We Are Not Numbers- Palestinian youth tell their human stories behind the numbers in the news

 

get involved https://wearenotnumbers.org/get-involved/

You too can help the youth of Gaza share their stories by:

• Donating money to help pay a monthly stipend to the three Gaza youth on our project team, transportation expenses for the participating writers (many of whom could not otherwise afford to travel to workshops), rent office space, rent video equipment, etc. Even a donation of $5 helps!
• Publicizing our website by sharing the link with friends and family via social media and email.
• Finding other media willing to re-publish our participants’ stories, such as relevant websites and university or hometown newspapers. If you have a suggestion and/or can introduce us to an appropriate contact, email Pam Bailey (pam@wearenotnumbers.org).

Don’t forget to sign up to receive via email each new story posted to the website!

Meanwhile, other sites that are useful for up-to-date Palestinian news are Palestine Chronicle,  Mondoweiss, AlJazeera, Middle East Eye, The New Arab and Ma’an News. Educate yourself, then:

• Write letters to the editor when you read media coverage that is incorrect or incomplete.
  

.... We Are Not Numbers (WANN) is a youth-led Palestinian nonprofit project in the Gaza Strip. It tells the stories behind the numbers of Palestinians in the news and advocates for their human rights. WANN was founded and conceived in early 2015 by the American journalist Pam Bailey. The project was brought to fruition by Dr Ramy Abdu, chairman of the board of directors at Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor (Euro-Med Monitor). WANN is registered under the umbrella of Euro-Med and its fiscal sponsor is Nonviolence International, a U.S. organization.

Our Story During the Israeli military attack against Palestinians in the summer of 2014, Ahmed Alnaouq’s 23-year-old brother, Ayman, was killed by an Israeli missile while simply walking on the street near his home in Dir-Al-Balah. Ahmed sunk into depression from which he thought he would never return to normal life again. During this time, he met Pam Bailey, who encouraged him to write his story.

The story resonated with and attracted a great deal of attention from people in the West. As a result, established and aspiring “word artists” from around the world joined with youth in Gaza, and now, West Bank and the diaspora, to create We Are Not Numbers. Through this platform, we share and celebrate the stories, daily personal struggles and triumphs, the tears and the laughter, and the aspirations of Palestinians that are so universal that if it were not for the context, they would immediately resonate with virtually everyone.

 

Statement of solidarity with Palestine from Kenyan artists to WANN writers... 

"... We are outraged by the mainstream media’s continuous complicity in dehumanizing Palestinians and silencing their narrative.

We denounce antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, and all acts of violence and terrorism in all forms. We believe every human life matters and every human being deserves to live a life of dignity.

We are moved by the Palestinian people’s resilience, strength, and spirit and the fearlessness of the Jewish people who are speaking up against what the state of the Israel is committing in their name.

We call on all people of conscience to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the safe release of all hostages. We firmly believe lasting peace and security can only be attained through political solutions that bring an end to Israeli military occupation and state violence against Palestinians.... "