What Does Solidarity Look Like?
For Media Contact, further inquiries or interview requests, please contact:
Uchechukwu Onwa – uchechukwu@qdep.org
Jade Jones – missaylodijo@gmail.com, Edinson Calderon – edinsonandyvzla@gmail.com
The Delta variant of Covid-19 rises in a dark cloud all over the United States this summer, Lebanon’s economic crisis and fuel disaster, Haiti’s instability increases due to a 7.2-magnitude earthquake and the tropical storm Grace, only a month after president Jovenel Moïse was assassinated, the Taliban take over the city of Kabul and inevitably, over the entire Afghan land, settling a layer of fear and uncertainty in all the hearts that belong to the land of the Shahada, as their flag always reminds us.
As a world, we bear witness of these humanitarian crises, and we know that we cannot undo the harm, but we know there’s always a way to support anyone who needs it, every person running from persecution, every child who needs a safe space to be, every identity who just needs to be accepted and respected.
As our beloved member Edinson remarked in his statement: “We, the LGBTQIA + QDEP NYC community, want to send our deepest condolences to our brothers in Afghanistan, Haiti and Lebanon. We, like you, know the fear and despair that you are feeling in these difficult, strong and painful moments, and it is for that reason that we are praying and sending positive energies from our hearts to yours, and please never forget you are not alone. We are here to support you as a great family.”
As a project that understands how intricate and overwhelming these times can be for people in areas of distress, QDEP welcomes with open arms our siblings from these affected parts of the world, and we acknowledge that more needs to be done. Not soon, Now. We know the direct involvement that the United States and different international organizations have had on these issues, and we expect the different entities to respond accordingly. These incidents are not isolated and certainly not a matter that only affects a few, the world sees in horror, and must act quickly with kind and assertive aid.
We must always acknowledge these events as they happen, and be properly informed through reliable sources. It can be difficult to see and absorb, but here at QDEP, it only makes our hearts beat stronger; more than ever love, support and empathy will be at the forefront of everything we do.
WHAT WE CAN DO
- The US to open pathways for all refugees to come into the country and swek for safety.
- We ask the international donor community to continue to invest heavily in Afghan civil society through developmental and humanitarian aid.
- President Biden and congress should grant asylum to the most vulnerable refugees, the LGBTQ+, women and children.
- Demand that the US government expedite processing for SIV, P1, and P2 visas; and
- Those 3rd party processing countries drop visa requirements for those fleeing Afghanistan, Haiti and Lebanon.
The Queer Detainee Empowerment Project (QDEP) assists folks coming out of immigration detention in securing structural, health/wellness, educational, legal, and emotional support and services. We work to organize around the structural barriers and state violence that LGBTQIA TS & GNC detainee/undocumented folks face related to their immigration status, race, sexuality, and gender expression/identity.
We are committed to assisting folks in building lives outside of detention, to breaking down the barriers that prevent folks from building fulfilling and productive lives, and to keeping queer families intact by demanding an end to deportations/detention/policing. We believe in creating a narrative of thriving, not just surviving.
QDEP is a proud member of the Detention Watch Network, Freedom For Immigrants, New York Immigration Coalition, AbolishICE NY/NJ Coalition, as well as the International Detention Coalition, QDEP is a fiscally sponsored project of the Center for Transformative Action (CTA). CTA, an educational 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is legally and financially responsible for all our project activities.
