AFTE Joins Landscapes of Hope Call for Solidarity and Action on Gaza

Petition by 90 civil society organizations addressed to:

The UN Secretary General

The Speaker of the EU Parliament

The  European  Union Commissioner

The Secretary General of the International Committee for the Red Cross

Over the past few days, the Gaza strip, one of the most densely populated places in the world and home to more than 2.2 million Palestinians living in 365 square kilometers, of which more than half are children, has been under a massive military onslaught by the Israeli army. Gaza’s population, which has been under a tight and suffocating siege for nearly 17 years, is largely made up of Palestinian refugees displaced from Israel’s crawling occupation. So far, more than 2,500 people have been killed, untold thousands injured, more than half a million forcibly displaced, including artists, writers and civil society leaders, and whole neighborhoods wiped out and flattened under heavy and indiscriminate Israeli bombardment. Israel has cut off all basic supplies including food, water, and fuel. Internet services were cut off on Friday as Israeli soldiers prepare a land invasion of the strip which they have been blockading from the sea, air and land for nearly two decades. This siege is preventing emergency humanitarian supplies that have been positioned on the Egyptian side of the border from entering. Hospitals are rapidly running out of supplies as international aid agencies are sounding alarm bells and warning that clear water and essential foodstuffs are running dangerously short endangering a whole people.

If not immediately addressed, the unfolding situation will result in one of the worst humanitarian crises the world has seen in decades. We call on all those around the world who believe in the basic tenets of humanity and justice to act now to help put a stop to this catastrophic humanitarian situation.

Nothing justifies the collective punishment of an entire population – of which the majority are children – and the limitless attacks on the Gaza Strip targeting Palestinian civilians, forcibly displacing them one more time, bombing their homes, schools and hospitals and destroying their infrastructure.  We grieve for all civilian lives lost and fear for the lives of all under imminent threat; no civilians should ever be targeted.

We are now requesting that you put all possible pressure on the Israeli government to take the following measures:

–    Immediately and without delay, open all crossing points to the Gaza Strip to allow all forms of humanitarian aid.
–    Restore fuel supply, electricity, water supply and communications to Gaza.
–    Allow forcibly displaced people to safely go back to their homes.
–        Accept an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

We are also asking you to exert all necessary efforts to end the 16-year long siege of Gaza, and to actively endorse a political process that would lead to a sustainable and just peace in Palestine.

We hope that our voices as representatives of civil society worldwide will be heard and that the lives of civilians in the Gaza Strip will be spared.

Signatories:

Organizations:

1. 17 Mayıs LGBTQ+ Association – Turkey
2. Acting Out: Voices from the Theatre in Palestine – France/East Jerusalem
3. Action for Hope – Belgium
4. Al Rafedina for Development – Iraq
5. Aljumhuriya collective – Germany
6. Ambulante – Mexico
7. Antalya Feminist ​Collective – Turkey
8. Arab Digital Expression Berlin e.V. – Germany
9. Arab Digital Expression Foundation – Egypt
10. Aradiba Culture Project – Sudan
11. Artas Foundation – Switzerland
12. Associazione Oltre…APS – Italy
13. Bassra Injaz Foundation for development – Iraq
14. Bodrum Women’s Solidarity Association – Turkey
15. Book Forum Foundation – Iraq
16. Bur​Hak Animals Right Center – Turkey
17. CEECCNA Collaborative Fund – Central and Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central and North Asia
18. Centro de Estudios de Derecho, Justicia y Sociedad -Dejusticia – Colombia
19. Codhez – Venezuela
20. Cotranspose – Greece
21. ConArte – Mexico
22. Counterpoints Arts – United Kingdom
23. Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre – United Kingdom
24. Cultural Survival – USA
25. Dancing on the Edge – Netherlands
26. Dawlaty – Lebanon
27. Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) – USA
28. Digital Empowerment Foundation – India
29. Digital Rights Foundation – Pakistan
30. DisCO.coop – Spain
31. Douzan Art and Culture – Syria
32. Equality Studies Association – Turkey
33. Ettijahat Independent Culture – Belgium / Lebanon
34. Fadaat Foundation for Development – Yemen
35. Fanni Raghman Anni – Tunisia
36. Fethiye Women Solidarity Association ((Kadın Dayanışma Derneğ) – Turkey
37. Fondation Marius Jacob – Belgium
38. From the Lips to the Moon – UK
39. Fundación Al Fanar para el Conocimiento Árabe – Spain
40. Guerrilla Foundation – Germany
41. Haitham Teaching Center – Lebanon
42. Haki Nawiri Afrika – Kenya
43. Haringey Welcome – United Kingdom
44. Hessa6 – Libya
45. Hiša! Association for People and Places – Slovenia
46. Hope and Aid Direct – United Kingdom
47. Human Rights Association- Ankara – Turkey
48. In Place of War – UK and Global
49. Jabuti Theatre – Scotland
50. Jihan Seman Center – Syria
51. Kadının İnsan Hakları İçin Kadınlar (Women for Women’s Human Rights) – Turkey
52. Kaos GL Associatiom – Turkey
53. Karwan e Mohabbat – India
54. Kırmızı Biber Women’s Association (Kırmızı Biber Kadın Derneği) – Turkey
55. Koza Women Association – Turkey
56. L’Art Rue – Tunisia
57. London Migration Film Festival
58. Magamba Network – Zimbabwe
59. Mandala Theatre Company – UK
60. Marsa Foundation – Netherlands
61. Megawra – Built Environment Collective – Egypt
62. MedeArts
63. Monstress Mess Kollektiv – Germany
64. Nedkopplat – Swedish podcast – SwedenNew
65. Theatre Institute of Latvia – Latvia
66. Noon for Studies, Research and Documentation – Sudan
67. On Ekim Dayanışması – Turkey
68. Open Art Space – Syria
69. Oyoun Berlin – Germany
70. Racial Equity in Journalism Fund, Borealis Philanthropy – USA
71. Reclaim The Sea – United Kingdom
72. Sable & Chaux – Switzerland
73. SH|FT – Sweden and global
74. Shashat – Tunisian Association for Cinema and Culture – Tunisia
75. Silva – Turkey
76. Stereo for Arts and Culture – Palestine
77. Sudan Film Factory – Sudan
78. Syrian Center for Policy Research – Syria
79. SWAN – Swedish Artist Residency network – Sweden
80. Teatringestazione – Italy
81. The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression – Egypt
82. The Oslo Documentary Cinema (Oslo Dokumentarkino) – Norway
83. The Ultimate Picture Palace – UK
84. The William Gomes Podcast – United Kingdom
85. Udjenza – Malta
86. Unga Klara – Sweden national stage for young audiences – Sweden
87. UNIVEG – Turkey
88. Unlock the Chains Collective – UK
89. Untold Stories e.V. – Germany
90. zusa – art of collaboration – Germany

Individuals:

1. Abigail Gibson – UK
2. Aenan Mohamed Abdel Dafea Ibrahim – Sudan
3. Agnes Kofoed Christianson – Stockholm, Sweden
4. Agneta Fagerström Olsson – Sweden/Jordan
5. Aine Crowley – Ireland
6. Al Hady Al Shawaf – Sudan
7. Amy Enticknap, Artistic Director, Human Story Theatre – UK
8. Anas Younes – Syria
9. April De Angelis
10. Arifa Akbar – UK
11. Ása Richardsdóttir – Iceland
12. Athanasia Kanellopoulou – Greece
13. Basma El Husseiny – Egypt
14. Bassel Amin Monser – Yemen
15. Bek berger – Australia / Latvia
16. Catherine Sykes – UK
17. Damien Toumi – France
18. Despina Panagiotopoulou – Greece
19. Elif Dila Ergenekon – Turkey
20. Elliot Colbert – USA
21. Fairooz Tamimi – Sweden/Jordan
22. Farah AlHAddad – UK
23. Farai Monro – Zimbabwe
24. Fatma Othamn Mohamed Mostafa – Sudan
25. Fiona Yuill – UK
26. Ghassan Rahal – Lebanon
27. Goran Tomka – Serbia
28. Hamam Al Mortada – Libya
29. Hamdi Al Jouini – Tunisia
30. Hanane Hajali – Lebanon
31. Harsh Mander – India
32. Hatan Abo Bakr Alhaj – Sudan
33. Henrik Dahl, actor/director – Sweden
34. Hosam Althani – Libya
35. Idris Ekla – Morocco
36. Ina Riedel – Germany
37. Ivko Sesic – Serbia
38. Jan Gossens – Belgium/Tunisia
39. Jo Ross – UK
40. John King; freelance composer/musician – New York City, USA
41. Jotham Sietsma – Germany
42. Kate O’ Shea – Ireland
43. Kelley Buhles – Switzerland
44. Kholoud Eissa – Egypt
45. Laila Hourani – Syria/Palestine
46. Lamiaa Abdeldaiem – Egypt
47. Laraine Kaizer-Viazovtsev – Finland
48. Lucy Ellinson – UK
49. Lucy Nabijou – UK
50. Lydia Buchner – Italy
51. Maja Pegan – Slovenia
52. Mansoor Al Hajj – Yemen
53. Mariam Metwally – Egypt
54. Marie Paglinghi – Greece
55. Mary Ann DeVlieg – Italy
56. Matt Jennings – Northern Ireland
57. Milan Đorđević – Serbia
58. Milena Dragicevic Sesic – Serbia
59. Mohamed Abo Kasim Mahjoub – Libya
60. Mohamed Osman Ali – Sudan
61. Mohammed Afridi – United Kingdom
62. Mohammed Bassaleh – Morocco
63. Moni Awolesi – USA
64. Mostafa Abd Elghani – Egypt
65. Motaz Abdel Halim Sayed Ahmad – Sudan
66. Mya Fraser – UK
67. Nan van Houte – Netherlands
68. Natasha Badhwar – India
69. Natasja van ‘t Westemde – Netherlands
70. Nelly Abboud – Lebanon
71. Petar Cigic – Serbia
72. Quim Bigas – Spain/Denmark
73. Ranwa Yehia – Egypt
74. Rayya El Zein – United States
75. Richard A Castilla Sippli – Brazil
76. Rita Chadha – UK
77. Roberta Ruggiero – Italy
78. Roger Wilson – UK
79. Rolf Christianson – Sweden
80. Safaa Mohamed Jawad Aldahy – Iraq
81. Saga Björklund Jönsson – Sweden
82. Sarah Clément – France / Spain
83. Seerat Khan – Pakistan
84. Selma Ouissi – Tunisia
85. Serhan Ada – Turkey
86. Shama Alrashid Babikr Mostafa – Sudan
87. Sofiane Ouissi – Tunisia
88. Sonja Jankov – Serbia
89. Stacco Troncoso – Spain
90. Stefania Facco – Italy
91. Stella Loretsyan – Armenia
92. Suroor Mander – India
93. Tareq Omar Andallah Mohamed – Sudan
94. Trevor Richard Wells – Italy
95. Ulrike Zomorrodian – Austria
96. Višnja Kisić – Serbia
97. William Nicholas Gomes – United Kingdom
98. Yasmin Abdel Azim Al Saeed – Sudan
99. Yota Tsotra – Switzerland