Solidarity in Action · 10 August 2026

To Everyone Who Makes This Work Possible

For months, dozens of volunteers have contributed time, ideas and energy to support the Al Rayyes family and the work now carried forward by Human Sea Bridge. This article is dedicated to them.

The actions people see are built on countless quiet contributions. Without those who prepare, transport, set up, welcome, explain, share and pack away, their reach would be far more limited.

Practical contributions that often remain unseen

A solidarity stall does not begin when the table is opened. Long beforehand, people imagine the materials, make or collect the items to be offered, prepare donation boxes and information displays, print documents, organise transport and arrange who will be present.

Then come the set-up, conversations with visitors, explanations repeated patiently, the packing away and the follow-up. Some people give a few hours; others return week after week. Some speak publicly; many prefer to remain in the background. All form part of the same chain of solidarity.

Businesses and community venues that open their doors

We are equally grateful to the many businesses in Brittany and elsewhere that have hosted solidarity stalls, displayed information and welcomed local initiatives since the earliest mobilisation. They provide far more than a corner of a counter: they make the work visible, create opportunities for conversation and give the public a trusted local point of contact.

When a collection is organised today in the name of Human Sea Bridge, it is carried out under the responsibility of Pont de Mer Humanitaire, the registered French nonprofit, together with the partner venue. Volunteers and participating businesses are essential relays, helping ensure each contribution supports the purpose for which it was collected.

Bookshops, cafés, neighbourhood businesses, values-led shops and other public venues have all played a part. We cannot name every one without risking an omission; our thanks are addressed to all of them.

Stalls that create conversations as well as support

The stalls have helped mobilise essential support, but their role goes beyond fundraising. They provide a place to explain a situation, listen, answer questions and describe the steps being taken. A conversation can become a new relay; a modest donation, a useful contribution; and a meeting, a new possibility for action.

From the AL RAYYES support committee to Human Sea Bridge

This mobilisation grew around Yaser and the Al Rayyes family. Members of the AL RAYYES support committee — volunteers, local relays, people who remained anonymous and long-standing supporters — staffed stalls, found venues, shared appeals and carried the advocacy effort when every voice mattered.

That energy continues to support the organisation’s advocacy for the family. It also helps strengthen Human Sea Bridge so that the experience, relationships and capacities built over many months can assist other people whose healthcare or education has been disrupted by war.

To everyone who gives so much, seeks no recognition and often does not even leave a name: thank you. Your presence gives each action its strength and every advocacy effort a wider voice.

Simply, thank you

There is no such thing as a small contribution in a mobilisation like this. Staffing a stall for an hour, offering a venue, making a few items, transporting equipment, sharing a post or talking about the organisation: every contribution matters.

Our sincere thanks go to the volunteers, the members and anonymous supporters of the AL RAYYES committee, businesses, community centres, nonprofits, cultural venues and everyone involved in these solidarity actions. Without this collective effort, none of this work could have the same reach.

Many gestures, creations and conversations: this is how action becomes possible.

Photographs from solidarity activities, supplied by their organisers and participants. Reproduction or reuse requires prior permission.