Resources for Action and Parenting in a Time of War
What is happening now - Hamas’ attack on Israel, the Israeli military offensive in Gaza, and the escalation of violence in the Palestinian Territories and Israel - is a true nightmare. So many children have died, and many thousands more are suffering in unimaginable, lasting ways.
It is hard to conceive of a reality further from what we at Bridgetown Baby hope and dream for families everywhere - a world where all children and their parents are well cared for and are surrounded by supportive, loving community.
And yet, it is happening on our collective watch. These children are our children, our shared destiny. Their grief and trauma is our shared responsibility.
If we dream of a time when Palestinians and Israelis live side-by-side in peace, with the ability to live a joyful life free of fear, getting there will require some of the most difficult acts of creativity, and loving-kindness ever attempted by humanity. We must bend the arc of history towards peace - and to do so, we must imagine what that looks like in a new way. This challenge may feel overwhelming - may we be inspired to do everything in our power to manifest peace for all of our children.
We’ve compiled a few resources as a starting point for taking action:
Help Call for a Ceasefire and Support Humanitarian Aid in Gaza
Contact Your Senators and Representatives Directly. It is more impactful to make a phone call than to fill out a form letter. It’s a little more work but worth the effort. Legislative offices track them differently. You can easily find the contact information for your US Senators and Representatives here.
Help provide Humanitarian Support in Gaza through local non-profit Mercy Corps.
Help provide Children and Families Humanitarian Assistance and Protection with Unicef.
Learn from organizations Building Bridges Between Muslims and Jews
NewGround envisions an America where Muslims and Jews are empowered to create lasting partnerships, engage in authentic communication and mutual cooperation. This vibrant model of engagement – not bound by history, theology, or politics – affirms that conflict is inevitable and yet not intractable.
The Parents Circle - Families Forum (PCFF) is a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization of over 600 families, all of whom have lost an immediate family member to the ongoing conflict. Moreover, the PCFF has concluded that the process of reconciliation between nations is a prerequisite to achieving a sustainable peace. The organization thus utilizes all resources available in education, public meetings and the media, to spread these ideas. Read a moving story in the NY Times here.
Rebuilding Alliance is dedicated to advancing equal rights for the Palestinian people through education, advocacy, and support that assures Palestinian families the right to a home, schooling, economic security, safety, and a promising future.
Reframing Israel inspires Jewish children and teenagers to learn about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ask challenging questions, develop a strong commitment to social justice, and discover their unique voices.
Resource Yourself for Talking with Your Children About Frightening News and Violence
Learning for Justice offers recommendations and resources to help guide conversations with young people and to manage potential subsequent actions and reactions.
Explore Unicef’s How to talk to your children about Conflict and War: 8 tips to Support and Comfort Your Children.
Read Helping Children Cope with and Process Difficult Events from the Child-Mind Institute.
Check out The Conscious Kid: an education, research and policy organization that supports families and educators in taking action to disrupt racism, inequity and bias.
Learn more at Common Sense Media: Ideas for supporting your kids when they learn about tragic events.
A Kids Co. offers books on many topics to help kids learn about emotions, empathy, bias, conflict and other difficult topics. Their book A Kids Book about War may be a useful resource for your family.
The Bridgetown Baby blog features many more resources on talking with kids about difficult topics, educating yourself, fighting bias and celebrating diversity - find them here.
Together, with love and imagination, we can dream a new world into being for children everywhere and for generations to come.