𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔.” - Eleanor Roosevelt, US First Lady 1933-1945 and Chair of the drafting committee of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

 United Nations Geneva

@UNGeneva

 

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔.” - Eleanor Roosevelt, US First Lady 1933-1945 and Chair of the drafting committee of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights  https://x.com/UNGeneva/status/1992850779430846743/photo/1

 

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Universal Declaration of Human Rights

https://www.un.org/en/about-us/udhr/history-of-the-declaration 

History of the Declaration  

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948, was the result of the experience of the Second World War. With the end of that war, and the creation of the United Nations, the international community vowed to never again allow atrocities like those of that conflict to happen again. World leaders decided to complement the UN Charter with a road map to guarantee the rights of every individual everywhere. The document they considered, and which would later become the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, was taken up at the first session of the General Assembly in 1946.  

 

"Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world..."   https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

moh.art_ "To the wonderful Miss Rachel, From the hearts of the children of Gaza and everyone who still believes in hope — thank you. You are not only a teacher or a creator, but a mother to every child, spreading joy and strength where pain lives. The dress you wore, made from the drawings of Gaza’s children, is more than fabric — it is a message of love, resilience, and peace from small hearts that still dare to dream...."

moh.art_

To the wonderful Miss Rachel,  

From the hearts of the children of Gaza and everyone who still believes in hope — thank you. You are not only a teacher or a creator, but a mother to every child, spreading joy and strength where pain lives.
The dress you wore, made from the drawings of Gaza’s children, is more than fabric — it is a message of love, resilience, and peace from small hearts that still dare to dream.
I am a graphic designer from Gaza, the eldest in my family after losing my father. I draw from my heart — and I create art for anyone willing to support me, so I can provide for my loved ones.
Thank you for standing with us, for being our voice, and for bringing light to Gaza’s children ❤️
@msrachelforlittles

 https://www.instagram.com/p/DQv3pzKCG3G/

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Lilies of Gaza – Women Artists in Times of War

PALESTINE: Lilies of Gaza – Women Artists in Times of War- artist unknown

 

PALESTINE: Lilies of Gaza – Women Artists in Times of War- artist unknown

PALESTINE: Lilies of Gaza – Women Artists in Times of War- artist unknown

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1196569622518951&set=pcb.1196569662518947

Bright Stars of Bethlehem

“Our aim is that our people, who admire stars, will dare to look up and dream, to believe in goals to strive for, and develop a new sense of hope, community, beauty, and faith.” Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb

Bright Stars of Bethlehem raises awareness and support for Dar al-Kalima University, the first and only university for arts, culture, and design in all of Palestine. Bright Stars is a 501c3 nonprofit organization born out of the vision of Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb and his outreach ministry in Bethlehem in the mid-90s. The desire to help the people of Palestine flourish and have life in abundance has gained supporters around the US. Rev. Raheb, with key US supporters, created an independent U.S.-based nonprofit organization founding Bright Stars of Bethlehem in 2004. https://www.brightstarsbethlehem.org/about

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GLAMOUR: Ms. Rachel’s Dress at the Glamour Women of the Year 2025 Awards Has a Special Meaning

GLAMOUR: Ms. Rachel’s Dress at the Glamour Women of the Year 2025 Awards Has a Special Meaning- Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Get exclusive details behind her incredible look.

 

By Anna Moeslein

November 4, 2025

Ms. Rachel’s dress at the Glamour Women of the Year 2025 Awards proves that she wears her heart on her sleeve—sometimes literally. Rachel Accurso (or as you know her, Ms. Rachel) continued her advocacy work for the children of Gaza by attending the 2025 Glamour Women of the Year Awards in a dress that had a very special meaning behind it.

Glamour has learned exclusively that ahead of the event, which took place on November 4 at the Plaza in New York City, Ms. Rachel asked kids from Gaza to make artwork that told their stories, and then had their pictures embroidered onto an upcycled dress that she purchased for the event. We’re told she knows the meaning behind each artwork, and her hope is that she will elevate these children’s stories, and so many others, by wearing them tonight.

“I’m thinking about all the little ones there and what we can do for them,” she told livestream hosts Brooks and Grace Ann Nader on the red carpet, adding that she also has pictures of all the children with her.... READ MORE 

 https://www.glamour.com/story/ms-rachel-dress-at-the-glamour-women-of-the-year-2025-awards

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"Settler violence, carried out under the protection and encouragement of Israeli authorities, is an inseparable part of the Jewish supremacy regime, which perpetrates genocide in the Gaza Strip and forcibly displaces thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank."

https://x.com/btselem/status/1966063601292120437

Every day, settlers invade Palestinian lands to "demonstrate presence" and instill fear: through shouting, property vandalism, trespassing into homes and yards of families, riding ATVs through homes and sheep pens, filming, and creating provocations.

Sometimes these routine harassments escalate into severe violence and even killing. 

Settler violence, carried out under the protection and encouragement of Israeli authorities, is an inseparable part of the Jewish supremacy regime, which perpetrates genocide in the Gaza Strip and forcibly displaces thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank.

The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories

Stop the genocide. Now.

B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم

 

 

 

 B’Tselem – The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories strives for a future in which human rights, liberty and equality are guaranteed to all people, Palestinian and Jewish alike, living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Such a future will only be possible when the Israeli occupation and apartheid regime end. That is the future we are working towards. B’Tselem (in Hebrew literally: in the image of), the name chosen for the organization by the late Member of Knesset Yossi Sarid, is an allusion to Genesis 1:27: “And God created humankind in His image. In the image of God did He create them.” The name expresses the universal and Jewish moral edict to respect and uphold the human rights of all people.   https://www.btselem.org/about_btselem

https://www.btselem.org/ 

Israel’s regime of apartheid and occupation is inextricably bound up in human rights violations. B’Tselem strives to end this regime, as that is the only way forward to a future in which human rights, democracy, liberty and equality are ensured to all people, both Palestinian and Israeli, living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.

Since the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, Israel has acted in a coordinated and deliberate manner to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip, committing genocide against its residents. In light of Israel’s actions in Gaza, the public statements made by Israeli decision-makers, and the international community’s failure to take effective action, there is a serious risk that the Israeli regime will expand the genocide to other areas under its control—first and foremost, the West Bank.

B’Tselem calls on the Israeli public and the international community to use every tool available under international law to bring an immediate end to Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.

Ongoing: Palestinians in West Bank forcibly transferred under cover of Gaza war (41 communities as of 7 Sept. 25)  Updated list  https://www.btselem.org/settler_violence_updates_list?importance=1

New report: Our Genocide   https://www.btselem.org/

For nearly two years, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza, acting in a systematic, deliberate way to destroy Palestinian society there through mass killing, causing serious bodily and mental harm and creating catastrophic conditions that prevent its continued existence in Gaza. Israel is openly promoting ethnic cleansing and the destruction of life-sustaining infrastructure for individuals and the group, with 2 million people starved, displaced, bombed and left by the world to die. The genocide must be stopped.

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Please don’t succumb to hopelessness over Palestine... "As the war gets livestreamed to our phones, it is easy to be overwhelmed and feel helpless. But even small acts of activism add up" Arwa Mahdawi in The Guardian

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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/sep/02/please-dont-succumb-to-hopelessness-over-palestine-your-voice-can-still-make-a-difference

It is hard to stay hopeful in today’s “monstrous times”, but for the sake of the people bearing the brunt of modern monstrosities, it is imperative that we do.

Your voice can still make a difference

Arwa Mahdawi

Tue 2 Sep 2025 

‘It is hard to stay hopeful in monstrous times’ … A pro-Palestinian demonstration in Warsaw, Poland. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

I don’t know if Frankenstein star Christoph Waltz is normally a man of few words but he didn’t have much to say at a recent Venice film festival press conference. Waltz uttered only six words, with “CGI is for losers” constituting four of them. The remaining two were “I don’t”, in response to a question about how he stays hopeful in today’s “monstrous times”.

Waltz is certainly not alone in despairing of a world which seems to elevate liars, cheats, and adjudicated sexual predators. It’s hard to feel hope when a genocide has been livestreamed to our phones for almost two years and there is no justice in sight; just a systematic slaughter of the journalists who serve as messengers. No peace prospects on the horizon; just well-paid consultants putting together ethnic cleansing prospectuses so a “Gaza Riviera” can be built. (Oh, sorry, we’re supposed to say “voluntary relocation”, aren’t we?)

As a British Palestinian, I urge you to keep (or start!) speaking up for Gaza and Palestinians. The situation in Gaza and the West Bank gets worse daily. But please do not succumb to hopelessness or assume that you are powerless to change things. While it may seem like nothing will shame politicians into meaningfully upholding international human rights law, your voice does make a difference. Writing to your MP; protesting; donating; supporting the Freedom Flotilla Coalition; advocating online; boycotting companies such as Airbnb which profit from illegal settlements. These sorts of things do make a difference.

Plenty of people are keen to tell you otherwise. There is a certain form of hopelessness that has been repackaged as sensible centrist thinking. Don’t bother with your silly little acts of activism or your social media posts, these people will tell you, they won’t achieve anything.

Look, for example, at the contemptuous reaction in many quarters to Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey’s decision to boycott King Charles’s state banquet for Trump in protest over Gaza. Per a sneering piece in the Telegraph, this boycott “betrays a serious lack of seriousness”. Davey would be far more serious, apparently, if he just joined other politicians in doing nothing, except perhaps issuing an occasional statement expressing “serious concern” about Israel bombing another hospital or executing another aid worker.

Of course, Davey’s boycott won’t shame Trump into acting. But it might cause someone to think more deeply about the perverseness of holding an extravagant state banquet while a US-enabled Israel, which has a history of weaponising food and controlling the calorie intake of a captive Gaza population, has orchestrated a human-made famine. It may pressure other politicians into some sort of action.... READ MORE  https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/sep/02/please-dont-succumb-to-hopelessness-over-palestine-your-voice-can-still-make-a-difference

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If I Must Die a book of poetry and prose by Refaat Alareer of Palestine: "If I must die, let it bring hope, let it be a tale..."

 

If I Must Die by Refaat Alareer (Author), Yousef M. Aljamal (Compiler), Susan Abulhawa (Foreword)

“If I must die, let it bring hope, let it be a tale.”

This rich, elegiac compilation of work from the late Palestinian poet and professor, Refaat Alareer, brings together his marvelous poetry and deeply human writing about literature, teaching, politics, and family.

The renowned poet and literature professor Refaat Alareer was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City alongside his brother, sister, and nephews in December 2023. He was just forty-four years old, but had already established a worldwide reputation that was further enhanced when, in the wake of his death, the poem that gives this book its title became a global sensation. “If I Must Die” is included here, alongside Refaat’s other poetry.

Refaat wrote extensively about a range of topics: teaching Shakespeare and the way Shylock could be appreciated by young Palestinian students; the horrors of living under repeated brutal assaults in Gaza, one of which, in 2014, killed another of his brothers; and the generosity of Palestinians to each other, fighting, in the face of it all, to be the one paying at the supermarket checkout.

Such pieces, some never before published, have been curated here by one of Refaat’s closest friends and collaborators. This collection forms a fitting testament to a remarkable writer, educator, and activist, one whose voice will not be silenced by death but will continue to assert the power of learning and humanism in the face of barbarity.   

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble 

Refaat Alareer, poet born and died in Gaza, Palestine

Refaat Alareer was killed because his message reached the world