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The dead in Gaza have The number of protesters has surpassed 28,000, and hundreds of organizations have declared their opposition to the support that the United States is giving to Israel to continue the war and deaths in Gaza. Therefore, the YUCA organization in East Palo Alto has joined the demands that call for an absolution and a ceasefire in Gaza.
In this regard, Manuel Ortiz conducted an interview with Ofelia Bello, who belongs to the organization YUCA (Youth United for Community Action), on the mobile unit of Península 360 Press, broadcast during the program Península 360 Radio in collaboration with Marcos Gutiérrez of «Hecho en California».
Ofelia Bello of YUCA (Youth United for Community Action), an organization that has joined in calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 28,000 people have died, spoke about the importance of joining the movement and demanding that the United States stop financially supporting the war in Gaza.
It all started with a small group of young people of color who were active in their communities and concerned about the problems in their environment. They formed YUCA. They then launched FIRE Fellowship, a program for young people of color that includes paid internships in community organizations working for environmental and social change in the Bay Area.
YUCA works for leadership development, community organizing and coalition building, This August marks the 30th anniversary of the organization, where thousands of young people have made a difference in the world and are currently working on housing justice in East Palo Alto, as well as environmental justice.
“We cannot escape what is happening in Gaza, because there is a Palestinian community in Redwood City, and we have learned that in Silicon Valley it is important because of the technology that is being used in Palestine, but also on the border with Mexico, for example, with the companies that generate technology to monitor“, he commented Ofelia Bello.
She says that the situation in Gaza directly affects communities, from the images circulating on social media showing how children, women and men, doctors and members of the press are suffering and being attacked and abused.
“That is an impact on people's mental health, especially young people, and that is something that is constantly being seen.“, he added Ofelia Bello.
On the night of Monday, February 12, there was a demonstration at the University of Stanford, Ofelia had the opportunity to be present, “they were there because, supposedly, the president of the university was going to meet with his administration to decide what they were going to do about support in Gaza.”
The aim is to involve the community in the issue, since it affects everyone directly or indirectly, so having the understanding of young people is essential, showing them that their voice has great value and that they are part of the country's delicate decisions.
For Ofelia Bello, Stanford students have been raising their voices very loudly and demanding that the authorities pay attention to what is happening, questioning the connections, but also asking this university to withdraw its investments from the way it is supporting Israel.
"For us, the struggles we have here for housing justice, environmental justice, are connected to Gaza, if we see that our country continues to invest in wars, that is something totally opposite," Bello stressed.
Finally, he explained that there are many people who do not want to speak or express their voice, because they are afraid of receiving words or acts of aggression, that is why many hesitate to speak or really show themselves against the genocide in Gaza, but it must be reported that it is not a single voice, because organizations and media, as well as the population in general, are against the war and demand an end to these regrettable acts.
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