The conflict between Israel and Palestine is one of the most enduring conflicts in world history. While the conflict as we know it today can be traced back to 1948, tensions have been high between the Israeli and Palestinian populations since as early as the 19th and 20th centuries. Peace has tried to be brokered between the two populations multiple times, but never fully come to fruition. The violence between Israel and Palestine has been gut-wrenching to watch all these years, with the most recent reports of violence happening in May 2021.
May 2021 saw Palestinians get brutally attacked by Israel and saw the attacks gain social media attention at record speed. #FreePalestine trended for days, and the violence lasted from May 8, 2021, until May 21, 2021. Even though a ceasefire was agreed upon on May 20, the Israel Defense Forces opened fire on peaceful protestors at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, hurting them with rubber bullets and stun grenades. Despite the social media presence dying down, Palestine and its people still need aid, which is why a grassroots campaign formed the Indie Bundle for Palestinian Aid that gamers can buy to get access to tons of indie content, but also contribute to Palestinian aid.
What is the Indie Bundle for Palestinian Aid?
The Indie Bundle for Palestinian Aid is a grassroots bundle created by indie developers who want to help Palestine. The complete bundle is a compilation of 1,019 different indie items from games to assets to soundtracks, but technically patrons are only paying $5 for Liyla and the Shadows of War. Every other item in the bundle has been donated, for free, by other indie developers and creators to help raise funds for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. Those who want to purchase the bundle need to act quickly, though, as it’s only available until Friday, June 11.
The UNRWA provides food and assistance to Palestinian people, especially in places with heavy destruction. It has provided relief to over one million Palestinians, as well as emergency health protection, whether it be physical or mental, for those in the area. All proceeds from the itch.io Indie Bundle for Palestinian Aid will go to the UNRWA. Tybawai is the user who put together the bundle, with part of the description reading:
Indie games are unique in that they can tell stories not seen in AAA or other games. We pour our life experiences into our games and share a piece of ourselves with the world. Palestinian game developers are no different in this aspect, but have the added challenges of limited access to basic services, like clean water, electricity, medical care, and food security. They live under Israeli authority that discriminates and subjugates Palestinians to the point of persecution and apartheid, simply for being Palestinian. Furthermore, they develop games without all the resources that come with being in a western hub for game development.
What Comes in the Indie Bundle for Palestinian Aid?
Liyla and the Shadows of War is the only game that people technically pay for, as the bundle is a pay-what-you-want for $5 and upwards. Liyla and the Shadows of War was created by Palestinian developer Rasheed Abueideh and it tells the story of a little girl who lives in Gaza at the time of the 2014 war. This war specifically saw that 30% of the casualties were children. The game has many award nominations and wins, but isn’t the only game available.
Game Rant recently talked to a member of Soft Not Weak, the developer behind the upcoming match-3 game Spirit Swap. The demo for Spirit Swap is available in the Indie Bundle for Palestinian Aid, along with a slew of other games. Those who buy the bundle will have a ton of options, including games like Calico or other comics, soundtracks, and tools.
At the time of writing, the average contribution is $9.23, even though it’s a minimum of $5. The initial goal of the Indie Bundle for Palestinian Aid was $500,000.00, but it was increased to $1 million after surpassing that goal a little under halfway through the week. Those who want to help Palestine and get a ton of cool indie content should run, not walk, to the itch.io page before the bundle closes for good on Friday, June 11.
Source: Indie Bundle for Palestinian Aid