Raeesah Reese & Linda Tenerowicz | Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice 2013

Title: “Supporting an End to the Occupation of Palestine; Changing our Social Contract for a Hopeful Future

Raeesah Reese is a senior at Loyola Marymount University studying screenwriting and theological studies. She has explored her interests in social justice through storytelling, having worked on projects that examine immigrant rights and the struggles of undocumented youth in the U.S. Her interest in the politics and social justice issues of the Middle East extend to her passion for raising awareness about Palestinian human rights abuses in Israel and the West Bank. After participating in an Alternative Break Trip to Israel and Palestine, she was profoundly changed and inspired to take action surrounding the issue. During the trip, her group not only met with both Palestinian and Jewish Israeli peace activists, but got to further understand their stories of living under occupation. The people she met expressed their continued hope for a resolution despite the failed peace process. Their hope rests with the “people” and so does hers.

Linda Tenerowicz is from South San Francisco, CA and is currently pursuing a degree in political science at Loyola Marymount University (LMU). She is greatly interested in human rights advocacy and the non-profit sector. She wishes to learn more about the development and sustainability of non-profit organizations, namely gathering support, mobilizing grassroots activism, and reaching those most in need. In the summer of 2012 Linda attended an immersion trip to Israel and the occupied West Bank and gained firsthand knowledge and experience about the Palestine/Israel conflict, prospects for peace, and the reality on the ground for Israelis and Palestinians. Since then she has co-founded a Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter at LMU and serves as co-president. She hopes that SJP will shed light on the Palestinian narrative and bring greater awareness for the issue to the students body.