FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-
FOR CONTACT (ENGLISH):: Rasha Mubarak, 407.590.9952, [email protected]
FOR CONTACT (ESPANOL): Victoria Cervantes 312.259.5042, [email protected] (Español Abajo)
Virtual Press Conference: AFGJ Speaks Out Against Attacks on Free Speech
(TUCSON, AZ) Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ) is calling for help with a dangerous attack against the right to organize for justice and address grievances against governments. AFGJ is a human rights organization that works for justice and supports struggles for human rights across the globe. It also acts as a fiscal sponsor to 140 grassroots organizations that provide services to their own communities. These projects’ missions range from tutoring school children, working for environmental justice, and advocating for the basic rights and needs of vulnerable communities, to other forms of social and political activism.
AFGJ and these 140 fiscally-sponsored projects found themselves to be targets of right-wing media attacks. In an attempt to block AFGJ’s justice-seeking work, a right-wing media outlet falsely claimed that an AFGJ project “may be” engaged in illegal activities. Because these accusations are patently false and were unsuccessful in stopping AFGJ’s work, they launched an attack on the organization’s ability to raise and manage funds, unwarranted, flagging financial institutions that handle the NGO’s credit card donations and the platform used to disburse funds to their projects. If you read their attacks carefully, you will find that they use guarded allegations against AFGJ in their attempt to avoid making false and defamatory statements. For example, they state AFGJ “may” be involved with organizations who are “widely recognized” or “may be directly funding” or “appears to be providing”.Their choice of language confirms their willful attempt to interfere with AFGJ’s mission through inference and innuendo only, instead of providing actual evidence. This comes right out of the far-right playbook when they are short of evidence.
The accusations caused financial institutions to cancel AFGJ’s contracts for accepting credit card donations for itself and its projects, distributing funds to projects, and carrying on other vital forms of business, without any investigation or due process by the banks. AfGJ and its 140 fiscally-sponsored projects were suddenly de-platformed – blocked – from using these services. Projects that depend upon these tools have seen their payrolls, rent payments, and other critical financial transactions blocked.
Despite these attacks, AFGJ remains committed to growing and supporting movements for liberation and justice worldwide, including advocacy for and centering the rights of the Palestinian people. With 90 initial signatories who have signed onto AFGJ’s Resistance Campaign, they call upon other human rights advocates to join them in pushing back against these attacks.
Camille Landry, a National Co-Coordinator at AFGJ, explained it this way: “If they come for us, they’ll come for other groups and even individuals who are engaged in human rights work. We have all watched the Right systematically demolish democracy in the US and elsewhere. We’ve seen attacks on voting rights, reproductive rights, immigrant rights, LGBTQIA rights, and even the rights of teachers and librarians to teach the true history of this nation to schoolchildren. The people who are removing books from your children’s classrooms are also attempting to silence advocacy groups that support the Palestinian people.”
AFGJ reaffirms our commitment to people-centered solidarity: from the Palestinian people who struggle for national liberation and against unjust occupation, to our work for immigration justice and human rights for all. In fact, we’re more committed than ever to pushing back against the forces of imperialism and repression. We’re excited to announce the launch of our resistance campaign on Monday, August 14., AFGJ calls on human rights supporters to be in solidarity by showing up with action.
WHAT: Press conference
WHEN: Tuesday, September 26th, 2023 at 11 AM PST/2 PM EST
WHERE: insert link
WHO: AFGJ representatives: Camille Landry and Rasha Mubarak
WHY: Announce launch of Resistance Campaign
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Alliance for Global Justice’s mission is to achieve social change and economic justice by helping to build a stronger, more unified grassroots movement. We recognize that the concentration of wealth and power is the root cause of oppression requiring us to work together across ideologies, issues, and communities. AFGJ nurtures organizations seeking fundamental change in international and national conditions that disempower people, create disparities in access to wealth and power, poison the earth, and plunder its resources.
AFGJ supports locally-based grassroots organizing by sharing political analysis, mobilizing for direct action, monitoring the centers of corporate and government power, expanding channels of communication, and sharing skills and infrastructure. AFGJ’s commitment to solidarity and fighting de-platforming enables us to continue to show up for justice and truth within the movement.
See Full Statement Here | afgj.org | [email protected] |
