To Be Palestinian Is To Learn How To Say Goodbye Over And Over Again – Not Just To People, But To Places,

‘To say goodbye is to die a little’: Palestinian farmers struggle for survival

Vivien Sansour shares her thoughts and experiences about what is taking place in the West Bank village of Battir

To be Palestinian is to learn how to say goodbye over and over again – not just to people, but to places, trees, valleys and childhood foods.

I am no stranger to this as a woman and a Palestinian, who has spent my whole life bidding farewells and trying to make sense of it all. This is precisely the reason, a few years ago, I became obsessed with seeds. Heirloom seeds gave me the opportunity to salvage some old stories, things we were saying goodbye to, and to give them new contemporary twists, subsequently reviving them for the sake of the future. I was trying to avoid another goodbye, and to hopefully offer a new generation at least fragments of their food heritage so they can know where they come from and what they come from.

This is why I started the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library and why, with our team, we invested a lot of time, attention and resources in developing an agroecological site in the heart of the mountain village of Battir – a few kilometers south of Jerusalem and west of Bethlehem and a UNESCO world heritage site. Battir is a major agricultural landscape comprised of ancient stone terraces and a traditional irrigation system dating back thousands of years. For two years now, we have worked hard to reclaim the land and restore the soil. The terrain required significant rehabilitation, including terracing – itself an art which is disappearing.

But all these things that we are working hard to conserve are under threat. Not only from climate change but from the increase in Israeli settlements, illegal under international law and with a presence that is both militant and damaging to the natural terrain. Construction of settlements, along with plans for roads and business parks, carve up ancient landscapes, pollute and damage water sources and harm biodiversity. For us, this is not a story we read in the paper – it is our daily life and thus our daily conversation: how do we persevere in our attempt to salvage the bioculture of this place, while at the same time managing military and settlement expansion?

In the global conversation about conservation and sustainability, we often find ourselves lonely if not misunderstood. How can the world that claims to care about sustainability, be so dismissive of social and political justice? How can we speak of the lost watermelon or the disappearing tomato without having a real conversation about the people who cultivated these varieties and the lands that were once their farms and their homes? And how can we understand food without understanding its people and the systems in which each food practice or variety was created? In Palestine, when we speak of food sovereignty, we are speaking not only about the quality of food or its value, we are speaking about survival. We are speaking of an agri-resistance movement that is defying all odds.

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880K notes View Post

reeseofpeace

1 year ago

I am trying to help the feral and stray cats in my neighborhood!😳😖

Hi, I don’t post on here a lot, but I would really appreciate it if I could get some advice. So, I have been feeding the stray/feral cats in my neighborhood, and I have realized that there a bunch!! I know that they probably come from the earlier generations of cats that people abandoned here when the housing crisis happened . I don’t know if I should call the shelter, but our shelter in my city SUCKS, and I am afraid that they’ll be off worse there.

So I have been feeding them and I was thinking about doing the “Trap, Neuter, and Release” process I have seen people doing. I know that this will help lower the feral/stray cat population in this neighborhood, but I am not sure how to start it. I do document the cats that I do see and who are the regulars that come by for food. I just feel really lost, and even though the internet is a crazy place it is useful. Also, does anyone know any good outdoor cat shelters.🧐🧐🧐

ANY ADVICE IS USEFUL! PLEASE I AM DESPERATE!!!!

I Am Trying To Help The Feral And Stray Cats In My Neighborhood!😳😖

P.S: these are some of the kitties😻

This is “Big boy”

This is “Lucky”

This is “Fluffy”

what’s happening in myanmar.

since the coup on 1 february, the military has become more and more violent, and it has turned the streets of myanmar a slaughter ground. unspeakable violence (the pictures i’ve been exposed to daily on my social media newsfeed are beyond heartbreaking and demoralizing — i can’t believe i’ve gotten so desensitized to seeing real-life sewn-up bodies and cut-off limbs). 71 innocent lives — that we know of — have been taken and over 1,700 people (as of now) have been unlawfully arrested and charged, including political leaders, activists, journalists and reporters, celebrities, and anti-coup protesters. the military terrorists wreak havoc in the streets at night, kidnap civilians, and return them in horrible, horrible conditions.

however, we will never yield. the more they try to beat us down, the stronger we will get back up. a lot of people around the country as well as myanmar citizens abroad are (peacefully) fighting back and resisting this cruel regime by spreading awareness online, participating in CDM, and protesting on the streets.

therefore, i would like to ask for donations towards organizations that are helping our civil disobedience movement (CDM) participants, frontline protestors, activists groups, as well as vulnerable people who are living in poverty and whose livelihoods are hit the hardest. just today, railway workers participating in the CDM movement are forced to pack up all their things in just two hours and leave the housings; these people are not just workers, they have families, young children, and elderly people with health issues, yet they all left with no hesitation to continue our fight for democracy.

so, friends and people from all corners of the world, if you have the financial means to, please consider helping and donating to our people who are risking their lives and their livelihoods to fight for basic human rights, freedom and democracy, not just for their own futures but for the future of many generations to come. please know that every single cent counts ! even just 1 usd (which is equivalent to about 1,400 mmk) is enough to fund for one meal in myanmar.

i know there are so many things going on in the world that need all our attention and support. what’s happening in myanmar is one of them! please consider donating and/or spreading awareness by boosting this post <3 thank you so so much from the bottom of my heart; your help is most deeply appreciated and you will always have my gratitude.

edit: i just found out that if you make posts with external links, the posts basically disappear from the tags. so, instead, i included screenshots with the websites where you can donate; they’re both trusted organizations but please dm me if you would like to have more information.

312 notes View Post

reeseofpeace

4 years ago

SPREAD THE WORD, TUMBLR! The Russian lgbtqa+ activist Yelena Grigoryeva was killed. She was a huge human rights proponent and lgbtqa+ activist, as well as an open bisexual. Don't let this murder go unnoticed by the worldwide lgbtqa+ community!!!

3K notes View Post

reeseofpeace

4 years ago

So, India is dying.

Look, I know a good number of you are from the US and things aren't amazing there either, but my country is literally on the brink of collapse. So I'd love it if we could talk about that for a minute.

If you can't do anything else, please just read and reblog.

A second COVID wave has taken out the healthcare system. There are no more hospital beds. There's an oxygen shortage. There's a critical vaccine shortage. The Central Government has thrown its hands up and is passing the baton to the State Governments to do what they can.

There are over 16 million covid cases. A record 330,000 new cases reported yesterday - comparable to the US at its peak. 187,000 dead as of today.

There is no plan.

Mass cremations are taking place. The cremation grounds are running day and night and they are short on wood. People are watching their loved ones die while waiting for a hospital bed, and then they're unable to give them the proper burial rights.

Hospitals are overwhelmed. Patients are being confined, two to a bed. They're the lucky ones.

We are on the verge of people dying in the streets.

This is the second-most populous country in the world. The largest democracy. A country that encapsulates over 15,000 years of recorded human history and has endured everything from famine to invasion to colonisation.

We might be at the end. This might be the thing that does us in.

People are dying.

People are dying and there is no plan.

More good news? Variants are popping up. A double mutation strain has shown up. It is resistant to current vaccines. This will not go away. This is the devastation they warned of when the anti-maskers were out protesting the minor inconvenience of covering their face in public.

My country is on the verge of an emergency state. Our government has failed us. This is as dire a situation as it ever could be.

Look. I don't do much with my life. I write fics, some of you have read them and that's pretty much it. I spend my days with my head in the clouds because that's where I like to be.

But two days ago, my grandmother tested positive, had to be taken to hospital and the ambulance caught fire.

She barely made it to the urgent care she needs.

So, here I am, using whatever meager platform I have to cobble this request together. Because I have to do something.

If you can, donate.

Or spread the word.

Help. Please.

146K notes View Post

reeseofpeace

2 months ago

🚨 Urgent Appeal: Do Not Scroll Past This! 🚨

🚨 This GoFundMe is VETTED here

We've been able to raise only 120$ so far

🚨 Urgent Appeal: Do Not Scroll Past This! 🚨

Dear Tumblr Friends,

I’m begging you—please, do not scroll past this post. Mohammed, his family, and his young niece are in a desperate situation, and they need our help urgently.

The airstrike that shattered their lives has claimed the lives of everyone in his niece's family—leaving her completely alone. They have lost everything: their loved ones, their home, and their sense of security. 😢💔

Now, they are living in a tent, struggling daily with no fresh water and barely any food. To make matters worse, Mohammed’s brother is still missing. Their situation is critical and time is running out. 🚨

Mohammed is trying to escape to safety in Egypt, but the cost is staggering: $5,000 per person. Without these funds, their chance to flee their nightmare is slipping away. 😔💔

Here’s how you can make a REAL difference:

Donate: Every dollar counts. Your contribution can help cover the crossing fees and offer Mohammed and his family a glimmer of hope for a safer future. 🌟💪

Share: Spread their story. The more people who hear this, the closer we get to our goal. Your voice matters! 📢💬

Offer Support: If you have any resources, connections, or ideas to help, don’t hesitate to reach out. Every bit of assistance can change their lives. 🤝💖

Please, don't let this opportunity to help slip away. Their lives depend on our collective action. Your support can mean everything to them in this critical time.