Derry Organisers Launch R.I.S.E for Palestine in new grassroots response to Gaza’s 'humanitarian emergency'

A group of organisers in Derry have launched RISE for Palestine which they described as a "new grassroots initiative focused on delivering urgent humanitarian aid and building meaningful solidarity through local action, as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza reaches catastrophic levels".

Founded by Catherine Hutton and Brónach Mooney McMonagle, both long-standing advocates for Palestinian rights, RISE stands for Resistance Inspires Solidarity and Equality.

In a statement to The Derry News, Catherine Hutton said: "The initiative emerges at a time when international bodies and media outlets are increasingly reporting on the deliberate starvation and siege of the Palestinian people, particularly in northern Gaza. According to recent updates from humanitarian agencies, children are dying of malnutrition and dehydration, while aid convoys are blocked, bombed, or denied entry altogether. 

“The scale of human suffering is indescribable. Gaza’s people are not dying from natural disaster or food scarcity. They are being systematically starved. This is a genocide, and silence is complicity. R.I.S.E is our response, rooted in urgency, compassion, and action.” 

Both Catherine Hutton and Brónach Mooney McMonagle recently stepped away from their roles within the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) in order to pursue a more direct, community-led approach.

While expressing "continued respect for the work of the IPSC"  the organisers felt compelled to shift their energy toward immediate impact. 

“We are not leaving the movement,” Ms McMonagle explained. “We are rising within it.” 

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"We are launching RISE for Palestine with a threefold mission," she added, "delivering urgent humanitarian fundraising for food, water, and medical aid in Gaza; mobilising  local solidarity through education, protest, and public engagement in Derry, and driving awareness and participation in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement tool to hold Israel accountable under international law. 

"In the coming weeks, R.I.S.E will host a series of public events in Derry, including solidarity vigils, workshops, and targeted fundraising appeals. The group is also building partnerships with trusted networks, on the ground in Palestine to ensure every pound raised reaches those who need it most. 

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“This is not charity. It’s solidarity in motion. Our vision is to ensure that every person in Derry has the tools to understand what is happening and compel them to act.” 

The group is calling on local residents, artists, educators, trade unions, and community organisations to join the movement and 'help transform Derry into a city of resistance and hope for Palestine'.