Alexander Smith, a contractor for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), said he was given a choice between resignation and dismissal after preparing a presentation on maternal and child mortality among Palestinians, which was cancelled at the last minute by USAID leadership last week.

Smith, a senior adviser on gender, maternal health, child health, and nutrition chose to resign on Monday after four years at USAID. In his resignation letter to the head of the agency, Samantha Power, he complained about the inconsistencies in USAID’s approach to different countries and humanitarian crises, and the general treatment of Palestinians.

“I cannot do my job in an environment in which specific people cannot be acknowledged as fully human, or where gender and human rights principles apply to some, but not to others, depending on their race,” he wrote.

  • Cyborganism
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    6 months ago

    Way to call them out on their bullshit. I hope this gets remembered later in history.

    I hope he becomes a spokesperson in support of a complete ceasefire and a defender of Palestinian lives.

    • SulaymanF@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Of course it will be remembered in history.

      Who looks better in history books today; the student protestors against Vietnam or the soldiers at Kent State and Nixon? The students protesting Apartheid in South Africa or the South African apartheid government? John McCain blocking LGBT in the military or the soldiers who fought for representation?

      Biden will go down very badly in history for this, as will all those who enable the genocide.

    • FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today
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      6 months ago

      TBH it feels like so much happens that it will be difficult to teach it all even if we record it properly. Imagine future lawyers learning about Trumps 3 concurrent criminal trials, two held up by judges in different courts and 1 with 34 unanimous guilty verdicts and trump violating gag orders before sentencing even begins. It’s gonna be a wild timeline of events to read through.

      The Israel situation is that but instead of months it’s Decades of constant events.