Caring Connections - 5 Ways to Fight Hate and Discrimination

As horrifying scenes of the October 7th attack on Israel and the relentless bombing of the Gaza Strip that followed continue to dominate the news, incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia in the U.S. have surged, leaving parents across the country struggling to calm their children's fears and answer their questions — and to remind them that every person, everywhere, has the right to feel safe and respected.

 

UNICEF USA has compiled 5 ways to combat hate and discrimination: (Original link 5 Ways to Fight Hate and Discrimination. )

 

1. Celebrate other cultures. Show your support for diverse ethnic groups in your community by attending, promoting or helping fund events run by local organizations and houses of worship that bring people together: festivals, film series, guest lectures, language classes and celebrations. Bring your children.

 

2. Call out bigotry and hate speech. Stigmatization is cruel and unproductive. There has been a disturbing increase in hate speech among Americans and Europeans in recent years, often blaming immigrant and minority groups for the difficulties of their own countries. If you overhear someone tell a racist joke, speak up and let them know stereotyping isn't harmless. Let your children know they should feel free do the same. There's nothing funny about using "humor" to normalize dangerous ideas and perpetuate ugly stereotypes.

 

3. Teach children kindness and how to talk about differences. Prejudice and hate are not innate. They are learned behaviors — and they can be unlearned. Children absorb biases from the adults around them, and from the media, books and their peers. So set a good example. The process of countering negatives with positives begins at an early age. Talking about differences does not increase prejudice in children.

 

4. Act in solidarity — and intervene if it's safe to do so. When the public stands in solidarity with immigrants and marginalized groups, bullies lose their power. If you see someone being harassed or physically attacked, it is important to help if you can do so safely. Make your presence as a witness known. Make eye contact with the person being attacked and ask if they want support. Don't escalate the situation. Verbal and physical abuse is wrong and should not be tolerated.

 

5. Support human rights organizations like UNICEF. UNICEF has highlighted and advocated tirelessly for children's rights around the globe for more than 75 years and knows that children need to be seen as children, first and foremost. It's more important than ever that we all remain in solidarity with one another. Human rights are a collective promise made by all countries of the world, including those in distress. Children from all ethnic backgrounds — especially children who have been uprooted by violence, war and poverty — need our support, wherever they are. Every child deserves to be treated with humanity, and to grow up in a safe and healthy environment.

 

How To Help

• www.unicefusa.org/helpgaza 

Key Highlights

• There are estimated to be over 1.4 million Internally Displaced People (IDPs) across the Gaza Strip, 629,000 of whom are hosted in 150 UNRWA Designated Emergency Shelters (DES).
• According to the Ministry of Health (MoH) as of October 26, reportedly 2,913 children were killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of hostilities, with a further 6,168 children reportedly injured. A further 35 children have reportedly been killed in the West Bank as a result of increasing violence.
• 221 schools have sustained damage in the Gaza Strip, representing over 40 per cent of all school buildings in the Gaza Strip. 625,000 children enrolled in school across the Gaza Strip have no access to education.
• UNICEF supported the temporary restoration of water to an estimated 1 million people in the Deir Al Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah areas of the Gaza Strip including over 560,000 children through provision of fuel and water treatment supplies.
• UNICEF has moved 13 trucks through the Rafah Crossing into the Gaza Strip with supplies including medicines and medical consumable kits delivered to Nasser Hospital for an estimated 165,000 people, as well as bottled water for 55,000 people. These supplies are in addition to the supplies already distributed through UNRWA and MoH.
• UNICEF has reached around 3,000 IDP children and adolescents with daily recreational and psychosocial support activities.
• UNICEF has made cash transfers targeting over 22,000 people, half of them children.