At the EuroMed Civil Society Conference, HRH Princess Rym Ali called for reclaiming our shared humanity in the face of polarization and violence. She highlighted the need for civil society and media to challenge double standards, advocate for peace, and amplify silenced voices. HRH Princess Rym emphasized that achieving unity requires shared perceptions and values, as well as the courage to act with compassion and question divisive narratives.
I struggle to see a peaceful outcome for now because, everywhere we look, there are double standards signifying, to those in the South, that they matter less.
To have a shared humanity, we need to have a shared perception and understanding of the realities and a common interpretation of the values we claim to share.
But recent events in our region show that “never again” in fact does not apply to all - there is a selective application of human rights and international law. Some political leaders in Europe have recently gone as far as tweaking these rules to justify the killing of civilians.
Demanding “Free Palestine” means for those calling for it a State where Palestinians can live simply with dignity enjoying basic rights, which are currently denied to them. Others see in it a call for the elimination of Israel.
The Media and Social Media contribute largely to the selective perceptions of reality, with new technologies driving increased possibilities for misinformation and disinformation, and fake news. International journalists are still not allowed to report freely from Gaza, while few in the North watch the Arab networks which are present in the Strip.
Journalists, guarantors of accountability, are being killed in Palestine and Lebanon in total impunity.
As a result, not every voice is heard equally.
All of you here can counter the polarization that has affected our societies beyond those living in conflict right now, by helping the communities you serve, to think, and act, with compassion.
And let’s remember that this is a time for courage and compassion: for having the courage to be compassionate, but also that to ask questions, to question the answers and to say “enough.”