Why not Congo, Sudan or Afghanistan?

Few have asked me a very valid question: why do I post (on Instagram) about Israel/Palestine and not Congo, Sudan, Armenia, Haiti, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, etc?
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Let me try to address the question by saying:
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This is a context that I know well simply because I have lived and worked in Palestine/Israel, including in Gaza. So, my sharing is based on my personal observations and on internationally credible sources as well as on the international consensus. My sharing is anchored on international legal frameworks applicable to all countries. Some may dispute my frame of reference, but then you would dispute International Law. I also write about it because I feel relatively equipped given my professional and personal background which is not the case with Armenia for example.
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This place in the world is also meaningful one to me since it was once my home, and I have loved this place and its people as much as I have hated the situation which places so many in state of suffering. I am not Israeli, I am not Palestinian, but I still ache. If we could only be allowed to feel pain within the boundaries of our nationality, then there would not be much space for universal empathy. Not because I condemn the ongoing bombings in Gaza, the collective punishment and ask for a ceasefire, that I cancel the suffering of the 7th October and do not wish for the release of the hostages. This is so obvious to me that I did feel that I had to write it. One pain does not cancel another. They can coexist together.
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I can talk about this context also because I no longer work there and because my emotions are less raw. I have the distance to look at the situation and that can be helpful at times. I feel poised and grounded in my contemplations which was not the case before, and my angle is the humanitarian angle. I can feel the pain and trauma by everyone and yet, call out the anomalies. This is not antagonistic.
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I can write about it also because I can “legally” or “reputationally” as I write on behalf of my own personal name and not my former UN institution (which by the way would agree to most words I write here but there are complex diplomatic ramifications). Let’s be honest, while working there, I had to be careful at what I could write and speak as I had to maneuver around the politics to get my public health job done. I can now speak with more freedom, and since I have this privilege, I am and I will.
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Similarly, I would not be able to easily talk about the current contexts where I work, Afghanistan and Syria as I ought to stay out of politics so that I can work, despite what I personally think of the regimes. There is a timing for everything and there are other avenues for discussions than public ones.

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Furthermore, I do not see my yoga practice disconnected from my humanitarian path. I personally believe that because I come from a place of privilege where I have the freedom to speak and to be, it is my duty to be a voice when the most vulnerable cannot. It makes sense to me, as a decent human being, as a humanitarian worker, but also a yoga teacher. If you have practiced yoga with me, you would know how much I talk about the Collective and how our movements impact the world and the wellbeing of the Collective. When you move, everything else moves, and that’s beautiful. We all sing in our yoga classes the mantra “Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu”, wishing collective happiness and freedom for all, so let’s us walk the path. And yes, this can be hard especially in polarized times, but that’s the big practice of yoga: To hold space for everyone’s freedom.

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If what I share makes no sense to you, please do feel free to gracefully engage with me with politeness, in the same urge I have to be kind to you all even if we disagree. What I share is what feels right to me, it does not mean that I am correct all the time. Please know, that I try my very best raise concerns in the best grace I can. My IG posts are poised, and all come from internationally accredited sources. However, I apologize if my posts can be hurtful to you because you have another perspective. I promise you that all I care about is collective freedom and happiness for all.

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Finally, why not Congo, why not Sudan? Well, besides the expertise level, if I had to post on all terrible news which affects me in the world, not only it would be depressing for you all readers, and it would be a full time job given the current state of the world. I also try to protect my own mental sanity and health and yours, but it does not mean that I look away or that I do not care.
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Peace & Freedom to all - Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu ❤️ 🌺🙏