The MotM Monthly
January 2023

Let's go, January!
A renewal of thanks, empathy + compassion. 

Happy New Year, and hello, January! We’re already mid-month and ramping up for the year ahead, and as we do it, we have to say thanks  for participating in the 4th Annual Holiday Fundraiser. Every contribution you made helped get us to our goal and we appreciate all you did to support us during our biggest call for funding in the year.

And that "us" is really for the people in the migrant community we work for across the EU. For them, we can continue putting Humanitarian Storytelling into practice to change how history is written, to let them step into the spotlight and take control of their narratives – that’s what we’re here to help them do.

The team here will use this first month of 2023 to reflect on how we can be kinder and more empathetic, all while continuing to stay true to ourselves and our beliefs. That’s not just a behavior you arrive at, but something you practice every day. For us, we have the organization of MotM to rally around – it seems easy to do when we already have such a visible place around us that speaks to that effort.

The truth is, even for us, we must stay aware of ways to think and act better each day. We take that to heart, whether it’s taking lessons from the field from people whose stories change our perspectives, or feedback from our group of international team members that make up the MotM team.

We invite you to do the same. Reflect on your place in the world. See how that may be different from others’. This will help you expand your knowledge on topics you may not know about, and it can help you understand how you can be of better service to communities and causes whose voices need your help amplifying.

Remember the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King whose memory and work we celebrated earlier this week. Question racism, classism, sexism or transgender-phobia when you see it – it might happen on a minor scale with friends or colleagues, or behind closed doors in your own home. That’s the time to speak out. That is where the biggest step toward change can lie.

Be on the lookout for the weekly Journey Stories we release straight “From the Archive,” – as a subscriber, these get delivered right to your inbox each Wednesday. The “Stories From The Archive” series reveals updated information about the lives of the people in the MotM migrant community – a continuation of their stories years after rescue and arrival.

We’ll also be sharing those stories (and more!) on our LinkedIn page. Follow us there, if you count yourself a part of that professional community, or join now. It’s also the place you’ll find job postings to join the MotM Team! It’s all coming up in 2023.

– Iselle Diaz

What's coming up.

Before our events for 2023 are announced, head over to Instagram and start following! You’ll be the first to hear about everything that’s to come there and on LinkedIn in the weeks ahead.