Grassroots Women's Gathering Convenes

Last weekend, the Global Women's Strike and the International Women Count Network launched a two-week-long international gathering focused on grassroots organizing against systemic violence. Dozens of organizers from five continents have gathered at the Crossroads Women's Centre in London and are convening a series of public sessions at the Venezuelan Embassy. Among the participants is Esther Morales Aymá, the sister of Bolivian President Eva Morales, pictured. Two sessions have been held so far, and two additional sessions will be held this coming weekend on the valuing of caring labor, and on the grassroots socialism of Tanzania’s ujamaa village movement. A full list of speakers and locations is available here. Additionally, on Thursday participants in the Strike gathering will speak on a panel on climate change organized by the London Neighbourhood of the Climate Camp movement.

Esther Morales Aymá

On Saturday, dozens of women and men from around the world plus members of the London community gathered at the Venezuelan Embassy for a series of panel discussions on organizing against sexism and racism (photos). On Sunday the discussions continued, focusing on occupation and continual war in Haiti, Iraq and Palestine (photos). Speakers included Andaiye from Red Thread in Guyana; Hanaa Ibrahim from Women's Will Association in Iraq; and Sara Kershnar from the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN).

The weekend was heavily focused on strategizing and exchanging perspective, part of what Strike co-coordinator Nina Lopez characterizes as an ongoing process of seeking clarity and "raising our own consciousness." Recurrent themes included the need to connect case-work and grassroots survival-based organizing with an internationalist perspective; the importance of exposing the role of non-govermental organizations ("NGO"s) — and especially traditional feminist organizing around issues such as domestic violence — in perpetuating soft colonialism and corrupting resistance efforts; and how to seize the moments presented by the emergencies in Gaza and the global financial crisis in a way that returns power to the work of grassroots women.

Sunday's session, "Iraq, Haiti, Palestine – Occupation is the Crime" was hampered slightly by the inability of a delegation from Haiti to obtain visas. The Strike in London plans to hold another event on Haiti in the months to come, in addition to continuing its weekly vigil calling for the return of disappeared human rights activist Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine. Other follow-up actions were discussed, including petitioning President Morales to remove Bolivian troops from the UN forces currently stationed in Haiti. The group is also working on a statement castigating Israel's actions in Gaza and expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and all those around the world who have organized protests against the war, and conversation on anti-zionist organizing continued into the week with the London chapter of IJAN and founders of Matzpen.

On Tuesday evening, a third session was held on "Rape and Prostitution – A Question of Consent." Packed to capcity in a committee room of the House of Commons, attendees listened to testimony of anti-rape organizers, sex workers, legal analysts, and religious leaders on the dangerous implications of several clauses in the proposed Policing and Crime Bill of 2009. Panelists argued that the bill was trying to equate rape and sex that occurred during prostitution, and apply the same standard to them — effectively criminalizing prostitution. International organizers from Iraq, California, and India gave testimony from situations where prostitution is illegal, and it and rape are demonized jointly.

Please see www.globalwomenstrike.net for updates and additional reporting on these initiatives. For more information, or to interview any of the conference speakers, contact womensstrike8m (at) server101 (dot) com.

Related Indymedia Reporting:
Local Actions on the One-Year Anniversary of the Kidnapping of Haitian Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine |
Selma James and Andaiye chart a path from the 60s to Tomorrow

Contact email: ald at riseup dot net