Community Information Now believes in the universality of human rights, the intrinsic value of all living beings, and the shared humanity of all people, irrespective of race, religion, or place of birth. Staying silent as a humanitarian crisis unfolds in and around Gaza is not an option for us, and we hope to be an example for other institutions and organizations with parallel principles.
As a data-focused organization rooted in racial and ethnic equity and anti-racism, we recognize thousands of years of systematic persecution, pogroms, and genocide of Jewish people. We likewise recognize the unsettling similarities the Palestinian people have been subjected to for the past near-century including forms of oppression through occupation and apartheid.
Our work extends across several areas of the human experience, from healthcare access and health outcomes to food access and food security, and to quality housing and internet access. It is not lost on us that these concepts we regularly evaluate for our own community are basic human rights that have been systematically unavailable, restricted, or destroyed for those in Gaza well before October 7, 2023.
CI:Now’s long-held vision is improved lives and decreased disparities through democratized data. Data is a powerful tool and conveys both the power communities hold while also conveying the tragedies they experience. Since October 7, we have witnessed an incomprehensible amount of life lost as well as the forced displacement of an estimated 1.4 million people in the Gaza strip, a number equivalent to the population of our city, San Antonio, Texas.
It is the moral responsibility of the United States and all those in power to intervene and bring about an immediate and lasting ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian aid to Gaza to prevent the loss of any more life. It is also the moral responsibility of our local elected officials to use their platforms to speak against anti-Semitism and Islamophobia and to pressure and advocate for an end to the violence to ensure the health and safety of those in and around Gaza.
We condemn in the strongest possible terms the collective punishment of, targeted attacks against, violent kidnapping of, and indiscriminate killing of civilians, and all deviations from international and humanitarian law. We grieve with everyone who has been affected. Things must change. The status quo is untenable.
We are committed to working towards and advocating for a future where all people can live in peace, without fear of brutal violence, oppression, occupation, and terror. A ceasefire is only the first step in realizing this future, but without this step, no path forward can be found.