2019 has been a horrible year for those of us who hold progressive values. Domestically and internationally, much of what we stand for has been trampled. Hope lies in the social movements and people who have been fighting tirelessly for justice despite the action or inaction of the world. As you plan your charitable giving for the holiday season, let’s stand with the rebuilders.
Domestically, the Activist Toolkit and rabble.ca have been amplifying the work of progressives to keep public goods public, protect the environment, and address discrimination and racism of all types. The work many of you do is incredible and we are proud to be allies who amplify what you do. While this blog focuses on global issues, for rabble.ca 2020 will also be about amplifying work within Canada to stand for progressive values.
Palestine
The world is wringing its hands as the Trump administration continues to support the Zionist cause and the attacks by the Israeli state on the Palestinian people. rabble.ca’s podcast network recently covered some of the labour unions which are denouncing the United States’ statement on illegal Israeli settlements. More organizations need to stand up for an end to the illegal and repressive policies and practices of the current government of Israel. The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign has compiled a list of organizations working on the ground in Palestine which need support.
South and Central America
Neoliberal elites have been routing out the left governments which social movements helped elect in South and Central America. In most cases, neoliberals could not reinstall themselves democratically. Therefore they jailed and ousted the left leaders on spurious charges, fomented coups, violence, and fake news stories, with enthusiastic support from world leaders and elites. rabble.ca and some of our colleagues in progressive media have been tirelessly standing up against mainstream media’s bias in support of the neoliberal agenda. We are a small media outlet, but one of our reporters was in Venezuela as part of a Canadian delegation to monitor the elections. Our founder, Judy Rebick, reflected on the movement that brought Evo Morales to power in Bolivia in 2006. Other progressive news outlets are also working to report what is really happening.
Meanwhile, this neoliberal reinstallation means that many of the rights that the poor and Indigenous people have won through the “Pink Wave” of the past decade will be undone. Here is a great list by Greta Alvarez about how to help people on the ground in Venzuela. In Ecuador, Brazil and Bolivia, and across the Americas, Indigenous communities are facing increased threats to the environment and increasingly hostile governments. Cultural Survival collects money to support Indigenous communities. Here is a list the Activist Toolkit put together of organizations working to protect the rain forest. Keep following progressive media and supporting progressive media outlets as they work with people on the ground to get the truth out and work against the repression.
Muslim and minority communities
Here are peace groups digging into the conflict in Kashmir, an organization supporting the human rights of the Uighur and other Muslim ethnic minorities in Xinjiang province, and organizations supporting humanitarian aid for Kurdish people and the Rohingya people. There are so many more communities fighting for survival at the moment; these are just a smattering.
Migrants
Growing nationalism in Europe and the Americas has meant more attacks on immigration. The Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) is a small but effective organization which was founded to address the institutional callousness towards migrants coming into Europe across the Mediterranean. The Activist Toolkit provided lists of organizations working to help migrants in Mexico, in the United States and here in Canada.
2020 U.S. election
Here are the rules of the U.S. Federal Election Commission governing the participation of foreigners in U.S. election. Many Canadians I know have worked on campaigns. While I know the Trump administration has made a mockery of the rules, please do familiarize yourself with them and then reach out and volunteer to support a candidate, if you so wish.
Maya Bhullar is the Activist Toolkit coordinator at rabble.ca. She has over 15 years of professional experience in diverse areas such as migration, labour, urban planning and community mobilization.
Image: cocoparisienne/Pixabay
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