On March 2, 2016, the world suffered the murder of land defender Berta Cáceres. From that moment, those of us who took on the fight for justice pointed out that this act was aimed at stopping the struggle of the Lenca people in defense of the Gualcarque River.
The fires we light are not fires to set alight police cars, they are small cooking fires we make in our township backyards to feed the children when there's no electricity. The fires we light are not fires to set alight our neighbor's small-time business, they are rare passions we ignite in each other to soldier on, set up vending stalls and make a living against all odds.
The skies wept as together we received the month of September in the town of La Esperanza, Honduras. Hundreds of visitors brought with them hearts that beat to the rhythms of their struggles, their love and the many colors of their dreams; they brought their cameras, drums, pens, and the united cry to demand once and for all: Justice for Berta!
“We find ourselves in a crisis. There are no jobs. There is no cash. Basically everything is a problem,” says Mai Sputi, In the wake of many protests that have erupted in Zimbabwe, JASS' Winnet Shanuyarira spotlights the role women have been playing in calling for change.
"As women struggle for the biodiversity of the planet, defend livelihoods threatened by mining and extractives, and put their lives on the line, we need to prioritise the protection of WHRDs." JASS Southern Africa’s Winnet Shamuyarira reflects on defenders across Africa and their fight for the right to lands, livelihoods and life.
The majority of indigenous women of Indonesia face multiple challenges in their daily lives: being a woman, being an indigenous woman, and being a rural poor indigenous woman. For Pipi Supeni, an indigenous woman from the Dayak Benuaq tribe of East Kalimantan, being constantly in the margins is not a hopeless situation. Representing her organizations, she leads her community in raising indigenous women’s awareness of their rights. Read more…
