Call for solidarity
October 2023
As we watch the ongoing bombing and killing of thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the indiscriminate destruction of its buildings and infrastructure by the Israeli army, we cannot stand by in silence. The violence on the Palestinians in Gaza is unconscionable, inhumane, and illegal. We therefore urge you to consider the shared values of justice, equality and peace which we all cherish, as colleagues and partner cultural institutions in the UK and abroad, and to translate them into meaningful action.
In 2021, we put out a call for solidarity with Palestine to cultural organisations, artists, and writers. As part of this, we proposed a set of actions in support of the Palestinian struggle for life, freedom and dignity. We have now updated these and once again urge you to use your platforms, networks, influence, and expertise to raise awareness and contribute to the cause of justice and peace in Palestine. Silence is complicity and decolonisation is only possible through political, economic and cultural action. As we bear witness to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, we implore you to use your collective power to advocate for an immediate cessation of violence and to support the cause of freedom and self-determination for the Palestinian people.
– Learn: read and share resources on Palestine. For example: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Gaza (PCHR Gaza), Al Haq Palestinian human rights organisation based in Ramallah, Adalah legal centre for Arab minority rights in Israel, Diakonia International Humanitarian Law Centre. See here for our recent list of Palestine resources to read, listen and watch.
– Refuse: funding from the Israeli government and from private funders who support its illegal occupation.
– Language: use terms which make visible the Palestinian experience, including Palestine, occupation, dispossession, ethnic cleansing, genocide, settler colonialism, and apartheid.
– Lobby your MP or local representatives to pressure and end their military and political support with Israel until it adheres to international law. Here is a format letter from MAP.
– Open: your programme and your collection to artists, collectives, initiatives, and galleries who are led by non-mainstream or radical voices, including artists from Palestine, and fund and support their participation.
– Solidarity: share this letter and your public statement (personal and institutional) with your networks; if you are an artist, ask the institutions who hold your work or with whom you work to support it, and share it with your institution’s audiences as widely as possible.
– Write: cover work by marginalised or radical voices, including Palestinian ones.
-Donate: support Medical Aid for Palestinian’s Emergency Appeal for Gaza and Welfare Association Gaza Emmergency Appeal
As cultural space we have a duty of care to protect all communities, artists, and audiences from any form of racial injustice, including antisemitism and islamophobia. We stand firmly in active and visible commitment to anti-racism and see it as an essential step towards equity and justice for all.
Support this call: email info@mosaicrooms.org, confirming your name, title and organisation (if applicable).