More than 200 people gathered at Project Contemporary Artspace last month to hear five health professionals share first-hand accounts of their humanitarian efforts to help Palestinian civilians in war-torn Gaza.
Hosted by Wollongong Friends of Palestine, May 28's event was the second Gaza discussion night held at Artspace in a month, following a May 7 talk by United Nations Commissioner Chris Sidoti, one of the world’s leading human rights lawyers.
Homemade lentil soup and bread was served as guests arrived and soon the gallery was full.
MC Yossra Abouelfadl, a local pharmacist, welcomed the crowd to “an evening of truth, uniting and most importantly action”.
“We want to acknowledge the warm cups many of you are holding tonight,” Yossra said. “The lentil soup was lovingly cooked and served by some amazing women from our community.
“This soup isn't just nourishment, it's a symbol. I have been told by Dr Ayman, who is one of the speakers tonight, that even in the face of siege and starvation, families offer this humble dish to visiting health workers as a gesture of deep gratitude, resistance, and care.”
Dr Aunty Barbara Nicholson gave a Welcome to Country and thanked those affecting change, saying “every one of you, in my book, is very, very welcome on Wadi Wadi country”.
Kim Sattler, of Illawarra Women’s Health Centre, led the panel discussion, with the five health professionals sharing first-hand accounts of their time helping people in Gaza. The speakers were:
- Dr Ayman Elattar – Illawarra emergency consultant
- Dr Mohammed (Mo) Mustafa – Junior emergency medicine doctor
- Sally Stevenson AM – Executive director Illawarra Women’s Health Centre
- Assala Sayara – Palestinian activist, counsellor, social worker and PhD student
- Dr Aziz Bhimani – Orthopaedic surgeon
Videos were shown on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and guests described the problems they faced on the ground.
“The trauma that I faced on that first trip to Gaza ignited something in me when I came back to Australia,” said counsellor Assala Sayara.
"We're not equipped as health professionals. We've never had clients or people who are still facing that kind of trauma and a genocide, a live-streamed genocide. The vicarious trauma that we are facing as a result of witnessing that live-streamed genocide is deeply connected to the trauma that the Gazans face.”
The panel took questions and explained how to help, including through activism.
"There is hope here. I really do hope for the future in Gaza and in Palestine and we'll see a free Palestine one day,” Dr Mohammed Mustafa said.
“We'll see the children of Gaza happy and playing and dreaming again like all the other kids around the world. We've just got to keep standing together…”
Inspired by the doctors and health workers' firsthand testimony, after the event Yossra Abouelfadl created an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, calling for more funding, logistical support and diplomatic pressure to help civilians in Gaza.
At publication time, almost 2000 Australian health professionals had signed the document. The target is 3000 and Yossra plans to deliver the letter and the list of signatories to Parliament House in Canberra on July 22.