Just A General Reminder That The Week Of 18-24 February Is Another Strike. Please Don't Ignore This,

In ASL and SSL, this is the gesture for "Inshallah," which means means "God willing"; it's used to express hope that a specific future event will come to pass.

In a few hours, a temporary ceasefire or "humanitarian pause" is going to start

Shortly after posting this, the "pause" began—and the IOF immediately broke it by opening fire on Palestinians returning to their homes in northern Gaza.

A true, permanent ceasefire is one of the most urgent demands, but WHEN a ceasefire is declared, nobody gets to pat themselves on the back.

And end to the violence can't mean a return to business as usual, where the occupation and apartheid continue and Palestinians are still getting displaced on their own land.

israel must be abolished. They, the US, Canada, the EU, must be made to pay reparations.

Inshallah, we will not stop at a ceasefire

Inshallah, we will see complete liberation for Palestine

🇵🇸 Things you can do below 🇵🇸

🍉 SHARE posts from Palestinians, especially journalists on the ground (copy link on IG works just as well as sharing?). They're literally dying for that footage 🙃 let's make sure it counts

🍉 DONATE an E-sim @connectinghumanity_ on IG

🍉 DONATE to @CareForGaza (Twitter; donation links should be on their profile too). A lot of donation drives are just... making a grab at clout but this one is legit; a number of Gazans confirm that the food/produce is getting to them. The organizer seems to be Palestinian and living there as well

🍉 BOYCOTT brands listed by @bdsnationalcommittee on IG

Official boycott targets: AXA, Puma, Carrefour, Siemens, Ahava, HP, Sodastream, any products from Israel

Organic boycott targets: Domino's, McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Wix

🍉 PRESSURE your governments & officials to call for a ceasefire and #InvokeGenocideConvention at the ICJ (rootsaction.org)

🍉 PROTEST. If there are mobilizations in your area, show up to be part of the count. No heroics—do what you feel safe doing and listen to the organizers.

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it was also important to me to include an Al-Qassam fighter in this, because they're often scapegoated by Western media, and also by well-meaning allies who say "but civilians are not Hamas"; there's this attempt to separate militant resistance from the process of liberation as a whole

Yeah, most civilians are not Hamas, but they don't denounce them either. Palestinians call them freedom fighters, protectors.

because the resistance is not a bunch of evil, violent outliers; they are as much victims of the occupation as the women, children, and non-combatants are. Most if not all of them were born under the occupation; a good percentage of them are also orphans.

I will never condemn boys who live along the coast but have never seen the sea.

🍉🇵🇸 eSims for Gaza masterpost 🇵🇸🍉

Which eSims are currently being called for?

As of January 29:

Nomad (regional Middle East plan): code NOMADCNG

Holafly (Israel and Egypt plans): code HOLACNG

Be sure you're looking at the original post, as this will be continually updated. Any new instructions about replying to emails for specific types of unactivated plans will also appear here.

Check the notes of blackpearlblasts's eSim post, as well as fairuzfan's 'esim' tag, for referral and discount codes.

How do I purchase an eSim?

If you cannot download an app or manage an eSim yourself, send funds to Crips for eSims for Gaza (Visa; Mastercard; Paypal; AmEx; Canadian e-transfer; or to me (venmo @gothhabiba; paypal.me/Najia; cash app $NajiaK, with note “esims” or similar; check the notes of this post for updates on what I've purchased.)

You can purchase an eSim yourself in an app, or on desktop (with the exception of Simly, which does not have a desktop site). See this screenreader-accessible guide to purchasing an eSim through each of the five services that the Connecting Humanity team is calling for (Simly, Nomad, Mogo, Holafly, and Airalo).

Send a screenshot of the plan's QR code to gazaesims@gmail.com. Be sure to include the app used, the word "esim," the type of plan (when an app has more than one, aka "regional Middle East" versus "Palestine"), and the amount of data or time on the plan, in the subject line or body of your email.

Message me if you have any questions or if you need help purchasing an eSim through one of these apps.

Which app should I use?

Try to buy an eSim from one of the apps that the team is currently calling for (see above).

If the team is calling for multiple apps: Nomad is best in terms of data price, app navigability, and ability to top up. Mogo has the worst user interface in my opinion. Simly Middle East plans cannot be topped up; Simly Palestine ones can. Holafly has the most expensive data, and top-ups don't seem to work.

How much data should I purchase?

Mirna el-Helbawi has been told that large families may all rely on the same plan for data (by setting up a hotspot). Some recipients of eSim plans may also be using them to upload video.

For those reasons I would recommend getting the largest plan you can afford for plans which cannot be topped up: namely, Simly "Middle East" plans, and Holafly plans (they say you can top them up, but I haven't had it work yet).

For all other plans, get a relatively small amount of data (1-3 GB, a 3-day plan, etc.), and top up the plan with more data once it is activated.

Is there anything else I need to do?

Check back regularly to see if the plan has been activated. Once it's been activated, check once a day to see if data is still being used, and how close the eSim is to running out of data or to expiring.

If the eSim hasn't been activated after three weeks or so, reply to the original email that you sent to Gaza eSims containing the QR code for that plan.

If you purchased the eSim through an app which has a policy of starting the countdown to auto-expiry a certain amount of time after the purchase of the eSim, rather than only upon activation (Nomad does this), then also reply to your original e-mail once you're within a few days of this date. If you're within 12 hours of that date, contact customer service and ask for a credit (not a refund) and use it to purchase and send another eSim.

How do I top up a plan?

See this guide on how to tell if your plan has been activated, how to top up plans, and (for Nomad) how to tell when the auto-expiry will start. Keep topping up the eSim for as long as the data usage keeps ticking up. This keeps a person or family connected for longer, without the Connecting Humanity team having to go through another process of installing a new eSim.

If the data usage hasn't changed in a week or so, allow the plan to expire and purchase another one.

What if I can't afford a larger plan, or don't have time or money to keep topping up an eSim?

I have set up a pool of funds out of which to buy and top up eSims, which you can contribute to by sending funds to my venmo (@gothhabiba), PayPal (paypal.me/Najia), or cash app ($NajiaK) (with note “esims” or similar). Check the notes of this post for updates on what I've purchased, which plans are active, and how much data they've used.

Crips for eSims for Gaza also has a donation pool to purchase esims, but I don't know about their practices regarding topping them up.

What if my eSim has not been activated, even after I replied to my email?

Make sure that the QR code you sent was a clear screenshot, and not a photo of a screen; and that you didn’t install the eSim on your own phone by scanning the QR code or clicking “install automatically."

Possible reasons for an eSim not having been activated include: it was given to a journalist as a back-up in case the plan they had activated expired or ran out of data; there was an error during installation or activation and the eSim could no longer be used; the eSim was installed, but not activated, and then Israeli bombings destroyed the phone, or forced someone to leave it behind.

An eSim that was sent but couldn’t be used is still part of an important effort and learning curve. Errors in installation, for example, are happening less often than they were in the beginning of the project.

Why should I purchase an eSim? Is there any proof that they work?

Israel is imposing near-constant communications blackouts on Gaza. The majority of the news that you are seeing come from Gaza is coming from people who are connected via eSim.

eSims also connect people to news. People are able to videochat with their family for the first time in months, to learn that their family members are still alive, to see their newborn children for the first time, and more, thanks to eSims.

Some of this sharing of news saves lives, as people have been able to flee or avoid areas under bombardment, or learn that they are on evacuation lists.

Why are different plans called for at different times?

Different eSims work in different areas of the Gaza Strip (and Egypt, where many refugees currently are). The team tries to keep a stockpile of each type of sim on hand.

eSIMS are still being requested / gazaesims.com

As of 8 AM 1/22. Nomad and Holafly are most needed to be sent to gazaesims@gmail.com

Instructions for purchasing and sending an eSim can be found here (this zine is featured on the site and can be downloaded to hand out/distribute/etc)

More instructions summarized by gothhabiba can be found on this post as well

(posted by @Mirna_elhelbawi via twitter)

[Image 1: To the left is a list of instructions. The title reads, "Buy an E-sim!!" Under the title, the list goes, "1. Nomad and Holafly most needed (guide linked) 2. Send QR code screenshot to gazaesims@gmail.com (direct email linked) 3. All GB amounts are helpful - the more the better!!" To the right is an artistic design of a Palestinian flag, a dove carrying an olive branch with the words Free Palestine on it's wings and the motif of a keffiyeh.

Image 2: The image contains text that has "Let's Keep Gaza Connected" as a title. Underneath, it reads "Nomad (regional Middle East) Use promotional code NOMADCNG for discount". Below this is written, "Holafly (Israel) and (Egypt) Use promotional code HOLACNG for discount". At the bottom of the image, the message "Send QR code screenshot to: gazaesims@gmail.com" is written.]

id provided by mysteriousbeetle !

As of now, Florida and Kansas have passed bills that align with KOSA.

So many people have held back on speaking out against KOSA or signing petitions because "it probably won't pass." But we have proof that it very well can and will.

So what can we do right now?

The same thing we've been doing: bring awareness and protest.

Here are a few websites you can visit to sign petitions:

https://www.badinternetbills.com/

https://www.stopkosa.com/

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/02/dont-fall-latest-changes-dangerous-kids-online-safety-act

You can also call your state reps. This post explains how you can do that.

Good luck, everyone! Don't give up yet.

Four days ago, Bisan posted about organizing another Global strike after she miraculously survived a bombing around the hospital she is currently sheltering in. The strike is from January 21st to the 28th as a way to show support to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. To support the strike those who are organizing are asking that you:

Call out of work/school if that is possible

Avoid spending any kind of money anywhere and if that’s not possible just spend as little possible until this strike is over

Email and call your representative to tell them you are striking for Palestine and what you are doing to strike

Use your social medias to talk about Palestine as much as possible

Talk to friends, coworkers, and family to try to get them to participate as well

Go to marches and other forms of protest if you are able to

Try to stay home as much as possible if you cannot participate in marches or any other kind of physical protesting

Remember that doing something is better than doing nothing when it comes to the strike. If you can’t get out of work or school try doing other things on the list for as many days as you can.

Here are the posts from Bisans Instagram account about the global strike:

[image description: the first image says “Global strike week, 21-28 January! CEASEFIRE NOW!”

The second image says “After my survival with a miracle tonight while being stuck in the hospital until now, it's time for this to end! It is justice against injustice and good against evil! It is a war against humanity and the world, not just against Gaza! Here, We are now all under bombardment and are at risk of death at any moment! And you can make a difference!”

The third image says “We civilians across the world do not have the tools of war! We do not thirst for killing and death! We only have our throats in the demonstrations and our boycott of the economic movement in our countries, especially those that support the genocide committed by Israel in Gaza!”

The fourth image says “Strike from the economic movements, work and your normal life because nothing is normal in this life! Strike as much as you can and protest.. for a whole week or until this madness ends! You can disrupt the economies that support genocide and make your voices and our voices heard! Call for strikes during the next week for an immediate and permanent ceasefire!”

The fifth and final image says “We are human beings like you. We had beautiful cities, many lives and dreams. They were destroyed in front of you and are still being destroyed. You can make a difference and stop this genocide. Do not despair and continue until the ceasefire.” End ID.]

Once again recommending donations to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund. Not only is it a credible organization, you can donate any amount, so even if you don’t have much money, you can still contribute what you can towards humanitarian aid in Gaza. It takes donations via credit, PayPal, and mailed checks.

ressource thread !!

if it's ok to ask, what ibispaint brushes do u use? they look so textured and shapey!! /positive

Ty!! I use this brush

Grown man btw

Man i need to draw Sphere more... I love his design i think its very neat! But I don't really have alot of ideas to do with them...

(on the topic of Sphere, I'm making a 3D model of him! 4th times the charm... Heh...)

I know im late by 1 day... But its fine i think...