SOLIDARITY REQUEST: YouTube has suspended the safe2choose account
“Several months ago, YouTube suspended the safe2choose account, claiming that we violated their guidelines by generating content in a video that allegedly “encourages or promotes violent or dangerous acts that have an inherent risk of serious physical harm or death”. Stories hold power. We believe that sharing stories about safe abortion experiences can go a long way in helping lift the veil of stigma and misinformation that has long been associated with abortion. Online censorship has constrained our reach and diminished our ability to reach abortion seekers. Please sign this petition!
“Our goal is to raise awareness about freedom of speech, freedom of choice, and human rights. These continuous suspensions on grounds that do not match with our content or intent have increasingly proven to be a barrier in our mission work. More importantly, it has stopped the flow of lifesaving, crucial information to those that need it the most.
“We want to use our voices for the common good and represent the marginalised communities we serve. We are calling for your solidarity and support in signing this petition, to request that YouTube respects reproductive rights, stops censoring important life-saving information, and re-instates our account. We are seeking at least 500 signatures before we contact YouTube to reinstate our account. In mid-August only 121 had signed!!” PLEASE SIGN NOW!
SOLIDARITY WITH JUSTYNA: POLAND
“We call for immediate withdrawal of all charges against Justyna Wydrzyńska”.
On 7 April, solidarity demonstrations took place in London, The Hague and cities in Ireland.
Argentinian women who secured their right to abortion last year sent words of
support to Justyna:
“We love you, we won’t give in and we will keep helping with abortions”.
More than 76 Members of the European Parliament signed an appeal to the government of Poland, calling for “immediate withdrawal of all charges against Justyna Wydrzyńska”.
Ordo Iuris, an anti-abortion, fundamentalist group said to be financed by the Kremlin, stands by the abusive husband. Their Russian connections were revealed to the public two years ago; even so, the Polish Government continues to cooperate with those fundamentalists, whose influences become even more visible.
This is the first case in Europe of an activist being charged for helping someone access an abortion with pills. Justyna is an activist working with Abortion Dream Team in Poland, and is the founder of Kobiety w Sieci, both of which are members of Abortion Without Borders.
Please post your support for Justyna today!! We want to make as much noise as we can to support her, and to call on the public prosecutor’s office to drop the charges.
Suggested social media posts:
Twitter post 1
Justyna is being charged under Polish anti-abortion laws tomorrow morning 6 April in Warsaw.
This is not in the public interest and we call on @ZiobroPL to drop the charges.
Sign the Amnesty petition! https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/activist-defending-safe-abortion-risks-jail
Twitter post 2
If I knew someone needed help, I would help them.
Justyna shouldn’t be punished for helping someone access abortion pills when they needed them. Drop the charges, @ZiobroPL! #IAmJustyna
Facebook post 1
Justyna Wydrzyńska is being charged under Polish anti-abortion laws tomorrow morning in Warsaw.
It is not in the public interest to sentence someone for helping someone access abortion pills when they needed them. We call on the public prosecutor Zbigniew Ziobro to drop the charges!
Sign the petition: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/activist-defending-safe-abortion-risks-jail #jakJustyna
We suggest you share the above image of Justyna to your grid and then to your Instagram story at 11:00am CET, adding the link sticker to the Amnesty petition: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/activist-defending-safe-abortion-risks-jail and the hashtags #jakJustyna and #IAmJustyna.
Or make your own post!
Abortion Without Borders are trying to make noise at 11am CET on Thursday 7 April, but it’s fine to post your support for Justyna any time this week, sharing key actions such as the Amnesty petition in English, Polish, Dutch, French, and German, and using the hashtags #jakJustyna and IAmJustyna.
There are also various press articles in English you might like to share, for example in the Guardian, the Cut, Al Jazeera, BBC Woman’s Hour and NPR’s The World. There are also demonstrations happening across Poland and a solidarity demo in London.
SOURCEs: Abortion Support Network, E-mail, 5 April 2022 ; Abortion Dream Team, E-mail, 7 April 2022
SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE
Image: UNHCR data, numbers of refugees, Guardian, 3 March 2022
We wish to express solidarity with the people of Ukraine. There have been invasions and wars in more than one part of the world, even in the 22 years of this century, and all have had the same outcomes – death, destruction, separation, pain, fear and loss. As a network promoting public health and human rights, we call on everyone to oppose this unjust war, call for an immediate ceasefire and promote peace. We call on the whole world to build a just, peaceful, safe, sustainable future.
DONATIONS & SUPPORT IN UKRAINE
Vostok SOS – provides humanitarian aid, advocacy, legal aid, civil education – donate in Euros or dollars
Voices of Children – helping children affected by war – donate in Euros or dollars
DONATIONS & SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE IN POLAND
SOS Wioski Dziecięce / SOS Children’s Villages Association in Poland – care for Ukrainian children
Polish Medical Mission – provides medical assistance in Ukraine
The Ukrainian House – infoline with advice and support for Ukrainians arriving in Poland / conditions and procedures at the border / accommodation and support for arriving Ukrainians
Open Dialog Foundation – sending life-saving equipment to Ukraine, bulletproof vests and helmets, and specialised medical equipment and materials
Polish Centre for International Aid – helps victims of war in Ukraine, humanitarian aid, evacuation of the population and psychological help for children
DONATIONS & SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE IN ROMANIA
Romanian Red Cross – taking food, hygiene products, first aid medical products into Ukraine
DONATIONS & SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE IN MOLDOVA
The Ministry of Finance of Moldova has opened an account for humanitarian donations in support of the Ukrainian people.
Many thanks to ASTRA – Central and Eastern European Network for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights – for compiling the above list of NGOs, charities and government to make donations for Ukraine. All these websites can be translated via Google into English. Donations in national currency, Euros or US dollars.
SEE ALSO: Stand with Ukraine, a global map noting all the solidarity marches in North America, Latin America, Africa, and Asia, but especially many many all over Europe.