One of mine is also lupus. Thankfully it has mostly spared internal organs but it really likes skin and veins in addition to joints in my case, veins being the biggest problem. I also have EDS so the genetic lottery really didn’t like me. I joke with my friends that someone should tell my body that diseases are not Pokemons.
I call mine overeager and incompetent. It likes to attack everything but what it is supposed to attack. The running tally of autoimmune diseases is currently at 4. It is bad enough that I am eating medication that is used also in higher doses for chemotherapy. In other words, if I trusted my immune system I would have died long ago as it also doesn’t really function against infections either.
Coming from the non-profit world, it is never that easy. Even when there is no one officially making any money, there are people who will see it as a way to make some bank. There is also a drawback in that not making money can and will affect the amount of time people can put in unless there is a fair way to get them compensation. Volunteering also brings a huge amount of interpersonal and inter-organizational drama. That is why grassroots organizations and movements have a habit of fracturing into smaller groups.
At the same time, there is power in goodwill and being non-profit. You just really need to be careful in vetting your instance and keep an eye on issues in a way people not used to this type of world are not familiar with.
But I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have a belief that it could be successful enough as a community. I also wouldn’t have been working in the NGO world for the past decade if I didn’t believe in that. But let’s not have too rosy glasses on. Growing slowly will also give this community a chance to work out the kinks and not die in a blaze of fire.
While Israel is part of the cause of Islamic terrorism in Europe, I think we should not pat too much on our backs. Yes, our countries’ positions taking sides on Israel is problematic as hell and so is us being tied to the US in the minds of many people outside Europe. But so is our own Islamophobia. I get where it comes from, but othering and sidelining people will lead to further radicalization. Which for people whose Islamophobia is rooted in current oppression in many Islamic societies, is entirely opposite of what they want.