No images? Click here Advocacy for People on the Move April 2020 Issue No. 90Quotation of the month
Advocacy for People on the MoveA staff member from MCC partner Popular Aid for Relief and Development (PARD) prepares to distribute MCC blankets and relief items in Tyre, Lebanon. (MCC Photo/Evangeline Hammond) Every Wednesday night in Ottawa, people come out on their balconies and front porches to cheer on health care workers. In the midst of this pandemic, an entire city is taking a few moments to remind ourselves that we are connected to one another. Neighbours are shopping for each other and social media is providing spaces of connection. These actions remind us that global support for peacebuilding and human dignity is more critical than ever as part of the care we share for one another. In times of crisis and social isolation, our vision of seeing communities worldwide reconciled with God, one another and creation is vitally important. We are deeply concerned therefore, with an increase in xenophobia and rhetoric that blames migrants worldwide for the spread of COVID-19. The pandemic is increasing the urgent needs and human rights challenges faced by people on the move, from Guatemala to Gaza and everywhere in between, as existing inequalities are exacerbated. Many migrant populations do not have access to proper sanitation, health resources, basic income or access to government supports to withstand physical distancing measures. We are thankful for the Canadian government's funding commitments for humanitarian support in recent weeks, but also believe that Canada can do more. We ask for continued aid for the global response, along with support directed around the world to the grassroots organizations who are doing the important task of meeting migrant needs and engaging in peacebuilding and human rights work. Local communities and organizations are best positioned to respond to the crisis in creative ways that meet the needs of their specific contexts. We ask that all government decisions and agreements, whether around aid, trade, or asylum seekers on our own border, uphold the dignity of people on the move, regardless of legal status or citizenship. Join us in sending a message to the Canadian government and sharing your support for human rights and peace for people on the move. More than ever, this is a time to remind decision makers that we continue to pay attention to those beyond our borders and that our well-being depends on our ability to care for one another. Bethlehem and COVID-19Bethlehem, West Bank. (MCC photo/Elizabeth Kessler, 2017) “Oh little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie” is no longer just a Christmas carol. It is now the daily experience of all Bethlehemites. An eerie stillness has descended on Bethlehem and the surrounding towns. Virtually every public and private gathering place has been closed on the orders of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Covid-19 was first discovered in the West Bank when seven employees of Beit Jala’s Angel Hotel were found to be infected on March 5, 2020—and suddenly, Palestinian life under Israeli military occupation became more difficult. Israel’s Minister of Defense ordered a quarantine of Bethlehem, and the PA moved decisively to contain the virus by declaring a state of emergency for the entire West Bank and Gaza Strip. To learn more about how Bethlehemites are coping with COVID-19, Israel’s closure and the PA’s state of emergency, Paul Parker, Peace Program Coordinator for MCC in Palestine, walked the silent streets of Bethlehem to meet with Mr. Zoughbi AlZoughbi, Director of Wi’am: The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center, an MCC partner. Zoughbi shared: The economic picture is not good. Although we understand that the PA’s order to close businesses is necessary to protect us, it’s unfortunate because when people don’t work, they don’t get paid. Israel’s occupation has already caused high unemployment and a low standard of living in the West Bank and Gaza, and now it’s worse. COVID-19 is a pandemic that crosses the state borders of Israel and Palestine and affects Jews, Muslims and Christians alike. Israelis and Palestinians need to resist the dangerous movement toward racial and religious exclusivism. This virus proves that we are all one, equally threatened by COVID-19. Israel and this situation need to change. We must live together in peace, working together for everyone’s well-being—Israeli and Palestinian—Jews, Muslims and Christians. There is no security in Israel unless there is also security in Palestine. The new name of the game is inclusivity and equality. As a Christian Palestinian, I ask my Christian sisters and brothers not to forget us in our time of need. Call us. Send us emails. Pray for us. When it is again permitted, come visit us. We, who are “living stones” in the Holy Land, represent you in the land where Jesus was born, lived, taught, was killed, and resurrected. We need to know that you care. Read the full story here.
MCC Ottawa UpdateA photo taken during a typical MCC Ottawa Office staff meeting during social distancing measures. (top l-r) Anna Vogt, Leona Lortie, (bottom l-r) Silke Groeneweg, Rebekah Sears. (MCC Photo/Leona Lortie) Covid-19 has changed the way the Ottawa Office works in many ways. We all work from home, we have even more virtual meetings than normal, and we check-in on each other much more intentionally. However, our work has not changed dramatically. As we try to keep up with rapidly changing political and social developments, we are keenly aware that advocacy efforts for the most vulnerable are needed more than ever. We are also consistently reminded that our work would not be possible without our partners, networks, and supporters. Thank you for working with us for justice, peace and human dignity. |