ORCA has been aware of the increasing hostility between Israel and Palestine since this fall and has made efforts to address this within our community.  We recognize the impact that the genocide of Palestinian communities has on the international community and here locally in Oregon.  College campuses across the nation are demonstrating a cease-fire.  Palestinians and Israelis, and those with loved ones who live in Palestine worry for their loved ones' safety.  ORCA wishes for an end to violence and an end to hostility and persecution of people based on ethnic and religious identity. 

During the Fall conference, ORCA provided a statement against the hostility and sought to stand as helping professionals against war, violence, and the continuation of generational and acute trauma.  We shared this message with our community and wish to share now our updated statement calling for an end to hostility, violence, and occupation.  

As helping professionals, we strive to mitigate and address the trauma our clients experience.  The increased violence of the Israeli occupation of Palestine is causing loss of life, home, and well-being to Palestinian and Israeli families and impacting our global and local neighbors who care deeply about their well-being.  The trauma of war can only create and magnify our differences as people rather than centering us as neighbors on this shared earth.  The discord and pain of ideological difference, which leads to the murder of neighbors, friends, and family, is at play across the globe and is a reminder that the communities we live in may be at risk at any time to violence.  Each of us experiences this tragedy in our own unique way. As you strive to support the victims of this conflict, whether it be directly or through humanitarian organizations endeavoring to uphold human rights, may each of you take the time to care for yourself, as well as love and care for the people close to you.