Women, Land and Justice: A Message from the Wayuu Youth in Riochacha Guajira

Young people in la Guajira taking on and opening up to their own gendered struggle. See below for ways to read about their work....



(this beautiful poster is dedicated to us)

OFFICIAL POSTER OF THIRD YANAMA
WOMEN & TERRITORY

This poster is dedicated to all of the world's women whom have been subject to human rights violations and whom through their work, tenacity and efforts have been able to progress in their struggles.

We thank the solidarity of these Women in the search for truth of the Women of the Wayuu People.

AFICHE OFICIAL TERCER YANAMA
MUJER Y TERRITORIO

Este afiche va dedicado a todas las mujeres del mundo, que han sido victimas de violaciones de derechos humanos y que ha travez de su trabajo, teson y esfuerzo han sabido salir avantes en todas sus luchas.

Agradecemos la solidaridad de estas Mujeres con la busqueda de la verdad de las Mujeres del pueblo Wayuu.

Gracias :
Carol Mosley-- Ganesville - Florida
Adiela Patricia -- Bogota
Maria soledad -- Bogota
Carolina Delgado -- Miami
Yesenia Echabarria -- Bogota
Esperanza -- Mexico
Nilva -- Guajira
Adriana Maria -- Bogota
Ana Maria -- Mexico
Paula Elvira -- Choco
Erika -- Choco
Diana Angel-- Bogota
Maribel Domico-- Cordoba
Ludivia-- Bogota
Yolanda-- Bogota
Luisa-- Guajira
Alison Paul-- Accion Permanente Por La Paz
Misleidis-- Venezuela
Keyla-- Venezuela
Fany-- Guajira
Encha-- Guajira
Ana julia-- Venezuela
Anita-- Venezuela
Carmen-- Venezuela
Elizabeth-- Guajira
Juliana-- Guajira
Josefa-- Guajira
Aurora-- Guajira
Yelidza-- Guajira
Telemina-- Guajira
Leia-- Florida
Shirley-- Guajira
Rosa Duro-- Bogota
Cristina Espinel-- Washington
Charity Rierson-- Chicago
Connie Canney-- Florida
Catalina Tolero-- Washington
Kath-- Accion Permanente Por La Paz
Ann Tiffany-- Florida
Madelyn Moyer-- Miami
Maria Cassino-- Miami
Mimi-- Miami

orjuwat blog: http://organizacionwayuumunsurat.blogspot.com/
solidaridad wayuu solidarity blog: http://wayuunaiki101.blogspot.com/
orjuwat myspace: http://www.myspace.com/orjuwat
solidaridad wayuu listserve:
http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/solidaridadwayuu

on May Day: Women of Color Making Connections Between Immigration and Rape Culture

Since it is May Day, one day of many to celebrate the contributions and demand the rights of immigrant workers, it seems appropriate to share a historical precendent through which Women of Color in London organized at the intersections of immigration policy and sexual violence.

In November 1982 a broad coalition of organizations came together to put together a one day event (sound familiar yet?). The coalition included English Collective of Prostitutes, Housewives in Dialogue, Women Against Rape, Wages Due Lesbians and others who had collaborated to takeover a community center in their region (Camden). Only a few days after their first big event "Bringing it All Back Home:Black and Immigrant Women Speak out and Claim Our Rights", the conference attendees supported the English Collective of Prostitutes as they occupied a local church to claim sanctuary from the constant police harassment and brutality they were experiencing. If you can't tell...I am inspired and thrilled by the bravery of these women (mostly women of color, mostly with threatened immigration status) who not only demanded fair wages for the "private" labor of nurturing, but who also repeatedly took over public spaces and spoke out against sexual violence.

Anyway..at this particular conference Women Against Rape released a statement entitled "Racism is Rapism" which explicitly calls out the way in which sexual assault impacts the most vulnerable among us through the same mechanisms as racism, classism and xenophobia:
"On arriving in another country, we have found ourselves threatened again by the tacism which stems directly from one government after another saying 'you are not welcome, don't expect any rights!' Such policis set us up as easy targets and legitimise every kind of racist attack against us, whether from immigration officers, the police, the courts, employers or individual men."

They also protest the absurdity of immigration laws that make residency contingent on staying with a husband and explain the complexity on going to the violent state to mitigate intra-community violence.

"We have been afraid to go to the police for help, particularly when attacks have comefrom within our own community, since we have seen how a woman's cry forhelp has been usedas an excuse to rampage in our community, particularly if we are black."

and
"We have seen how sexism combines with and reinforces racism....
As women we have all experienced, if not rape itself, then the threat or fear of rape. We know how rape has been used to limit our movement and our lives. We refuse to be locked into our homes or into our countries. A WOMAN'S PLACE IS EVERYWHERE!"

Just another example of the history we move in...
love,
lex
p.s. hey Emily...wanna post that info you were sharing about responses to sexual violence in the civil rights movement?