R U OK? is a Australian suicide prevention charity and registered public health promotion that encourages people to stay connected and have conversations that can help others through difficult times. As their website describes:
Our work focuses on building the motivation, confidence and skills of the help-giver – the person who can have a meaningful conversation with someone who is struggling with life.
R U OK? contributes to suicide prevention efforts by encouraging people to invest more time in their personal relationships and building the capacity of informal support networks – friends, family and colleagues – to be alert to those around them, have a conversation if they identify signs of distress or difficulty and connect someone to appropriate support, long before they’re in crisis.
It was founded by advertiser Gavin Larkin in 2009 after his father Barry committed suicide.
A worthwhile cause, to be sure. Yet, believe it or not, a bunch of people are advocating for its boycott.
Why, I hear you ask?
Simple.
Israel is the only country outside of Australia that observes RUOK Day. And apparently this is at least partly due to a Jewish guy who (accurately) called the university encampments (pro-terror):
I’d say these people really are not OK.
As a psychologist commented on the Instagram post:
As a psychologist this post is crazy to me. Regardless of what you think about the current Israeli government, why should citizens of Israel be deprived of mental health support? Why should citizens of aus be deprived of the same? The logic doesn’t add up. Do better
I doubt these people can do better, but I am sure they can, and will, do even worse, as time goes on.
Hat tip: Dvir
