February 12, 2025 • 46 mins
Deema Tamini is a nonprofit & startup founder, community organizer, & advocate for social justice, communal food systems, mutual aid & the arts. With a tech career behind her, she brings marketing/product development skills, creativity, empathy, & leadership to her local advocacy & organizing in Davis, California. She serves on the Davis Human Relations Commission. Here she talks of finding her role in the Collective Liberation movement in her local & her media work: AllFree & Watermelon Pages.
It's Your Voice is broadcast live Wednesdays at 8PM ET Music on W4CY Radio (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). It's Your Voice is viewed on Talk 4 TV (www.talk4tv.com).
It's Your Voice Podcast is also available on Talk 4 Media (www.talk4media.com), Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com), iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Audible, and over 100 other podcast outlets.
It's Your Voice is broadcast live Wednesdays at 8PM ET Music on W4CY Radio (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). It's Your Voice is viewed on Talk 4 TV (www.talk4tv.com).
It's Your Voice Podcast is also available on Talk 4 Media (www.talk4media.com), Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com), iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Audible, and over 100 other podcast outlets.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The topics and opinions expressed in the following show are
solely those of the hosts and their guests and not
those of W four c Y Radio. It's employees are affiliates.
We make no recommendations or endorsements for radio show programs, services,
or products mentioned on air or on our web.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
No liability explicit.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Or implies shall be extended to W four c Y
Radio or it's employees or affiliates. Any questions or comments
should be directed to those show hosts. Thank you for
choosing W four c Y Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Let's Speech, Let's speak show in lot, Let's breech in lot,
Let's breach in Lott's Lot.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
In a lot of Hello, and welcome to It's Your Voice,
the show that hosted riching conversations in diversity. My name
is Bihia Yaxin. I am a diversity educator and a
coach to help people align their actions with what they
say they believe in so that what they do actually
matches their values. A lot of people reach out to me.
(01:16):
You can look at my website which is called Know
what you Want Coaching dot WordPress dot com. And I
just want to say how much I enjoy being a
diversity educator, and what that means to me is I
educate myself by learning about all kinds of people with
all kinds of backgrounds, and I think it's one of
the best ways to learn about the world. I love
(01:37):
hearing stories from people and sharing them. A lot of
people enjoy also listening and learning. I think a great
form of education. So tonight our show is called Embracing
Collector Liberation and we have guests who's taught me a
lot already. Dema to me, Dima, please join me, and
(02:00):
I would like to read. I'm going to read your
just a little bit of your background so people have
a sense of how involves you are with community work
and all kinds of things. So forget me for reading it,
but I don't want to skip up. And you're going
to talk about your finding your role in collective liberation
in the collective liberation movement.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah language, yeah, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Welcome.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
So.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Dima is a nonprofit and startup founder, a community organizer
and advocate for social justice, communal food systems, mutual aid,
and the arts, with a tech career behind her, which
is amazing because you are so young, you already have
a tech career behind you. Dema brings her marketing and
product development skills, as well as creativity, empathy, and leadership
(02:51):
to all her current engagements, including local advocacy and organizing
in her community of Davis, California. And she serves on
the Davis Human Relations Commission and is deeply committed to
social justice and collective liberation. And also she you believes
in our joy, food and storytelling are powerful tools for
(03:13):
fostering change and building a more just world.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
A true, all true, Thanks for having me here.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
And you also have your own media, which I went
we'll talk about too, all called all Free and Watermelon pages.
People who are accessing this by the camera, we'll see
the banner streaming, but we'll we'll say that contact information
out loud.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
To thank you. Yeah, because we just launched those two things.
So yeah, so I'm excited to be able to share
them with people and get people's thoughts. So thank you
for having me as we're just kind of, you know,
embarking on some new media stuff. So thanks.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Yeah, And is it all connected to embracing collective liberation?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
The two media just yeah, I mean pretty much. I'd
say All Free is a little broader and it's it
really is kind of a media and storytelling and place
for people to learn how to be part of collective liberation,
which I can I can go through what that means,
(04:20):
how to be strong in this movement, how to be
effective and just and hear from people in the movement
for collective liberation, And that's more of All Free is
Watermelon Pages is more specifically focused on amplifying sharing Palestinian
voices and stories, so very much specific specifically focused on Palestinians,
(04:44):
which are a big part of liberation movement. But All
Free is a little bit more encompassing of all the
different ways in which we can support collective liberation, which
is a broader movement.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
Well, thank you, and they're definitely thanks for creating a
platform for both. And it's so good. I can't wait
to hear about Palestinine stories that I just I feel
like there's been so much isolation and such limited exposure
to who people are in their stories. So I'm thank you.
(05:18):
I think this is a great favorite to the world. Yeah,
thank you.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Well, I mean, you're somebody who cares about hearing lots
of people's voices and diversity, so this seems like a
natural place to talk about the fact that Palestinian voices
have not been heard for really for a very very
long time. And you know, I was inspired the end
(05:45):
of last year. I've always really been very interested in this,
in the fact that Palestinian stories are not heard, and
in the fact that I think a lot of what
we're seeing today in terms of people's apathy or unwillingness
(06:06):
to speak up for Palestinians has to do with this
almost century long rasure of Palestinian voices and dehumanization of
Palestinians in the media and by our own, you know,
elected leaders. And so we're seeing that today very much
(06:27):
so with our current leaders. And I have always believed
that storytelling and telling the and giving amplifying the voices
of Palestinians was a key part of how we start
to chip away at and reverse that dehumanization. Uh. And
so Watermelon Pages is really a first step for me
(06:54):
to be involved in trying to get more Palestinian voices
in front of people. And I was mentioning, you know
late last year, I got very inspired to really push
forward and do this after really seeing the media actually
cover this a little bit through uh the interviews that
they were having with a ton of Haase Coats who
(07:14):
had written a really wonderful book called The Message. And
in the book, really one of his key points he
went to the West Bank and he wrote about Israel
and Palestine in the last chapter of his book, and
one of the key points at the end of his
book and in many of his interviews was that we
haven't heard Palestinian voices. We have not really been allowed
(07:36):
as Palestinians to have any sort of voice in discussions
of our own you know, identity, and discussions of our history.
We're left out of the conversation. And so I think
that really inspired me to be to hear, to hear
(07:58):
someone really just name that and have that covered by
the mainstream media felt like a real invitation to not
only have my voice go out into the world, but
also be able to bring other Palestinian voices into the forefront.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Fantastic, And that reminds me that you're such a community organizer.
I don't know if you are also organized this, but
the town, the city brought a film called Where the
Olive Trees Weep? Yeah, Yeah, and that was so powerful
and so educational, and people were people of all kinds
(08:38):
of political backgrounds and ideologies and heritages and religions came
and I think we were all moved. I think everyone's
eyes were open because it's so such a such untold stories,
so many untold stories, and the trauma. And forgive me
forgetting the name of the very famous psychologists. Yes, he's
(09:03):
fantastic and he was there in the film doing trauma
healing work with Palestinians and describes so well differentiated between
PTSD post traumatic stress disorder from ongoing trauma because it's
not in the past, it's ongoing. Sadly. In the footage
(09:26):
and the voices, I mean that was if anybody wants
to open hearts and minds and eyes, I would. I'd
find that film right where the olive trees weep.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Yeah, it would be great if we could add that link.
I am a I think it's a wonderful film. It's
eye opening for some, for others, it's just validation to
see this story be on a big screen. It is
available online. And you know, one thing to note about
(09:57):
this story is it's most of it is about I mean,
it is about both Gaza and the West Bank. But
I think a lot of the footage is kind of
from the West Bank. And also it was before October seventh,
so you know, a lot of people that date is
a date that's constantly thrown out there. But people need
to understand that the occupation and the brutality toward Palestinians
(10:24):
has been happening for over seventy five years. And so
while they're you know, I just I just want people
to know when they that, when they you know, reference
this and watch this movie. It was actually filmed I
think in twenty twenty two, I believe, and the filmmakers,
(10:48):
I believe actually you know, had planned to maybe even
put it out later, but I think felt compelled to
get it out as soon as possible. They're amazing filmmakers.
Are part of a group called I think Spirituality Non Duality.
It's called SAND and they do other films. But this
film I think has gotten a lot of attention and
(11:08):
it's definitely an important one to watch if you are
interested in understanding the struggle of the Palestinians. Very yeah,
and another other thing to note about that was when I,
you know, when I introduced it, one of the things
I did mention was that, you know, this is it's
very rare to see these films where Palestinians are centered
(11:30):
and their voices are there, and many, you know, different
Palestinians show up in the film. But yeah, I mean,
one thing I would know is there is more and
more Palestinian media out there. Mo just Moama came out
with his second series of mo Wonderful, wonderful series television
(11:57):
series that's online and available and I think it's on Netflix.
But really, if you know, if you're interested or you
want to learn, there are ways to find good media
that presents Palestinians in their story. So that one I
have just been recently watching because it just came out
(12:17):
and it's really good.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
So yes, I was recently informed to watch it, and
it is it's very compelling.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
It's very compelling, and I would recommend watching the first series.
And you know, if you have to do the like
watch many, that's fine, but they go quickly. And the
first series is really great too. And but he did
just release the second and it's it's it's very very good.
It's very timely because it's also a lot of it
is about immigration and being stateless and there's just so
(12:49):
much that's happening right now today. Where we need to
have people understand how difficult it is and how borders
and all of these restrictions on immigration caused so much
harm to families and people. So it's really very very
timely and very much worth to watch.
Speaker 4 (13:10):
And I think I just saw one of the episodes
where the main character mot for Mohammed, talks about being
state just sharing with friends what it's like to be stateless.
And that's really I think for for those of us
who grew up in America, that's like, like we can
(13:33):
hardly even imagine what that's like. And I uh, it
just really it struck me deeply to think of all
the people who are stateless and what that would feel like.
And uh yeah, my my father immigrated here and and
it just made me deeply even more appreciate. You know,
there's there's a lot of great places in the world,
(13:54):
but I made me appreciate even more how what my
father sacrificed too come here, study medicine, my amazing mother
settle and have raised children here and what like it
would be so easy to just have no idea what
a gift that was to have a state. I mean,
(14:15):
it doesn't have to be the state to have a country,
to have a passport, have a nationality that is safe
and protected and where you have rights. Yeah, that's it's
not the experience of so many people.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Yeah, I think we often take that for granted, but yeah,
I mean it's I mean some of us have stories
that we can tell of our you know, of our
parents who had to do a lot to get that
or in some cases for people that their parents still
don't have that. And yeah, it is, uh, it is blessing.
It is a blessing. But I think especially in this
(14:51):
series with Mo, it sort of shows you how difficult
it is to be a stateless person. What what that
what difficult see that creates for people. But also if
you are on the path to try to get citizenship
or try to become not stateless, Oh my goodness, it's
just like it's so complicated and the process is dehumanizing
(15:15):
and difficult, and yeah, it really does open your eyes
to that, and then it does make you really really
grateful if you if you are not in that position
to have to have us, to have a home and
to have a place where you have a passport too. Yeah,
and many many Palestinians are in that state, you know,
(15:38):
they're in a refugee state, or they don't have any paperwork,
or their paperwork is not recognized, and so it tells
that story too well.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
I want to step back a little bit because I
like kind of defining terms we use even more. And
I got to meet at my first exposure to this
recent use of the term collective liberation. Liberation was getting
to go here to amazing human beings talk and share
(16:09):
about Palestine and Israel from one was an idea former
idea of soldier and one was a Palestinian and that
was incredibly powerful and moving to hear how they worked
so hard to find the common ground and hear each
other's stories and are still going to all over this country,
(16:32):
probably out of the country to tell people like what
you were referring to, the seventy five years of occupation
and the different realities, the different like right there, you know,
different ways they were conditioned, and it's so honest and
it's in painful and enlightening. So collective liberation. They were
(16:57):
on this show. If anybody listening wants to go here
or their podcast, they are amazing and they have women
and other people helping them organize, keep keep the keep
this conversation going education going, So there is a show
called collective Liberation, and so tell me more what embracing
collective liberation means to you and what embracing it means
(17:20):
to you? Yeah, what it is?
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Yeah? So, And actually I just wanted to say so
Rattam and Osama, who have Salt of the Earth, who
I think is who you're referring to. They are wonderful
and yes they they do speak a lot about collective liberation.
It's interesting. I've tried to find like where's where'd that
wording start? And I think it has been used historically
(17:48):
in uh or maybe not historically, but it's not completely
a new term. But it wasn't a term I was
super aware of, and I didn't see it really kind
of rising into sort of like people's consciousness as much
until recently. And it really is this concept that none
(18:08):
of us are really truly free unless we're all free,
and it really grounds in the idea that there has
to be mutuality in freedom and liberation. And I think
that to me feels so right and real around kind
(18:30):
of feelings I've always felt about conflicts in general, but
especially on the when thinking about the occupation and when
thinking about this genocide, there really is there is there
is no way for anyone to be free, the oppressor
or the oppressed to be free unless everybody is free.
(18:51):
And I don't believe that the oppressed is free because
they are also And this comes a lot in the
in where all of trees week, this idea that the
oppressed are also imprisoned in these in their fear, which
which manifests into hate, which manifests into violence. And so
(19:14):
we have to we have to we have to aim
for everyone being free. That mutuality is the only real
way that you get a you get justice, but you
also you know, I think you can't have what a
lot of people say, oh they want peace, but you
can't have peace unless there's really justice at the root
of that piece. And that requires mutuality. In terms of freedom,
(19:39):
both everyone needs to be free. Everyone needs to be safe.
Not one group's security is more important than another person's freedom.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
And you can't have freedom if you're not secure.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
So you need to have it be a mutual.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
Totally makes sense and for me.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
That has been really helpful to have a name to it.
So even though this term has been around, for me,
finding that name and finding what that really means and
finding the groups of people who are really for collective liberation.
It's really helped me be able to be an advocate
and be and speak in really difficult situations where you know,
(20:21):
there's a lot of emotion and there's trauma involved and people,
you know, start to get really angry and knowing and
being grounded in something where everyone is going to benefit,
everyone around the whole world, because it's not just palisine
in Israel, this kind of colonialization and white supremacy, all
(20:43):
these things that are diminishing some groups over other groups.
That is all around the world. And so I can
feel really solid and really confident in the work that
I'm doing because I know it's based in something where
everyone is going to be taken care of, everyone is
going to benefit, and everyone will be free.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
Everyone's cared for. Everyone deserves safety and health and housing.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
And h and freedom and dignity and freedom of movement,
resources like water and electricity and all the things that
some groups have but some people are not able to
get because of us, you know, a group that is
either as supremacy over them or in some cases, you know,
poverty is another another thing. It's like resources. There are
(21:32):
reasons why certain people don't have these resources and others do,
and there's systems in place that help keep it that way,
and collective liberation is around is about looking at that,
understanding what those systems are doing, what they are, and
working to change them.
Speaker 4 (21:51):
I always like to ask people, how do you see
because sometimes as hearing the word systems and seem daunting, like, oh,
how do we change the system? But then I think systems,
we run the systems. Yeah, the people run the systems,
and I know I am. I have been in some
(22:14):
and I am in some, and it's it's so hard
when you're in it and you're part of the like
how the system operating? Like how how do we change it?
And how do we how does collective how just embracing
collective liberation remind me that I have power and that
there will be places, there are places and times I
(22:34):
can use it, Like how do I help bring effective
change to systems to reduce the the inequities? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (22:44):
I mean it's it's such a good question, and it's
a lot of what we're trying to address in All
Free is not only inspiring people by hearing voices of
people who are either in the collective liberty movement as
you know, as activists, or are in it as healers,
(23:07):
or are in it as people that are working in
the government and they're trying to like chip away at legislation.
You know, there are so many and we talk about
We've talked about this a couple of times in our
last two podcasts, is that everyone has a role to play.
And I think the one thing that I want people
because right now we're in a time where it's it's
(23:30):
really easy to just be like, I can't do anything
because this is so big, Like you said, it's systems,
Like what do we do? I think the way to
think about it is, you know, baby steps for yourself,
like you, everyone has a role. Everyone can contribute, and
maybe at a certain moment in your life you can't
(23:50):
contribute a lot because you've got kids to take care of,
or you've got things that are you know, keeping you
focused elsewhere. But there's almost always some thing that someone
can add to this movement. And it could just be
a single thing that you do in a day. For
some people, it's writing letters to their to the representatives.
For other people, it might be donating to organizations and
(24:16):
some people are the people that are, you know, leading
the protests, but you don't. I think a lot of people,
because protests are so visual, they think that's the only
way to counter these systems. But that is not the case.
I actually think one of the one of the wonderful
things that people can do is just talk about these
(24:37):
things with their friends and their neighbors and people. The
people have the power. We do have more power than
we think, and I think it feels like we are
losing it right now to an oligarchy. And I just
encourage people to remember that so many movements and so
many changes in history have come from the people using
(25:00):
their power collectively. So just talking about these things with people.
What I'm finding is a lot of people believe all
these things I'm saying, but they've been afraid to say them.
They've been afraid to say them they think it might
sound super radical. I mean, I've been thinking this way
my whole life, but I was silenced for a long
time because it felt like, oh, it's dangerous, you know,
(25:23):
or it's radical, which I think now people are actually
embracing radical as like a good thing in some circles
and in others not. But I don't think these things
are radical. I think they are kind of common sense.
And I think if more and more people start saying it,
I think that people have more power than they think.
They just need to either awaken to these things or
(25:48):
reawaken to them, because I think a lot of people
know these things As children.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
We know, Oh yeah, I, as a true child.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Knew a lot of these things. I felt there were
so many things that like, basically, I'm just going back
to what I believed as a child that was told
I needed to just be careful.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
You know, Wow, that is so that is so good.
That's just made so many good points, and one of
them is like it's kind of like perspective taking. Because
even the way radical is used, and I don't know
what to call it, pop culture or social media, it
really has been a way to try to silence people,
(26:26):
like like it's a bad thing when it's like, actually,
when I think of the values behind what is often
labeled as radical left is like ask you for fairness.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Yeah, that could hold as kids were really good and important.
But then when we spoke about it in sort of
like political terms, it was.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
Like, oh, don't and anybody in the yeah, anybody in
the central moderate knows that's not radical. That's the ideals
that are actually written down in the Constitution of the
United States, which where we've been working on for a
long time to start realizing, you know, like, yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Think you're so right. It is a way of silencing
people because people don't want to feel like they're somehow
on the fringe, or they're like their whole community is
going to be like what happened to you? Right, you've
been radicalized? When you're right, a lot of these things,
they're actually things that we all, so many of us
like can get behind. It's just that they it's it's
(27:28):
in the best interest of the power for people and
those that want these systems to stay the same, for
us to be afraid and for us to be silent.
And so it's a night it's an easy tool to
scare you to say that you sound like you've been radicalized,
you know, And certainly there are people that maybe they
(27:49):
have been more you know, they've gone to sure a
side that isn't great, But there's a lot of people
who are saying things that are being labeled radical that
like you said, you and I can really get behind.
As just caring for one or another and not wanting
to see people oppressed.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
It's like, it's what you said, It's like what we
learned in kindergarten. It's yeah, sure, turns be fair. Now,
how would you feel if if someone called you that name?
It's like really, yeah, it actually feels so much better
to include other people than exclude because it's isolating and
(28:28):
keeps us stranged and and get bitter in our isolation.
Stop relating to people. Start, And I think tone really
matters a lot. Like a young adult in my life
is really good at challenging me and forcing me to
like clarify, what do you mean by that? Like what
(28:50):
does that mean? And so much I think so often
it's like you know the tone, and you know, are
we sounding self righteous? Are we like escalating each other's
voices like that? That's when we shut down. That's when
we're like, I'll never mind, to forget it. I'm not
even going to try to bring down this wall or
cross this ferrier or open my heart. But I don't know.
(29:13):
I just thinking about how we communicate, talking about how
important it is just to be talking for our friends,
our neighbors, and we have to be really patient, and
remember we're you know, we just have a piece of
the puzzle. None of us know everything, no, and.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
You know, I think that's That's one thing we mentioned
in our first All Free podcast was we hope that
this movement is not a movement that like embraces sort
of cancel culture and like just makes people feel like, oh,
I said the wrong thing. So now I'm just I
can't say anything because that first of all, things change.
(29:52):
I have evolved, Everyone evolves, We are all works in progress.
And I actually think in many cases, people who have
been silent or appear to be apathetic are actually afraid.
They are afraid that they will get shot down because
they said something in one way that was wrong. And
(30:14):
that's not to say like we should just say, well,
that's okay. You can say these things, especially if we
really disagree with how or what they're saying. But I
think there's a way to say to people, you know,
unless they're being like like openly hostile. There's different kinds
of communication. But when people are trying and they make
a mistake, I think there are opportunities for us to
(30:35):
still bring them in but discuss with them in a
kind way. But firm that this you know, didn't resonate
or isn't there's another way to maybe look at it
and rather than just you know, throw them out. And
I think if people were to see people behave that
way more, then more people would stop being silent because
(30:58):
they would know that there would be some grace, good word.
Speaker 4 (31:01):
And I have to say, I feel very privileged to
be able to host the show, and I can't. I
can't do it alone. I thank God the responsors because
listening is a huge part of not not just learning.
But I'm not saying this is the press. I mean
(31:21):
I listen obviously to my guests. I love it. I
probably talk way too much. I should just let my
guests talk more. And like in the world, at work,
at home, in community, it's benefits me so much. If
someone says something that goes against what I was taught
or what I learned or what I believe, if I
(31:44):
just be quiet and listen, just hear this other point
of view, even if I think I know what they're
going to say, or I think they were conditioned X,
Y or Z, if I stop and listen and it's
genuine and like I'm actually really I really want to
know how it hit this person and how they learned
what this word means or that word means, or the
(32:04):
stereotype means, and just the act of being listened to
can help open the other heart too. And sometimes it's
just like I don't have to say my side. At
the same time, even it's kind of like about building relationship,
building trusts, getting to know and having given the experience
and having the experience of like, oh, wow, that person
(32:26):
really listened to me. I wasn't expecting that maybe next
time we see each other that I want to know
what the other one thinks. But I just think that's
a key key part of building trusts and relationships and
understanding and empathy.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Yeah, I mean, and a lot of what I'm referring
to even I and you know, a lot of what
we're referring to is really even within movements themselves. You know,
I have seen I've been part of movements, and I've
been part of like various groups that are really you know,
they have a common goal, but then they kind of
(33:00):
they kind of fall apart on like details and details
that then they start to sort of attack each other on,
and then you know, the movement falls apart. And that's
that's really a lot of what I'm talking about, because
I also want to be clear. I think I don't
want to sort of say to people you can't be
angry and you can't like express your anger, and you
(33:23):
can't you shouldn't go and like protest and be loud
like No, I think those are all valid and important
parts of movements. I'm more referring to, like in conversation
and when you're trying to work with people and you
know that the person's coming to the table trying to
work with you, especially in these movements. I think that
(33:48):
grace is so important or else we won't be able
to we won't be able to achieve the goals of
collective liberation. We won't be able to have everyone in
this world have freedom and dignity and security if we
are fighting about like the word and we can't move
on and we cancel people.
Speaker 4 (34:06):
Excellent point, Thank you. So I would like to hear
more about your local work, I know, like when when things.
You're on the human Human Relations Committee for the City
of Davis. Yeah, can you share with what role will
you play that?
Speaker 2 (34:22):
Yeah? So I am called the Human Relations Commission. It's
a commission that was I guess elected by the city council,
and there's several commissions that the city Council does interviews
with people and then sort of recommends people and then
there's a vote, and so I think it was like
(34:44):
in may or June I was voted in and July
was when I started my term, and it's a two
year term. And you know, I've been very involved in
local kind of government stuff, but this is the first
sort of elected, sort of commissioner role that I've been in,
and we're are really tasked with just thinking about how
(35:04):
people are feeling within the community, how people are relating
to one another. We do also manage a couple of
events with city staff, like Martin Luther King Junior Day.
We also worked on says Er Chaves Day, so there's
things like that. But really it's about kind of having
a pulse on the community, and in many cases, commissioners
(35:27):
are on there specifically in some cases to advocate for
a certain community and make sure that they're being heard,
bringing them into the fold so that they come to meetings.
We have a meeting every fourth Thursday of the month
that it's a public meeting. We really only meet publicly
unless we have subcommittees, and that's because of the Brown Act.
(35:51):
Basically everything has to be transparent in front of the
public unless we have a sub commitee where smaller groups
can actually start working in between those meetings. I'm on
two different subcommittees. So one subcommittee I'm on is this
says Ershavage Day Celebration, and then the other one I'm
(36:11):
on is one for what we're calling MAPPA, which is Muslims, Arabs,
Palestinians and allies and getting a sense of how they
are feeling within our community. Any sort of discrimination or
feeling of not belonging or silencing is something that we
(36:34):
want to make sure we understand address and make sure
that there's opportunities for the city and our leaders to
show support for those groups.
Speaker 4 (36:44):
That's fantastic to have a place where people can go
who have been intimidated and silenced and attacked just trying
to express their own reality.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
Yeah. Yeah, So that's been a lot of my work
with the HRC, But it's not just the subcommittee. We
discussed a lot of different topics and we have people
do come and they come and they have an opportunity
to do public comment They also have an opportunity to
email us, and so we do get a sense of
(37:17):
sort of a lot of what's happening in our community.
I'd love it if more and more people knew about
the Commission so that they know that this is a
place where they can let us know things that are
going on. They can be celebratory things that are happening
within their smaller communities that we should be amplifying or
letting others know through the meeting, but also for people
(37:40):
to come and let us know when things aren't going
well and there's things that they think could be better
about Davis in terms of helping them feel welcome and
cared for in the community.
Speaker 4 (37:54):
That's amazing. Did you say the fourth Thursday of every month.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
Yep. And we have public comment in the beginning, and
then we also have agenda items and people can you know,
they can get the agenda online beforehand and they can
also we have public comment for every agenda item, so
we can't make it to the beginning of the meeting.
You can come for the specific agenda item. If it's
something that you have thoughts about that you feel that
(38:20):
we should know about, you can public comment then too.
Speaker 4 (38:23):
Just going to the City of Davis' website, you can
find all this information.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Yeah, I think if you look, even if you just
sort of word to google HRC, we're not HRC Human
Relations Commission, City of Davis, I think our website would
come up. And also I think it has the email
that you can email and not email goes to the
commissioners as well.
Speaker 4 (38:45):
Well, wow, thanks for that work. That's that's that's quite
that could be quite a burden. That's something that seems
like a like a very compassionate spiritual position. Yeah, offer
for your community, they remember, It's.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Felt very rewarding. I've had a lot of people say
that they, you know, feel like their voice is often
not heard or they feel like they are not comfortable
speaking up or telling their full truth within our community.
And so I think this is for some people made
(39:25):
them feel like they have they have an outlet or
more of an outlet, or at least someone who's on
the commission is aware and listening and caring and bringing
these things forward.
Speaker 4 (39:39):
Well, I wanted to ask you again to say what
watermelon symbolizes from your watermelon paces.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
So, the watermelon is a symbol that has been used
in a sort of the Palestinie liberation movement because after
Six Day War in nineteen sixty seven, and I think
it was through nineteen ninety three, the Palestinian flag was
(40:09):
banned by Israel, so you weren't allowed to have it
or to show it, and or you would get in trouble.
And so the watermelon has the colors of the Palestinian flag.
So and also it is an item that is used
in Palestinian cooking, and so it was it became a
(40:31):
symbol that people are, that people use to represent Palestinian resistance,
Palestinian resilience, Palestinian freedom, and even sometimes Palestine culture. So
people use it a lot for that. It came out
of this time in which they could not use the flag,
(40:53):
but it's also become just a very like a symbol
of the movement.
Speaker 4 (40:58):
Wow, thank you. Very interesting. And I don't know if
that's well known or not. Maybe I'm one of the
last people to learn this.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
When you're eating watermelon, you'll have a totally different thought. Yes,
it's you know, in social media, it's it gets used
a lot. So, but I but I have you know,
I think people don't necessarily know that I when I've
been using it for Watermelon Pages. I'm thinking of it
really as a symbol of Palestinian culture and voices and
(41:35):
and so that's really why it's called Watermelon Pages. And
we will be launching a podcast soon and that'll be
called Watermelon Voices, and that will be an opportunity to
share and amplify Palestinian voices.
Speaker 4 (41:48):
Speaking of sharing and amplifying voices, we have about four minutes.
Would you like to share a poem that you wrote?
Speaker 2 (41:55):
Oh yeah, okay, well here we go. Let me just
get it up. It's very short, so we should be
able to do it within the four minutes. It's called
uh oh wow, I went dark there because I pulled
up a screen here to give me a second. It's
called rewording erasure.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
There were always missing words, gaps, omissions, Palestine, Palestinian left out,
erased or never written, never written because the world didn't
like them, and my courage lost to my caring, until
my caring found what really mattered, until I became free
(42:34):
to use all my words to write with more ease
and truth, to write pre Palestine.
Speaker 4 (42:43):
Wow, that is beautiful. Can you say what the has
been like to find and express your own voice? After
having experience not being able to for all the reasons
you so well articulated.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
Yeah, it's been my own kind of freedom, like, you know,
getting out of this sort of cage that I had
been in in terms of, you know, not feeling like
I could express myself fully and not fully say my
thoughts and my beliefs and even my identity, you know
(43:20):
in some cases, like not feeling comfortable saying that I'm Palestinian.
And it took a lot of it took a lot
of work to get there. And I mean, I think
this is a common story for a lot of people.
Speaker 4 (43:37):
You know.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
We grow up in the world tells us how we're
supposed to be, and we create all of these layers
on top of who we really are to appease and
try to be what people want us to be. And
there are some people in the world that don't have
that happen to them, or better at shielding themselves from that.
But I was not one of those people, and I
did have to take off a lot of these layers
(44:01):
that people and well society and expectations have put on me.
And at the root, I found that there were things
I had been been afraid to be fully open about
because of how the world sees Palestinians in particular, or
caes Arabs in this country. And it's been, it's been.
(44:26):
It was hard, but it has been. I feel like
a much more full person, being able to speak my
mind and be fully truthful to myself and to others.
Speaker 4 (44:36):
Hell Olia, it's just incredible. It's so it's so inspiring
and I'm sure validating for so many people listening now
and who will listen later. I'm just joyful for your
journey and and and thank you like you're benefiting so
(44:57):
many people by using your voice and so many constructive, feeling, intelligent, educational,
find empathetic, affirming ways.
Speaker 2 (45:09):
Well, thank you. It's great to be on the show
and to be able to share my voice with people.
So thank you for having me.
Speaker 4 (45:16):
Thanks oh my pleasure, Watermelon pages dot com people can
find and all free movement people can find going online.
Speaker 2 (45:24):
Thank you on Instagram and all free, all free dot
org online.
Speaker 4 (45:30):
All free dot org. Thank you so much. Dema. Well,
we willant to have you back. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (45:36):
I'd love that.
Speaker 4 (45:37):
And I want to thank our engineer Rebel and our
producer Dean Piper and all the listeners and viewers, and
please tune in next Wednesday, a pm Eastern Time talk
for tv W four c Y dot com and may
we all have enriching conversations like this this week. And
thank you again, Shower Long.
Speaker 1 (46:04):
Inlargic gallo Let speech Enlargic.
Speaker 4 (46:08):
Gallo Let's speech on the
Speaker 3 (46:14):
Inlergic gallow Let's pitch in Largic gallo Let's pitch on
the
The topics and opinions expressed in the following show are
solely those of the hosts and their guests and not
those of W four c Y Radio. It's employees are affiliates.
We make no recommendations or endorsements for radio show programs, services,
or products mentioned on air or on our web.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
No liability explicit.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Or implies shall be extended to W four c Y
Radio or it's employees or affiliates. Any questions or comments
should be directed to those show hosts. Thank you for
choosing W four c Y Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Let's Speech, Let's speak show in lot, Let's breech in lot,
Let's breach in Lott's Lot.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
In a lot of Hello, and welcome to It's Your Voice,
the show that hosted riching conversations in diversity. My name
is Bihia Yaxin. I am a diversity educator and a
coach to help people align their actions with what they
say they believe in so that what they do actually
matches their values. A lot of people reach out to me.
(01:16):
You can look at my website which is called Know
what you Want Coaching dot WordPress dot com. And I
just want to say how much I enjoy being a
diversity educator, and what that means to me is I
educate myself by learning about all kinds of people with
all kinds of backgrounds, and I think it's one of
the best ways to learn about the world. I love
(01:37):
hearing stories from people and sharing them. A lot of
people enjoy also listening and learning. I think a great
form of education. So tonight our show is called Embracing
Collector Liberation and we have guests who's taught me a
lot already. Dema to me, Dima, please join me, and
(02:00):
I would like to read. I'm going to read your
just a little bit of your background so people have
a sense of how involves you are with community work
and all kinds of things. So forget me for reading it,
but I don't want to skip up. And you're going
to talk about your finding your role in collective liberation
in the collective liberation movement.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah language, yeah, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Welcome.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
So.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Dima is a nonprofit and startup founder, a community organizer
and advocate for social justice, communal food systems, mutual aid,
and the arts, with a tech career behind her, which
is amazing because you are so young, you already have
a tech career behind you. Dema brings her marketing and
product development skills, as well as creativity, empathy, and leadership
(02:51):
to all her current engagements, including local advocacy and organizing
in her community of Davis, California. And she serves on
the Davis Human Relations Commission and is deeply committed to
social justice and collective liberation. And also she you believes
in our joy, food and storytelling are powerful tools for
(03:13):
fostering change and building a more just world.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
A true, all true, Thanks for having me here.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
And you also have your own media, which I went
we'll talk about too, all called all Free and Watermelon pages.
People who are accessing this by the camera, we'll see
the banner streaming, but we'll we'll say that contact information
out loud.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
To thank you. Yeah, because we just launched those two things.
So yeah, so I'm excited to be able to share
them with people and get people's thoughts. So thank you
for having me as we're just kind of, you know,
embarking on some new media stuff. So thanks.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Yeah, And is it all connected to embracing collective liberation?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
The two media just yeah, I mean pretty much. I'd
say All Free is a little broader and it's it
really is kind of a media and storytelling and place
for people to learn how to be part of collective liberation,
which I can I can go through what that means,
(04:20):
how to be strong in this movement, how to be
effective and just and hear from people in the movement
for collective liberation, And that's more of All Free is
Watermelon Pages is more specifically focused on amplifying sharing Palestinian
voices and stories, so very much specific specifically focused on Palestinians,
(04:44):
which are a big part of liberation movement. But All
Free is a little bit more encompassing of all the
different ways in which we can support collective liberation, which
is a broader movement.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
Well, thank you, and they're definitely thanks for creating a
platform for both. And it's so good. I can't wait
to hear about Palestinine stories that I just I feel
like there's been so much isolation and such limited exposure
to who people are in their stories. So I'm thank you.
(05:18):
I think this is a great favorite to the world. Yeah,
thank you.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Well, I mean, you're somebody who cares about hearing lots
of people's voices and diversity, so this seems like a
natural place to talk about the fact that Palestinian voices
have not been heard for really for a very very
long time. And you know, I was inspired the end
(05:45):
of last year. I've always really been very interested in this,
in the fact that Palestinian stories are not heard, and
in the fact that I think a lot of what
we're seeing today in terms of people's apathy or unwillingness
(06:06):
to speak up for Palestinians has to do with this
almost century long rasure of Palestinian voices and dehumanization of
Palestinians in the media and by our own, you know,
elected leaders. And so we're seeing that today very much
(06:27):
so with our current leaders. And I have always believed
that storytelling and telling the and giving amplifying the voices
of Palestinians was a key part of how we start
to chip away at and reverse that dehumanization. Uh. And
so Watermelon Pages is really a first step for me
(06:54):
to be involved in trying to get more Palestinian voices
in front of people. And I was mentioning, you know
late last year, I got very inspired to really push
forward and do this after really seeing the media actually
cover this a little bit through uh the interviews that
they were having with a ton of Haase Coats who
(07:14):
had written a really wonderful book called The Message. And
in the book, really one of his key points he
went to the West Bank and he wrote about Israel
and Palestine in the last chapter of his book, and
one of the key points at the end of his
book and in many of his interviews was that we
haven't heard Palestinian voices. We have not really been allowed
(07:36):
as Palestinians to have any sort of voice in discussions
of our own you know, identity, and discussions of our history.
We're left out of the conversation. And so I think
that really inspired me to be to hear, to hear
(07:58):
someone really just name that and have that covered by
the mainstream media felt like a real invitation to not
only have my voice go out into the world, but
also be able to bring other Palestinian voices into the forefront.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Fantastic, And that reminds me that you're such a community organizer.
I don't know if you are also organized this, but
the town, the city brought a film called Where the
Olive Trees Weep? Yeah, Yeah, and that was so powerful
and so educational, and people were people of all kinds
(08:38):
of political backgrounds and ideologies and heritages and religions came
and I think we were all moved. I think everyone's
eyes were open because it's so such a such untold stories,
so many untold stories, and the trauma. And forgive me
forgetting the name of the very famous psychologists. Yes, he's
(09:03):
fantastic and he was there in the film doing trauma
healing work with Palestinians and describes so well differentiated between
PTSD post traumatic stress disorder from ongoing trauma because it's
not in the past, it's ongoing. Sadly. In the footage
(09:26):
and the voices, I mean that was if anybody wants
to open hearts and minds and eyes, I would. I'd
find that film right where the olive trees weep.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Yeah, it would be great if we could add that link.
I am a I think it's a wonderful film. It's
eye opening for some, for others, it's just validation to
see this story be on a big screen. It is
available online. And you know, one thing to note about
(09:57):
this story is it's most of it is about I mean,
it is about both Gaza and the West Bank. But
I think a lot of the footage is kind of
from the West Bank. And also it was before October seventh,
so you know, a lot of people that date is
a date that's constantly thrown out there. But people need
to understand that the occupation and the brutality toward Palestinians
(10:24):
has been happening for over seventy five years. And so
while they're you know, I just I just want people
to know when they that, when they you know, reference
this and watch this movie. It was actually filmed I
think in twenty twenty two, I believe, and the filmmakers,
(10:48):
I believe actually you know, had planned to maybe even
put it out later, but I think felt compelled to
get it out as soon as possible. They're amazing filmmakers.
Are part of a group called I think Spirituality Non Duality.
It's called SAND and they do other films. But this
film I think has gotten a lot of attention and
(11:08):
it's definitely an important one to watch if you are
interested in understanding the struggle of the Palestinians. Very yeah,
and another other thing to note about that was when I,
you know, when I introduced it, one of the things
I did mention was that, you know, this is it's
very rare to see these films where Palestinians are centered
(11:30):
and their voices are there, and many, you know, different
Palestinians show up in the film. But yeah, I mean,
one thing I would know is there is more and
more Palestinian media out there. Mo just Moama came out
with his second series of mo Wonderful, wonderful series television
(11:57):
series that's online and available and I think it's on Netflix.
But really, if you know, if you're interested or you
want to learn, there are ways to find good media
that presents Palestinians in their story. So that one I
have just been recently watching because it just came out
(12:17):
and it's really good.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
So yes, I was recently informed to watch it, and
it is it's very compelling.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
It's very compelling, and I would recommend watching the first series.
And you know, if you have to do the like
watch many, that's fine, but they go quickly. And the
first series is really great too. And but he did
just release the second and it's it's it's very very good.
It's very timely because it's also a lot of it
is about immigration and being stateless and there's just so
(12:49):
much that's happening right now today. Where we need to
have people understand how difficult it is and how borders
and all of these restrictions on immigration caused so much
harm to families and people. So it's really very very
timely and very much worth to watch.
Speaker 4 (13:10):
And I think I just saw one of the episodes
where the main character mot for Mohammed, talks about being
state just sharing with friends what it's like to be stateless.
And that's really I think for for those of us
who grew up in America, that's like, like we can
(13:33):
hardly even imagine what that's like. And I uh, it
just really it struck me deeply to think of all
the people who are stateless and what that would feel like.
And uh yeah, my my father immigrated here and and
it just made me deeply even more appreciate. You know,
there's there's a lot of great places in the world,
(13:54):
but I made me appreciate even more how what my
father sacrificed too come here, study medicine, my amazing mother
settle and have raised children here and what like it
would be so easy to just have no idea what
a gift that was to have a state. I mean,
(14:15):
it doesn't have to be the state to have a country,
to have a passport, have a nationality that is safe
and protected and where you have rights. Yeah, that's it's
not the experience of so many people.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Yeah, I think we often take that for granted, but yeah,
I mean it's I mean some of us have stories
that we can tell of our you know, of our
parents who had to do a lot to get that
or in some cases for people that their parents still
don't have that. And yeah, it is, uh, it is blessing.
It is a blessing. But I think especially in this
(14:51):
series with Mo, it sort of shows you how difficult
it is to be a stateless person. What what that
what difficult see that creates for people. But also if
you are on the path to try to get citizenship
or try to become not stateless, Oh my goodness, it's
just like it's so complicated and the process is dehumanizing
(15:15):
and difficult, and yeah, it really does open your eyes
to that, and then it does make you really really
grateful if you if you are not in that position
to have to have us, to have a home and
to have a place where you have a passport too. Yeah,
and many many Palestinians are in that state, you know,
(15:38):
they're in a refugee state, or they don't have any paperwork,
or their paperwork is not recognized, and so it tells
that story too well.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
I want to step back a little bit because I
like kind of defining terms we use even more. And
I got to meet at my first exposure to this
recent use of the term collective liberation. Liberation was getting
to go here to amazing human beings talk and share
(16:09):
about Palestine and Israel from one was an idea former
idea of soldier and one was a Palestinian and that
was incredibly powerful and moving to hear how they worked
so hard to find the common ground and hear each
other's stories and are still going to all over this country,
(16:32):
probably out of the country to tell people like what
you were referring to, the seventy five years of occupation
and the different realities, the different like right there, you know,
different ways they were conditioned, and it's so honest and
it's in painful and enlightening. So collective liberation. They were
(16:57):
on this show. If anybody listening wants to go here
or their podcast, they are amazing and they have women
and other people helping them organize, keep keep the keep
this conversation going education going, So there is a show
called collective Liberation, and so tell me more what embracing
collective liberation means to you and what embracing it means
(17:20):
to you? Yeah, what it is?
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Yeah? So, And actually I just wanted to say so
Rattam and Osama, who have Salt of the Earth, who
I think is who you're referring to. They are wonderful
and yes they they do speak a lot about collective liberation.
It's interesting. I've tried to find like where's where'd that
wording start? And I think it has been used historically
(17:48):
in uh or maybe not historically, but it's not completely
a new term. But it wasn't a term I was
super aware of, and I didn't see it really kind
of rising into sort of like people's consciousness as much
until recently. And it really is this concept that none
(18:08):
of us are really truly free unless we're all free,
and it really grounds in the idea that there has
to be mutuality in freedom and liberation. And I think
that to me feels so right and real around kind
(18:30):
of feelings I've always felt about conflicts in general, but
especially on the when thinking about the occupation and when
thinking about this genocide, there really is there is there
is no way for anyone to be free, the oppressor
or the oppressed to be free unless everybody is free.
(18:51):
And I don't believe that the oppressed is free because
they are also And this comes a lot in the
in where all of trees week, this idea that the
oppressed are also imprisoned in these in their fear, which
which manifests into hate, which manifests into violence. And so
(19:14):
we have to we have to we have to aim
for everyone being free. That mutuality is the only real
way that you get a you get justice, but you
also you know, I think you can't have what a
lot of people say, oh they want peace, but you
can't have peace unless there's really justice at the root
of that piece. And that requires mutuality. In terms of freedom,
(19:39):
both everyone needs to be free. Everyone needs to be safe.
Not one group's security is more important than another person's freedom.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
And you can't have freedom if you're not secure.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
So you need to have it be a mutual.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
Totally makes sense and for me.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
That has been really helpful to have a name to it.
So even though this term has been around, for me,
finding that name and finding what that really means and
finding the groups of people who are really for collective liberation.
It's really helped me be able to be an advocate
and be and speak in really difficult situations where you know,
(20:21):
there's a lot of emotion and there's trauma involved and people,
you know, start to get really angry and knowing and
being grounded in something where everyone is going to benefit,
everyone around the whole world, because it's not just palisine
in Israel, this kind of colonialization and white supremacy, all
(20:43):
these things that are diminishing some groups over other groups.
That is all around the world. And so I can
feel really solid and really confident in the work that
I'm doing because I know it's based in something where
everyone is going to be taken care of, everyone is
going to benefit, and everyone will be free.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
Everyone's cared for. Everyone deserves safety and health and housing.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
And h and freedom and dignity and freedom of movement,
resources like water and electricity and all the things that
some groups have but some people are not able to
get because of us, you know, a group that is
either as supremacy over them or in some cases, you know,
poverty is another another thing. It's like resources. There are
(21:32):
reasons why certain people don't have these resources and others do,
and there's systems in place that help keep it that way,
and collective liberation is around is about looking at that,
understanding what those systems are doing, what they are, and
working to change them.
Speaker 4 (21:51):
I always like to ask people, how do you see
because sometimes as hearing the word systems and seem daunting, like, oh,
how do we change the system? But then I think systems,
we run the systems. Yeah, the people run the systems,
and I know I am. I have been in some
(22:14):
and I am in some, and it's it's so hard
when you're in it and you're part of the like
how the system operating? Like how how do we change it?
And how do we how does collective how just embracing
collective liberation remind me that I have power and that
there will be places, there are places and times I
(22:34):
can use it, Like how do I help bring effective
change to systems to reduce the the inequities? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (22:44):
I mean it's it's such a good question, and it's
a lot of what we're trying to address in All
Free is not only inspiring people by hearing voices of
people who are either in the collective liberty movement as
you know, as activists, or are in it as healers,
(23:07):
or are in it as people that are working in
the government and they're trying to like chip away at legislation.
You know, there are so many and we talk about
We've talked about this a couple of times in our
last two podcasts, is that everyone has a role to play.
And I think the one thing that I want people
because right now we're in a time where it's it's
(23:30):
really easy to just be like, I can't do anything
because this is so big, Like you said, it's systems,
Like what do we do? I think the way to
think about it is, you know, baby steps for yourself,
like you, everyone has a role. Everyone can contribute, and
maybe at a certain moment in your life you can't
(23:50):
contribute a lot because you've got kids to take care of,
or you've got things that are you know, keeping you
focused elsewhere. But there's almost always some thing that someone
can add to this movement. And it could just be
a single thing that you do in a day. For
some people, it's writing letters to their to the representatives.
For other people, it might be donating to organizations and
(24:16):
some people are the people that are, you know, leading
the protests, but you don't. I think a lot of people,
because protests are so visual, they think that's the only
way to counter these systems. But that is not the case.
I actually think one of the one of the wonderful
things that people can do is just talk about these
(24:37):
things with their friends and their neighbors and people. The
people have the power. We do have more power than
we think, and I think it feels like we are
losing it right now to an oligarchy. And I just
encourage people to remember that so many movements and so
many changes in history have come from the people using
(25:00):
their power collectively. So just talking about these things with people.
What I'm finding is a lot of people believe all
these things I'm saying, but they've been afraid to say them.
They've been afraid to say them they think it might
sound super radical. I mean, I've been thinking this way
my whole life, but I was silenced for a long
time because it felt like, oh, it's dangerous, you know,
(25:23):
or it's radical, which I think now people are actually
embracing radical as like a good thing in some circles
and in others not. But I don't think these things
are radical. I think they are kind of common sense.
And I think if more and more people start saying it,
I think that people have more power than they think.
They just need to either awaken to these things or
(25:48):
reawaken to them, because I think a lot of people
know these things As children.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
We know, Oh yeah, I, as a true child.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Knew a lot of these things. I felt there were
so many things that like, basically, I'm just going back
to what I believed as a child that was told
I needed to just be careful.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
You know, Wow, that is so that is so good.
That's just made so many good points, and one of
them is like it's kind of like perspective taking. Because
even the way radical is used, and I don't know
what to call it, pop culture or social media, it
really has been a way to try to silence people,
(26:26):
like like it's a bad thing when it's like, actually,
when I think of the values behind what is often
labeled as radical left is like ask you for fairness.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Yeah, that could hold as kids were really good and important.
But then when we spoke about it in sort of
like political terms, it was.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
Like, oh, don't and anybody in the yeah, anybody in
the central moderate knows that's not radical. That's the ideals
that are actually written down in the Constitution of the
United States, which where we've been working on for a
long time to start realizing, you know, like, yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
Think you're so right. It is a way of silencing
people because people don't want to feel like they're somehow
on the fringe, or they're like their whole community is
going to be like what happened to you? Right, you've
been radicalized? When you're right, a lot of these things,
they're actually things that we all, so many of us
like can get behind. It's just that they it's it's
(27:28):
in the best interest of the power for people and
those that want these systems to stay the same, for
us to be afraid and for us to be silent.
And so it's a night it's an easy tool to
scare you to say that you sound like you've been radicalized,
you know, And certainly there are people that maybe they
(27:49):
have been more you know, they've gone to sure a
side that isn't great, But there's a lot of people
who are saying things that are being labeled radical that
like you said, you and I can really get behind.
As just caring for one or another and not wanting
to see people oppressed.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
It's like, it's what you said, It's like what we
learned in kindergarten. It's yeah, sure, turns be fair. Now,
how would you feel if if someone called you that name?
It's like really, yeah, it actually feels so much better
to include other people than exclude because it's isolating and
(28:28):
keeps us stranged and and get bitter in our isolation.
Stop relating to people. Start, And I think tone really
matters a lot. Like a young adult in my life
is really good at challenging me and forcing me to
like clarify, what do you mean by that? Like what
(28:50):
does that mean? And so much I think so often
it's like you know the tone, and you know, are
we sounding self righteous? Are we like escalating each other's
voices like that? That's when we shut down. That's when
we're like, I'll never mind, to forget it. I'm not
even going to try to bring down this wall or
cross this ferrier or open my heart. But I don't know.
(29:13):
I just thinking about how we communicate, talking about how
important it is just to be talking for our friends,
our neighbors, and we have to be really patient, and
remember we're you know, we just have a piece of
the puzzle. None of us know everything, no, and.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
You know, I think that's That's one thing we mentioned
in our first All Free podcast was we hope that
this movement is not a movement that like embraces sort
of cancel culture and like just makes people feel like, oh,
I said the wrong thing. So now I'm just I
can't say anything because that first of all, things change.
(29:52):
I have evolved, Everyone evolves, We are all works in progress.
And I actually think in many cases, people who have
been silent or appear to be apathetic are actually afraid.
They are afraid that they will get shot down because
they said something in one way that was wrong. And
(30:14):
that's not to say like we should just say, well,
that's okay. You can say these things, especially if we
really disagree with how or what they're saying. But I
think there's a way to say to people, you know,
unless they're being like like openly hostile. There's different kinds
of communication. But when people are trying and they make
a mistake, I think there are opportunities for us to
(30:35):
still bring them in but discuss with them in a
kind way. But firm that this you know, didn't resonate
or isn't there's another way to maybe look at it
and rather than just you know, throw them out. And
I think if people were to see people behave that
way more, then more people would stop being silent because
(30:58):
they would know that there would be some grace, good word.
Speaker 4 (31:01):
And I have to say, I feel very privileged to
be able to host the show, and I can't. I
can't do it alone. I thank God the responsors because
listening is a huge part of not not just learning.
But I'm not saying this is the press. I mean
(31:21):
I listen obviously to my guests. I love it. I
probably talk way too much. I should just let my
guests talk more. And like in the world, at work,
at home, in community, it's benefits me so much. If
someone says something that goes against what I was taught
or what I learned or what I believe, if I
(31:44):
just be quiet and listen, just hear this other point
of view, even if I think I know what they're
going to say, or I think they were conditioned X,
Y or Z, if I stop and listen and it's
genuine and like I'm actually really I really want to
know how it hit this person and how they learned
what this word means or that word means, or the
(32:04):
stereotype means, and just the act of being listened to
can help open the other heart too. And sometimes it's
just like I don't have to say my side. At
the same time, even it's kind of like about building relationship,
building trusts, getting to know and having given the experience
and having the experience of like, oh, wow, that person
(32:26):
really listened to me. I wasn't expecting that maybe next
time we see each other that I want to know
what the other one thinks. But I just think that's
a key key part of building trusts and relationships and
understanding and empathy.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Yeah, I mean, and a lot of what I'm referring
to even I and you know, a lot of what
we're referring to is really even within movements themselves. You know,
I have seen I've been part of movements, and I've
been part of like various groups that are really you know,
they have a common goal, but then they kind of
(33:00):
they kind of fall apart on like details and details
that then they start to sort of attack each other on,
and then you know, the movement falls apart. And that's
that's really a lot of what I'm talking about, because
I also want to be clear. I think I don't
want to sort of say to people you can't be
angry and you can't like express your anger, and you
(33:23):
can't you shouldn't go and like protest and be loud
like No, I think those are all valid and important
parts of movements. I'm more referring to, like in conversation
and when you're trying to work with people and you
know that the person's coming to the table trying to
work with you, especially in these movements. I think that
(33:48):
grace is so important or else we won't be able
to we won't be able to achieve the goals of
collective liberation. We won't be able to have everyone in
this world have freedom and dignity and security if we
are fighting about like the word and we can't move
on and we cancel people.
Speaker 4 (34:06):
Excellent point, Thank you. So I would like to hear
more about your local work, I know, like when when things.
You're on the human Human Relations Committee for the City
of Davis. Yeah, can you share with what role will
you play that?
Speaker 2 (34:22):
Yeah? So I am called the Human Relations Commission. It's
a commission that was I guess elected by the city council,
and there's several commissions that the city Council does interviews
with people and then sort of recommends people and then
there's a vote, and so I think it was like
(34:44):
in may or June I was voted in and July
was when I started my term, and it's a two
year term. And you know, I've been very involved in
local kind of government stuff, but this is the first
sort of elected, sort of commissioner role that I've been in,
and we're are really tasked with just thinking about how
(35:04):
people are feeling within the community, how people are relating
to one another. We do also manage a couple of
events with city staff, like Martin Luther King Junior Day.
We also worked on says Er Chaves Day, so there's
things like that. But really it's about kind of having
a pulse on the community, and in many cases, commissioners
(35:27):
are on there specifically in some cases to advocate for
a certain community and make sure that they're being heard,
bringing them into the fold so that they come to meetings.
We have a meeting every fourth Thursday of the month
that it's a public meeting. We really only meet publicly
unless we have subcommittees, and that's because of the Brown Act.
(35:51):
Basically everything has to be transparent in front of the
public unless we have a sub commitee where smaller groups
can actually start working in between those meetings. I'm on
two different subcommittees. So one subcommittee I'm on is this
says Ershavage Day Celebration, and then the other one I'm
(36:11):
on is one for what we're calling MAPPA, which is Muslims, Arabs,
Palestinians and allies and getting a sense of how they
are feeling within our community. Any sort of discrimination or
feeling of not belonging or silencing is something that we
(36:34):
want to make sure we understand address and make sure
that there's opportunities for the city and our leaders to
show support for those groups.
Speaker 4 (36:44):
That's fantastic to have a place where people can go
who have been intimidated and silenced and attacked just trying
to express their own reality.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
Yeah. Yeah, So that's been a lot of my work
with the HRC, But it's not just the subcommittee. We
discussed a lot of different topics and we have people
do come and they come and they have an opportunity
to do public comment They also have an opportunity to
email us, and so we do get a sense of
(37:17):
sort of a lot of what's happening in our community.
I'd love it if more and more people knew about
the Commission so that they know that this is a
place where they can let us know things that are
going on. They can be celebratory things that are happening
within their smaller communities that we should be amplifying or
letting others know through the meeting, but also for people
(37:40):
to come and let us know when things aren't going
well and there's things that they think could be better
about Davis in terms of helping them feel welcome and
cared for in the community.
Speaker 4 (37:54):
That's amazing. Did you say the fourth Thursday of every month.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
Yep. And we have public comment in the beginning, and
then we also have agenda items and people can you know,
they can get the agenda online beforehand and they can
also we have public comment for every agenda item, so
we can't make it to the beginning of the meeting.
You can come for the specific agenda item. If it's
something that you have thoughts about that you feel that
(38:20):
we should know about, you can public comment then too.
Speaker 4 (38:23):
Just going to the City of Davis' website, you can
find all this information.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Yeah, I think if you look, even if you just
sort of word to google HRC, we're not HRC Human
Relations Commission, City of Davis, I think our website would
come up. And also I think it has the email
that you can email and not email goes to the
commissioners as well.
Speaker 4 (38:45):
Well, wow, thanks for that work. That's that's that's quite
that could be quite a burden. That's something that seems
like a like a very compassionate spiritual position. Yeah, offer
for your community, they remember, It's.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Felt very rewarding. I've had a lot of people say
that they, you know, feel like their voice is often
not heard or they feel like they are not comfortable
speaking up or telling their full truth within our community.
And so I think this is for some people made
(39:25):
them feel like they have they have an outlet or
more of an outlet, or at least someone who's on
the commission is aware and listening and caring and bringing
these things forward.
Speaker 4 (39:39):
Well, I wanted to ask you again to say what
watermelon symbolizes from your watermelon paces.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
So, the watermelon is a symbol that has been used
in a sort of the Palestinie liberation movement because after
Six Day War in nineteen sixty seven, and I think
it was through nineteen ninety three, the Palestinian flag was
(40:09):
banned by Israel, so you weren't allowed to have it
or to show it, and or you would get in trouble.
And so the watermelon has the colors of the Palestinian flag.
So and also it is an item that is used
in Palestinian cooking, and so it was it became a
(40:31):
symbol that people are, that people use to represent Palestinian resistance,
Palestinian resilience, Palestinian freedom, and even sometimes Palestine culture. So
people use it a lot for that. It came out
of this time in which they could not use the flag,
(40:53):
but it's also become just a very like a symbol
of the movement.
Speaker 4 (40:58):
Wow, thank you. Very interesting. And I don't know if
that's well known or not. Maybe I'm one of the
last people to learn this.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
When you're eating watermelon, you'll have a totally different thought. Yes,
it's you know, in social media, it's it gets used
a lot. So, but I but I have you know,
I think people don't necessarily know that I when I've
been using it for Watermelon Pages. I'm thinking of it
really as a symbol of Palestinian culture and voices and
(41:35):
and so that's really why it's called Watermelon Pages. And
we will be launching a podcast soon and that'll be
called Watermelon Voices, and that will be an opportunity to
share and amplify Palestinian voices.
Speaker 4 (41:48):
Speaking of sharing and amplifying voices, we have about four minutes.
Would you like to share a poem that you wrote?
Speaker 2 (41:55):
Oh yeah, okay, well here we go. Let me just
get it up. It's very short, so we should be
able to do it within the four minutes. It's called
uh oh wow, I went dark there because I pulled
up a screen here to give me a second. It's
called rewording erasure.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
There were always missing words, gaps, omissions, Palestine, Palestinian left out,
erased or never written, never written because the world didn't
like them, and my courage lost to my caring, until
my caring found what really mattered, until I became free
(42:34):
to use all my words to write with more ease
and truth, to write pre Palestine.
Speaker 4 (42:43):
Wow, that is beautiful. Can you say what the has
been like to find and express your own voice? After
having experience not being able to for all the reasons
you so well articulated.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
Yeah, it's been my own kind of freedom, like, you know,
getting out of this sort of cage that I had
been in in terms of, you know, not feeling like
I could express myself fully and not fully say my
thoughts and my beliefs and even my identity, you know
(43:20):
in some cases, like not feeling comfortable saying that I'm Palestinian.
And it took a lot of it took a lot
of work to get there. And I mean, I think
this is a common story for a lot of people.
Speaker 4 (43:37):
You know.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
We grow up in the world tells us how we're
supposed to be, and we create all of these layers
on top of who we really are to appease and
try to be what people want us to be. And
there are some people in the world that don't have
that happen to them, or better at shielding themselves from that.
But I was not one of those people, and I
did have to take off a lot of these layers
(44:01):
that people and well society and expectations have put on me.
And at the root, I found that there were things
I had been been afraid to be fully open about
because of how the world sees Palestinians in particular, or
caes Arabs in this country. And it's been, it's been.
(44:26):
It was hard, but it has been. I feel like
a much more full person, being able to speak my
mind and be fully truthful to myself and to others.
Speaker 4 (44:36):
Hell Olia, it's just incredible. It's so it's so inspiring
and I'm sure validating for so many people listening now
and who will listen later. I'm just joyful for your
journey and and and thank you like you're benefiting so
(44:57):
many people by using your voice and so many constructive, feeling, intelligent, educational,
find empathetic, affirming ways.
Speaker 2 (45:09):
Well, thank you. It's great to be on the show
and to be able to share my voice with people.
So thank you for having me.
Speaker 4 (45:16):
Thanks oh my pleasure, Watermelon pages dot com people can
find and all free movement people can find going online.
Speaker 2 (45:24):
Thank you on Instagram and all free, all free dot
org online.
Speaker 4 (45:30):
All free dot org. Thank you so much. Dema. Well,
we willant to have you back. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (45:36):
I'd love that.
Speaker 4 (45:37):
And I want to thank our engineer Rebel and our
producer Dean Piper and all the listeners and viewers, and
please tune in next Wednesday, a pm Eastern Time talk
for tv W four c Y dot com and may
we all have enriching conversations like this this week. And
thank you again, Shower Long.
Speaker 1 (46:04):
Inlargic gallo Let speech Enlargic.
Speaker 4 (46:08):
Gallo Let's speech on the
Speaker 3 (46:14):
Inlergic gallow Let's pitch in Largic gallo Let's pitch on
the
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.