JFA TURNS ONE
A letter from the editorial board
One year ago, the jfa human rights journal officially launched as an independent online and print publication.
Since August 1, 2019, we have presented powerful stories, poetry, and art on a diversity of topics, from sex work to Direct Provision Centres; from domestic violence to anti-Asian discrimination during the Covid-19 pandemic. We have published photo essays on the Rohingya refugee crisis (William Keo), Extinction Rebellion (Thomas Dorrington), and the March on Violence Against Women in Brussels (Lola Massinon). We featured an illustration series on the Lebanese Revolution by Zarifi Haidar Marin, and a series on the Art of Forced Displacement by Julie Reintjes. We have built upon what we learned by compiling our first edition and sustained ourselves financially throughout.
Storytelling is as old as culture itself. Storytelling can create change by building perspectives of inclusion, diversity and acceptance. Stories, discourse, and underrepresented perspectives have the power to shape laws, public policy, culture, social movements, and on an individual level, encourage us to appreciate each other’s differences. Fundamentally, storytelling skills help people advocate for their own rights and the rights of their local communities in order to progress towards a more equal future for everyone.
It is an understatement that 2020 has been a year where existing inequalities have not only been highlighted, but have been exacerbated in many different ways and in many different geographical contexts. This year has also been difficult for us as a team: we have worked from three different continents, at a point managing a 12-hour time difference to schedule our meetings and interviews.
we must continue to be a platform that guides all contributors (no matter how experienced or otherwise) through their storytelling process.
The pandemic has stalled our efforts to evolve the jfa’s business model and ensure our sustainability. We have failed at times, but we are learning and growing everyday, more than we could have expected. We now have a better understanding of how we should move forward. As a new publication, we know we will probably make more mistakes, but will not cease trying.
Current events have only reinforced our belief that we must continue to be a platform that guides all contributors (no matter how experienced or otherwise) through their storytelling process, amplifies underrepresented stories, prioritises accessibility, and makes discourse on justice and human rights accessible. Despite the challenges, we remain committed to the principles that drove us to build this platform in the first place.
We thank you, our community, for making this year special. We guarantee that we have learnt as much from you as you have from us. We hope that you stick around for the years to come. We are continuing to work on exciting projects that we cannot wait to share with you all very, very soon.
Keep reading, keep writing, keep creating, keep telling your stories.
With love,
The jfa team