By Delmy Martínez The scene after the 2021 presidential election: There is an air of freedom, and hope for change. The feeling of bonding is everywhere–in the looks, in the smiles, in the dance of the…
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Mesoamerica
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…
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To María, Daysi, Laura, Brenda, Paty and Carme, alchemist sisters COVID-19 has disrupted all our lives to levels that we would never have imagined. We traded shared coffee and conversation in our organizations’ safe spaces…
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The country was still reeling from the impact of hurricanes Eta and Iota when a new crisis hit Guatemala last week, this one the product of a history of accumulating pressure in the country. The…
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They say coronavirus doesn’t discriminate, that it puts us all at risk, that it dictates an equally threatening future for all humankind. But the measures that have been implemented in Central America to deal with…
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By Hope Chidugu (HC) and Rudo Chigudu (RC) HC: Wake up RC and service your vehicle known as your body. It is the only one you have; once it gets grounded or overloaded, it will…
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Two events I lived during my childhood marked forever the life project I have forged for myself as a woman human rights defender of indigenous women’s rights. When I was 8 and was beginning my…
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In 2019, anti-abortion groups and their political allies have launched of a full-scale war on abortion access and rights. This year alone, nine U.S. states have passed early abortion bans. Among them, Alabama has gone…
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#StrongerMovements The road to get here wasn’t short, but it never is when we want to go far and deep, especially within ourselves. And the ritual begins from the moment in which we connect with…
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By Audrey Lopez Valdivia “Asylum was never meant to alleviate all problems — even all serious problems — that people face every day all over the world.” This is what U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions…
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Written by Laura Carlsen Today we talk about strategies. The day begins with JASS’s presentation on the power framework. What do we know about power? Lisa VeneKlasen, JASS Executive Director, explains that power is…
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Written by Laura Carlsen Today was a day of coming together—getting to know each other, talking about how to work together in networks and alliances, and there was even an intercontinental virtual meeting with…
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Written by Laura Carlsen Our Power and Our Protection: Sharing Information and Knowledge on Extractivism, Antigua, Guatemala. May 21-23, 2018 After the hugs – among friends who hadn’t seen each other in ages, among…
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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…
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Surrounded by the tropical warmth and lush vegetation of Nicaragua, the breezes from Lake Managua and the gardens of Cantera refresh us. This historic popular education center created by women is our beautiful home during…
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Mahatma Gandhi used to say, “What is obtained with violence can only be maintained with violence”. It is with violence that the power elite successfully kidnapped democracy in our country. As much as they have…
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What a gathering! I just got back from the JASS leadership course in Nicaragua with some 34 women activists from Mesoamerica—that part of the Americas that reaches from Panama all the way up to Mexico…
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On January 26, 2013, I turned 65. Instead of getting depressed because I´m now officially a senior citizen or worse still, an “elderly” woman, I decided to celebrate this journey which has been my life by…
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Translated from Spanish by Kiona Medina. On January 26, 2013, I turned 65. Instead of getting depressed because I´m now officially a senior citizen or worse still, an “elderly” woman, I decided to celebrate this…
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When life can only be half-lived, it’s hard to keep hope. When soldiers, churches, governments, death, crime and fear all conspire to choke off life like the heavy blow of the midday sun or a…
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“The Mexican government’s strategy to combat organized crime, should not be at the cost of women’s lives” – On July 16th I had the great honor of sitting next to Margarita Martinez, a spirited human…
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when the heart becomes brave . . . every dimension is transformed It is difficult to reconcile bravery and the heart, but it is more challenging to separate this relationship from romantic love and even…
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It was raining this morning when I read the news: my country’s Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) reinstated the 2009 ban on the sale of emergency contraceptive (EC) pills, arguing that EC is “incompatible with…
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Translated from Spanish by Emily Goldman A few days ago, Iread the following item on Democracy Now!: “In other news from ‘Occupy,’ activists in New York erected a tent to be used only by…
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Last week JASS Mesoamerica and Sinergia No’j hosted over two dozen indigenous, rural women from all over Central America and Mexico for a communications training in Guatemala City. The training focused on the right to…
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Right now I am privileged to be in Guatemala, as part of a team hosting this fabulous gathering of Indigenous women from all over Mesoamerica. Members of JASS and Sinergia Nój will be sharing our…
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JASS Mesoamerica Team + Feminist in Resistance, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Ever since I can remember, my country has had democratic governments. That is, until now. We have always been told that democracy is the way to…
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Latin America, Same-Sex Marriage, and Separation of Church and State The recent decision by Mexico’s Supreme Court to uphold a law passed late last year allowing married, same-sex couples in Mexico City to adopt children…
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Since the coup d’etat, Honduras has suffered many blows. The military has maintained its power, in ways both visible and invisible and brought a wave of threats and death into our lives.We live in fear…
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Adelay Carias is a Honduran feminist, researcher and writer, member of Feminists in Resistance and Las Petateras, and a contributor to the Center for International Policy’s Americas Program. I remember the coup d’état as if…
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by María Suárez Toro, FIRE While I lay in a tent in FIRE´s camp in Haiti, I remember one of the first popular songs that changed social consciousness regarding violence against women, at a time…
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By María Suárez Toro, and RIF-Fire Communications CenterFeminist International Camp Translation by Amandla Gigler, Executive Director at CALALA Fondo de Mujeres / Women’s Fund Lise Marie Jean, a feminist leader from SOFA in Haiti, warned…
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Pepe Lobo was inaugurated as the new president of Honduras today. After the inauguration, ousted president Mel Zelaya left Honduras with a “salvo conducto” pass from the new government. Although the Resistance opposed it, the…
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A magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated Haiti on January 12, 2010. Estimates of the death toll currently exceed 200,000, and approximately one million Haitians have been displaced from their homes. As a result of the gender…
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We, the Honduran Feminists in Resistance, are convinced that the restitution of democracy to Honduras does not mean only the return to government of President Zelaya – it must also signify respect for the Honduran…
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We have been receiving message from Daysi, a young woman who is a feminist in Honduras, writing from the frontlines in Honduras. 22 September, 2009 – Tegucigalpa, Honduras Early this morning, military forces attacked those…
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Building personal and collective empowerment for women’s rights and action Building on the JASS’ Mar de Cambios (Sea Change) region-wide gathering in July and the accompanying Wings of the Butterfly-sponsored play, Salvadoran Petateras by September had launched Rios de Cambios (Rivers of Change),…
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Furthering our solidarity with the people of Atenco over the past two years, JASS, the Nobel Women’s Initiative, and Mexican allies brought Laureate Jody Williams to San Salvador Atenco on September 8 to support women…
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Video of Honduras: Young Feminist in Resistance Speaks Out JASS and allies organized an international delegation to travel to Honduras (August 17-21, 2009) for a week-long womens rights watch. The delegation is conducting a…
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Escalating Sexual Aggression Against Feminist And Women ProtestersAgainst Military Coup In Honduras Ignored By Global & National Media By Margaret Thompson FIRE – Feminist International Radio Endeavour/Radio Internacional Feminista August 17, 2009 – Tegucigalpa, Honduras —…
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It has been an intense couple of days since we arrived in Honduras on Sunday. When I catch the words “I’m tired” coming out of my mouth I stop myself because standing next to my…
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Press Release TEGUCIGALPA – JASS (Just Associates) announced that an international delegation arrived in Honduras Monday for a week-long women’s rights watch. The delegation is conducting a local and virtual Observatorio (Feminist Transformation Watch) from…
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From the green hills of Vermont, I send all my solidarity to the companeras and compañeros in Honduras and also to all those right at this minute who are in front of the White House…
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July 21, 2009 – In a show of solidarity, women throughout the Americas are mobilizing to pressure the US government and international organizations to take a stronger stand against the June 28 coup in…
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Wednesday July 22, 2009, Special FIRE coverage of the protests in Washington in solidarity with the people of Honduras defending their human rights and institutionality A virtual march at FIRE will accompany the Washington protests…
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Call to Action This Wednesday at 10:00 am, JASS, CODE PINK, Women of Color United, Las Petateras, Feminist International Radio Endeavor, and Foreign Policy in Focus, will hold a RALLY in front of the WHITE HOUSE in solidarity…
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JASS and our Mesoamerican allies Las Petateras express our solidarity with all the feminist organizations and social movements of Honduras in condemning and repudiating the coup against democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya. The coup, led…
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Last week during the Sea Change Feminist Leadership School, participants created a mural of their “feminist ancestors,” women who have influences their lives as feminists and as women who cross the line. Many people brought…
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Here we are in Panama — 33 women from Mexico, Central America and the US sharing and deepening our understanding of power and patriarchy with all the passion and creativity that our collective energy and…
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Just a short note from Panama City about Mar de Cambios (July 5-10), where around 40 women from different MesoAmerican countries are discussing about feminism and how the patriarchal power affects ourselves and our society.
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Declaration of the Nobel Women’s Initiative ConferenceonWomen Redefining Democracy for Peace, Justice and EqualityAntigua, GuatemalaMay 10-12, 2009 [The declaration was drafted by JASS board members: Malena de Montis and Srilatha Batliwala with input from…
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After the Nobel Women’s Initiative Conference in Antigua, a group of us – Petateras, JASS, FIRE, and key international allies – conducted an Observatorio and Fact-Finding Mission on the situation of violence against women in…
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Video of NWI Women Redefining Democracy: Guatemala–A History of Violence and Struggle 36 years of violence and oppression because of the armed conflict in Guatemala left more than 100,000 dead, 50,000 disappeared, 250,000 orphans, more…
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March 25, 2009 – Gladys Monterroso, lawyer, University professor, and Secretary General of the Encuentro por Guatemala party, and wife of Human Rights Ombudsman Sergio Morales, was kidnapped in Guatemala City on Wednesday March 25…
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Over a thousand women from all over Latin America and the Carribean have gathered for the XI Feminist Encuentro in Mexico City. The debates have been lively, the ideas and questions brought up in the…
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JASS and Las Petateras are participating actively in the 11th Feminist Forum in Mexico City. The 6th Feminist Transformation Watch began with Radio Petatera, a radio program broadcast on Feminist International Radio Endeavor (FIRE).…
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JASS and our Mesoamerican allies, Las Petateras, are attending the 11th Feminist Forum in Mexico City. Martha Sanchez, an indigenous leader from Mexico, carried the opening plenary with her outspoken and fiery commentary. The 6th…
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Feminists stand up against anti-abortion crusade and Daniel Ortega’s rightward turn On Nov. 25, 2008, police blocked 400 women’s rights activists from marching in Managua’s annual commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of…
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Since my return from Guatemala, I’ve been trying to keep up with the unfolding political repression in Nicaragua. I admit that it’s impossible for me to watch from a rational distance. It’s very personal for…
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Dear friends, Please read the urgent condemnation letter to register support for the Nicaraguan feminists who’ve been targeted by their government for their support for reproductive rights and criticism of the shrinking democratic space in…
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Wow, what a week. It is hard to know where to start and exhaustion is setting in so my thoughts are all over the map. Perhaps I should begin by attempting to share some of…
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“Las Petateras,” JASS’s movement building allies in Mesoamerica, convened a press conference this morning to kick-off the activities planned during the Americas Social Forum, as well as to announce the declaration made by the…
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In the final plenary session in Mexico City on Friday morning, Justice Edwin Cameron gave, as part of his address, ten reasons why criminal laws and criminal prosecutions make bad policy in the response to…
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