AJWS Blog

The AJWS community has a lot to say about what's happening in the world. Read our insights about the struggle for justice and human rights around the globe — and meet the activists on the frontlines of the fight to build a better world.

For Indigenous Guatemalans, Mother Earth is not just a concept

Isabel Chen Ical and her husband, Agustín Chocooj, live with their two children and members of their extended family on a lush, fertile plot of land in Cerro Alto village, in rural Guatemala. They are members of the Q’eqchi Indigenous community — one of Guatemala’s 24 distinct ethnic groups. There’s one family member she speaks …

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Stories of Hope: October 2025

We hope your High Holidays were meaningful, sweet and reflective. In the spirit of this thoughtful season, we invite you to think back to your childhood for a moment. Were you lucky enough to have a mentor — someone older than you who helped shape who you became? What important lessons did you learn — …

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young woman speaking at a podium

Girls in Uganda Learn to Take Up Space

At 12, Anzoa Sarah was struggling with her body image and self-esteem. Today, at 24, she’s a powerful women’s rights lawyer in Kampala, Uganda’s capitol city. What changed? As an adolescent, she was introduced to the Mentoring and Empowerment Programme for Young Women (MEMPROW), a feminist organization working to empower women and girls across Uganda …

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woman wearing red top and beaded accessories behind grass and a straw roof

Nourishing stories for World Food Day

Today marks World Food Day, when people across the globe celebrate the foods that are meaningful to us and renew our commitment to protecting the planet. Jewish culture is full of meaningful foods. Many of us enjoyed apples and honey to usher in a sweet New Year, look forward to latkes on Chanukah, the oil …

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