Activism: Last Sunday, Andrew and I held a last minute garage sale at my apartment, which ended up acting as a hub for donated items that I sold to Plato’s Closet later in the week. I also tabled with YAYA at UCF today. This bumped us beyond our fundraising goal, which is exciting. While I wish we had organized and gained momentum sooner, I feel good about the work we have done and the forward progress we can now make as our group begins to work in solidarity and gain understanding of and respect for one another. I have faith that our group will do something great.
Due to my work schedule and a recent car accident, it’s difficult for me to attend the YAYA meetings or last minute get togethers, but I sincerely hope to show my face at these events in the coming weeks.
Working in this group highlights the difficulties of uniting diverse women for global activism, even on a small scale. However, with each step we take at overcoming the challenges of diversity, we not only learn and grow from each other, the strength of our group and ability to mobilize effectively is improved.
As has been stated, I think in order for this project to be successful, we need to find a way to bring the focus back to women.
Reflection: In communicating with people about YAYA and the fundraising we were doing, it was important to stress the fact that we are working in solidarity with the farmworker movement(s) in order to meet the needs of these communities rather than “liberating our less fortunate sisters,” as Bellhooks said (45). This project and class in general has stressed the importance of solidarity and decolonization of thought, which is necessary when mobilizing for a global women’s issue.
The challenges we have faced during organizing are perfectly summed up by Aili Mari Tripp on pg. 296 of Global Feminism: “one of the biggest constraints on transnational feminism today comes from problems in the manner in which issues are treated and discussed, on how to best achieve agreed upon goals, and how international support should be rendered.” We are experiencing these same issues and probable solutions as we practice global feminism within the constraints of our project. We certainly will not figure out all, if any, of the answers, but in trying we are able to understand and dissect the realities of a global movement.
Reciprocity: I feel I have experienced a decent amount of growth from my involvement in this project and class. I have learned in what arenas difference do and do not matter when it comes to building solidarity. I have also gained perspective through listening to and reading other people’s ideas, points, and experiences. Although it was frustrating at it’s onset, the process of “decolonizing” thought has ultimately been freeing.
Works Cited
Tripp, Aili Mari. "Challenges in Transnational Feminist Mobilization." Global Feminism: Transnational Women's Activism, Organizing, and Human Rights. New York: New York University Press, 2006. 296. Print.
"Global Feminism." Feminism is for Everybody. London: Pluto Press, 2000. 45. Web. 29 Mar. 2012.
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