Articles

By Beverly Bell
May 11, 2012

Marcela Olivera |Cochabamba, Bolivia
I believe women are organizers by nature, because we’re very sensitive and because we have the ability to show what we’re feeling. But women are still marginalized; there’s a kind of invisibility around the work that women do on water issues. For example, I notice that the organizing work is mainly done by women, but then the one who always stands up in front of the meeting to explain how everything was organized is a man.

I think it’s fantastic that women have stepped up and are leading the way in the fight over water rights. In our continent, at least, the face of the movement is the face of a woman.

By Beverly Bell

Shilpa Jain |Rajasthan, India and California, USA
At Shikshantar, we are trying to support the shift from a money-dominant globalized culture to a more small-scale, relationship-focused culture.

My grandmother never went to school, she never knew how to read or write, and she was such a wise and brilliant woman. She was incredibly creative, could come up with songs and dances and games right on the spot. She had tons of practical knowledge on herbal remedies and healing practices, and she was the most environmentally conscious person I know. Nothing ever went to waste; she would always make something out of anything. For her, everything was connected, and all life was important, from the ants, to the dogs, to the cows, to human beings. Because of her, I started asking about and looking for more of that kind of grounded knowledge.

We're publishing one Birthing Justice narrative per week on our website and with a number of online partners, including Truthout, World Pulse, Huffington Post, Women's International Perspective, and more!

Check them out here!

By Lauren Elliott
April 27, 2012

Consuelo Castillo | Bajo Aguán, Honduras
My name is Consuelo Castillo and I have been fighting to defend the land for five years. Our goal is for everyone who is part of the land occupations to have access to land.  Land, well, it’s our first mother. For us farmers, we don’t have life without land. That’s the reason we’re in this struggle.

We want a better Honduras, a different Honduras where there is equality for everyone. A Honduras where everyone can enjoy the wealth generated by this country and the fruits of our land. We’re fighting for the changes that we truly need and, well, I believe that with everyone’s strength and work, we’re going to reach the goal.

Interview by Beverly Bell and Alexis Erkert

April 24, 2012

In honor of Earth Day, we run an interview with Yves-André Wainright, who discusses ways that poor governance and the role of foreign donors have contributed to the country’s environmental catastrophe. He also lays out a blueprint for what could turn the situation around, effectively mobilizing both government and the population to begin restoring the environment.

Yves-André Wainright served twice as Haiti’s Minister of Environment. Trained as an agronomist, Yves-André’s work has focused on environmental management, especially management of natural resources and waste.

BIRTHING JUSTICE: The Link to Humanity -- Gift Economies

By Beverly Bell
April 20, 2012

“African values” refers to a set of values that people share. How do you recognize a human being? How do you treat people? What do you do with what you have? We are talking about a universal, positive way of life. What Africa has to give the world is a reclaiming of humanity. It teaches that there are other ways of living and doing and being with each other. We share values with those everywhere who believe in the dignity of the human being.

By Beverly Bell and Tory Field
April 13, 2012

“Rather than having these people inside the Beltway be the experts on the issue… we ask: How can we empower the people who are actually affected by the issues to be the spokespeople?” – Deborah James

Ask just about anyone about the “99%” these days and, regardless of how they feel about the Occupy movement, they’ll probably acknowledge the increasing concentration of wealth and power that the past few decades have brought. Occupy has successfully propelled issues of inequality and corporate control to mainstream consciousness, here in the belly of the beast, in the nation that has been pivotal to defining the world economic system.

By Beverly Bell
April 6, 2012

Ilda Martines de Souza | São Paulo State, Brazil

My parents lost their plot of rural land in the ‘60s; the landowner expelled them. After that, we didn’t have anywhere to live. I was young, and I went to São Paulo to try to make money to buy land for my father. I never could, since it was difficult to work and make enough money to buy land.

I got involved with the struggle at a very early age – I was eighteen – and I really liked it. I became an activist with the Workers Party; my children were activists, too. Then, I got involved in the São Paulo housing movement for the homeless and those living in the favelas, the slums. It was really gratifying. Each family you kept off the streets was a great joy.