Latest news with #solidarity
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Norwich walk highlights scourge of violence against women
About 100 people joined a city-centre walk to stand in solidarity with people who have experienced gender-based Magdalene Group, which is based in Norwich, held the women's night-time "strut" on Thursday organisation provides help for women who have experienced sexual violence, exploitation, grooming, sex work and coercion."We hear about the most prolific cases, the murders, but underneath that we just need to see a healthy and safe environment for women," said Suzi Heybourne, the charity's chief executive. The group has worked to support women in the area for about 30 event, which started at The Forum, was the second of its kind. Ms Heybourne said: "Last year was quiet reflection because it was the anniversary of The Magdalene Group."This year it is a call to all women, [at] every level in society, to come and join us and raise our voice to demand an end to the violence that women experience." The Invidia Rock & Soul Choir sang before and after the strut, with a vigil held at the end of the evening to remember women who have lost their lives through violence. Ms Heybourne told BBC Radio Norfolk that gender-based violence "is a real pandemic... affecting women and girls in our society".She added: "Sometimes it is done without thinking, so this is about raising awareness of how we should be journeying together to eradicate this." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Khaleej Times
8 hours ago
- General
- Khaleej Times
'They don't need our pity': Creators share refugee stories, call for dignity over aid
At a refugee camp in Lebanon, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Karen Wazen met a young girl whose image has stayed with her ever since. No older than five, the child was caring for her toddler sister, tying her shoes, running after her, and keeping her safe with a sense of responsibility far beyond her age. 'I remember thinking, I'm a grown woman with every privilege, and I still wonder if I'm getting motherhood right,' Wazen said. 'And there she was, doing it all, with nothing.' The Lebanese content creator has spent nearly eight years working with refugee communities in Lebanon and Kenya. What began as an effort to lend support, she said, turned into a deeply personal transformation. 'I thought I was going to help them. I didn't realise they would be the ones changing me.' As the world marked World Refugee Day on June 20, Wazen's reflection offered more than just a moment of solidarity; it served as a reminder of the individuals behind the numbers. More than 120 million people are currently displaced globally, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the highest number ever recorded. Countries across the Middle East and Africa continue to bear a significant share of this responsibility, including Lebanon, Jordan, Sudan, and Yemen. This year, a campaign titled Creators for Purpose was launched in partnership between Meta, UNHCR, and Creators HQ to draw attention to refugee experiences through digital storytelling. The campaign aims to raise both awareness and funds. 'People want to give back, now more than ever,' said Mon Baz, Director of Global Partnerships at Meta for Africa, the Middle East and Turkey. 'When creators share real stories with empathy, it cuts through the noise. It reminds people that behind the word 'refugee' is someone just like them.' The initiative focuses on humanitarian emergencies in countries such as Syria, Sudan, Yemen, and among the Rohingya population, with funds directed toward cash assistance, relief items, and services like education, protection, and psychosocial support. Between surviving and living The campaign also reinforces a shift in how refugee needs are understood, not just in terms of survival, but in terms of dignity. In a statement, Alya Al Musaiebi, Director of The Big Heart Foundation, noted that needs evolve depending on context. 'In refugee communities, needs multiply in proportion to loss, of home, of safety, of control,' she stated. 'The need is not just to survive, but to feel alive.' Al Musaiebi called on the humanitarian sector to move beyond simply meeting basic needs. 'Without dignity, even food and medicine lose meaning. Aid must preserve self-respect and empower people as active participants in rebuilding their lives.' This philosophy is also reflected in Wazen's own approach to advocacy. 'When I first started, I felt something was missing in my platform,' she said. 'I was sharing fashion and lifestyle, but it felt empty. I realised that having a voice, having reach, comes with responsibility.' Cost of showing up Wazen, whose online following exceeds eight million, admits that regularly engaging with humanitarian causes also comes at a personal cost. 'There are days I ask myself: what does this even mean? I post a story, and people are dying somewhere else. What am I doing?' she said. 'But I remind myself that we all need balance. Even bringing a smile to someone's face is a kind of solidarity. That too has value.' Al Musaiebi echoed that sentiment, stating: 'Genuine solidarity is not measured solely by what we provide, but by what we help keep alive within the individual, passion, dignity, and the ability to dream.' As the campaign gains traction, Wazen hopes it will help shift public perception of refugees away from passive recipients of aid. 'They don't need our pity,' she said. 'They need us to see them.' The message, repeated by advocates and campaign organisers alike, is clear: refugees are not a 'special case.' They are individuals whose needs mirror our own, security, belonging, opportunity, and whose futures must be shaped by dignity, not dependency. As Al Musaiebi put it: 'When dignity is restored, aid becomes partnership. Shelter becomes a home. The refugee becomes the architect of their future.'
Vogue
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Female Gazes: Ana Margarita Flores & Marisol Mendez
It's about being resourceful and even if it takes longer, if it's what you're meant to do, just keep doing it. Let's be honest, nobody is waiting for our work, so take your time and try to find ways to produce it. CDB Final question. There's this myth that I want us to dismantle, that men, especially in working environments, are better at creating connections and solidarity. Would you tell me about the people who helped you? MM I dedicated my book to my mum because she was really the person that was with me throughout the project. I called her assistant, but she deserves a more intersectional kind of named tag for what she did. My mom, even though she is not an artist, knows me and she knew the work, so even when I was sequencing, I would show it to her. I would share the work that I was doing in my family group chat and ask my sisters: we took these pictures, which one is better? I feel very happy to have this nucleus of family that is very supportive. The project would not be what it is if it wasn't for every woman that participated in it. I wish I could take credit, but I was surrounded by all this beautiful energy. And I must say that back then I had also these two male photographer friends who helped me a lot. My book editor was a woman, she was the one who convinced the publisher to make the book. My writing teacher, who is a poet from Argentina, and Elisa Medde wrote for my book. The book was a collective effort of all these women. Many eyes that go into a project, many conversations, many voices. ANA So for me it was very solitary at the beginning, but when I feel stuck, obviously many times during the process, I like sharing my ideas with my closest friends. Especially with my housemate, one of my best friends. She understands my background because we both grew up in Geneva and we are both Latin Americans. Then obviously my mother even though at the beginning she didn't really understand what I was doing but we opened up a dialogue which helped me to see many things.
New York Times
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Times
In Deep Red Iowa, Ukrainians Found Home and Community. Now Their Fate Is in Limbo.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, many Americans rallied behind Ukrainians in a rare moment of solidarity. Charity drives sprung up. Ukrainian flags hung from storefronts. And in a corner of the Midwest that had sheltered Southeast Asian refugees half a century before, Angela Boelens was determined to see her community become part of the effort to protect Ukrainians fleeing the war. After months of winding her way through a detailed government vetting process, Ms. Boelens became one of the first Americans to bring over a Ukrainian family: the Hedzhymanovis (and their big, fluffy white cat, a Turkish Angora mix named Barzick). Business and community leaders across eastern Iowa and western Illinois came together to help the family and other Ukrainian arrivals find housing and jobs. Ms. Boelens, a college professor, started a nonprofit called IA Nice that had helped more than 75 refugees resettle in DeWitt, Iowa, a Republican stronghold of 5,000 people just north of Davenport. Some people now call the community 'Little Ukraine.' But the Ukrainian families that thought they had found refuge in DeWitt have been plunged into increasing uncertainty since Donald J. Trump returned to the White House. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CBC
a day ago
- Politics
- CBC
Israel may still have the Madleen aid boat. But organizers are already planning their next journey to Gaza
Social Sharing The Madleen, a boat seized by Israeli forces while en route to Gaza, might still be stuck in a port off the coast of Israel. But the activists who piloted it are busy planning their next attempt — albeit with a different boat. Named after a famous fisherwoman in Gaza, the Madleen set sail from Italy, aiming to deliver a symbolic amount of aid and draw attention to the plight of the enclave, which has been devastated by 20 months of war. It was the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC)'s 36th such expedition since 2008. But while the group waits to hear from officials on the boat's status, Zohar Chamberlain Regev, an FFC member, is in Sicily, fixing up a different boat for another expedition to Gaza. The group had attempted to sail this vessel, called the Handala, from Norway to Gaza in 2024. That trip ended early in Malta, as they felt the boat was too old to make the journey. But they'll soon attempt it again, from Sicily. "Our … main goal is to send a message of solidarity and encouragement to the Palestinian resistance, to the millions of people under occupation," Regev told CBC News. WATCH | Madleen Kolab says she was honoured the boat was named after her: 'Honour' to be Madleen's namesake, Gaza fisherwoman says 11 hours ago Duration 1:24 Little success in sailing to Gaza Over the years, many of the FFC's boats have been seized by Israeli forces. Getting them back involves time in court — and even then it isn't guaranteed. The Madleen is the third boat for which Regev will have to appear in court. The Frankfurt-based Israeli citizen, who is its registered owner, says she hasn't yet heard anything from authorities. "But whenever they do [reach out]," she says, "I'll tell them that this boat was on its way to Gaza; they had no business taking it." The group's first five expeditions, which were all in 2008, were the only ones to successfully make it to Gaza and sail back out. From 2009 onwards, Regev says no boat has been able to reach the enclave's shores. "Some boats were rammed at sea and then rescued; some boats were returned by the occupation to their owners." She says the group has reused the boats that have been returned, or sold them to fund future activities. Status of aid unclear The aid on board typically doesn't make it into Gaza, either, the FFC says. Regev says she has no information on the supplies aboard the Madleen. Israeli authorities did not respond to CBC's requests for comment on the aid. But they previously told Reuters that it would be sent to Gaza through what they called "real humanitarian channels." Despite the many unsuccessful attempts, Regev says she is steadfast in the pursuit of the coalition's goals. "We do this because we appreciate the freedom that we have to actually do things," she said. "It's much more terrifying to me to think that there's a genocide going on, committed by my own people, and I sit here safely and do nothing." (Israel has consistently denied it is committing genocide in Gaza.) She didn't elaborate on the group's strategy for their upcoming trip. But she said the coalition will continue to try sailing its boats to Gaza until the Israeli blockade on the strip is lifted. One cause, different realities For 31-year-old Madleen Kolab, the ocean has been her life since she was a little girl learning how to fish from her father. After he fell ill when she was 13, she assumed his position. She says she isthe first and only fisherwoman in Gaza. "I was honoured that they wanted to use my name for the boat," she told CBC freelance videographer Mohamed El Saife, as they walked along the shore of a beach in Gaza City. The mother of four is pregnant with her fifth child, and says she can barely find food to feed her kids. The war has made it too dangerous for her to fish, she says, and she has trouble paying for essentials, as the cost of food in Gaza has skyrocketed. She had closely watched her namesake boat's journey, and had anticipated its arrival, along with its promised aid. "We were very sad when we heard the boat was intercepted," she said. "If the boat arrived, it meant life to us." Kolab sat on the sand as the tide washed in. Across the Mediterranean in Sicily, Regev was preparing her group's 37th flotilla to set sail. Though the two women are tied together by one cause, they live in strikingly different realities. "I hope that when it sails, the war will be over, the siege is broken," said Kolab, "and we can see it."
