Key themes will include the policy and practical context of the current Israel-Gaza conflict, the mental health crisis affecting Palestinians, and consideration of possible routes to peace. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpce6vqTIsG9N8C_M1lxUc6W01CCnm7ak8#/registration Meeting flyer: https://twitter.com/AlanKessedjian/status/1763325835820531782/photo/1 Finally … I’ll do to language what they did to my people I’ll blow it apart & make it run I’ll sear its rough & tender forms to burning […] UKPALMHN Steering Group member and Palestinian poet, Mira Mattar, has published a powerful new piece called 10 November 2023 https://mizna.org/literary/mira-matar/ |
Israel is deliberately starving Palestinians according to UN rights expert
Israel is deliberately starving Palestinians according to UN rights expert
UN special rapporteur on the right to food Michael Fakhri says denial of food is war crime and constitutes ‘a situation of genocide’.
We have never seen a civilian population made to go so hungry so quickly and so completely, that is the consensus among starvation experts. Israel is not just targeting civilians, it is trying to damn the future of the Palestinian people by harming their children.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/27/un-israel-food-starvation-palestinians-war-crime-genocide
US intelligence casts doubt on Israeli claims of UNRWA-Hamas links, report says
According to the Wall Street Journal, a US intelligence report casts doubt on accusations that the UN agency was collaborating with Hamas in a wider way. The Journal said the report mentioned that although the UNRWA does coordinate with Hamas in order to deliver aid and operate in the region, there was a lack of evidence to suggest it partnered with the group. It added that Israel has not “shared the raw intelligence behind its assessments with the US”.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/22/us-intelligence-unrwa-hamas
Palestinians file criminal complaint against German Government officials for enabling the genocide in Gaza
A group of German lawyers – representing families of two Gazans – is filing a criminal complaint against German Government officials, for the crime of aiding and abetting genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza by providing Israel with weapons and issuing related export permissions. They are supported by civil society organisations ELSC (European Legal Support Center), PIPD (Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy) and Law for Palestine under the Justice andInt Accountability for Palestine Initiative.
https://www.thepipd.com/actions/support-the-justice-and-accountability-for-palestine-initiative
Coming of age in displacement: Navigating gender, mental health, and well-being in Palestinianrefugee camps in the West Bank and Jordan
Thursday 7 March from 17:00 to 18:30 at Bush House North East Wing, King’s College Strand Campus, London
An in-person, ticketed event
Seminar with Dr Weeam Hammoudeh in London.
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/events/coming-of-age-in-displacement-navigating-gender-mental-health-and-wellbeing-in-palestine-refugee-camps-in-the-west-bank-and-jordan
Psychoanalysis Under Occupation: Practicing Resistance in Palestine
Friday 15 March from 18:00 – 20:00 (UK time) at Freud Museum, London
Red Clinic event: Lara Sheehi and Stephen Sheehi in conversation with Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian
In-person tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/psychoanalysis-under-occupation-tickets-850139820087
Online tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/psychoanalysis-under-occupation-online-tickets-tickets-850177542917
Edward Said seems like a prophet: 20 years on, ‘there’s hunger for his narrative’
As war rages in Gaza, the scholar and activist’s words feel prescient. That’s because so little has changed
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/15/edward-said-palestine-israel-gaza
John Berger reads Ghassan Kanafani’s ‘Letter from Gaza’ (20 minute video)
In an address to the inaugural Palestine Festival of Literature in 2008, John Berger gave a moving reading of Ghassan Kanafani’s ‘Letter from Gaza’, written in 1956.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ThCEzFWLOQ
A World without Palestinians
From the Massachusetts Review
Despite the desperate cries of our people for an end to this unceasing bloodshed, despite the millions across the globe who have taken to the streets to demand an immediate ceasefire, despite a ruling by the highest international court that Israel must protect civilians and immediately allow humanitarian aid, a reconsolidation of global powers continues to fund, uphold, and turn their backs as a genocide unfolds, revealing a simple truth: humanity is content to exist in a world without Palestinians. “It no longer matters, after this, if anyone loves us, / or if anyone walks in our funerals,” Palestinian poet Samer Abu Hawwash wrote on October 25th. “We hold each other’s hands, / go forth alone in this desert of a world.”
https://massreview.org/node/11753
Against Erasure: A photographic memory of Palestine before the Nakba with architect Nadi Abusaada and poet Mohammed El-Kurd
An hour-long discussion about the book and the photos
Join Mohammed El-Kurd, Dr. Nadi Abusaada and Haymarket Books to celebrate the launch of Against Erasure: A Photographic Memory of Palestine Before the Nakba
Through its stunning collection of images of Palestine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Against Erasure tells the story of a land full of people—people with families, hopes, dreams, and a deep connection to their home—before Israel’s establishment in 1948, known to Palestinians as the Nakba, or “catastrophe.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtNmUoQQhWM
Women & War: World BEYOND War’s 2024 Virtual Film Festival
Marking International Women’s Day (March 8), this year’s “Women & War” virtual film festival from March 9-23, 2024 explores the intersection of women, war, and militarized masculinity. Each week, we’ll host a live Zoom discussion with key representatives from the films and special guests to answer your questions and explore the topics addressed in the films.
https://worldbeyondwar.org/2024filmfest/
Dr Naledi Pandor, South African MP tells it like it is …
https://twitter.com/umyaznemo/status/1758348154104123882
We must stand by our Mental Health Colleagues in Gaza – Cafe Palestine 38 on Sat 24 Feb at 4pm (UK)
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| EVENTS Cafe Palestine 38 – Honouring the work of our colleagues in Gaza, part two Saturday 24 February from 16:00-18:00 (UK) / 18:00-20:00 (Pal) Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89486111693?pwd=L3hkZGhpVkFDVi85TmFwN0NuZm5uZz09 or Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/UKPMHN/live_videos/ This second event will feature more of the work of some of the mental health teams that work in Gaza and highlight their professionalism, dedication and creativity. Since most colleagues in Gaza are cut off from electronic communication and have to focus on their own and their families’ survival, we wish to represent and honour them through our voices from outside. Presenters include: – Dr Alice Rothchild, who will provide an overview – Dr Peter Jakob and Dr Michaela Fried from Bridges for Hope and Peace, – David Denborough from the Dulwich centre, Adelaide, Australia will describe collaboration with colleagues in Gaza – Guy Shennan will present a recording of messages from Social Workers in Gaza Alice Rothchild, author, filmmaker, and physician, is focused on human rights and social justice. She writes and lectures widely, authored several books on health and human rights in Israel/Palestine, including Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience and Condition Critical: Life and Death in Israel/Palestine, contributed to a number of anthologies, the most recent being Reclaiming Judaism from Zionism: Stories of Personal Transformation and What Jerusalem Means to Us: Jewish Reflections and Perspectives. Finding Melody Sullivan, is her young adult novel exploring grief and friendship in the setting of broader political questions raised by realities in Israel/Palestine, available in print and audio. Old Enough to Know, her middle grade novel, is about a nine-year-old Palestinian American boy and his grandmother from the Aida Refugee Camp. For more info: https://www.alicerothchildbooks.com/ She directed a documentary film, Voices Across the Divide. She is a member of Jewish Voice for Peace Health Advisory Council, the mentor liaison for We Are Not Numbers, a program for young Gaza writers, and on the board of the Gaza Mental Health Foundation. She was last in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza in August 2023. https://alicerothchild.com/ Peter Jakob, PhD is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with a background in social work, Peter has worked as a clinical psychologist and family therapist in both child- and adolescent mental health services and in adult mental health for over 40 years, specialising in working with people who have experienced abuse and with children and families involved with child protective services. Peter’s concern is for understanding the contexts in which peoples’ difficulties emerge and working towards social justice as a key underpinning of psychotherapy. He has introduced Non Violent Resistance (NVR) to the UK and has adapted the approach for families that face multiple challenges and for adopted children and young people in foster- or residential care.. Peter is a prolific national and international presenter. Michaela Fried is a child- and adolescent psychiatrist, specializing in NVR case management for acute and complex crisis, as well as trauma therapy. She has been involved in social projects in Europe and abroad, including voluntary humanitarian work with terminally ill people (UK), war refugees (former Yugoslavia, Macedonia, South Sudan, Gaza ) in mission with several NGOs. She is a graduate of the University of Vienna, and has completed her Post-doctoral fellowship at Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. Her medical areas of expertise are child psychiatry and paediatrics. David Denborough works as a community worker, teacher and writer/editor for the Dulwich Centre, Adelaide, Australia. He is particularly interested in cross cultural partnerships which limit the chances of psychological colonization and create possibilities for cross-cultural inventions, such as the Team of Life Narrative Approach and Tree of Life (with Ncazelo Ncube- Mlilo). David is also vitally interested in how collective narrative practices can spark and/or sustain social movements and in projects that respond to racism and seek to strengthen social cohesion/inclusion. He has been involved with several projects in Palestine, including The Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre for Victims of Torture, Ramallah and in Jabaliya, Gaza Guy Shennan is a Social Worker and Solution Focussed Therapist. He is on the Steering Group of the UK Palestine Mental Health Network He is a Founder member of Social Workers for a Free Palestine. The previous Cafe Palestine Zoom meeting was full with a maximum of 100 participants. In light of this, the Cafe Palestine on 24 February will be available both on Zoom and as a Facebook Live stream (addresses above). UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour Monday 26 February at 13:00 (UK) These informal events provide an opportunity to talk, swap ideas and take actions together. Please contact ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like a link to the meeting. All of the actions for this event and previous events can be found on: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ 1. UN experts appalled by reported human rights violations against Palestinian women and girls From the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights UN experts xpressed alarm over credible allegations of egregious human rights violations to which Palestinian women and girls continue to be subjected in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Palestinian women and girls have reportedly been arbitrarily executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children, according to information received. “We are shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge, or while fleeing. Some of them were reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when they were killed by the Israeli army or affiliated forces,” the experts said. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/02/israelopt-un-experts-appalled-reported-human-rights-violations-against 2. Social workers send letters from Gaza Organised by Social Workers for a Free Palestine @SW4PalestineUK / sw4palestineuk@gmail.com Social workers from the UK read out messages from social workers in Gaza that were sent by email at the end of 2023. The social workers wanted their messages to be heard by social workers and others around the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rC13VnVB3g 3. Be ready to imagine a new world by Professor Ilan Pappé The renowned historian of Israeli settler colonialism projects into a possible future beyond the current genocide of Palestinians and foresees the demise of the “Jewish state”. In a contribution to the Islamic Human Rights Commission’s annual Genocide Memorial Day in London on January 21, now published on their website, Pappe argues that Israel’s habitual pretext of defence and retaliation can no longer serve as cover for pursuing its racist and eliminatory policies towards the Palestinians. https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/article/be-ready-to-imagine-a-new-world [The article was originally published by the Islamic Human Rights Commission website on Thu 1 Feb 2024 at this address: https://www.ihrc.org.uk/it-is-dark-before-the-dawn-but-israeli-settler-colonialism-is-at-an-end For an unknown reason, there were some problems connecting to this site at the time of writing.] 4. Learn more about the Israeli Apartheid Week at this link https://bdsmovement.net/iaw#People%20Against%20Apartheid! 5. Israel systematically uses quadcopters to kill Palestinians from a close distance As part of its genocide against the Gaza Strip that has been ongoing since 7 October 2023, the Israeli army has been using small drones (or quadcopters) to fire directly at Palestinians, killing and injuring many of them, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has documented. Israel’s army has increased its use of electronic-controlled quadcopters—which were previously restricted to use for intelligence purposes—for killing and injuring Palestinians. The Israeli army has escalated its premeditated murders, extrajudicial executions, and judicial killings against Palestinian civilians through direct targeting with snipers and drones in various regions of the Gaza Strip, in addition to aerial and artillery bombardment of residential areas, Euro-Med Monitor said. https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6166 6. Palestinian ambassador to UK says eight relatives killed in Israeli strikes in Rafah Although the war retains strong public support in Israel, a small but vocal group of anti-war protesters gathered in Jerusalem’s Paris Square on Friday. They held up signs saying “stop the genocide” and “Palestinian lives still matter” as they chanted “From the river to the sea, freedom and equality”. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/16/palestinian-ambassador-to-uk-says-eight-relatives-killed-in-israeli-strikes-in-rafah 7. Palestinian film Lyd plus Q&A showing in London Monday 26 Feb at the Prince Charles Theatre near Leicester Square, London at 18:00 Promoted by The Galilee Foundation Link to the film on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12683280/ Tickets are now on sale for the London screening of Palestinian film Lyd- The story of a city that once connected Palestine to the world. What it is now and what it could have become. https://galileefoundation.beaconforms.com/form/d68ef033 8. Messages from Gaza Now Wednesday 28 February at 19:00 – 21:00 P21 Gallery, 21-27 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JD, UK At this event Az Theatre will present more readings of Hossam Madhoun’s MESSAGES FROM GAZA NOW, accounts from recent days in the Gaza Strip. Alongside this we are holding an open conversation with the Architects for Gaza/Palestine Regeneration Team group (participation and speaker to be confirmed). Az Theatre is making an appeal to ‘skill and knowledge’ communities to join an ongoing process of support and communication with people in Gaza as they face rebuilding their lives, their landscape and their environment in the coming months and years. https://p21.gallery/news/158 |
Two important meetings on Gaza, plus open letter for psychotherapists, psychologists and counsellors
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| Dear Colleagues, 1. Cafe Palestine 38 – Sat 24 Feb at 16:00 (UK) 2. ICAHD-UK webinar – Wed 21 Feb 18:00 (UK) 3. Open letter for Psychotherapists, psychologists and counsellors 4. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour – Mon 19 Feb 13:00 (UK) 1. Cafe Palestine 38 – Honouring the work of our colleagues in Gaza, part two Saturday 24 February from 16:00-18:00 (UK) / 18:00-20:00 (Pal) Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/UKPMHN/live_videos/ This second event will feature more of the work of some of the mental health teams that work in Gaza and highlight their professionalism, dedication and creativity. Since most colleagues in Gaza are cut off from electronic communication and have to focus on their own and their families’ survival, we wish to represent and honour them through our voices from outside. Presenters include: – Dr Alice Rothchild, who will provide an overview – Peter Jakob, Martin Fellacher and Michaela Fried from Bridges for Hope and Peace – David Denborough from the Dulwich centre, Adelaide, Australia They will all describe their collaborations with colleagues in Gaza Alice Rothchild, author, filmmaker, and physician, is focused on human rights and social justice. She writes and lectures widely, authored several books on health and human rights in Israel/Palestine, including Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: Stories of Jewish and Palestinian Trauma and Resilience and Condition Critical: Life and Death in Israel/Palestine, contributed to a number of anthologies, the most recent being Reclaiming Judaism from Zionism: Stories of Personal Transformation and What Jerusalem Means to Us: Jewish Reflections and Perspectives. Finding Melody Sullivan, is her young adult novel exploring grief and friendship in the setting of broader political questions raised by realities in Israel/Palestine, available in print and audio. Old Enough to Know, her middle grade novel, is about a nine-year-old Palestinian American boy and his grandmother from the Aida Refugee Camp. For more info: www.alicerothchildbooks.com. She directed a documentary film, Voices Across the Divide. She is a member of Jewish Voice for Peace Health Advisory Council, the mentor liaison for We Are Not Numbers, a program for young Gaza writers, and on the board of the Gaza Mental Health Foundation. She was last in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza in August 2023. www.alicerothchild.com Further speaker bios will be sent out with the next mailing. The previous Cafe Palestine Zoom meeting was full with a maximum of 100 participants. In light of this, the Cafe Palestine on 24 February will be available both on Zoom and as a Facebook Live stream (addresses above). 2. ICAHD-UKwebinar: Attending to Mental Health Needs in the Midst of a Genocide Wednesday 21 February at 18:00-19.30 (UK) / 20:00-21.30 (Pal) Register for this Webinar here This webinar will focus on the importance of speaking about Palestinian mental health when Israel seeks to debilitate the whole of Palestinian society. Trauma is not new to Palestinians who have been experiencing it for the last 75 years. However, Israel’s war on Gaza that began in October 2023 has thrust the population into a living hell due to the ongoing assault as their homes and with the whole of their vital infrastructure annihilated, leaving no safe space for any Gazans. In addition, Palestinians everywhere are being affected as their people is on the receiving end of Israel’s barbaric genocide policies. This webinar will feature the work of mental health organisations working within Gaza, the West Bank and with Palestinians in the diaspora. Speakers include:- Samah Jabr (Chair of the Mental Health Unit at the Palestinian Ministry of Health) – Lama Khouri (Global Palestine Mental Health Network) – David Harrold (Chair of Trustees of Gaza Trauma Centre) – Gwyn Daniel (UK Palestine Mental Health Network) – Martin Kemp (UK Palestine Mental Health Network) Discover how much more ICAHD-uk’s website has to offer here. 3. Psychotherapists, psychologists and counsellors address the human catastrophe in Gaza: please sign A Statement expressing “dismay at the ongoing slaughter and mayhem in Gaza”, and which calls for a ceasefire and a peace based on a recognition of Palestinian rights and international law, has been issued by a group of UK-based clinicians. The Statement also reflects on the curtailment of “freedom of thought and speech” within society and the profession, and calls for a restoration of “freedom to speak and act peacefully without fear of recrimination, harassment or censure”. 160 members of the British Psychoanalytic Council have signed. A version of the Statement has now been launched as a call to all psychotherapists, psychologists and counsellors to amplify this message. Please sign at the link below. The Statement can be read and signed here: http://tinyurl.com/w59jat49 The BPC letter and signatories can be viewed here: http://tinyurl.com/3ukkazby The UKPMHN adds: The struggle for free speech within civil society cannot be done by individuals on their own. Does your professional association or registration body have a group within it ensuring that Palestine can be freely debated as a matter of grave concern to us all? Could you help set one up? 4.UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour Monday 19 February at 13:00 (UK) These informal events provide an opportunity to talk, swap ideas and take actions together. Please contact ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like a link to the meeting. All of the actions for this event and previous events can be found on: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ |
UN relief chief warns military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza
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| Dear Colleagues, 1. UN relief chief warns military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza 2. New evidence of Israeli attacks causing mass civilian casualties amid real risk of genocide 3. They shone with hope and joy, each in their own way – children killed in Gaza 4. Destruction of Gaza’s health system: need to restore hope 5. Palestine: A Timeline of Traumatic Events and Collective Healing 6. McDonald’s and Starbucks hit by boycotts 7. Letters for Palestinian childhoods exhibition 8. Scholars against the war on Palestine 9. 11-year old Dima Hnaideq describes her life as a child in Gaza Plus Recent pictures from Gaza from the Palestine Trauma Centre UK EVENTS National March for Palestine – Stop the Genocide Saturday 17 February at 12:00 Assemble at Marble Arch (Speakers’ Corner), London Israel has now killed over 30,000 Palestinians in its brutal assault on Gaza. It has now begun another massacre in Rafah. https://palestinecampaign.org/events/ The UKPALMHN banner will be at the march. We will assemble at 12:00 outside Bond Street tube on Oxford Street. All are welcome to join. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour Monday 19 February at 13:00 UK time These informal events provide an opportunity to talk, swap ideas and take actions together. Zoom link: please contact ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like to attend the meeting All of the actions for this event and previous events can be found on: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ Cafe Palestine 38 – Honouring the work of our colleagues in Gaza, part two Saturday 24 February from 16:00 – 18:00 UK time This second event will feature more of the work of some of the mental health teams that work in Gaza and highlight their professionalism, dedication and creativity. Since most colleagues in Gaza are cut off from electronic communication and have to focus on their own and their families’ survival, we wish to represent and honour them through our voices from outside. Presenters include: – Dr Alice Rothschild, Jewish Voice for Peace, who will provide an overview; – Peter Jakob, Martin Fellacher and Michaela Fried from Bridges for Hope and Peace; – David Denborough from the Dulwich centre, Adelaide, Australia who will describe their collaborations with colleagues in Gaza Full programme details with speaker bios and Zoom link will be sent out in the next mailing. The previous Cafe Palestine Zoom meeting was full with a maximum of 100 participants. In light of this, the Cafe Palestine on 24 February will be available both on Zoom and as a live stream on Facebook. NEWS 1. UN relief chief warns military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza Issued Tuesday 13 February The scenario we have long dreaded is unraveling at alarming speed. More than half of Gaza’s population – well over 1 million people – are crammed in Rafah, staring death in the face: They have little to eat, hardly any access to medical care, nowhere to sleep, nowhere safe to go. https://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-warns-military-operations-rafah-could-lead-slaughter-gaza-and-put-fragile 2. Evidence of unlawful Israeli attacks in Gaza causing mass civilian casualties amid real risk of genocide Amnesty International report from Tuesday 12 February At least 95 civilians – nearly half of them children – killed in four unlawful strikes in Rafah. Attacks took place in southern governorate supposed to be “safe”. All four strikes are likely direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects and must be investigated as war crimes. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/02/israel-opt-new-evidence-of-unlawful-israeli-attacks-in-gaza-causing-mass-civilian-casualties-amid-real-risk-of-genocide/ 3. They shone with hope and joy, each in their own way Public memorial of children killed in Gaza A video showing some of the many children killed since Oct 7 in Gaza, their name and age. It draws on pictorial tributes from their friends and family. These are deeply felt public memorials depicting each child in the way that those who knew, loved and cared for them wanted them remembered. https://twitter.com/iraqbodycount/status/1755931780794790349 4. Destruction of Gaza’s health system: need to restore hope Balfour project recording of a presentation by Dr Nick Maynard (about 60 minutes) A presentation by a consultant surgeon from Oxford who works in Gaza and leads teams of international surgeons to teach and work in Gaza. https://balfourproject.org/gazahealth/ 5. Palestine: A Timeline of Traumatic Events and Collective Healing Infographic by Dr Samah Jabr, Zaynab Hinnawi and Eman Khateeb Slide through to explore the psychological impact of historical trauma and the path to healing for Palestinian communities. https://www.instagram.com/p/C3JN-IwS0na/?igsh=cXppN3o1cno5Z3Ft&img_index=1 6. McDonald’s and Starbucks blame the Israel-Hamas war for slower sales — and the recovery might take a while [One of the founding aims 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)] McDonald’s and Starbucks both said the Israel-Hamas war and related boycotts hurt their sales in the latest quarter. Starbucks saw traffic to its U.S. stores fall as occasional customers stopped visiting. McDonald’s said the war hurt its Middle Eastern sales, as well as demand in majority Muslim countries and France. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/05/mcdonalds-and-starbucks-blame-israel-hamas-war-for-slower-sales.html 7. Letters for Palestinian childhoods exhibition This is an exhibition of letters, poems, and artwork dedicated to the children of Palestine. The online version is available here: https://reimaginingchildhoodstudies.com/letters-for-palestinian-childhoods/ The exhibition is now also available as a physical/in-person display for use in halls and meeting rooms Please see this link if you would like to display the exhibition: https://ukpalmhn.com/resources/letters-for-palestinian-childhoods/ 8. Scholars against the war on Palestine A trans-national, cross-disciplinary coalition standing firmly with the Palestinian struggle for liberation and justice. We call for an immediate end to the century-long colonial war on Palestine and its people. https://scholarsagainstwar.org/ 9. 11-years old Dima Hnaideq describes her life as a child in Gaza Listen to 11-years old Dima Hnaideq when she describes her life as a child under the iron heel of Israeli occupation: homeless and displaced with her mother to shelters, starving, looking for water, no money, no school, no playing – and all her 11 years of life has been under siege, occupation and repeated Israeli attacks. She has one wish: ceasefire! Stop the war! https://twitter.com/DrMadsGilbert/status/1757390118313230732?s=20 Plus Recent pictures from Gaza from the Palestine Trauma Centre UK |

Clown-led exercises for children shortly after bombardment

Hastily arranged group therapy for children

UNRWA “dodgy dossier” plus the war on women in Gaza
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| 1. Parliamentary debate about humanitarian aid in Gaza on Thu 8 Feb 2. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour on Mon 12 Feb 3. UKPALMHN Cafe Palestine 38 on Sat 24 Feb 4. David Cameron has fallen for Israel’s dodgy dossier on UNRWA 5. Israel bombed Belgian aid office in Gaza after nation refused to halt UNRWA funding 6. In Gaza, there’s a war on women. Will the West ignore it because they’re “not like us”? 7. Children of Palestine: a lost generation 8. Israeli necro-politics and the pursuit of health justice in Palestine 9. Hundreds of US, EU, UK Civil Servants Issue Joint Statement on Gaza 10. UK professor suffered discrimination due to anti-Zionist beliefs, tribunal rules 11. Beyond bad apples. Reconsidering institutional racism Plus … Lament for Gaza on Irish Uileann pipes 1. Parliamentary debate about humanitarian aid in Gaza on Thursday 8 February Urge your MP to attend this crucial parliamentary debate taking place at Westminster Hall on Thursday 8 February at 1.30 pm. Full details of this action on the UKPALMHN website: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ 2. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour Monday 12 February at 13:00 These informal events provide an opportunity to talk, swap ideas and take actions together. Please write to ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like a link to the meeting All of the actions for this event and previous events can be found on: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ 3. UKPALMHN Cafe Palestine 38 on mental health in Gaza Saturday 24 February from 16:00 – 18:00 Further details to follow The previous Cafe Palestine Zoom meeting was full with a maximum of 100 participants. In light of this, the Cafe Palestine on 24 February will be available both on Zoom and as a live stream on Facebook. 4. David Cameron has fallen for Israel’s dodgy dossier on UNRWA Opinion piece by Peter Oborne Israel’s long history of making false claims about events in Gaza should arouse scepticism about its report on Unrwa staff taking part in the 7 October attacks. Not, it seems, in the UK. https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/defunding-unrwa-britain-cameron-falls-israel-dodgy-dossier-again 5. Israel bombed Belgian aid office in Gaza after nation refused to halt UNRWA funding Belgian officials expressed outrage Thursday after Israeli forces reportedly bombed the office building of the Belgian Agency for Development Cooperation in the Gaza Strip, an attack that came after Belgium declined to join the U.S. and more than a dozen other countries in cutting off funding to the United Nations’ Palestinian refugee agency. https://www.commondreams.org/news/israel-belgium-unrwa 6. In Gaza, there’s a war on women. Will the West really ignore it because they’re “not like us”? Mothers giving birth with no medical help, babies without milk, one toilet between 500 people – but none of it evokes empathy https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/05/gaza-war-women-west-mothers-babies-medical 7. Children of Palestine: a lost generation These are real children, children who could be yours or mine, but for accident of birth. Children that we know from social media had hopes and dreams for their future — to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, poets and writers, actors, dancers, to excel in sports. All that talent is lost to their community and our world. It’s devastating. https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/children-palestine-lost-generation 8. Israeli necro-politics and the pursuit of health justice in Palestine A Commentary piece in BMJ Global Health Framing Palestinian violence on October 7 as provocation and Israeli violence as response is ahistoric and indicates indifference to the everyday violence experienced by Palestinians. The Israeli state practises both fast violence against Palestinians, while simultaneously creating the conditions for their ‘slow death’. https://gh.bmj.com/content/9/2/e014942 9. “Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide” – Hundreds of US, EU, UK Civil Servants Issue Joint Statement on Gaza More than 800 civil servants from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have released a statement criticizing their governments’ support of Israel in its ongoing aggression on Gaza, warning that such policies could be contributing to war crimes and violations of international law. https://www.palestinechronicle.com/ethnic-cleansing-and-genocide-hundreds-of-us-eu-uk-civil-servants-issue-joint-statement-on-gaza/ 10. UK professor suffered discrimination due to anti-Zionist beliefs, tribunal rules University of Bristol academic who was sacked after being accused of antisemitic comments wins ‘landmark’ decision https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/feb/05/uk-professor-suffered-discrimination-due-to-anti-zionist-beliefs-tribunal-rules 11. Beyond bad apples. Reconsidering institutional racism Mon 12 Feb at 19:00 – 20:30 GMT The webinar is organised by Lets Face Change and the speaker is Dr Tarek Younis. This webinar will focus on unpacking where the politics of the psy-disciplines and the politics of Muslims overlap, demonstrating how psychological theories and practice serve state interests and perpetuate inequality – especially racism and Islamophobia. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lets-face-change-seminar-series-reconsidering-institutional-racism-tickets-809233157157 Plus … Lament for Gaza on Irish Uileann pipes Kinvara Palestine Solidarity Group post showing Eugene Lambe play a lament for Gaza on Brigid’s Day. Https://twitter.com/TadhgHickey/status/1753456868687593498?s=20 |
The unconscionable decision to pause funding for humanitarian aid to Gaza
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| 1. National Demonstration – Ceasefire Now on Sat 3 Feb 2. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour on Mon 5 Feb 3. UKPALMHN Cafe Palestine 38 on Sat 24 Feb 4. UNRWA de-funding – template letter to MPs – aid agencies outraged by reckless decision – former UNRWA spokesperson puts up robust defence – donate to UNRWA 5. “Israel is now officially on trial for genocide” 6. Miscarriages in Gaza have increased 300% under Israeli bombing 7. Israeli sniper kills renowned Palestinian psychologist 8. “I am not there and I am not here”: a Palestinian American poet on bearing witness to atrocity plus … From the Republic of Ireland 1. National Demonstration – Ceasefire Now / Stop the Genocide in Gaza Saturday 3 February at 12:00 Assemble at BBC, Portland Place, London W1A 1AA https://palestinecampaign.org/events/ The UKPALMHN banner will be at the march. We will assemble at 12:00 on the corner of Regent Street and Great Castle Street outside Caffe Nero (near Oxford Circus underground). All are welcome to join. 2. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour Monday 5 February at 13:00 These informal events provide an opportunity to talk, swap ideas and take actions together. If you would like a Zoom link for the meeting, please email ukpalmhn@gmail.com All of the actions for this event and previous events can be found on: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ 3. UKPALMHN Cafe Palestine 38 on mental health in Gaza Saturday 24 February from 16:00 – 18:00 Further details to follow The previous Cafe Palestine Zoom meeting was full with a maximum of 100 participants. In light of this, the Cafe Palestine on 24 February will be available both on Zoom and as a live stream on Facebook. 4. UNRWA de-funding 4a. UKPALMHN template letter to MPs Following the unconscionable decision by several western countries, including the UK, to suspend aid funding to UNRWA, UKPALMHN have drafted a template letter that can be used to communicate with your MP. It is available here: https://ukpalmhn.com/gaza-crisis/ 4b. Aid agencies “outraged” by “reckless” decision to cut UNRWA funding Agencies including Oxfam and Save the Children note Gaza population already facing famine due to Israeli siege and bombardment https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/30/israel-gaza-war-unrwa-palestine-aid-funding-pause-hamas 4c. Former UNRWA spokesperson puts up robust defence – Allegations regarding Hamas weapons in UNRWA schools 6 minute video from Fox news https://youtu.be/sV-fWxBrz9c – Why defunding is a disproportionate response and amounts to collective punishment 12 minute video co-organised by Amnesty International UK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS5pdkDGh6Y 4c.Donate to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) https://donate.unrwa.org/-landing-page/en_EN 5. “Israel is now officially on trial for genocide” Palestinian Ambassador to the UK making a powerful intervention on BBC news about the ICJ ruling https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1459290391318551&id=627202943&mibextid=KsPBc6 6. Miscarriages in Gaza have increased 300% under Israeli bombing Humanitarian agencies say women and menstruating people are also facing alarming rates of severe infections due to Israel’s blockade of supplies and water. https://jezebel.com/miscarriages-in-gaza-have-increased-300-under-israeli-1851168680 7. Israeli sniper kills renowned Palestinian psychologist Tributes are pouring in to renowned Al-Aqsa University academic who focused on trauma arising from conflict https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-gaza-prominent-professor-al-aqsa-university-killed-israel 8. ‘I am not there and I am not here’: a Palestinian American poet on bearing witness to atrocity The thing about diaspora is that the option of looking away is a trick mirror – doing it is never a relief. In the courtroom, on our phones, in the streets: a witness who does not speak, does not act, does not remember, cannot be called upon. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/28/gaza-palestine-grief-essay-poetry Plus … From the Republic of Ireland: ![]() |
Cafe Palestine 37 on Saturday 27 January at 16:00 UK time
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| 1. Cafe Palestine 37 on Saturday 27 January at 16:00 – 18:00 (UK time) 2. Cafe Palestine 38 3. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour on Monday 29 Jan at 13:00 (UK time) 4. “I just want to run”: Mental health care yet another casualty of Gaza war 1. Cafe Palestine 37 – Honouring the work of our colleagues in Gaza Saturday 27 January at 16:00 – 18:00 UK time This event will feature the work of some of the mental health teams working in Gaza and highlight their professionalism, dedication and creativity and their ongoing activities, despite the catastrophic conditions inflicted upon them. Since most colleagues in Gaza are cut off from electronic communication and have to focus on their own and their families’ survival, we wish to represent and honour them in whatever ways we can, at present mainly through our voices from outside. Dr Samah Jabr, Head of the Mental Health Unit, Palestine Ministry of Health will speak about the mental health implications of the ongoing assault on the people of Gaza, their homes and their vital infrastructure. David Harrold and Dr Mohamed Altawil will speak about the work of the Palestine Trauma Centre in Gaza https://www.palestinetraumacentre.uk/ Nick Bilborough from the Hands Up Project will speak about their educational, creative writing and drama work with young people in Gaza https://www.handsupproject.org/ Mohammed Mukhaimar will speak about the work of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme In this Cafe we particularly welcome attendance from colleagues engaged in different mental health projects in Gaza and will aim to include them in future presentations. Speakers: Dr Mohamed Altawil spent his childhood in a Gaza refugee camp, and as an adult, became an expert in trauma therapy through 20+ years of experience in research and practice. First working in Gaza, he went on to set up the Palestine Trauma Centre in 2007. Dr Altawil was awarded his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Hertfordshire (UK) in September 2008 with support from the Ford Foundation. He is a clinical psychologist registered with HCPC and a visiting Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire. Representing a much-needed field of study in Palestine, his doctoral degree has enabled Dr Altawil to attend a number of International Conferences in the US, Europe and the Middle East. Nick Bilborough is a teacher of English as a foreign language, teacher-trainer and author. He holds an MA in Drama in Education and is particularly interested in the role of drama and storytelling techniques in second language learning. He is now devoting all his energy to the registered charity he set up – https://handsupproject.org providing learning and confidence building opportunities for young people, mostly in Gaza and other parts of occupied Palestine, through online intercultural connections , storytelling and drama activities. David Harrold works in education, specialising in helping students who have literacy difficulties. He is chair of trustees for Palestine Trauma Centre (UK) and has visited Gaza three times. On one of these visits he delivered a course on Drama therapy. Dr Samah Jabr is a psychiatrist practicing in the public and private sectors within Palestine in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. She is currently Head of the Mental Health Unit within the Palestinian Ministry of Health and an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural sciences at George Washington University, USA. Dr. Jabr’s areas of interest include the rights of prisoners, the problem of stigma, psychoanalysis, childhood trauma, and the integration of mental health within public health. She is a prolific writer in both academic and public media and author of several Arabic professional manuals and guidebooks, one of which, on Suicide Prevention, won the 2021 prize of the Arabpsy.net. Dr. Jabr is a founding member of the Palestine Global Mental Health Network. Dr Mohammed Mukhaimar is a psychologist who worked at the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme before moving to live and work in Cambridge, UK. He has led several projects aimed at developing mental health services in Palestine through training, clinical supervision, and consultancy. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87273844374?pwd=THpQSFBVWVNFYitmT3hDS29xUWR4QT09 2. The subsequent Cafe Palestine 38 will be on Saturday 24 February at 16.00- 18.00 (UK time) This Cafe Palestine will also focus on focus on Mental Health in Gaza. Further details to follow. 3. UKPALMHN Action Half-Hour on Monday 29 Jan at 13:00 (UK time) These informal events provide an opportunity to talk, swap ideas and take actions together. The previously arranged time on Friday 26 January now clashes with the important announcement of the International Court of Justice preliminary findings in the Gaza Genocide case. Please write to ukpalmhn@gmail.com if you would like a link to the Action Half-Hour. 4. ‘I just want to run’: Mental health care yet another casualty of Gaza war Dr Samah Jabr is one of the contributors to this report. A burgeoning mental health crisis in the tiny coastal enclave is vastly overshadowed by the scale of death and destruction caused by more than three months of Israeli bombardment. But many experts believe psychological damage may prove one of the war’s most lasting legacies. https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-01-23/i-just-want-to-run-mental-health-care-yet-another-casualty-of-gaza-war |








