Abstracts
Abstract
This response critically examines the AnonymOT Collective’s commentary on occupational therapy’s role in advocating justice for Palestine. Written from the perspective of a Palestinian occupational therapist, it challenges the authors’ use of anonymity, highlighting the contradiction it poses to their call for open discourse. The response critiques the possible exclusion of Palestinian voices, the lack of actionable proposals, and the performative framing of advocacy. It emphasizes the need for transparency, accountability, and the inclusion of lived experiences in justice-oriented efforts. This piece calls for genuine solidarity and meaningful action to support occupational therapists and healthcare workers in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in Palestine.
Appendices
Bibliography
- Amnesty International. (2024, December 5). Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territory: ‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza. https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde15/8668/2024/en/
- AnonymOT Collective. (2024). Occupational therapists speaking for justice and human rights: From complicit silencing to collective resistance. Aporia, 16(2), 15-26.
- Beaumont, P. (2024, March 25). Medical crisis in Gaza hospitals at ‘unimaginable’ level, aid agencies say. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/25/gaza-medical-crisis-hospitals-aid-agencies
- Córdoba, A. G. (2020). About new forms of colonization in occupational therapy. Reflections on the Idea of Occupational Justice from a critical-political philosophy perspective. Cadernos Brasileiros de Terapia Ocupacional, 28(4), 1365–1381. https://doi.org/10.4322/2526-8910.ctoARF2175
- Emery-Whittington, I., & Te Maro, B. (2018). Decolonising occupation: Causing social change to help our ancestors rest and our descendants thrive. New Zealand Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65(1), 12–19. https://doi.org/10.3316/informit.779745338782955
- Euro-Med Human Rights. (2024). Israel’s demolition of educational institutions, cultural objects in Gaza is additional manifestation of genocide. Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor. https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6163/Israel%E2%80%99s-demolition-of-educational-institutions,-cultural-objects-in-Gaza-is-additional-manifestation-of-genocide
- Gilio-Whitaker, D. (2019). As Long as Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rock. Beacon Press.
- Jadallah, C. C. (2024). Positionality, relationality, place, and land: Considerations for ethical research with communities. Qualitative Research, 14687941241246174. https://doi.org/10.1177/14687941241246174
- Junior, J. D. L., Rudman, D. L., & Lopes, R. E. (2024). Alliances between social occupational therapy and critical occupational science: Propositions to mobilize social justice. Journal of Occupational Science. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14427591.2024.2374308
- Khatib, R., McKee, M., & Yusuf, S. (2024). Concerns regarding Gaza mortality estimates – Authors’ reply. The Lancet, 404(10466), 1928. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01872-5
- Leonardo, Z. (2004). The Color of Supremacy: Beyond the discourse of ‘white privilege.’ Educational Philosophy and Theory, 36(2), 137–152. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-5812.2004.00057.x
- Minarik, J. D. (2017). Privilege as Privileging: Making the Dynamic and Complex Nature of Privilege and Marginalization Accessible. Journal of Social Work Education, 53(1), 52–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2016.1237913
- Ramugondo, E. L. (2024). Occupational consciousness: Theorising to dismantle systemic racism and dehumanisation. Journal of Occupational Science, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2024.2429681
- Shaffer, T. (1979). Advocacy As Moral Discourse. Journal Articles. https://scholarship.law.nd.edu/law_faculty_scholarship/152
- Ventres, W., Boelen, C., & Haq, C. (2018). Time for action: Key considerations for implementing social accountability in the education of health professionals. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 23(4), 853–862. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-017-9792-z