Solidarity — The Power of Art and Literature to Influence Social Change (Part 2)
How does social change interact with art and literature? The writers of our upcoming title “Solidarity: A Celebration of Activism, Renewal, and the Natural World” have responded. Inside the Writing Process is an on-going series dedicated to revealing what inspires and influences our contributors’ writing and beliefs because IHRAM Press is dedicated to diversity, community, and representation.
Meet Jalal, Claude and more of our inspired writers: for them, writing is about vulnerability, equity, and resistance; stories that refuse to stay silent.
Jalal Hazrat Khan, The Netherlands, “The Paradox of Life”
Jalal was born and raised in Saudi Arabia, moved to Afghanistan as an adult, and now resides in the Netherlands. This exposure to a variety of cultures, history, and conflicts has shaped his life and writing, inspiring him to explore themes of existence, ethics, displacement, and the human experience. He believes that even in hardship, injustice, and suffering, people continue to care, endure, and create meaning. Through this resilience, hope emerges naturally in the continued search for dignity and understanding. “The Paradox of Life” will be his first official published piece, but additional poems and reflections by Jalal can be found at: https://medium.com/@jalalhazratkhan1987
The human rights concerns addressed in Solidarity: A Celebration of Activism, Renewal, and the Natural World. How do you navigate the balance between highlighting these challenges and maintaining a sense of hope or optimism in your writing? Interestingly, I rarely write on a computer. Most of my writing happens on my phone, often late at night when a thought or reflection becomes too clear to ignore. For me, writing is not always planned, it begins as a quiet observation about life, people, or existence itself. My inspiration often comes from lived experience: displacement, memory, human dignity, and the simple act of continuing forward despite uncertainty.
How do you personally connect with our mission? Particularly on the power of art and literature to influence social change, and our values of beauty as a fundamental creative principle, sincerity, vulnerability, celebrating diversity, and opening doorways of engagement.
I connect with the idea that art and literature can open spaces for reflection that ordinary conversation sometimes cannot reach. Writing allows us to speak about vulnerability, memory, identity, and human dignity in ways that statistics or political discussions often fail to capture. Values like sincerity and vulnerability are important to me as a writer. I believe art becomes meaningful when it reflects honest human experience and allows different voices and perspectives to be heard.
To learn more about Jalal, click his photo.
Claude C. Marcos, Canada, "The Gift"
Claude is of Syrian, Lebanese, and Armenian decent, now living in Canada. Growing up, the overlap of identities in her life has brought an awareness of how culture, memory, and language shape the way the world is seen. Her poetry is approached honestly, confronting the injustice, loss, or generational trauma, accepting the often complicated and unresolved nature of the subjects. She believes that poetry allows a kind of emotional honesty that is difficult to express in everyday language; these expressions open up spaces for people across different backgrounds and experiences to have a moment of connection. No matter how small the moment, it can have a radical and lasting impact on people and their belief systems and views of the world. More of her work can be found on her Instagram at: claudiamarcs
The human rights concerns addressed in Solidarity: A Celebration of Activism, Renewal, and the Natural World. How do you navigate the balance between highlighting these challenges and maintaining a sense of hope or optimism in your writing? Most of my writing starts from an emotional pressure point, something unresolved, uncomfortable, or difficult to name. When a feeling becomes too present to ignore, writing becomes a way to explore it without immediately needing answers. Human rights themes enter my work almost naturally because many of the emotions I write about, silence, injustice, power, belonging; exist within social and political realities. I’m interested in the private, interior side of those experiences: how larger systems of inequality or violence echo inside personal relationships, memory, and identity.
How do you personally connect with our mission? Particularly on the power of art and literature to influence social change, and our values of beauty as a fundamental creative principle, sincerity, vulnerability, celebrating diversity, and opening doorways of engagement.I connect strongly with the idea that beauty and sincerity are not separate from social awareness, but deeply intertwined with it. Art has the ability to reach places that arguments or statistics often cannot. A poem, a painting, or a story can make someone feel the human reality behind an issue rather than just understand it intellectually. In my own work, vulnerability is necessary. Poetry allows a kind of emotional honesty that is difficult to express in everyday language. When that honesty resonates with someone else, even across very different backgrounds or experiences, it creates a moment of connection. Those moments may seem small, but they are often the beginning of empathy, and empathy can have such a radical impact on people and their views of who they perceive as "other".
To learn more about Claude, click her photo.
Waverly Vernon, United States, “Common Sense Schooling”
Waverly grew up in Florida, where religious schools and conservative values shaped an early awareness of identity, authority, and belonging. As a queer writer, these experiences continue to inform their work, exploring the ways social expectations, power, and language influence people's lives and sense of self. They believe that while the realities of discrimination, censorship, and social control can be painful and complex, lives should not be flattened to just the suffering. Instead, their writing explores people's ability to resist, adapt, question, and imagine new possibilities, even in restrictive environments. Waverly hopes to offer readers a space where overlooked experiences are seen, difficult conversations are welcomed, and the possibility of change remains present. More of their work can be found on their Instagram at: anthologyofeleos
The human rights concerns addressed in Solidarity: A Celebration of Activism, Renewal, and the Natural World. How do you navigate the balance between highlighting these challenges and maintaining a sense of hope or optimism in your writing? Growing up queer inside religious schools in Florida meant living within systems that tried to define what was acceptable, what was moral, and what kinds of lives were allowed to be visible. Authority often spoke in polished language that felt neat and confident, but underneath it there was pressure, surveillance, and shame. Writing became a way to examine those structures and the ways they shape people’s bodies, choices, and sense of belonging. Free writing helps me move past the internal censor that those environments often produce.
How do you personally connect with our mission? Particularly on the power of art and literature to influence social change, and our values of beauty as a fundamental creative principle, sincerity, vulnerability, celebrating diversity, and opening doorways of engagement.Your emphasis on beauty as a creative principle resonates with how I approach difficult subjects. Even when addressing control, exclusion, or human rights concerns, I try to remain attentive to the sensory details of everyday life. Beauty does not erase injustice, but it reminds us what is worth protecting and why these stories matter. Writing honestly about lived experience invites readers into a space of recognition and dialogue. When people see parts of their own lives reflected in literature, it can reduce isolation and open the door to connection. I want to be that safe space I didn't have growing up.
To learn more about Waverly, click their photo.
Jozsef Cariste, Philippines, "Petition for a Flood That Cleanses, Not Drowns”
Jozsef is a writer from Cebu, Philippines. Growing up in a rural community shaped by strong religious beliefs and close family ties, he developed an early awareness of how identity, social expectations, and human rights are influenced by the values passed down through families and communities. These experiences continue to shape his writing, exploring themes of queerness, identity, activism, and belonging. He believes literature has the power to make invisible experiences visible, transforming personal struggles into stories that encourage reflection, empathy, and meaningful conversation.
The human rights concerns addressed in Solidarity: A Celebration of Activism, Renewal, and the Natural World. How do you navigate the balance between highlighting these challenges and maintaining a sense of hope or optimism in your writing? I write because stories have the power to affirm existence. Seeing writers whose experiences mirror mine gave me courage, and I hope that through my work, a queer reader might feel seen, empowered, and reminded that living their truth is valid. Writing becomes my way of contributing to a world where human rights—and the dignity of every person—are recognized and respected.
How do you personally connect with our mission? Particularly on the power of art and literature to influence social change, and our values of beauty as a fundamental creative principle, sincerity, vulnerability, celebrating diversity, and opening doorways of engagement.I connect deeply with IHRAM’s mission because I believe art and literature have the power to spark conversation and make invisible experiences visible. Through writing, I can transform personal struggles—especially those related to queerness, identity, activism, and human rights—into stories that resonate with others, inspire reflection, and foster empathy
To learn more about Jozsef, click his photo.
Karina Fiorini, France, "Habiba”
Karina is originally from Malta but now resides in France. Her work is shaped by the social, political, and cultural contrasts of growing up in Malta, before later living in mainland Europe. These experiences continue to inspire poetry that questions injustice, power, and the overlooked experiences of others. She believes writing is an act of attention and quiet activism, confronting injustice while remaining open to the possibility of change through listening, reflection, and human connection. Her poetry has appeared in a range of literary publications and anthologies, and has received recognition in international competitions. More of her work can be found on her website at: https://www.karinafiorini.com/
The human rights concerns addressed in Solidarity: A Celebration of Activism, Renewal, and the Natural World. How do you navigate the balance between highlighting these challenges and maintaining a sense of hope or optimism in your writing? There's a certain restlessness that drives me to write, whether it's about nature, environment, injustice, mortality, human frailty and human rights. How can I remain mum? I feel compelled to untangle that thought or that idea. I can't be negligent around poignant issues. I find writing and reading poetry liberating and transformative. So, whether during a quiet moment or going on about daily life, I feel it's very stimulating to unpack emotions or recalibrate a poetic idea or an image.
How do you personally connect with our mission?
Particularly on the power of art and literature to influence social change, and our values of beauty as a fundamental creative principle, sincerity, vulnerability, celebrating diversity, and opening doorways of engagement.Art and writing are significant to me. They seek to transform - they're palpable activism. I feel a strong connection to IHRAM's philosophy and values as through poetry and other forms of writing I allow myself to expose truth and vulnerability via specific moments or experiences.
To learn more about Karina, click her photo.
Atreyee Gupta, United States, “Nirbhaya”
Atreyee is a writer based in the USA, with roots in India. Growing up as an immigrant, she has felt as though she doesn’t really belong to a particular nation or community. The duality of being from two places has influenced her resistance in not being confined by strict boxes of definition for who she is, or what she can do. These questions around belonging and identity continue to be major themes in her writing, as she uses hope as a practice to empower others and celebrate diversity and vulnerability. Art, she believes, is inexplicably tied to culture, and culture is a malleable, changeable entity, giving art the power to change the ways in which we see one another. More of her work can be found on her Instagram at: bespoketraveler
The human rights concerns addressed in Solidarity: A Celebration of Activism, Renewal, and the Natural World. How do you navigate the balance between highlighting these challenges and maintaining a sense of hope or optimism in your writing? I write because it helps me understand myself. Writing helps me connect with the world in which we live, and imagine possibilities not yet thought of. Wanting a future in which we care for one another and the planet inspires me to continue writing.
How do you personally connect with our mission?
Particularly on the power of art and literature to influence social change, and our values of beauty as a fundamental creative principle, sincerity, vulnerability, celebrating diversity, and opening doorways of engagement.Art is inexplicably tied to culture, and culture is a malleable, changeable entity. Art has shown throughout history its ability to change the ways in which we see the "other" and the ways we're, as societies, able to embrace the "other" and see it reflected in various manners in ourselves. This is something I believe in as an artist, and connect with in IHRAM's mission.
To learn more about Atreyee, click her photo.
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