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Toolkit – Towards Solidarity: Ten Simple Steps to Move from Complicity in Genocide Toward Solidarity with the Palestinian Struggle

Individualistic societies have us believe that we don’t have the collective responsibility or power to fight injustice. However, collective movements against oppression tell another story: when we organize collectively, we can make a difference.

Every rally attended, every boycott in practice, every petition signed, and every conversation builds pressure for change while strengthening our shared resilience.

When we act together, we not only disrupt the systems of oppression integrated into institutions, beliefs, attitudes, and practices, but we also build communities of connection, care, and mutual support where everyone’s well-being matters.

Unlearn and Relearn the Historical Context

It did not start on October 7, 2023. For over 75 years, Palestine has faced military occupation, dispossession, and the forced displacement of its people. Alongside this violence, enormous efforts have gone into shaping Western narratives about Arabs and Palestinians to justify the ongoing oppression and current genocide. It is vital that we educate ourselves by centring Palestinian voices and lived experiences. A great place to start is this website, where we share resources, actions, and information to help you learn, connect, and stand in solidarity.

The post A Brief History of Canada’s Role in the Colonization of Palestine provides an overview of Canadian action in the creation of Israel and the oppression of Palestinian.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking means analytically and independently evaluating information to form sound judgments rather than passively accepting what is presented. It involves questioning assumptions, identifying biases, and recognizing the ways language, images, and framing shape our understanding of events. Everything we consume—from movies and news reports to everyday media—is created from a particular perspective. For example, notice the difference between the headlines “Palestinians starve to death” versus “Forced starvation by Israel kills Palestinians.” Both refer to the same reality, but one erases accountability while the other names it. Developing critical thinking skills allows us to identify these manipulations and resist being misled by incomplete or biased narratives.

This is especially important when examining how media has portrayed Palestine and Israel. For decades, major Western media outlets, Hollywood, and news corporations—often owned by powerful interests aligned with Western governments—have framed “Israel” as a “necessary ally” and Palestinians as threats. This bias shapes public perception and makes it easier for people to accept or ignore atrocities, including the genocide of Palestinians over the past two years and long before. Genocide is only possible when misinformation spreads and is left unchallenged; propaganda and selective reporting create an illusion of justification. The West benefits from this distortion, as it maintains influence and control in the Middle East through destabilization and military alliances with Israel—while manufacturing the public’s tacit consent. For those wanting to explore this further, the documentary Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People is an excellent resource that exposes how decades of media production have normalized harmful stereotypes and dehumanization of arabs.

Join Your Local Community

We gather on the homelands of the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples (Victoria, BC). Join us in advocating for Indigenous sovereignty both locally and globally. Right now, the Palestinian people are experiencing genocide, and our local government is complicit, which is why collective action is urgent. We meet every Saturday at the Legislative Assembly. From here, our community connects, organizes, and
builds actions beyond this gathering. This is our hub.

Practice BDS – Boycott, Divestment, and
Sanctions

BDS is a global movement led by Palestinians to apply nonviolent pressure on Occupied Palestinian Territories (Israel) to end its occupation and apartheid (Add definition of apartheid. I believe there is one in another post, suggest using the same. policies. By refusing to support companies and institutions complicit in
genocide, we weaken the oppressive systems that profit from oppression. A helpful app to guide your choices is Boycat, which make it easier to identify products and brands to avoid while you’re shopping or eating out. Practicing BDS in your daily
life is a powerful way to align your values with action and stand in solidarity with Palestine.

Priority Boycott: Official BDS campaigns targeting key companies most complicit in Israeli apartheid and occupation.
Pressure Boycott: Community campaigns that apply public pressure to corporations, governments, or figures tied to Israel.
Organic Boycott: Grassroots, everyday choices by individuals or groups to avoid Israeli products and institutions.

Pressure Politicians and Companies

Sign petitions
- Petitions
  - Show support
  - Spark conversations about demands
  - Create a record that dialogue was attempted before escalation
Call, and email you MLA and your Member of Parliament to demand they act to stop the genocide.

This helps build momentum and strengthens our collective voice. Together, these actions put pressure on politicians and businesses to stand in solidarity and take meaningful steps against injustice. Here are some example for petition that can be signed:

Stay Connected to Palestinian Voices

For timely updates, follow on the ground journalists and activists such as Bisan Wizard, who regularly shares urgent calls to action and ways to mobilize.

Organize in Your Workplace

Unions have a long history of standing against injustice, and workers here on Lekwungen territories (Victoria) and across Vancouver Island are building
on that tradition in solidarity with Palestine. Groups like Labour for Palestine are pushing unions to take action through hot cargo (refusing to handle goods
linked to the occupation), workplace education, and BDS campaigns. By organizing within your workplace or union, you can help shift collective power away from complicity and toward meaningful solidarity, ensuring that workers’ voices are part of the global struggle for Palestinian liberation.

If you have or are discriminated against by your employer due to Palestine solidarity, check: Labour For Palestine Supports.

Engage in Direct Action

Engage in non-violent actions that disrupt the production, transport, and supply chains of weapons and other material used in the occupation. These actions are organized to maximize impact while maintaining safety and legality, targeting the mechanisms that enable violence and demonstrating solidarity with Palestinian communities resisting oppression. Connect with your local solidarity community to help plan and participate.

Use Your Platform and Privilege to Speak Up

Power exists in many forms and places, including online and public spaces. You can:

Use your social media, community networks, or professional platforms— to amplify Palestinian voices, educate others, and drive tangible change.
Call on those social media influencers with a platform to amplify Palestinian voices
Speak up and act

At this moment, silence is not neutral; actively engaging your networks helps shift collective awareness and pressure toward solidarity.

Mutual Aid

Our main duty is to ensure our local companies and governments are not supporting a genocide through their actions, investments or statements. Mutual aid should never replace this core responsibility, but if contributing directly to community survival is the way you can engage, there are trusted initiatives to support. These efforts provide essential resources like food, water, shelter, education, and medical care for families in Gaza and across occupied Palestine: