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By David Harrop
Mick, a retired UK social employee, has launched into his solo 3500 km trek as an act of Palestinian solidarity. He has been a long-time supporter of liberation from oppression and of difficult human rights points.
Figuring out that my pal Mick is at present enterprise a hike from the refugee camps of Calais to the Palestinian refugee camps of the West Financial institution, I used to be wanting to learn the latest article “Boycott Israel Trek; Don’t Spring Break in an Apartheid State”, written by Nadine Bahour in Mondoweiss.
This text reviews that Harvard college students are being invited to trek by way of Israel throughout their college holidays, while seemingly side-stepping any consideration of the persevering with Palestinian occupation. Outwardly, this seems to be yet one more manifestation of the continuing means of Hasbara; a course of from the Ministry of strategic affairs that seeks to form narratives and counter-propagandize any pro-Palestinian narrative.
In distinction, Mick, a retired UK social employee, has launched into his solo 3500 km trek as an act of Palestinian solidarity. He has been a long-time supporter of liberation from oppression and of difficult human rights points. He has beforehand visited the West Financial institution, typically in autumn to volunteer with the annual olive harvest, the place his 2-meter plus body is a welcome addition when reaching the uppermost branches!
As a lifelong commerce unionist and officer, he has contacted many worldwide union colleagues on his route and is keen to share his story with worldwide comrades. He will even be blissful to just accept any acts of generosity akin to a mattress, a bathe, or a meal that may current themselves on the best way.
He’s hoping that every now and then he could have the corporate of touring companions who may fall in line with him. He has already skilled sizzling sunny days in addition to moist and chilly days and has skilled solidarity, hospitality, and assist.
Clearly, the separation partitions received’t fall due to this stroll, nor will the settlements or checkpoints be dismantled. The jail gates received’t burst open, nor will Palestinian youngsters be allowed to develop up liberated and in freedom, however the expedition is but an additional motion that’s undertaken in protest, and to lift consciousness of those persevering with human rights abuses.
Mick Bowman, a retired UK social employee, has launched into his solo 3500 km trek as an act of Palestinian solidarity.
Mick Bowman, a retired UK social employee, has launched into his solo 3500 km trek as an act of #SolidarityWithPalestinianPeople . pic.twitter.com/OqPW3gr1A0
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 24, 2023
When difficult overwhelming armed oppression, the character of protest must be ingenious and must take an strategy that isn’t head-on. In each Calais and Palestine, the continued compliance or inaction of governments implies that extra nuanced and artistic actions that are repeatedly being undertaken by teams and people develop into essential to protest, elevate consciousness and specific solidarity.
Evolution tells us that the method of change is inexorable. Figuring out this, we have to wrestle for the form of change that accords with the widespread values of human justice and liberation and use all means to realize this.
What we all know from the decline of the British Empire to the break-up of the Soviet Union, to the tip of South African apartheid, is that oppressive regimes can and do ultimately finish. We all know that the deaths of Trayvon Martin and George Floyd have develop into the catalysts for the worldwide BLM motion to problem state brutality when reactions of anger metamorphize into responses of motion with a perception for a brand new order.
Inside this, a multiplicity of small acts can ultimately contribute to the butterfly impact. Oppressive regimes have an influence that’s based upon navy, financial, and political management. They’ll solely be challenged by humanitarian responses that are knowledgeable by rules of generosity, reality, consciousness, and compassion.
Arguably it’s the collective actions of grassroots people and actions that are the brokers of change. They should have the capability to assume outdoors of the field and to have the ability to collectively problem narratives that normalize oppression.
This stroll will elevate consciousness as one other motion to hopefully mobilize and have interaction common creativeness in regards to the persevering with occupation. Therefore it’s not solely incumbent on the stroll to be undertaken and accomplished, however equally for the phrase to be unfold about it, to amass consciousness about one man’s actions to make an announcement of solidarity in regards to the transgenerational oppression of Palestinians.
It’s the form of motion that reminds you that the method of caring about folks is at all times a verb i.e., you might want to do one thing for it to occur. It’s the accumulation of many such small actions which contribute to the potential for bigger freedoms.
While the occupation is militarized and weaponized, it stays incumbent on those that search to oppose to discover unarmed strategies to problem oppression. To commit the primary yr of your retirement to stroll throughout Europe as an act of solidarity stays an act of decided protest towards the continuing abuse of human rights and of injustice.
In contrast to the contributors of the Harvard College trekking throughout Israel, this has not been laid on a plate by a authorities that’s searching for to make use of eco-tourism to scrub its personal picture. Reasonably that is one individual’s energy of consciousness and willpower to precise their solidarity within the means of searching for justice.
– David Harrop is an unbiased UK-registered social employee and co-founder of Palestine UK Social Work Community (PALUK) in 2011. Contact the creator at his handle e mail: harrop_david@yahoo.co.uk. He contributed this text to The Palestine Chronicle.
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