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Becoming apartheid-free

Taking the pledge is an important step in your collective commitment to resisting racism and apartheid. Whether your community is still learning how to name Israeli apartheid, is already advocating for justice, or working to end complicity, signing this pledge connects you to a network of communities committed to the work of justice, freedom, and equality for Palestinians and all people. The prophetic work of challenging apartheid begins with naming its realities and committing to the work of discerning how to take action.

Living into the Pledge – there are many ways to creatively take action against Israeli apartheid. Understanding apartheid, changing the narrative, and advocating for change are all important collective actions that move toward Palestinian liberation. Each community has a different context and is on a different journey toward addressing the evils of apartheid. In signing this pledge, you commit to discerning context-specific ways you can take action. You also become part of a growing network of communities working together to support Palestinians in their quest for self-determination. Here are some suggestions for your next steps, based on actions that others have already taken.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR ACTIONS

Be creative. The actions listed here are ideas based on what some Apartheid-Free Communities and others have already been doing. But you are the expert on your community and know best what would work in your local context. If you have ideas that should be listed here, please let us know.

Play to your strengths. What skills do your community members have? What connections and partnerships do you have that can help you carry forward the work? How can you apply what you do well with the urgent need to take action?

Focus. It’s important to focus your efforts to generate the greatest impact. Start small and prioritize. Make a plan for the first few months, then for the year, then beyond.

Support is here. The actions listed here have already been taken successfully by other communities and organizations. If something looks interesting but you’re not sure how to start, or just have questions, reach out for help at info@apartheid-free.org.

Sign up for the Apartheid-Free Newsletter for monthly updates and ways to take action!

ACTION IDEAS

All Communities

Educate Your Community / Awareness Raising

Publicize your commitment to become apartheid-free:

  • Send a press release to local media about your community becoming Apartheid-Free
  • Publicize your commitment on your website, social media, or public newsletter with our Social Media Toolkit
  • Place an Apartheid-Free poster  in your community
  • Wear and share an End Israeli Apartheid button to engage others in conversation
  • Encourage other communities to take the pledge and join the movement
  • Host the downloadable exhibit “Why We Record” by AFSC and Visualizing Palestine

Organize events, webinars, movie screenings, etc. in your broader community to spread the word about apartheid and the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge. Make sure to center Palestinian voices – contact us for speaker suggestions.

Organize a delegation from your community to Palestine and learn about the situation on the ground firsthand. Come and See, Go and Tell is the request of Palestinians and the best way to gain first-person encounters with the on-the-ground realities Palestinians endure.

Several groups offer resources for ethical travel, including Community Peacemaker Teams, Eyewitness Palestine, and the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights.

Engage in Advocacy

Join with others in political advocacy, asking the government to withdraw support and impunity from apartheid. Here are a few to consider: 

    Or, join a specific advocacy campaign, such as:

    • Block the Bombs to Israel Act (US) – A congressional act that will pre-emptively block the US from sending specific munitions used in the Gaza genocide.
    • Cancel the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (Canada) – A campaign to end the Free Trade Agreement that incentivizes illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
    • Genocide Resolution (US) – Tell congress to recognize and punish Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

    Advocate for Gaza

    As the genocide in Gaza continues to unfold, the following organizations have developed useful tools to advocate for Gaza. You can read post Oct. 7 testimonies from Gazans at Displaced in Gaza. 

    Engage in Economic Activism

    Join a corporate accountability campaign as a group. Ongoing campaigns active in North America include:

    Divest

    • Learn How to Divest for Palestinian Rights
    • If your community has investments, use the Investigate website to screen them for involvement in the occupation.
    • Organize within your community to ensure it is not invested in apartheid. Start with one company at a time for study and discussion, including Israel Bonds.
    • Contact the American Friends Service Committee for specialized support on institutional divestment
    •  or sign up for AFSC’s BDS Office Hours.
    • If your community has already divested from the Israeli occupation, now is a good time to deepen that commitment by divesting from apartheid!

    Make a Financial Contribution to Support Apartheid-Free Communities. We depend on your support to keep growing this work!

    Communities of Faith / Churches

    Educate Your Congregation / Naming Apartheid

    Create a study group for members of your congregation to learn more about Israeli apartheid. We recommend starting with Kairos Palestine’s A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide (Congregational Study Guide) or A Dossier on Israeli Apartheid: A Pressing Call to Churches Around the World, by Kairos Palestine and Global Kairos for Justice (Study Guide).

    Highlight Palestinian realities during the liturgical year: 

    • Lift up Palestine during Advent and Lent 
    • Share Kairos Christmas and Easter Appeals
    • Explore the curriculum Journeys Toward Justice for congregational Biblical and social study of the quest for justice by Palestinians in Palestine and Israel and Black people in America
    • Displaced in Gaza – read and share post Oct. 7 testimonies from Gazans
    • Host the downloadable exhibit “Why We Record” by AFSC and Visualizing Palestine
    • Host an Apartheid-Free Sunday to celebrate your commitment to be Apartheid-Free 
    • Honor the anniversary of when you took the pledge as a way to continue to live into your commitment

    Educate Your Community / Awareness Raising

    Publicize your commitment to become apartheid-free:

    • Send a press release to local media about your congregation becoming Apartheid-Free
    • Publicize your commitment on your website, social media, or public newsletter with our Social Media Toolkit
    • Place an Apartheid-Free poster in your congregation
    • Wear and share an End Israeli Apartheid button to engage others in conversation
    • Encourage other communities to take the pledge and join the movement

    Engage your broader community in learning about Israeli apartheid through public presentations, webinars, films, teach-ins and study groups. Be sure to center Palestinian voices –  contact us for speaker suggestions.

    • Check out our resource tab for films, books, and educational materials
    • Partner with and promote events hosted by national faith-based solidarity groups like those listed on the bottom of our About page.
    • Contact us for suggestions or to brainstorm ideas at info@apartheid-free.org

      Organize a delegation from your congregation to Palestine and learn about the situation on the ground firsthand. Come and See, Go and Tell is the request of Palestinians and the best way to gain first-person encounters with the on-the-ground realities Palestinians endure.

      Several groups offer resources for ethical travel, including Community Peacemaker Teams, Eyewitness Palestine, Friends of Sabeel North America and the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights.

      Engage in Advocacy

      Join with others in political advocacy, asking the government to withdraw support and impunity from apartheid. You can find a listing of Christian faith based groups in the Apartheid-Free Churches Affinity Group page (forthcoming). Each of these offers multiple ways to engage in advocacy and are worth exploring. In addition to these, here are a few more:

      Or, join a specific advocacy campaign, such as:

      • Block the Bombs to Israel Act (US) – A congressional act that will pre-emptively block the US from sending specific munitions used in the Gaza genocide.
      • Cancel the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (Canada) – A campaign to end the Free Trade Agreement that incentivizes illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
      • Genocide Resolution (US) – Tell congress to recognize and punish Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

      Advocate for Gaza

      As the genocide in Gaza continues to unfold, the following organizations have developed useful tools to advocate for Gaza. You can read post Oct. 7 testimonies from Gazans at Displaced in Gaza. 

      Engage in Economic Activism

      Join a corporate accountability campaign as a group. Ongoing campaigns active in North America include:

      Divest

      • Learn How to Divest for Palestinian Rights
      • If your community has investments, use the Investigate website to screen them for involvement in the occupation.
      • Organize within your community to ensure it is not invested in apartheid. Start with one company at a time for study and discussion, including Israel Bonds.
      • Contact the American Friends Service Committee for specialized support on institutional divestment or sign up for AFSC’s BDS Office Hours..
      • If your church has already divested from the Israeli occupation, now is a good time to deepen that commitment by divesting from apartheid!

      Make a Financial Contribution to Support Apartheid-Free Communities. We depend on your support to keep growing this work!

      Student Groups

      Educate Your Campus / Awareness Raising 

      Organize cultural and community events, webinars, poetry readings, movie screenings, etc. in your schools and universities to spread awareness about the occupation and Israeli apartheid. If you need help centering Palestinian voices – contact us for speaker suggestions and connections. Below are some resources and films that can help you create events. 

      • Host the downloadable exhibit “Why We Record” by AFSC and Visualizing Palestine
      • Commit to Palestine is a set of resources from the American Friends Service Committee designed specifically for student organizers.  
      • Visualizing Palestine has helpful visuals and audiovisual resources that illustrate and explain the history and key issues surrounding the occupation of Palestine and Israeli apartheid  
      • Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) provides journalistic and digital resources on Palestine and Palestinians 
      • Eyewitness Palestine offers Virtual Delegations and other resources on justice for Palestinians – your community can also support their Palestinian fair-trade shop 

            Films for Movie Screenings

            • Where Olive Trees Weep is available for $3.99, 1 hour 43 mins, directed by Zaya Benazz and Maurizio Benazzo 
            • The Present is available on Netflix, 24 mins, directed by Farah Nabulsi 
            • Palestine Remix is a list of Palestinian films curated by Al-Jazeera 
            • Occupation 101 is available on Prime Video, 90 mins, directed by Abdallah and Sufyan Omeish 

                  Organize a student exchange program or a trip to Palestine with your school to learn about the situation firsthand. Come and See, Go and Tell is the request of Palestinians and the best way to gain first-person encounters with the on-the-ground realities Palestinians endure. 

                  Publicize Your Commitment to Become Apartheid-Free

                  • Send a press release to local media about your university, student club, or union becoming Apartheid-Free 
                  • Publicize your commitment on your website, social media, or public newsletter with our Social Media Toolkit 
                  • Place an Apartheid-Free poster around your campus 
                  • Wear and share a ‘End Israeli Apartheid’ button to engage others in conversation 
                  • Encourage other communities to take the pledge and join the movement 

                          Advocate for Gaza 

                                Ask Your Universities to Divest 

                                • Check out this student divestment resource to learn more about how you can get your universities and institutions to divest from Israeli apartheid. 
                                • Join AFSC’s BDS Office Hours for specialized support on institutional divestment. 
                                • Use the Investigate website to screen your institutions, student unions and clubs for involvement in the occupation. 
                                • Organize within your campus to learn more about how Israel uses its investments against the Palestinian people. 
                                • If your university has already divested from the Israeli occupation, now is a good time to deepen that commitment by adopting a policy to divest from apartheid! 
                                        Cities
                                        Action Ideas