As members of the global English Language Teaching (ELT) community, we are compelled to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and express our profound disappointment at the silence exhibited by ELT organisations and by our peers in the industry.
In recent years, the ELT profession has increasingly embraced the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to inclusion, equality, and social justice. We have proudly championed these ideals, integrating them into our teaching methodologies and curricula, and striving to create inclusive learning environments where all voices are heard and valued.
However, as the world witnesses the atrocities unfolding in Gaza, we cannot ignore the contrast between the principles we profess to hold and the silence of our community. The genocide being perpetrated against the people of Gaza demands our attention, our outrage, and our unequivocal condemnation.
Since 7 October 2023, over 14,000* children and 264** teachers and school administrators have been killed by the actions of the Israeli state. In addition, 141** schools have been either severely damaged or destroyed. But these statistics, which reduce humans to mere numbers, do not even start to represent the realities of the past six months—or indeed the past 75 years.
We acknowledge those individuals and groups who have shown solidarity through actions small or large, public or private. But we must acknowledge, too, that the widespread silence about Gaza in ELT is a failure—a failure to uphold the principles of social justice and equity that we claim to promote. By remaining silent, we are complicit in the suffering of innocent civilians—including children, who are bearing the brunt of this violence.
We call upon all ELT professionals and organisations to break their silence and publicly condemn the genocide in Gaza as well as the oppression of Palestinians in the West Bank.
Whether you are a classroom teacher or a board member of an important ELT institution, we can all do something to help. We urge you to use your platforms to raise awareness, mobilize support, and advocate for an immediate end to the violence. Let us demonstrate that our commitment to inclusion, equity, and social justice extends beyond the confines of our classrooms and into the wider world.
*Government Media Office in Gaza, 19 March. **Gaza Ministry of Education, as reported in Middle East Eye and Al Jazeera, 26 March.
What you can do (in addition to signing this letter):
1 Keep informed about current events in Palestine and keep learning about the history of the area.
2 Support civil society groups who are taking a stand.
3 Donate to fundraising initiatives.
4 Open up discussions about Palestine in your classrooms and teachers’ rooms, where you can do this safely.
It may seem trivial to sign a letter—it might seem like a drop of water in the sea—but history says otherwise. Every little bit helps and this is the little thing you can do today.
Together we heal and grow stronger.
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This letter was put together by the ELT Professionals for Palestine community, but we hope that these words will resonate with many ELT professionals beyond this small community. Do join us if you would like to connect with others who are committed to the same mission, and would like to know more about how you can help.
Instagram: @elt_for_palestine
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/elt-professionals-for-palesti...
Please remember to validate your signature by clicking on the link in the email. If you have difficulties, please send an email to elt4Palestine@gmail.com.
Thank you to all the freedom-driven ELT professionals who have read, signed and shared this letter. Thank you too for all the other solidarity work that you are doing for Palestine.
To those who are still struggling to find their voice, we urge you to join the growing number of teachers, trainers, writers, editors and other ELT professionals who are breaking their silence and speaking up for Palestine.
Now is the time.
Please remember to verify your signature. The email may be in your junk or spam folder, or you may need to use a different device or a different email address.
ELT Professionals for Palestine is a grassroots movement engaging in solidarity actions for Palestine. It is an inclusive space where all ELT professionals belong. We do not tolerate antisemitism, Islamophobia racism, homophobia, sexism or any other type of discrimination; nor do we tolerate hate-speech or hate-incitement. We welcome diverse voices, while striving to centre the voices of Palestinians.
Email us at elt4palestine@gmail.com to join our private group or for any other questions or suggestions you have.
You can follow us here:
Instagram: @elt_for_palestine
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/elt-professionals-for-palesti...
Facebook page: facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557889146552...
And please keep sharing the open letter!
It's seven months since ELT Professionals opened its symbolic doors.
The situation in Palestine has not improved in these months; in fact things just seem to get worse as the weeks and months drag on, with ever more shocking news reaching us from Palestinians on the ground, in Gaza and in the West Bank. Despite this, ELT organisations remain mostly silent: complacent and complicit.
However, public opinion seems to be changing, little by little, and more and more ELT professionals are finding the courage to speak openly about Palestine. These changes are in part due to all the small and large actions that you - signatories of this letter - have taken. Every conversation about Palestine counts. Every small show of solidarity. Every dollar donated. Every email or phone call to your government.
Meanwhile, volunteers at ELT Professionals for Palestine continue to do what we can, and we'd like to highlight in this update two of our current projects.
Firstly, we'd love you to join us at our free online conference on Saturday 21 September. Peace for Palestine: Testimonies of Resilience will be in three parts, with three speakers in each panel. The panellists include Palestinians and Israelis, leaders of large organisations, leaders in smaller organisations, and academics. But most importantly, they can all provide immense insight.
To make this a safe environment, participants will be anonymous to each other and private messaging will be turned off, but we welcome questions directed to the panellists using the Q&A function.
To register for this free event please click on these links:
Panel 1 @ 11am GMT: Sandra Rasheed, Hazem Almassry, and Ben Yeger
us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_78iG2EAIRSaPV8...
Panel 2 @ 1pm GMT: Josh Paul, Steve Sosebee, and Rajaa Abu Jasser
us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rHLztMKKR5ugKn...
Panel 3 @ 3pm GMT: meital yaniv, Yazan Alnahhas, and Hani Amaldhoun
us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MZG3iuWJTNCYmc...
Secondly, we teach English to Palestinian students, so if you know Palestinians (age 18 and older) who could benefit from online tutoring, please email tutoringeltforpalestine@gmail.com. If you'd like to volunteer as an English tutor, please fill in this form: docs.google.com/forms/d/1DZYNeXNtRq_FpRf1osQqSe-r0...
For more information about our other initiatives, see this article: linkedin.com/pulse/reflection-six-months-elt-profe...
If you're not yet following us on social media, please do.
linkedin.com/company/elt-professionals-for-palesti...
https://www.instagram.com/elt_for_palestine/
https://www.facebook.com/ELT.for.Palestine
https://www.tiktok.com/@elt_for_palestine
If you're following us, hopefully you know that every Friday is Show Your Solidarity day for ELT. We hope you'll join this movement, particularly if you are a leader at an ELT organisation.
Please do spread the word about all of this!
Yours in solidarity,
ELT Professionals for Palestine
#FreePalestine