The Hope of Togetherness
Meeting with Palestinian Civil Defense in Burj El-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp, Beirut, Lebanon. September 2021.
2021 didn’t turn out exactly as any of us planned. I started out with so much hope, but as the year continued, so did the challenges and disappointments of a drawn-out pandemic. Particularly weighing on my mind were Palestinian refugees. They lack adequate medical care without a pandemic and now, when it is more vital, they don’t have equal access to the vaccines. At the beginning of the year, a friend from Jordan died. In May there was an 11-day assault on Gaza. 70% of the population of Gaza are refugees, 1.4 million refugees remained trapped there. And I watched as my beloved Lebanon sunk into the abyss of an economic collapse.
Even amid 2021 trials, I found hope in being together.
During the Israeli operation on Gaza, I saw more of an outpouring of concern for Palestinians in my country. This differed from any other previous operation on Gaza. We saw in real time the horrors and injustice perpetrated on a population of refugees. People were confused and angry and a result more sought Palestinian narrative. Many told me how ignorant they were about the situation. This was an excellent starting point for us to learn more about Palestinians, their stories, and history. Knowledge, compassion, and advocacy rose to the surface during the bloodshed.
Together, in pain for the suffering of others.
In August, I finally snapped watching the fuel crisis in Lebanon. I decided I would go to Beirut as soon as possible and bring medication that the country was lacking. After 18 months of telling me it was too dangerous to go, my board of directors agreed it was time. When I put out a request for funding for over-the-counter medication, people responded right away. We raised $10,000 in a week. ONE WEEK! And one week later, I was in Beirut. With the help of Lebanese friends, we delivered 250 pounds of medication to the American University of Beirut Medical Center within 12 hours of landing on the ground. On a personal note, it was lifegiving for me to go back and see people in the flesh and be with them.
Together, meeting needs of others.
When a friend died in Jordan, we realized the entire staff of Hopes were taking her death hard, after a year of losses and anxiety. We organized a mental health and wellness retreat for these women to help them process the grief of 2020 and now 2021. Counselors in the US and Jordan gave and supported this effort because they knew the importance of holistically caring for marginalized women. We could invest in these women’s health to make sure they can continue to invest in their community.
Together, supporting women.
When I look back on this year, that is what I remember, the hope of what we could accomplish TOGETHER. That’s the goal for me, to join us all together. For people here to know and advocate on behalf of Palestinian refugees. And for Palestinian refugees to know there are others with resources and rights that are fighting for them to have the same.
Hope is a tricky thing. Because for me there isn’t a lot of hope that the situation will improve or that I’ll see justice for Palestinians in this lifetime. Maybe that’s not the point. Maybe it’s not about me. Maybe it’s continuing to strive and fight and learn and follow Palestinians’ leadership. Maybe it’s not about giving up because it’s too hard or because I can’t really make a difference, anyway. Maybe it’s about aligning myself with Palestinian refugees and amplifying their voices.
Maybe, just maybe, it’s about using my talents, rights, and privilege not for my gain, but for others, particularly the OTHER. What if we could build a more equitable table for all, for those looked down on by society, for those who have failed, for those with different skin colors and religions, for those on the margins, for those powerless?
Together, we can.
#Giving Tuesday is coming up on November 30th and I am sold out on a global giving movement. The idea of radical generosity and that someone’s suffering should be as intolerable as our own. That on one day, we focus on giving back to others during our holiday season —to give financially, to champion, and to volunteer to lighten the burden of another. Isn’t that the meaning of Christmas, anyway?
Together, giving to others.
People ask me how I hold on to hope for the Palestinians after 18 years? My hope is in the individual Palestinians I know fighting to make their communities a better place. In Lebanon, refugees volunteer with Palestinian Civil Defense risking their lives by putting out fires, giving medical attention, and fighting COVID in their communities.
In Jordan, the staff of Hopes For Women worked hard to receive their education and degrees. They became leaders in the camp as they served their communities. They continue to mentor other women and offer them a safe space to learn, grow, and have community together.
This is my hope. The invitation is open for you to join us.
Together, in hope.