Voices from the South Newsletter

The ongoing war has highlighted the urgent need for the wider international community to demand an end to the occupation, apartheid, and Israel’s settler colonialism in Palestine.

Although this movement is intensifying because of the war in Gaza and the annihilation of over 36,000 Palestinian people and tens of thousands more injured, turning a specific political conflict into a civilian carnage, this growing network of global solidarity is a product of 75 years of longstanding suffering, denial of fundamental rights and freedoms, forced displacement, home demolitions, confiscation of land and natural resources of the Palestinians in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), the refugee camps, the 1948 occupied areas and in the diaspora.

“That’s the global challenge we’ve accepted: to make all the efforts to mobilize human rights activists, civil society organizations, independent media, governments and every citizen with a conscience to stand for Palestine. To that we are committed and we shall not stop until our purpose is fulfilled.”

For us, who come from the Global South – this article is signed by Felipe Bianchi and Maria Luiza Freire from Brazil; Deekshya Illangasinghe from Sri Lanka; and Mays Nassar from Palestine – being part of this movement is not only a matter of solidarity, but it means defending our very existence. Our south based delegation to the First Global Anti-Apartheid Conference on Palestine in Johannesburg was a commitment to enforcing alliances through the most affected and neglected zones of the globe.

Our participation was a transformative and enlightening experience. This important conference successfully connected and positioned the Palestinian struggle for self-determination within the broader global movement against colonialism and all forms of structural and institutionalized racism.

For Mays Nassar, the delegate from Kairos Palestine, the conference emphasized the profound solidarity that exists worldwide for our struggle. “It was inspiring to witness the global community’s commitment to our justice and human rights” says Mays.

“The speeches, discussions and workshops reaffirmed the legitimacy of our fight against the oppressive Israeli apartheid regime and reinforced the idea that sustained global pressure and solidarity are crucial in dismantling oppressive regimes”.

Photo: First Global Anti-Apartheid Conference for Palestine, Facebook. Photo credit @alaisterrussell

Palestine is definitely one of the most important issues of our generation and time. From a global south perspective, we believe that the answers and resolutions that the states and international bodies will give to the Palestinian humanitarian cause, will establish the framework in which each and every modern international humanitarian issue will be addressed.

The global south had overlapping issues such as conflict, socio-economic crises, migration and natural hazards more than any other group of countries.

From colonial and imperialist occupation, to land dispute, people displacement, genocides, reproductive and sexual violence, we have historically struggled against a global system that often feeds on the underdevelopment and lack of sovereignty of our countries. With mainstream western media support and the silence of so many actors of the international community, Israel takes this bloody game to another level and it must be stopped.

As voices from the global south and in this critical moment of Palestinian struggle as we watch the emerging genocide and ethnic cleansing of our fellow Palestinians being live streamed on our screens, we firmly believe that standing with Palestine means defending freedom and justice everywhere.

Recreating the anti-apartheid global wave is mandatory in order to challenge and change the narrative on the domination project installed by hegemonic states towards any vulnerable community. And what better place than South Africa to start with this movement?! What better land than Nelson Mandela’s and so many important freedom fighters that defeated the racist apartheid system back in the day?!

And a place where the South African government has brought the State of Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) related to the “Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip”. Following the Global Conference, we have observed closely the ICJ issuing an important ruling, ordering Israel to immediately halt its military offensive in the Rafah Governorate and any actions that could lead to the physical destruction of Palestinians, potentially constituting genocide under international law. The case marks the first explicit ICJ order for Israel to cease operations in a specific area of Gaza. South Africa’s foreign ministry chief, Zane Dangor, hailed the ruling as groundbreaking, while ICJ judge Nawaf Salam emphasized the disastrous humanitarian situation in Rafah.

Besides that, new states such as Norway, Spain and Ireland now recognize the Palestinian State, adding up to a total of 145 supporting countries.

That’s the global challenge we’ve accepted: to make all the efforts to mobilize human rights activists, civil society organizations, independent media, governments and every citizen with a conscience to stand for Palestine. To that we are committed and we shall not stop until our purpose is fulfilled.

Photo: First Global Anti-Apartheid Conference for Palestine, Facebook. Photo credit @alaisterrussell

Palestine will be free, from the River to the Sea!

Photo credits: Global Anti-Apartheid Conference on Palestine