When people ask me where I find hope in times like these, I always refer to our collective work.
Hope is what a fisherman has each time they put gear in the water. Hope shows up when fishing communities gather to bless and celebrate their fleets. Hope happens every time a boat steams out to sea. My hope is fed by the continued ability of fishermen everywhere to have hope every day as they carry out their work to feed people.
And hope has deepened for me since NAMA embarked on a shared leadership model with the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC). This past year we celebrated the 5th Anniversary of what started off as the “three-year creative exercise” of bringing two deeply aligned organizations closer together.
And as you can see below, we're now closer than ever and only getting stronger. During this year's Farm Aid, our delegation included over 30 fishermen, farmers, and activists united in our fight against the corporate takeover of our food systems, ocean, land, and overall sense of humanity.
I hope you're as inspired as I am by the collective power we’ve helped build between fishermen and farmers all across the country - and beyond. Together, we’re tackling complex problems: corporate domination of our food systems and equitable access to what food providers need most - fishing rights and land.
We truly can't do this work alone. NAMA is the sum of our parts: fishermen, fishing families, activists, scientists, chefs, journalists, food systems advocates, researchers, environmentalists, and many allies fighting for social, environmental and racial justice.
And like each tile in a mosaic helps build the bigger picture, your contribution matters.
Your support impacts the big-picture vision we’re all co-creating: a future where our oceans are protected, diverse and vibrant fishing communities are thriving, and we have a food system that can ensure all people - no matter who they are - can afford food from the ocean.
When so much feels fractured and dark, it can be easy to see our world only as broken bits of glass. And while that may be the reality for some of us, I also believe times like these invite us to see ourselves as even more deeply interconnected and all part of something bigger than we can fathom.
I ask you to consider placing your own colorful glass tile on our collective mosaic board by making a donation to NAMA today.
Together, we can create something powerful, beautiful, and filled with hope.
In gratitude,
Niaz Dorry
Coordinating Director
