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Hey y’all,

This is my first post in a while as I am just returning from a 3 month learning-sabbatical in Brazil. Being outside the US where the global majority is unified in its outrage and solidarity with Palestine, only to return to a place where people are still debating what to call it and who is more worthy of peace is disorienting and discouraging.

But I found some hope this week in the small and big acts of people around the country who organized to use their votes to hold this administration accountable and say “no more no further”.

We only have power if we use it. And at a time when the political process is becoming increasingly divorced from the will of the people, it is essential that we not just use it, but we use it skillfully and strategically. Palestinians and protestors around the world have shown us what it looks like to use our power. Now we, Americans, have to do our part and use our power to demand a permanent ceasefire and an end to the violence. And that is just the beginning of our work to decolonize ourselves and this system we are a part of.

Che Guevara once said “I envy you. You North Americans are very lucky. You are fighting the most important fight of all—you live in the belly of the beast.” This moment is calling us to play our part in dismantling the imperialist beast from within. May use and organize our power towards a better future for all.

Kerri she/her

Art by @Raeekayassaie

NTK (need to know)

1. Never Again. While “the richest, most powerful countries in the western world, those who believe themselves to be the keepers of the flame of the modern world’s commitment to democracy and human rights, are openly financing and applauding Israel’s genocide in Gaza”, the people (who have flooded the streets around the world millions of protestors on the streets of Europe and the US) are the hope for the future of the world. Arundhati Roy on “never again”...again.

2. Whats at stake? Everything. Besides the catastrophic global implications of an ongoing siege of Rafah and what is left of Palestine are more intimate threats to us at home. Enter Project 2025 - The Christian tight’s dystopian plan to destroy civil rights and dismantle democracy as we know it. The plan is a very real (and terrifying) glimpse into the future if Republicans gain control of the WH.

3. The commitment of the uncommitted. Over a quarter million Democrats have voted “uncommitted” in the primaries (including in multiple “swing states” that were essential to Biden’s 2020 victory) sending a clear message that our votes are not a given, but need to be earned. Uncommitted or “no preference” voters are abandoning Biden so much as they are holding him accountable for not honoring the will of the people. The growing movement is a testament to our power and what is possible when we wield it. Here’s what you need to know and where the movement goes next.

4. Where we go from here. As we continue to organize and build power, we must wield it strategically. So much is hinging on whether or not the Biden administration will finally listen and respond to the majority of Americans who want a permanent cease-fire and end unrestricted military aid to Israel. Tune in tonight as WFP responds to the State of the Union and puts forth a plan for economic, social and racial justice in this election and beyond.

5. The future. “Palestinians are one of the final reminders that a future without colonialism is possible. Right now, we continue to prepare for a future without colonialism while so many powers across the world are preparing for a world without Palestinians. Our presence and persistence reveal a dangerous truth. We are not only a register of love and life in the most precious and precarious of ways, we are a register of what is real.” Devin Atallah AND Sarah Imhoud on what’s at stake in a world without Palestinians.

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Solidarity

But the electoral process is not the only way (nor the best way) to bring about transformative change. Politics is one critical tactic towards harm reduction (especially in this moment), but we need to work change at every level - the level of personal in how we examine our beliefs and behaviors, the level of social in how we take care of each other and repair harm, the level of culture in how we build new stories of who we are and what’s possible, and the level of spirit in how we recover our human nature from the project of domination.

STAY CURIOUS, ASK HARD QUESTIONS: It is especially important that we, the creators of change, change ourselves. Because systems don’t just create themselves, people create them. So we need to become the change we wish to see in the world - which means taking a good hard look at how we’ve been shaped, howe we’re internalizing and replicating dominant patterns and tactics, how we be with each other across difference and conflict, and how we decolonize our imagination so that we can bring forth a future that is beyond that which we have inherited.

EMBODY YOUR VALUES: This where the personal meets the political and turns theory into praxis…through where we put our attention and energy, how we show up. and speak up for justice, how we spend our money, how we vote, etc.

DO SOMETHING: Being a citizen comes with responsibility. It is our job to hold our elected officials accountable to the will of the voters. That means doing your homework, making calls, having conversations with your peers and voting up and down the ballot.

Art: @ARestfulSpace

Digging Deeper

I frequently get asked the question whether I feel hope or despair in these times. To be honest, I struggle to answer it… think because I often feel both at the same time. I really love this take from @DismantlingTheMastersTools that suggests the two can co-exist. She asks “what if we could relate to despair less as a destination to which we are eternally doomed and more as a data point that illuminates the gaps in our relationship with hope in any given moment.” In fact the etymology of the word “despair” means “down from hope” Here are some reflection prompts to help us discern and dig deeper:

• Are we away from hope because we are not clear or aligned on where we are going (goals)?

• Are we away from hope because we are afraid we will not reach this goal?

• Are we away from hope because we are struggling to tolerate disappointment?

• Are we away from hope because upon encountering obstacles we cannot find alternatives to reach our goal?

• Are we away from hope because we ultimately do not belief we will get there?

There are no wrong answers to this inquiry, rather more clarity on where we are and what we need to practice hope.

Source: Dismantling The Masters Tools

We-ness

Stay human.

Thanks for subscribing to WELLREAD. For the last six years we’ve been providing folks with the need to know (NTK) news, calls to actions and resources for how to stay engaged and resourced along the way. But now, we’ve added an option to “upgrade to paid” to help sustain our work. While we will never put our content behind a pay wall, we depend on the support of our community to keep us going. 💛

Upgrade to paid