Geography calls on us

Geography calls on us.

Gaza has been living for over a month under a harrowing Israeli war, where we have seen the worst yet in terms of fatalities and destruction, while those alive have to live with the pain of injuries, loss, displacement and everyday thirst, hunger and cold.

Besides Israel, Gaza only shares a land border with Egypt. In this time of catastrophe, moving toward that border from our side becomes the most sensical act of global solidarity.

This is the logic of the Global Conscience Convoy. By being present on the border, we witness, we connect, we see better, we understand more.

We witness, we connect, we see better, and we understand more that this war comes at the tail of a 17-year siege that has been normalized and where humans’ intake of food, water and fuel, among other things, was calculated at the bare minimum.

This war has shown us, yet again, but perhaps with a difference of extent, the level to which Palestinians, and us with them, are being failed. We are being failed by history, by states, by international instruments such as humanitarian law and human rights law, and by almost all forms of reigning institutional power.

This war has also shown us that power remains in our hands as people, especially when we build it, nourish it and grow it collectively. For one, the people of Gaza are showing us the humbling power of survival in the midst of aerial bombardments and ground invasions.

The Global Conscience Convoy is a space toward tapping into this power; it is a movement to get closer to Palestine.

The Egyptian Journalists Syndicate, with its current progressive leadership, has initiated the call for the convoy, which aims to peacefully call for the opening of the Rafah border crossing for humanitarian aid and medical and journalistic crews. The convoy wants to see this war over, and to support the Palestinian people in standing against Israel’s expulsion plans.

The convoy is facing challenges obtaining the security clearance needed and has had to postpone the initially announced date, November 24. There are undoubtedly political challenges to organizing a movement like this. Let’s navigate them together and keep our eyes on the border, on Palestine.

Let’s make sure this convoy can happen.

You can post a video endorsing the convoy and/or expressing your intent to take part in it.  You can also post a photo with a note: “Let the #GlobalConscienceConvoy go, #OpenRafahCrossing on Twitter and Instagram. Other things you can do are listed here.

For any queries or suggestions, please write to us at [email protected]

Consult the convoy’s website here, as well as X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram, for ongoing updates.

In solidarity,

The Global Conscience Convoy volunteers