October 2023
Ceasefire Now!
We Demand an Immediate End to the U.S.-Backed Genocide of the Palestinian People and the Imperialist Occupation of Palestinian Land
The Radical Communicators Network (RadComms) demands an immediate end to the U.S.-backed genocide of the Palestinian people and the Zionist, imperialist occupation of Palestinian land—beginning with an immediate ceasefire.
We, storytellers and practitioners of narrative power, are unequivocally committed to the liberation, self-determination, and justice of a Free Palestine. As the Palestinian people endure a generations-long siege of their homeland and genocide of their people—including the most recent state violence by the Israeli government that has killed nearly 20,000—we recommit ourselves to fighting for the liberation of Palestine and oppressed people globally.
What power does the narrative practitioner wield in the decolonial project? To narrate from the rooftops, the treetops, and the very ground beneath: decolonization, insurrection, and revolution are not distant dreams; they are the lifeblood of freedom. To etch into the collective consciousness the indomitable truth that every decolonization endeavor must take narrative control to confront power and reflect the social reality and material conditions of those targeted by oppression and domination. In the parallel fight for Black Power, Stokely Carmichael asserted that “The power to define is the most important power that we have…whoever controls language controls the world.”
Narrative power is a fierce catalyst for mobilization, rebellion, and insurgency. It doesn’t just set the agenda; it forges the very battleground where decolonial struggle crashes onto the landscape of public discourse—a tumultuous arena where ideologies, perspectives, and propaganda fiercely clash. As narrative practitioners for social justice, we are responsible for connecting the dots between movements for self-determination and the human right to live free from oppression. The pursuit of global liberation demands our continued efforts in identifying, dismantling, and countering narratives of supremacy and dehumanization.
George Lipsitz reminds us, “domination produces resistance, and resistance plants the seeds of the new society in the shell of the old.”
The fight for Palestinian sovereignty isn’t a choice; it’s a mandate for universal human rights. Many in our community wear the scars of colonization, occupation, and imperial terror. Our history compels us to act. With unyielding fervor, we challenge and dispel the web of lies woven to divide the oppressed. As communicators, we bear the responsibility of countering the misleading narratives spread by the Israeli propaganda machine. These narratives, supported and disseminated by the US government, contribute to a warped worldview where Palestinians are viewed as expendable collateral damage.
Hand in hand, we rise against imperial violence, forging a united front for our shared liberation. We will not stand idly by as military juggernauts bombard our Palestinian siblings, who resist their looming obliteration. We demand a ceasefire and an immediate end to U.S. funds fueling Israel’s Zionist-imperial warpath and an uncompromising inquest into the state’s ceaseless human rights abuses against Palestinians.
In our hearts, we carry the weight of profound sorrow for those we have lost, and in the face of such loss, we stand as unyielding champions for the living. In recognition of the devastating void left by those killed since Oct. 7 and long before, we recommit to fighting for the liberation, freedom, and self-determination of all oppressed people—for their lives, their hopes, and their dreams.
In solidarity,
Radical Communicators Network Leadership Team
Shanelle Matthews, Founder
Phuong Pham
Diana Huynh
Virali Modi-Parekh
Zaineb Mohammed
Marzena Zukowska
Beulah Osueke
Annie Neimand
Bia Jackson
Resources for activists and narrative strategists
Key takeaways from our convening with narrative experts from the movement for Palestinian liberation