Irish poet Michael Cullen on the Global Sumud Flotilla: "There is a real sense that this is a collective mission and a purpose that’s a lot bigger than any of us individuals"

The new Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from the cities of Augusta and Syracuse in Sicily this past Sunday, April 26. This is the largest civilian maritime mission for Palestine in history, almost double the size of the previous one. Almost a hundred boats with around 1,000 people on board will be involved in the new mission, meant to deliver humanitarian aid in Gaza.

On the Flotilla is Irish poet, teacher, and activist Michael Cullen. Calling from his burner phone on the Sicilian shore, Cullen took a break between deck cleaning and security simulations to speak to Hot Press about setting sail in the next few days.

Cullen has used his creative platform as a poet and lyricist to advocate for Palestine in the past, notably his work 'What Changed'. Last year, he also wrote a spoken word tribute for Catherine Connolly and performed at Electric Picnic.

The previous 2025 mission was intercepted last October by Israeli soldiers and failed to reach Gaza. With a history of failed aid delivery attempts, joining the mission seems like climbing onboard a sinking ship. Cullen's ability to find hope while facing such uncertainty is refreshing.

“Before coming out to meet the crew, I was nervous,” Cullen explains. “But once I’ve gotten out here, I'm in the thick of it, and I'm being trained really well, and I'm around like-minded people and good people with good hearts, and I think that energy and that commitment and resilience and bravery are contagious. There is a real sense that this is a collective mission and a purpose that’s a lot bigger than any of us individuals. It’s really an honour to be a part of this. I’m getting emotional a lot, which is lovely, and having good craic as well.”

The beautiful coastline of Sicily, adorned with sun and warmth, seems like the perfect holiday away from the rainy Dublin weather. The sound of seagulls as Cullen calls from the Augusta port momentarily erases the harsh reality of the long journey he will soon embark on.

This mission extends beyond breaking the siege and delivering aid. The objective is to begin rebuilding healthcare and basic infrastructure, like schools and hospitals, destroyed over the past two years as the population endures ongoing Israeli attacks.

“Our main goal is to break the blockade of Gaza and reach the coastline of Gaza, where the Palestinian people are waiting for us. That is our reason, they are our mandate to sail. The medical crew, the teachers, like myself, and the builders will go ashore and help rebuild Gaza.

“The genocide has completely gone out of the headlines because of Iran, but the genocide is very much still ongoing, so by people getting onboard with our mission, naturally, Gaza will be back in the spotlight. We hope to maintain an access route into Gaza to maintain the further flow of aid, and journalists and international organisations to bear witness to what happened and document the atrocities.”

Cullen explains that during training, participants are expected to embody the principles they advocate for. On rebuilding the war-torn city, Cullen expresses the need for respect and following the lead of the Palestinian people.

"We’re going over there to assist as best we can," he says. "If they want us to teach or if they want us to clean the toilets, that’s what we're gonna do.”

“During training, we go through the culture of the flotilla and how to conduct ourselves with the message being ‘who are we to fight for a better world if we are exhibiting behaviours that are colonising or that are oppressive’. You look at the potential oppressor in all of us and get used to other people’s culture as well. So like team bonding, except a bit less artificial than when you start a new job.

In 2025, a flotilla boat named the 'Conscience', which had on it Greta Thunberg and eight other activists, was intercepted by Israeli authorities who detained, imprisoned, and deported the crew. While Israeli forces claim they treated all activists on board with respect and regard for safety, activists who were detained say they suffered abuse and neglect, like being denied medical aid.

"We do security training, so if we were intercepted by Israeli forces, we know how not to react to their provocation, because they want to provoke us so that they have an excuse to assault us or to do worse. We learn how to keep composed and how to keep our souls intact in the case that we could be incarcerated. Especially us from Western countries, anything that we’re going to face is tiny in comparison to what the Palestinian people face. We also simulated what it would be like if they were to intercept our boats, and it was very visceral."

For Cullen, deciding to join the flotilla felt like the natural next step. After using his poetry and role as a teacher to advocate for Palestine, joining the flotilla felt like putting action to words.

“I remember when I was 16, Israel was assaulting the Gaza strip that summer of 2014 and I remember watching it on the news, and I was not politically conscious, I was more concerned about getting served at the off-license and kissing girls, but something about the barbarity of what’s been happening struck a chord with me at that age and that let me to deep dive into the situation in Palestine. I couldn’t understand how, in this day and age, that was allowed.

“It’s all well and good to write a poem about this and read it on stage and then fuck off home, but it felt a little bit surface-level. But if you look at Irish history, the 1916 Rising was led by three Irish poets. In our country, artistry has historically gone hand in hand with anti-imperialism, with the struggle against the British with the struggle for social justice, and I would be honoured if I could be a small part of that tradition and carry on that legacy.

“By someone like me going on this mission, for someone who might not be aware of what’s happening in Palestine or someone who’s sympathetic but won’t really do anything about it, if their friend's son or their son’s teacher or someone in their community is doing this, they might be more inclined to educate themselves.”

With the use of Shannon airport for weapons transport and the delay in passing the Occupied Territories Bill, Cullen argues that the conflict in Palestine is closer to home than people imagine.

“It’s important to see the interconnectivity, to see it’s not just something that’s happening thousands of miles away from Ireland. It's the same system, and we’re all oppressed to a certain extent. There are violent means of oppression and then more subtle brainwashing that we can be susceptible to in the West. When people say that the freedom of Palestine is the freedom of all people, it’s not just a saying; it’s really true.

“There’s been so much talk about the manosphere, and I mostly work with teenage boys and students. When you strip it all down, that's what Trump and Netanyahu are, just bullies, and people are bowing down to them and kissing up to them rather than just standing up to them.”

With social media bringing information to our fingertips, it's never been easier to get access to images and videos of the violence that has been happening in Gaza. Cullen shares how this overexposure has dulled empathy and people's ability to act.

“Bearing witness to a genocide for 2 and a half years and every unspeakable atrocity, we watch it on our phones, and then we go into work at 9 am and talk about the weather and the football results, and it’s so dystopian and jarring at times. I really don’t want to live in a world where people can get wiped off the face of the map, and we all watch it and go about our day as little mindless bootlickers, cowardly and passive.

“I think with the housing crisis and closure of third spaces and with mass addiction of social media, people are more isolated and individual than ever and therefore more prone to disconnection, apathy, and nihilism. I think when people get together, they feel that collective power. If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.

For Cullen, the Flotilla is not just about bringing material aid; it's a symbol of community and hope.

“On this flotilla, there are people from over 80 different countries. I'm on a boat with four Turkish lads, none of them speaks English, and everyone is getting along perfectly. Underneath it all, it just shows everyone is the same, everyone just wants peace and safety and connection.”

“By coming out here, I feel so vibrantly alive because I’m with my fellow human beings. It’s empowering because you don't feel alone. There is meaning in a collective struggle of people putting their individual talents, experience, knowledge, and beliefs together for the betterment of the overall community and society.”

The flotilla departed Italy on April 26 and is aiming to reach Gaza in two weeks.

 

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