OK we gotta do the thing! The things!!
It makes a lot of sense to me that the first post in the new home of Emily Writes Weekly is a post about some small things you can do this week to help your community.
Without my community, I don't think I would have got through the past seven days. I mean I would have, but it would have been so bad. And I would have cried even more than I did.
It’s been hard lately to feel hopeful lately. But I have found so many glimmers of that light trying desperately to shine in the darkness...
At Kids Rock 4 Palestine - organised by my 12-year-old and his friends - my son wrote a lovely little speech that I thought I’d share here. It inspired me and hopefully it inspires you too. Out of the mouths of babes eh? The kids raised $10,000 for Convoys of Good, Kiwi Trust for Palestinian Children Relief and the Aotearoa to Gaza Mutual Aid fund.
Even though we are kids, we can make a difference for other kids and that is what we are all here to do today.
Music is so powerful. I love that we can come together and try to make a difference for the children in Gaza and all the Palestinians who can't go home because of Israel’s occupation.
I wanted to share a quote that has helped me with planning Kids Rock 4 Palestine, and I hope it helps you when you do your next thing for the people in Gaza. Greta Thunberg said:
“Once we start to act, hope is everywhere. So instead of looking for hope, look for action. Then, and only then, hope will come.”
So, let’s get to some actions we can all do eh?
This weekend it’s Daffodil Day. One in three of us will be diagnosed with cancer in our lifetime. When you donate to the Cancer Society, you’re ensuring cancer patients can access free nursing support, counselling, transport to treatment, and accommodation while having treatment far from home. You can donate to the Cancer Society here or buy some daffodils here. My kids and I will be collecting, so say Hi if you see us!
Endo Warriors are calling on Minister of Health Simeon Brown, the New Zealand Government, and the Ministry of Health and Te Whatu Ora to urgently review, rewrite, and officially adopt national endometriosis (mate kirikopu) guidelines that reflect up-to-date clinical evidence, lived experience from our communities, and Te Tiriti-based equity.
At least one in seven women, girls, and people assigned female at birth in Aotearoa live with endometriosis. This chronic and often disabling inflammatory condition causes pelvic pain, fatigue, infertility, and damage to multiple organs. Despite this, most with endometriosis are not being taken seriously by our health system. As an endo survivor, I was so lucky to have private health insurance for my hysterectomy. Sign the petition here.
Here’s something nice! It’s the water tank you paid for! If you donate to the Aotearoa 2 Gaza mutual aid fund this is where some of your money goes:
Want action from Aotearoa against Israel's genocidal campaign? Click here and a full email will pop up for you to send to Winston Peters. Gazans cannot eat statements - sanction Israel NOW!
Our education system is in crisis. We need to back education that works for all tamariki. This great petition is calling for the government to ensure there is a teacher aide in every classroom, all educators are treated fairly and their work is secure and that we uphold te Tiriti o Waitangi in education.
It's also calling on the government to defend quality early childhood education. We must make early childhood education accessible, affordable, culturally appropriate and high quality for all tamariki, by retaining 100% qualified teachers and pay parity, and by improving teacher:child ratios. Sign here.
In 2024, the community of Buller called on politicians to address the crisis threatening their local health services. This petition builds on their declaration and lets all New Zealanders join the demand for a better health system that delivers care for everyone, addresses current inequities and provides the health workforce we need. Sign it here.
Troll Tees baby!
Can't believe I managed to get an idea I had off the ground lol. Troll Tees is here! We are putting comments by trolls on tee shirts to raise funds for the community. 100% of the profits from Troll Tees (and totes) will go to community causes.
We are kicking off with tees to raise money for gender affirming healthcare. We're using quotes by a TERF who called me 'Gender Affirming to the max' which we thought was a huge compliment and also just very funny. 'Gender Villians' of Aotearoa so we've made a Gender Villian tee too.
It really tickles me to know TERFS will be helping to pay for gender affirming care!
We are also selling Queers for a Free Palestine tee-shirts (that'll drive the TERFS up the wall too - win/win). The design is by Trans Masc Studies. Trans Masc Studies is a research project by Ellis Jackson Kroese that looks into the history of trans masculine and trans masculine-adjacent identities and presentations across history. You can read about hundreds of historical trans masculine figures here. And support the project by buying items there.
We also have Seymour is a C*nt tees, totes, and mugs. The profits from this one are going to a very special place that you will love - but we'll share the details a bit later! Buy here!
The Make It 16 campaign is back at it! They have events in Te Whanganui a Tara and Ōtepoti - tell the teens in your life about them. And check out all of the great stuff on the Make it 16 website.
The Right to Repair Bill passed its first reading and had huge public support. But of course the blardy farkin ding dongs in Government are trying to squash it. The Economic Development, Science and Innovation Select Committee reported back and they're not recommending the Bill because it's a Greens bill. This crap is so exhausting. Anyway, sign the petition calling on Scott Simpson and the other wanks to put their egos aside for five seconds. I mean the petition calls on them to reconsider the bill but you get me. Sign it here.
I'm reading Wifedom at the moment which is destroying my love of George Orwell. So I thought I'd end with this great quote that I thought was by George Orwell but is probably by his wife Eileen O'Shaughnessy.
"If you can feel that staying human is worth while, even when it can't have any result whatever, you've beaten them."
Go well, I don't believe in Gods but I believe in us. Arohanui Emily x
Oh and this newsletter is on Ghost! Hopefully you didn't even notice but it is! The bottom line is: you don't have to do anything – apart from maybe sign in again if you're a paid member and want to leave a comment. Luckily that's super easy. The comments area has a "Sign in" button (there's another one in the top right bit of the page) and all you have to do is put in the email that you receive Emily Writes Weekly with and Ghost will send you a magic link to sign in.
That's it! That's honestly it. If you have any more questions about Ghost there is a whole post of FAQs.
HUGE thanks to Josh Drummond who helped me move. If you're in need of help with your digital move I cannot recommend him enough! Thank you Josh!
To all my amazing paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do this work – thank you! Please jump in to the comments below, I can't wait to talk with you here.
