Nora Lester Murad is an activist, writer and educator who has been involved in the Palestinian cause for over 40 years. She has dedicated her life to advocating for peace with justice and has worked with various organizations to promote narrative change and empower local decision making.

Summary:Nora discusses the challenges of making an impact during times of crisis, such as the ongoing bombing in Gaza. She emphasizes the importance of taking advantage of the increased attention on Palestine to create narrative change, but acknowledges the difficulties of doing so while feeling overwhelmed and emotionally drained. Nora also highlights the need to address the misinformation and wrong framing surrounding the conflict and calls for political action to influence policies that perpetuate oppression. She introduces the concept of liberatory giving, which involves supporting organizations working towards liberation and self-determination, rather than just providing immediate aid. Nora encourages individuals to give consistently and to consider other forms of support, such as using their voice and networks to spread awareness and advocate for change.

Key Takeaways:

Times of crisis present both opportunities and challenges for making an impact and creating narrative change.
Giving during a crisis should be done with an understanding of the systems and constraints that affect how the resources are used.
Liberatory giving involves supporting organizations working towards liberation and self-determination, rather than just providing immediate aid.
Consistent and ongoing support is more impactful than one-time contributions.
Individuals can contribute to the cause by using their voice, networks, and resources to spread awareness and advocate for change.




Book Chapter titled Aiding Liberation in Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak Out edited by Ramzy Baroud & Ilan Pappé. Clarity Press and The European Centre for Palestine Studies, 2022
Beyond Humanitarian Aid: Supporting Palestinian Organizations Working to Dismantle the Occupation and Shift the Narrative by BuildPalestine
⁠Local Palestinian Organizations Responding to the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza⁠ by BuildPalestine


Bio:
Nora Lester Murad is an activist, writer and educator. Her young adult novel, Ida in the Middle, from Crocodile Books won the 2023 Arab American Book Award and the Skipping Stones Honor Award, and she currently organizes with teachers to support the teaching of Palestine in schools. I Found Myself in Palestine: Stories of Love and Renewal From Around the Globe (2020) and Rest in My Shade: A Poem About Roots (2018) were also published by Interlink. While living in Palestine, Nora co-founded Dalia Association, Palestine’s community foundation and Aid Watch Palestine, a community-driven aid accountability initiative in Gaza. She has consulted widely with grassroots, national, international, multilateral and corporate actors on issues such as strategy, change processes, antiracism, team-building, participatory research and communications. In addition to teaching for over 20 years at universities including Fordham, Bentley and Lesley, Nora has published widely and spoken at international events on the topics of international aid, community philanthropy and Palestine. She is a Policy Member of Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network, serves on the Board of Visualizing Palestine and supports other social justice issues. From a Jewish family, Nora is the mother of three brilliant Palestinian-American daughters and lives with her husband in Massachusetts on the traditional homelands of the Eastern Woodland indigenous peoples. You can reach her at nora@noralestermurad.com.