The New Year a new chance to address the injustices of the past years
In her end of year message, Karama founder Hibaaq Osman has written on the need to address injustice in 2025. Noting that 2024 has seen an unbroken year of genocide against the Palestinian people, Hibaaq’s message calls on the opportunity of a new year to hold perpetrators accountable, and work towards a just, equitable, and peaceful world.
Karama partners from Palestine and Lebanon address the media at CSW68
A new year, a new chance to end the injustices that bedevilled 2024
Is it possible to look forward to a new year when we cannot look away from the violations that have taken place every day in 2024?
It feels more difficult than ever to compose my thoughts to mark the end of this year. As people, we are all made of our own contradictions, capable of both humour and seriousness, of great strength and great vulnerability, for demonstrating our wisdom and foolishness. So I suppose that there is no surprise that we apprehend the world around us with so many contradictions.
When faced with such a block, it is so helpful when great writing opens up for us the mental space to see more clearly.
has written with fierce clarity on the callousness of wishing a happy new year after an unbroken 12 months of genocide against the Palestinian people in 2024, and she is right to frame it so.
It is impossible to end this year with anything but the deepest fury at the continued inaction of the international community to put an end to this genocide, and to ensure accountability.
That anger is only enhanced by the repeated dismissal by influential powers to show basic compassion, as though our demands were unfair.
It is not too much to ask that civilians are not starved of water and food. It is not unreasonable to expect that hospitals are not subjected to assault and bombardment. It is not excessive to believe that entire families, aid workers, peacekeepers, and journalists should not be targeted. The world has said before that “never again” will the crime of genocide be permitted to happen. There are reams of international law against which perpetrators can be held accountable.
And yet here we are, after 366 days and more of international law, international humanitarian law, International Criminal Court arrest warrants, International Court of Justice opinions all disregarded by permanent members of the UN Security Council. The system of international diplomacy, justice, and security is failing for yet another year. There are no red lines anymore, no atrocity is considered too far when it is carried out against the wrong type of people.
This is a situation that can only be judged sustainable by those who are insulated from the system’s failure - the very same countries that have led in its design and operation.