Let’s Love Louder Initiative Benefiting Tomorrow’s Women

“Women, girls and gender expansive people are disproportionately affected by war, with severe impacts on their health, safety, and human rights—the current crisis in Israel and Palestine is no exception.” (Sourced from Feminists.Co)

The Let’s Love Louder global initiative, merch fundraiser and beer collaboration is a call to action to lead with empathy and our hearts. The open letter to the beer community is bringing awareness to Israel’s military occupation of Palestine and advocating to end the genocide of Gaza. Launched by Jacque Irizarry, graphic designer, photographer, activist, and a Bevolution Creators in Bev Grant recipient, this letter and accompanying pledge are meant to empower the brewing industry to rise up and “open our hearts and love louder.” 

Beer is for Everyone, and Women of the Bevolution have partnered with Jacque and her initiative, Let’s Love Louder, to amplify this message worldwide. Through a collaborative fundraiser, 100% of the profits from merchandise sales will go to support Tomorrow’s Women, a non-profit dedicated to empowering young Palestinian and Israeli women to enact change in conflict zones. This includes providing immediate humanitarian aid to women, their families, and communities in Gaza through the Gaza Girls program.

The Glory to the Resistance Palestinian Lager recipe can found below. This beer recipe was a collab between Jacque Irizarry @_Hoppenstance, @CounterCultureFerments and @Kegs_and_Kilos. For further info on the recipe, reach out to the above folks.

The merchandise artwork symbolizes peace and hope and was designed by Jacque. The art features three poppies, which are displayed as a sign of solidarity and to represent the Palestinian connection to their land. Around the poppies, there are seven straws of wheat and five olives, which are plants both grown in the region and collectively symbolize 75 years of the occupation of Palestine. In light of the complex political situation surrounding Palestine, we're offering two distinct design options. One features the bold statement "Free Palestine," symbolizing solidarity and advocacy. However, we acknowledge the reality that advocating for such causes can be challenging in certain environments. For individuals who may face consequences or feel unsafe expressing their support openly, we've created a second design without the explicit call to action. This approach respects varying comfort levels and safety concerns, allowing individuals to participate in the cause in a manner that aligns with their personal circumstances.

Why is this important? What’s happening, you ask?

• It’s a human rights issue. 

• For 75 years, Israel has occupied Palestine, which includes the Gaza Strip and West Bank, with a population of 5 million people. The Gaza Strip has a population of 2.1 million people.  

• From October 7 to March 31, more than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including more than 13,000 children and 9,000 women, and 75,000 injured. (Sourced by The Gaza Health Ministry). At least 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals in Israel, the majority of whom are civilians, have been killed, most on October 7 and in the immediate aftermath. (Sourced by Human Rights Watch)

• The US provides $3.8 billion in annual aid to Israel, plus $14.5 billion in supplemental aid that’s been passed by the House. Sources: AP News, The Intercept

• US tax dollars are funding Israel’s military. The brewery industry alone contributed over $2.7 billion in federal tax revenue in 2022. Sourced from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau Let’s Love Louder Open Letter to the Beer Community: Read Here

Let’s Love Louder Pledge Form: View Here 

If you’d like to learn more, here are some resources:

Take Action for Palestine Toolkit & Resources (Sourced by Feminist): View Here 

A Guide for Advocating for Palestine: View Here 

The Colonization of Palestine (sourced from the Public Library): View Here 

Resources on Palestinian Human Rights: View Here