Social Justice Committee E-Newsletter for June - Supporting Social Justice Issues Around the World

Supporting Social Justice Issues Around the World

**Please note that this article topic was established prior to the nationwide protesting occurring at many college campuses.  

Many of us have watched in horror and confusion at what has been happening in Israel and Gaza since October 7th. Not knowing what to do to help, the context of the conflict, or how it matters to us as social workers can feel overwhelming. As social workers, it is important for us to understand the history, how the US has been involved, and why this is not a political debate but a humanitarian issue. Most importantly, however, is for us to know what we can do to help. 

The fighting between Israel and Palestine goes back decades and has been influenced throughout by the US’s and other countries' involvement. Every year since WW2, the US has passed budgets that send massive amounts of aid to Israel. Per a report published on March 1, 2023 by the Congressional Research Center, “To date, the United States has provided Israel $158 billion (current, or non inflation-adjusted, dollars) in bilateral assistance and missile defense funding. At present, almost all U.S. bilateral aid to Israel is in the form of military assistance; from 1971 to 2007, Israel also received significant economic assistance.” 

A great place to learn about the history between the countries as well as how the United States has been involved is: https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/israeli-palestinian-conflict

Or 

https://www.un.org/en/situation-in-occupied-palestine-and-israel/history

Most recently, on October 7th, 2023 Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel and killed approximately 1,200 Israelis, taking hundreds of hostages, and harming 3,300 more people. Soon, Israel launched a retaliation attack. Since that time, more than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed and there are reports that approximately 10,000 of those deaths have been children. More than 2 million Palestians have fled their homes to try to escape the violence. At this point, there are still hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza who are unable to evacuate. Even for those who do evacuate, they are unable to find safety. There is devastating starvation, lack of medical care, and little to no supplies to sustain the people. Israel has targeted hospitals and churches in their attacks as well as other infrastructure points. There is a humanitarian crisis happening and many people including vulnerable populations, such as women and children, are suffering and dying daily. There have been other countries and organizations, such as the United Nations, pushing to end collective punishment as Israel punishes civilians for the crimes of Hamas, allow humanitarian aid into the city, and free hostages. The US  has vetoed U.N. resolutions for a cease fire three times. 

As social workers who abide by the NASW code of ethics, it is clear that we cannot ignore the crimes that are being committed against the people of Palestine by the Israeli government. Our code of ethics states, “Social workers should promote the general welfare of society, from local to global levels, and the development of people, their communities, and their environments. Social workers should advocate for living conditions conducive to the fulfillment of basic human needs and should promote social, economic, political, and cultural values and institutions that are compatible with the realization of social justice.”  - 6.01 Social Welfare.”. Therefore, as social workers, we should be pushing for a ceasefire, a free Palestine, and aid to any and all people who have been negatively impacted by war. 

If you are feeling stuck and unsure of what you can do, you are not alone. However, there are steps you can take today to help call for a cease fire. Find out who your representatives are and reach out to them. If you don’t know who they are or how to contact them use this link: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Tell them you want a ceasefire, the US to stop funding genocide, and an end to the war against the Palestinian people. Use your platforms and your voices as a way to advocate. Using social media platforms is also a way to advocate for an end to the war. Many of us forget how powerful it can be to use your voice to speak out against what we know to be wrong. If you want to help financially, visit this link:

https://www.un.org/en/situation-in-occupied-palestine-and-israel/donate