HOPE... a universal need in uncertain times. Let's pause, reflect, and recommit to shared humanity and belief in tomorrow.

United Nations Geneva

@UNGeneva

 

Today is #HopeDay — a reminder that hope, even in hardship, remains a transformative force. It can bridge divides, drive progress, and uplift the human spirit. 

 

Let's pause, reflect, and recommit to shared humanity and belief in tomorrow.

 

 https://buff.ly/OByxUdl

In a world facing growing unrest, widening social divisions, and persistent economic and environmental challenges, the global community continues to seek values that unite rather than divide. Among these, hope stands out as a deeply powerful and universally resonant force. Recognizing this, the United Nations General Assembly has designated 12 July as the International Day of Hope—a day to celebrate and promote hope as a guiding principle for individuals, communities, and nations alike.

This resolution draws upon the enduring values of the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which call for peace, dignity, tolerance, and shared progress. It builds on earlier UN initiatives—such as the International Day of Conscience—by highlighting the essential role hope plays in promoting well-being, mutual respect, social stability, and sustainable development.

The declaration of the International Day of Hope is more than symbolic—it is a global invitation to act. It calls on Member States, regional and international bodies, civil society, and individuals to cultivate environments where hope can thrive... READ MORE   https://www.un.org/en/observances/hope-day 

  [AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes or watch videos) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]  

Israel’s underground jail, where Palestinians are held without charge and never see daylight. Exclusive: Detainees at Rakefet include nurse and teenager who have been deprived of natural light since January

Rakefet, part of the prison complex in Ramla, pictured, was reopened under the orders of the far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, in 2023. Photograph: Nir Elias/Reuters

Emma Graham-Harrison in Jerusalem

Sat 8 Nov 2025 03.00 EST

Israel is holding dozens of Palestinians from Gaza isolated in an underground jail where they never see daylight, are deprived of adequate food and barred from receiving news of their families or the outside world.

The detainees include at least two civilians who are being held without charge or trial: a nurse detained in his scrubs, and a young food seller, according to lawyers from the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) who represent both men.

The two men have been kept in the subterranean Rakefet complex since January, and described regular beatings and violence consistent with well-documented torture in other Israeli detention centres.

Rakefet prison was opened in the early 1980s to house a handful of the most dangerous organised crime figures in Israel but closed a few years later on the grounds that it was inhumane. The far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, ordered it back into service after the 7 October attacks in 2023.

The cells, a tiny exercise “yard” and a lawyers’ meeting room are all underground, so inmates live without any natural light.

The jail was initially designed for a small number of high-security inmates occupying individual cells, holding 15 men when it shut in 1985. In recent months, about 100 detainees have been incarcerated there, official data obtained by PCATI shows.

Under the ceasefire agreed in mid-October, Israel released 1,700 Palestinian detainees from Gaza who had been held indefinitely without charge or trial, as well as 250 Palestinian prisoners who had been convicted in Israeli courts.

However, the scale of detentions has been so vast that even after that mass release, at least 1,000 others are still held by Israel under the same conditions.

“Though the war is officially over, [Palestinians from Gaza] are still imprisoned under legally contested and violent wartime conditions that violate international humanitarian law and amount to torture,” PCATI said... READ MORE  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/08/israel-underground-jail-rakefet-palestinians-gaza-detainees 

AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES & QUOTES IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine, or at least fair and just laws and policies] 

"This is what life is like in Gaza. The children aren’t being raised to hate. They’re being raised to be afraid. Afraid of being seen. Afraid of being heard. Not because of anything they or their families did, but because of the constant fear and violence brought by the Israeli military. This fear is shaping their lives. It’s leaving deep, invisible wounds that will take years—if not generations—to heal." Hani Almadhoun

Hani Almadhoun

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Imagine a world where turning on a light could cost you your life. This isn’t a scene from a dystopian movie—it’s the daily reality for my family in Gaza.

 

Just now, I was on the phone with my mom and the rest of the family there. As we talked, one of the kids switched on a flashlight. It was late, and everything around them was pitch black. My mom reacted instantly, her voice tense: “Turn it off. We stay in the dark, because any light can bring complete—and eternal—darkness.”

 

She wasn’t exaggerating. She meant it literally. Even the smallest light can attract a drone—and she could hear one overhead as we spoke.

 

This is what life is like in Gaza. The children aren’t being raised to hate. They’re being raised to be afraid. Afraid of being seen. Afraid of being heard. Not because of anything they or their families did, but because of the constant fear and violence brought by the Israeli military. This fear is shaping their lives. It’s leaving deep, invisible wounds that will take years—if not generations—to heal.

 

And the hardest part? No one in the world has been able to shine a light bright enough to protect them. The people of Gaza are left with nothing but their faith—and the decisions of a right-wing Israeli government that has brought destruction and despair, not just to Gaza, but far beyond it.

 

This isn’t what survival should look like. This is what it means to live in fear, where even a small flashlight can bring disaster. The world needs to know this. And the world needs to care.

We will always carry their memory in all we do...

 António Guterres

@antonioguterres

 

Even in the darkest hours, @‌UN personnel are a constant beacon of hope and light. 

 

As 2024 draws to a close, I pay tribute to them, particularly those who made the ultimate sacrifice in carrying out our vital mission. 

 

We will always carry their memory in all we do.

"Think of Others" Mahmoud Darwish of Palestine

Shereen Audi "I really wanted to spread some hope and positivity and give that feeling to the world and to everyone who needs it... all I wish for Palestine and for our world is peace and light.."

shereen_audi on instagram

#artistvsart2023 🍉It was my honour doing art about Palestine since October helping to draw attention towards the situation in Palestine in a gentle way🇵🇸 even though it’s a very dark and rough time I really wanted to spread some hope and positivity and give that feeling to the world and to everyone who needs it. Now the year is ending and all I wish for Palestine and for our world is peace and light instead of war and hate. May the new year holds nothing but love and light 💡to everyone everywhere . #artistvsart #artistsoninstagram #artforpeace #artforacause #artists #artoftheday #artofinstagram #artforpalestine

shereen_audi

Such a busy day 😅 wait up for my next one ☝️ @thestudio 🍉

 

 

 

 

shereen_audi

 

shereen_audi Collage on paper with the Title: With Love to Palestine 🇵🇸 size 35cm x 43 year : 2023 media : collage on paper in solidarity with the people of Palestine 🇵🇸 #artwork #palestine

shereen_audi

Collage on paper with the Title: With Love to Palestine 🇵🇸 size 35cm x 43 year : 2023 media : collage on paper in solidarity with the people of Palestine 🇵🇸 #artwork #palestine

"The work of Shereen Audi, who splits her time between Canada and Jordan, also serves as a symbol of hope. She has created a number of collages on paper, wood and canvas, including With Love to Palestine, in which she’s used images of lemons, olives, birds, jasmine, poppies and watermelons. These elements represent what Palestine is famous for and what makes it beautiful, she says, and the artwork has been shared far and wide across social media platforms in recent days.

She hopes these new pieces “help draw attention to the situation in this beautiful country that only deserves peace and deserves to stay alive”.

With Love to Palestine is one of her favourites, it gives “a feeling of light in these dark times and a little bit of hope to everyone”, she adds.

She has donated a print of the piece to Gallery Bawa in Kuwait, which is holding an emergency relief sale called Prints for Palestine. All proceeds will be donated to the Kuwait Red Crescent Society. The gallery is collaborating with research platform and collective Mathqaf in Doha, which reached out to the artists involved, and Dubai’s Gulf Photo Plus, which is helping with printing, packaging and shipping."

Arab artists supporting Palestine with bold new works

Horrified by the Israel-Gaza war, many creatives are donating works to raise relief funds for trapped Palestinians

"Pablo Picasso once described artists as political beings, constantly aware of the heartbreaking things happening in the world. “Painting is not made to decorate apartments,” he said. “It’s an offensive and defensive weapon.”

For many artists across the Arab world witnessing the war unfolding in Gaza, weaponising their art has become the only way for them to process the tragedies."... READ MORE https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/art-design/2023/10/30/arab-artists-supporting-palestine-with-bold-new-works/

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES or quotes or watch videos IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

Growing Gardens for Palestine