For Palestinian Children—Our Children Everywhere: A Reflection in Solidarity on Earth Day

April 22, 2025 Ryo Ishii

Ghazal, a 14-year-old from Khuza’a village near Khan Younis City, says “I have no childhood, I only live in terror.” On the very first day of hostilities, her cherished home was reduced to ruins by a bombardment. She and her family sought refuge in a UNRWA school in Khan Younis where hundreds of displaced families were sheltering. November 23, 2023. UNICEF/UNI463111, El Baba

Happy Earth Day 🌎🕊️

Hello to all my friends—each of you carrying a story, a spirit, and a way of being that matters 🩶
Today, as one human on our shared planet, I'm reflecting on how sustainability is a form of harmony. And to reach that harmony, peace on Earth is essential, and to achieve peace, we must cultivate the instruments of culture—one that is inclusive in language and perspective, offering an alternative to all forms of supremacy: saying no to repression, and yes to a shared humanity.

And on this Earth Day, I can't turn away from the realities in Palestine (esp. of the children), and the intensifying policies of exclusion and conflict accelerated by the US administration.