We have published individual writing from We are Not Numbers writers and don’t usually publish e-blasts but this one is so meaningful and important, we decided to publish it in its entirety. They are doing great work to save lives and get the truth out. Please read, and if you can donate to help them. – the editors
Dear We Are Not Numbers community,
It’s been a long time since our last connection, and so much has happened. I am Mahmoud Mushtaha, project assistant for WANN, and I am immensely grateful to be alive and back in touch.
From here on out, you’ll hear from us regularly, no matter what the Israelis do. Regardless of the restrictions and other difficulties we face, we are telling our stories!
We are enduring in the face of the unbearable
The past eight months have been an arduous journey for me, personally, along with all other WANN writers. We continue to endure relentless Israeli bombardment, hunger, fear and profound loss:
Read more stories about surviving during the war on our website.
I am in awe, as I know you are, of the perseverance and dedication of our team of writers. Since hell was unleashed on Oct. 7. WANN has published 146 eyewitness accounts and poems since Oct. 10, testifying to the world that We Are Not Numbers, and we continue to publish accounts on a near-daily basis.
Some of us did not survive
Still, we have lost some of our own to the Israeli war machine (and American weapons). With tears in my eyes, I share their stories and our tributes to them:
Unable to cope with the pain and fear any longer, those of us who could raise the necessary funds to pay the exorbitant “entry fees” charged by the Egyptian facilitators have managed to escape to Cairo. That includes me, which allows me the stable internet connection I need to write to you now.
When a moment of opportunity and choice came, the survival instinct prevailed, even though it meant leaving parts of myself behind. My sudden journey out wasn’t merely a physical departure; it was a departure from my roots, my identity and my loved ones. The rest of my family is still trapped in Gaza, and the burden of that rupture and the ever-present worry for my parents, brothers and friends is heavy on my shoulders.
A mother’s journey through war. “Our hearts are heavy. Our families are still there, and our country continues to bleed,” writes Al-Orjwan Shurrab.
A trip of grief. “I’m 373 mournful kilometers away from home, and Google can’t find the way back. But I am confident I will return one day,” says Dana Besaiso.
Leaving Gaza: a journey of survival and longing. “A new life in Qatar comes with guilt, an inability to enjoy simple things, mourning for what’s lost — and also hope,” explains Reem Alhirthani.
Resilience and mutual aid still live
Despite the urgency of the survival instinct and thus the rush to escape if we can, our mentors and a group of volunteers are also working as a collective to help our writers and their families, particularly those still in Gaza:
Through Repower Gaza, we are purchasing solar power equipment already located inside the Strip and redeploying it to immediately restore power to WANNers, their extended families, and their neighbors. Donate now and help provide light to Gaza.
Providing meals of fresh food for displaced families. We are putting together food parcels for distribution in displacement camps to WANN writers, their families and others. Donate.
Paying writers for their stories, an income-support program. In the past, our writers worked as volunteers in return for the training and platform we offer. However, many of our writers are struggling to meet basic needs, and so we responded. This significant change was made possible by a particularly generous donor. Join him; donate.
Identifying and securing university scholarships abroad, thus allowing our young people to complete or continue their education, in a safe environment. Donate.
And we’re being recognized!
We Are Not Numbers wins two prestigious awards
WANN was honored with the Human Rights Defenders Award from the Ireland-based human rights organization Front Line Defenders. This prestigious recognition is a testament to the courage, resilience and unwavering commitment of our writers in the face of unimaginable adversity. Read more about the award.
Gallery exhibition in London features 10 years of Gaza voices
WANN was featured May 2-11 at an exhibition at the P21 Gallery in London. Over 350 voices of Gaza youth echoed through the halls via printouts of WANN essays. Guests of honor attending the exhibition included Jeremy Corbyn, a British politician and member of the House of Commons; Matt Kennard, chief investigator at Declassified UK; and WANN mentors John Metson, Nick Appleyard and Umi Sinha, who shared their experiences of witnessing and fostering writers’ growth.
Historic moment of solidarity: American authors stand for Palestinian voices
In a historic moment of solidarity, dozens of authors withdrew from the PEN America award gala, denouncing the organization’s longstanding failure to support Palestinian writers amidst the ongoing war in Gaza. Consequently, both the 2024 World Voices Festival and the Literary Awards were canceled two weeks before their scheduled start dates. All proceeds from ticket sales to a livestreamed alternative event, Freedom To Write For Palestine event, were donated to WANN. And WANN writers Mohammed Arafat and Mahmoud Al-Yazji read some of their compelling works.
Your support is our lifeline!
Amid chaos and worry, the thought of your support, and your efforts to share our voices, are a source of hope for us. It is this knowledge that fuels our determination to continue sharing our stories, despite the brutal efforts to silence us.
Please keep visiting us on our website, following us on social media, and donating when you can. Together, we’ll get through this.
The mission of WANN is to create a new generation of Palestinian writers and thinkers who can bring together a profound change to the Palestinian cause to get their voices heard. WANN provides the world with direct access to the Palestinian narrative without any restrictions and without foreign intermediaries speaking on behalf of the Palestinians.
