Manifesto - 10 Rules for Living by Susan Abulhawa

I stumbled upon this manifesto on WePresent, a list of 10 rules for living by Susan Abulhawa, writer, activist and founder of Playgrounds for Palestine. The illustration is by Chantal Jahchan.

It’s the text I needed to read today, so I typed the words to share it here with you. The illustrated version is added after the text below. Manifesto is a series on WePresent which invites activists and creatives with something to say to write 10 rules to live by, in order to help spread their message.

1. WORDS
Tell the truth, and speak truth to power, especially when it’s inconvenient.

2. NEUTRALITY
Always side with the oppressed. Neutrality is dangerous.

3. ANIMALS
Respect that animals are nations onto themselves. They are not here for our amusement or experimentation. Love them. Defend them. Protect their habitats.

4. SOURCE
Creativity is born from the unknown, the uncomfortable, and unpredictable. Go there, where darkness is greatest.

5. FRIENDS
Love generously and be loyal. But don’t hesitate to slam the door on those who betray you.

6. NATURE
Recharge your soul with the terrain and music Mama Nature makes. Avoid malls, plastic and noisy places.

7. CHILDREN
Are born with all the right instincts for compassion, empathy, wonder, imagination, curiousity, joy and play. The best think we can do is not “teach” or “discipline” them away from those instincts.

8. WORK
We are not born to accumulate material junk to serve an economy, but to create an economy that works for us. Hard work can be a joy, but capitalism is cancer.

9. PURPOSE
Happiness is overrated and seeking it is a waste of time. A lobotomy will get you there quicker. Search for meaning, depth and fulfilment instead.

10. RULES & LAWS
Break them when they don’t comport with common morality, common decency, environmental sense or minimal compassion for fellow humans and sentient beings.

About Susan Abulhawa:
Susan Abulhawa was born to refugees of the Six Day War of 1967, when her family's land was seized and Israel captured what remained of Palestine, including Jerusalem. She moved to the US as a teenager, graduated in biomedical science and established a career in medical science. In July 2001, Susan Abulhawa founded Playgrounds for Palestine, a children's organisation dedicated to upholding the right to play for Palestinian children. Mornings in Jenin is her first novel and is being published in 19 countries. Her latest book, Against The Loveless World, is out now. She lives in Pennsylvania with her daughter.