Seed by Seed zine

2nd printing

A collection of stories highlighting the significance of the pomegranate across the SWANA region. Stories of how pomegranates have connected us to our families, our communities, our ancestors, our traditions, and our struggles to preserve our cultures and peoples in the face of exploitation and erasure.

As an important element in all our cultures and cuisines, the pomegranate can be seen not just as a fruit but as a symbol of our shared fight for collective liberation against genocidal, colonial, and capitalist empires. Seeing the way the zionist-owned POM Wonderful Company has monopolized the pomegranate market and rewritten its story for the west while erasing its SWANA roots has inspired us to create a project compiling and sharing personal stories into a zine on the ways pomegranates have impacted our lives.

Made by a group of creators from the SWANA region based on Turtle Island (the U.S.) who are deeply connected to the pomegranate /رمان / նուռ / انار. We grew up with this fruit all around us: pomegranates on art and in jewelry; pomegranate pieces in the hands of our family and friends as we prepared them together; pomegranate seeds in our salads, our stews, or just by themselves. We are each a seed, coming together to make a powerful whole.

100% of all sales from this zine go to supporting farmers and food sovereignty in Gaza through the Arduna Team in memory of Yousef Abu Rabia. The Arduna team works directly with Yousef’s family and are the only organization who have been given direct approval to continue this work in Yousef’s name and memory. Direct donations can be made HERE

The zines were printed with funds from our Seed by Seed print, which can be purchased HERE to allow us to print more zines and donate all funds of the zine to the farmers working with the Arduna team.

My memory is like a pomegranate.
Shall I open it over you
and let it scatter, seed by seed:
red pearls befitting a farewell
that asks nothing of me
except forgetfulness?

Mahmoud Darwish, ‘In the Presence of Absence’