January 24, 2019

Dear friends,

We have an urgent situation: Facebook has deleted several thousand of my past contacts. So even if we’ve friended each other before, I may have lost contact with you!

If you would like to connect with me, here is the new account: https://www.facebook.com/lee.iara.9

I am always using social media platforms to reach out to like-minded people and spread the word about our Cultures of Resistance grantmaking work and films: documentaries profiling activists and artists who are doing amazing work for justice in the Global South!

However, Facebook doesn’t make it easy. The site has been known to censor critical voices–especially those who speak out for Palestinian rights. And the company is always asking us for ad money to promote posts. I am resistant to such commercialization. I much prefer person-to-person contact and reaching out directly when we do a screening in your area. So that’s what I intend to keep doing.

Figuring out how to live with integrity in the exploitative global economy is a continual challenge. Like other tech companies, Facebook is a massive corporation that pursues profit at the expense of community values. We have heard about problems ranging from its abuse of users’ data to its nefarious political dealings. But even while we work to resist such corporate policies (and while I respect those who have individually decided to pull the plug on the social media giants), there is no getting around the fact that this platform remains one of the best ways for us to link with people around the globe and share news and updates.

I hope you will remain part of this struggle with me, and that you will reach out to connect if you are a Facebook user! I would be delighted to connect for updates!

With thanks,
iara lee