Exploring the Futures of Black Radicalism
The Goldin Institute hosted the editors of a new book, “Futures of Black Radicalism,” Gaye Theresa Johnson and Alex Lubin, for a conversation with nearly forty activists, journalists, scholars, students and others interested in the themes raised in the book. The book reflects on the seminal work of scholar-activist Cedric Robinson, whose writings helped define the black radical tradition and the concept of “racial capitalism.”
In her opening remarks, Goldin Institute Advisory Board member Dr. Gaye Theresa Johnson explored how grassroots political movements based in African American communities are expanding their views to a global level. Co-Editor Alex Lubin began by reviewing the central themes raised in the book, including important essays from Angela Davis, Robin D.G. Kelly and many others on topics that range from reflections on the life of Malcolm X, activism in the Americas, and the struggle for peace and justice in Israel/Palestine.
Providing highly relevant analysis in the wake of the mass organizing and coalition building against police brutality in Ferguson, Baltimore and Hong Kong, “Futures of Black Radicalism” is dedicated to the work of Cedric Robinson, an influential scholar and author of “Black Marxism: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition.” Robinson died in June 2016, just as “Futures of Black Radicalism” was being finished.
[quote]“This is a difficult time to have this conversation. We thought about the future of black radicalism and realized there is no future without a deeply rooted past.” -- Gaye Johnson, Goldin Institute Board of Advisors and Associate Professor at UCLA.[/quote]
Jimmie Briggs, the Goldin Institute’s Coordinator of Community Learning and Collaboration, moderated the lively conversation following initial comments by Johnson and Lubin. Audience members discussed the challenge for radical movements operating in capitalist countries, the role of youths, and asked for practical ideas to create coalitions between activists, academics and neighborhood residents.
[quote]“When regimes of race seem most firm, it is precisely where they are weak.” -- Alex Lubin, Professor of American Studies at the University of New Mexico.[/quote]
A special thank you to Gia Biagi, Principal for Urbanism and Civic Impact, and the team at Studio Gang for hosting the discussion in their offices.
Perspective: Making Peace Sustainable in Colombia
By Lissette Mateus Roa, Co-Facilitator, Global Alumni Network
Just over a year ago, I experienced one of the saddest days in my life.
On that day in October 2016, Colombians faced a referendum on the peace process. After more than 50 years of conflict with FARC -- the oldest guerrilla movement on the continent -- and after three and a half years of negotiations, a cease fire agreement was signed by all the major fighting parties in front of the United Nations Secretary-General. We Colombians had the opportunity to approve the agreement through a popular vote, and sadly, 52% percent said “no,” while 40% didn’t even bother to vote.
"For the first time on my life, I felt embarrassed to be Colombian. I thought about going to live in another country."
But a week after the depressing rejection of peace, young people lit a fire that illuminated a path for the whole country. They started marching in cities throughout the country, demanding peace and a new agreement. Thanks to the youth-led mobilization across the country, a new agreement was ratified unanimously by the Colombian Congress.
We are hardworking and good natured people. What unites us is the hope of having a better future for our children, to be the generation that left a memorable footprint for others to follow, peacefully. We can show that destiny does not depend on our politicians: Rather, our destiny depends on us.
It has been almost a full year since ratification of the peace agreements between the Marxist guerilla group FARC-EP and the Colombian government. This historic agreement brings a formal end to more than 50 years of conflict in which an estimated 250,000 people were killed and an additional 60,000 are still missing. Although we have an agreement on paper, Colombians must rise to meet serious challenges in order for our fragile peace to survive. We must seize our opportunity. If we do, we can be an example for the world of how to overcome adversity, how to fight terrorism, and how to end an armed conflict in a country.
As a result of our historic agreement for peace and reconciliation, more than 7,000 guerrillas have come out from the jungle all across the country to the so-called Transitional Adjustment Zones (ZVTN). This mass demobilization was the first crucial step in the process of reintegration. Of critical importance, more than 11,000 FARC guerillas laid down their weapons turning over 7,132 guns. Through the provision of identity cards and a census, we now know crucial information that will enable us to design and implement reintegration plans. In this process, 112 child soldiers were demobilized and handed over to UNICEF and the Colombian government to begin the program "Differential Life Path." With the first phase of demobilization successfully completed, Colombians can now turn to the next step of reintegration of former guerrillas back into our communities.
On August 15, 2017, the Transitional Adjustment Zones changed to “Territories for Training and Reincorporation,” spaces where former combatants can receive the training, education and support they need to return home. There are 23 rural zones around the country created for demobilized combatants coming out from jungle who need space to live while they follow the process of giving up weapons and to start their preparation for re-entry into civil life. These spaces offer support a wide range of support including vocational training and secondary education.
In addition to the aforementioned support, each demobilized fighter is eligible to receive 2,000,000 Colombian pesos (approximately $680 USD) as well as a monthly stipend of 620,000 Colombian Pesos (or $204 USD), nearly equivalent to a minimum wage job, for 24 months. These resources are intended to be used during the education and training period to support the bridge between demobilization and eventual employment.
The last significant component of the demobilization process is transformation of the FARC from a guerilla movement to a political party. With FARC commander Timochenko laying down his arms to run for President, supporters and detractors are now able express their opinions with ballots rather than bullets.
The social changes since the war’s end are also represented in the subtle but profound evolution of the the group’s name from “armed” to “alternative”, now known as the “Common Alternative Revolutionary Force” (FARC).
In this historic but fragile moment, even peace is polarized. Opponents have taken advantage of the hopelessness of many, the ignorance of the peace agreements and the fear of repeating history to mislead through the media; regurgitating the hatreds, divisions and violence of our immediate past.
The truth is that we have learned to live with the war. We see homicides and war as normal. Our reaction when someone is killed or when there is a massacre is one of weary acceptance. “Oh, those poor people” we cry, but we don´t demand change. My husband and I march for peace with our children, while many of our friends, family members and neighbors just stay home. We are living in a violent culture and sometimes, we catch ourselves being violent. It’s complicated.
It is true that many issues remain to be addressed and much work needs to be done, but if we work together, we can make this peace legitimate and sustainable. Based on my journey growing up in Colombia and entering the larger world as a mother, spouse and advocate on behalf of former girl combatants, I would declare to the Colombian government, new political parties and all Colombian people that we must keep work together to ensure that war stays in our past.
AVOIDING THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST:
Protect Demobilized Politicians
Now that the FARC has been constituted as a political party, there are already some red flags about a possible new genocide. Many Colombians remember the mass killing of members of the Union Patriotica (UP), a leftist Colombian political party founded by FARC, as well as the targeting of the Colombian Communist Party in 1985 after a previous peace process negotiation. At that moment, the UP suffered political violence that led to its extermination as a party, with more than 5,000 members who had laid down their arms being targeted and killed. Disturbingly, the report “Trochas de Paz y Esperanza: informe nacional de derechos humano” documents that between April 2017 and August 2017, 23 people tied to FARC were killed; 12 were FARC former combatants and 11 were relatives of former FARC members. This targeted killing must end.
Defend Human Rights Champions
In 2017, after the implementation of the peace agreement, according to the report of "Somos Defensores," 335 human rights defenders have been victims of some kind of aggression that has put their life at risk and 51 community leaders have been murdered. This political violence has special resonance in Colombia, and has long been used as a tool to intimidate and silence ideals and movements. However, even with the ceasefire and official end of hostilities, political violence has increased by 30% over last year.
End the Displacement
Leading organizations that monitor displacement in the country, such as the Ideas for Peace Foundation (FIP) and the UN agency for refugees (UNHCR), point out that despite the signing of agreements with the FARC, forced displacement continues. Despite the pledges and monitoring, Colombia continues to hold the dishonorable distinction of being number one in the world for internally displaced people. The UNHCR representative in Colombia stated that, "in recent years the figure has dropped. However, if we talk about 2017, UNHCR has registered 42 events of new displacement representing about 7,500 people. Most of the new displaced are indigenous or Afro-Colombian." The explanation for this phenomenon lies in the fact that in those areas that were left by FARC are now being disputed and controlled by other illegal groups.
Hold Government Accountable
Especially when it comes to implementing the peace agreement, our government is nearly non-functional. The processes that need to be carried out to implement the agreements are slow, impractical and ineffective. An example is the case of demobilization camps (ZVTN) that were not ready when the guerrillas arrived, despite the government's promises in the mutual agreement. According to the mission of the UN, through the month of May 2017, more than 50% of these green zones were not ready for use. In addition, the state has not occupied the territories that FARC left behind, leaving a vacuum of authority and order. Now, illegal groups are disputing these territories and deforesting our habitats to create new drug trafficking routes and to increase illicit crops. Due to crippling poverty and a lack of access to markets, peasants themselves are beginning to clear cut forests to use them for livestock and agriculture.
Stop the Corruption
Corruption is one of the greatest detriments to our society. Those who get into power, who should watch over the common good and the needs of the citizens who trusted them, focus on themselves and fill their pockets with what belongs to the citizenry. Magistrates, senators, mayors and even presidents are routinely exposed for links to paramilitaries, gangs and networks of white collar criminals. To understand the magnitude of this scourge, it is estimated that 50 billion pesos (over $17 million USD) are lost annually in Colombia because of corruption. In the last year alone, more than 19,000 people were indicted in Colombia for corruption. One recent scandal was the Odebrecht case where $11 million USD was paid in bribes to public officials to obtain infrastructure contracts between 2009 and 2011. But the worst was June, when our anti-corruption prosecutor Luis Gustavo Moreno Rivera himself was captured by an elite anti-corruption police unit.
Prepare for Elections
Soon there will be elections and the opposition will use all means to further polarize Colombia so that a new group can rise to power and undo the progress that has been made so far. Many Colombians live in fear and panic that the polarization of the country will tear apart our fragile social fabric and steal our chance at a lasting and sustainable peace. To avoid the pitfalls of past failures to reach peace, we need to prepare for fair, transparent elections and campaigns.
PURSUING PATHS TOWARDS A DURABLE PEACE:
It is true that these we have fallen into traps along the path to peace in the past, but we can avoid them if we work together. All of these issues that concern us must be seen as reasons for unity: Despite our differences, we need to join together to end these scourges that affect us all. The opportunities to repair our social bonds are now more visible, thanks to the disappearance of the oldest guerrilla in the continent.
One sign of hope was the recent visit of Pope Francis to Colombia. It was a political-religious event unlike anything else we have known. His visit amidst this turmoil managed to unite us, at least for a moment, offering a glimpse of a return to hope. The motto of this visit was "Let's take the first step." His message sought to galvanize Colombians to pursue peace and reconciliation. This motto has a deep meaning for us, because in order to be able to take the first step, it is necessary to get out of lethargy, petrification, fear and to overcome the normalization of the abnormal. It is necessary to recognize that violence in Colombia – and its hidden forms of inequality and inequity -- comes not only from illegal armed groups but also from all of us. Violence has been a force that has both underwritten and corrupted our culture and our society.
We live in a culture of violence. We have naturalized death, war, injustice, beatings and indifference, and that is why we urgently need to resignify ourselves as a country. We must together weave our future based on our shared values and not on our differences.
Following the call of Pope Francis, I offer three more steps that we must take together to create a path to durable peace:
Model the Peace
We must first look at ourselves deeply and recognize the specific moments in which we ourselves are violent. What is our daily contribution to the culture of violence that encases us?
A few months ago, in the middle of the peace process, the president of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos invited all citizens to disarm our language; acknowledging that we can make peace with the words we use and the way we communicate. Building on the call of President Santos, let us disarm not only our language, but our hearts, minds, thoughts and intentions.
Disarmament is not only for the FARC and other guerilla groups. We have to lay down the weapons of our language and thoughts that lead us to be violent in our homes, with our children and neighbors, in our places of work and worship.
As we look at ourselves and compare it with the reintegration process that is taking place for the demobilized, we can see that all Colombians need training and support, not just the FARC. We all must train ourselves to handle our emotions, act with compassion, to accept differences, and to be agents of positive change in society.
Ask yourself: What should I disarm in my own life? What can I contribute to a new culture of peace?
Unite in Empathy
"Taking the first step" fundamentally means that we need to recognize each other, empathize with each other's experiences. We need to begin by listening and trying to understand the paths travelled by the other without judging.
When we talk about FARC, we are not simply talking about an illegal armed group that it is demobilizing, we are talking about people. In this case, we are talking about more than 10,000 people, more than 10,000 families, more than 10,000 stories filled with very human experiences, pains, dreams and longings.
In this sense, research conducted by the National University of Colombia is instructive as it illuminates the human toll of the conflict. Through the census, we can glimpse the humanity of the people involved in the conflict. For example, we now know that most of the former combatants are peasants, 66% of whom came from rural areas, and that the war stole the childhood of almost half of them because 47% of them were recruited in their childhood.
Many are surprised to know that over one third of all combatants are women and girls, and nearly as many have a physical or mental ailment. More than half of those who recently demobilized have children, and since the signing of the agreement peace until March of this year, we have seen a “baby boom” with more than 77 babies born and 114 women pregnant in the demobilization camps. This surge in pregnancies shows their longing to start a new life and the hope they have for a better future.
We have learned a great deal about our demobilized neighbors through this groundbreaking study. For example, less than 300 have university degrees, with 57% having only primary school and just 21% possessing a secondary-level education. We know that demobilized Colombians are eager to take advantage of the chance to learn and further their studies.
To finish this small attempt to understand and empathize, we have learned also of their dreams and desires. Given that most of the demobilized are peasants, 60% want to return to the countryside and dedicate themselves to agricultural work. Thanks to the peace agreement, we have an opportunity to support these farmers as Colombia works to transition away for the production of illicit crops like coca cultivation.
By listening, we can see that the demobilized are fellow Colombians who are similar in so many ways. We can ask ourselves: What if we had been in their place? What would I have done? As we collectively take these first steps, we will uncover many more threads of connection that stich us together as we weave our future as a country.
Build Community Together
Once again, it is worth highlighting the words of the Pope Francis who ignited a spark of hope for reconciliation and a new future for Colombians:
"Reconciliation, therefore, becomes substantive and is consolidated by the contribution of all; it enables us to build the future, and makes hope grow. Every effort at peace without a sincere commitment to reconciliation is destined to fail.” -- Pope Francis
This peace is for all of us to share and depends on all of us to achieve. Conflict and violence in Colombia not only materializes through armed groups, but manifests in gender–based violence, violence against children, homicides, in everyday quarrels or interpersonal violence, crime, corruption and other types of violence that we live with day by day. All of us must recognize and seize this historic moment in which we have the opportunity to end the cycle of violence. Let’s take this chance to reflect about who we are as a society and work together towards who we want to become. The whole world is willing to give us a hand to achieve the peace that we have all longed for.
One of the best ways to contribute in this process is to become leaders and social entrepreneurs as an exercise of responsible citizenship. Anyone can work for love: We do not need a degree or a salary to transform our culture. We must only listen, recognize the needs of our community and contribute towards addressing them from our own abilities, knowledge and efforts.
The story of Colombia is unique. At the same time, we know that we can learn from our global partners and share what we have learned with communities across the globe. In Colombia, we look forward to taking the next steps on our journey towards peace with the support of the Goldin Institute's global network.
Get Involved: Campaign for Safe Water in Mindanao
For Advisory Board Member Akif Irfan, helping a grassroots organization solve a water crisis in the war-torn Philippine island of Mindanao is both part of his personal responsibility as a Muslim American, and just another chapter in his long relationship with the Goldin Institute.
This summer, Akif launched a fundraising drive with his family and friends to support the work of Global Associate Dr. Susana Anayatin and her team, who have provided water pumps to more than 113 schools in the Maguindanao province of Mindanao, serving over 40,000 students in a region where more than 70 percent of the population face obstacles to accessing safe water. Maguindanao is ethnically and religiously diverse, with a Christian majority and a sizeable Muslim minority as well as a significant number of animist tribes, along with a long history of inequity and outright oppression that has sometimes erupted into violence.
A local insurgency in Marawi City in the neighboring province of Lanao del Sur exploded when foreign fighters affiliated with the so-called Islamic State joined the fight and prompted a massive response from the Philippine Armed Forces this summer, including the imposition of martial law. When the conflict spread to nearby Maguindanao, the military stepped up its activities there as well. The conflict has literally come close to home for Susana on several occasions, as in September, when improvised explosive devices were detonated on a road she uses occasionally, wounding four people. Nevertheless, she has deftly navigated the political, economic and social hazards, collaborating constructively with all sides to provide tangible benefits to communities wracked by warfare and poverty.
To install the water pumps, Susana works closely with military officials who have the heavy machines they need and with the rebel groups who control the territory where some of the schools are located. The Goldin Institute has been working with Susana since 2011, providing her with financial resources and opportunities to meet with grassroots leaders from around the world. This training enhanced her leadership skills and reputation, and ultimately prepared her to serve as her community’s representative in an ongoing peace process. Late last year, Susana was appointed a commissioner of the 21-member Bangsamoro Transition Commission, which includes members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as well as the government and is dedicated to obviating further outbreaks of violence and ultimately establishing stability throughout the region.
This summer, the Goldin Institute was awarded a $20,000 grant from the Lush Cosmetics Charitable Foundation for the installation of 16 additional water pumps serving approximately 3,680 more students. The Lush Foundation, a philanthropic leader in supporting grassroots driven social change, also offered to provide information about the project on their website and on select product packaging to help raise awareness about the Goldin Institute’s work.
As a Goldin Institute Advisory Board member, Akif has kept track of Susana’s efforts and saw an opportunity to build on this momentum. He initiated a fundraising drive that coincided with Ramadan, the Muslim holy month which ran from the end of May to the end of June. Unexpectedly, it was also the moment the conflict in Maguindanao intensified, adding new urgency to the campaign, since the installation of the water pumps solves an immediate need even as it supports cooperation between parties with historically fraught relationships.
[quote]“By installing pumps in schools, we are promoting education and helping to foster an informal peace process.-- Akif Irfan[/quote]
Akif continued, “In light of the recent increase in civil strife in Mindanao, the need to address water security has become even more critical.” Tapping his network of family and friends, he has already raised $5,085, to date, with an ultimate goal of $12,500, which will pay for water pumps at 10 new schools, serving thousands more children. The Goldin Institute has committed that 100 percent of the funds raised through Akif’s campaign will be used for the provision of safe drinking water.
Akif’s history with the Goldin Institute dates back to 2007, when he served as an intern while an undergraduate at Northwestern University studying economics. Now a vice president at the Goldman Sachs financial firm, he joined the Advisory Board in 2014, has represented the Goldin Institute at conferences in Mexico City and New York City, and contributed to the development of the Gather platform. While the history and status of Filipino Muslims is not well-known even within among Muslims, Akif, whose own family originated in South Asia, points out that the community on Mindanao suffers from discrimination as well as entrenched poverty and the catastrophic effects of climate change, and are therefore more likely to lack access to safe water.
[quote]“By bringing all sides together to solve problems, the Institute’s approach is helping to create lasting change." -- Akif Irfan [/quote]
[hl bg="#d1e1ff" fg="#FFFFFF"]Join Akif in supporting access to safe drinking water in the Philippines![/hl]
Perspective: The Past and Future of Criminal Justice
In Ferguson, MO, the town where my mother taught when I was a kid, families and neighbors gathered on August 9th to commemorate the third anniversary of the death of Michael Brown, Jr., who was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson. In an especially poignant moment, those gathered stood for 4 1/2 minutes of silence, echoing the 4 1/2 hours when Mike Brown's body was left on the street in the summer sun.
The date of August 9th echoed with an eerie and painful coincidence in my current home of New York, as it marks the 20th anniversary of the brutal beating and sodomizing of Abner Louima at the hands of N.Y.P.D. officers while he was in custody at a Brooklyn precinct station house. You can learn more about the case by listening to this recording of my interview with WNYC about the incident and its relevance today.
The coincidence of the anniversaries conjured memories of so many other tragic commemorations. 2017 marked the 26th anniversary of the videotaped beating of Rodney King by L.A.P.D. officers on a California freeway, and 25 years after the riots which ensued there following the acquittal of the four officers charged with his assault.
Police brutality was a hot topic in the conversations after the presentation by Dr. Gaye Johnson at the recent event in Chicago on thebook she co-edited, "Futures of Black Radicalism." At the reception, it was noted that Chicago recently marked the third anniversary of the fateful night in October when LaQuan McDonald was shot 16 times by Chicago Police Department officer Jason Van Dyke.
America has a systemic problem with not shooting its young, black men to death.
While there had been cautious, but notable progress on community policing matters especially since the emergence of the Movement for Black Lives following the killings of Trayvon Martin and Jordan Edwards by Florida civilians, the gradual retrenchment of outmoded strategies is causing great concern from the Goldin Institute hometown of Chicago to cities across the country: New York, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Baltimore, Oakland, Boston Charlotte, Cleveland, and on and on. To be sure, when it comes to policing, the challenges are as tough as they are widespread.
The American Psychological Association released a report in early 2014 — prior to the deaths of Michael Brown, Jr, LaQuan McDonald and 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland — noting that police officers are more likely to deem the use of force necessary against black youth, more than whites or those from other ethnicities and races. At a younger age than their counterparts, black boys are deemed more accountable for their actions, while whites are given the benefit of the doubt because of their presumed “innocence.”
National statistics bear out the cold ramifications of the study’s conclusions. Last year, of 993 people killed by police, 24% were black, double their representation in American society-at-large. Further, black men are six times as likely to be incarcerated as white men; Hispanic men, meanwhile, are more than twice as likely to be incarcerated as non-Hispanic white men. In total, prisoners of color comprise 67% of the 2.2 million people in America’s prisons and jails.
Since the presidential inauguration in January of this year, a May 2015 executive order signed by President Barack Obama banning local police departments from receiving excess military hardware has been reversed. The original order came about in response to the social unrest in Ferguson seen as having been exacerbated through the use of armored personnel vehicles, military body armor and automatic rifles by local and state police in Missouri.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice made an announcement last September that its COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) would cease investigating problematic law enforcement agencies and police departments and then issuing reports on alleged misconduct or systemic abuses. “The previous administration was more concerned about the image of law enforcement being too militarized than they were about safety,” opined U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Two critical studies done with police departments in Washington, D.C. and New York City, argue against reverting back to the aggressive tactics used to stop crime and violence from the 80’s and 90’s. Last month, the District of Columbia’s police force released findings of an 18-month survey which found that use of excessive force happened at the same rate among officers who were body cameras as those who did not. Additionally, the academic journal “Nature Human Behavior” published findings showing that when N.Y.P.D. officers were curtailed from using “stop and frisk” (by court order) and drew down on making arrests of low level, non-violent, nuisance offenses that major crimes fell throughout the city, a direct refutation of the “broken windows” theory of crime prevention popularized in the 80’s.
These national-level studies only confirm what we already know to be true on the ground: we have a problem with violence and our institutions are part of that problem. I’ve heard countless stories of tensions between police and the communities they serve through a community focused oral history project I have been leading since 2016 in Ferguson. We hope that together these stories can illuminate a way forward, nurture healing conversations and highlight efforts of restorative justice and reconciliation, a model we hope will be useful to other cities in our network.
We also have been hearing similar concerns as we explore these topics with partners in Chicago and around the world. As my colleague Travis Rejman said at a recent meeting with our local partners at Brothers Standing Together, “Our criminal justice system is criminally unjust.” And this isn't limited to our national network. From inhumane prisons in Haiti to religious profiling in the Philippines and East Africa, and the extra stigma faced by demobilized female soldiers in Colombia, criminal justice reform is a shared global concern in our network.
Mirroring the depth and scope of the problem around the world, I also see a deep wealth of knowledge on grassroots collective leadership and strategic wisdom in the global network of the Goldin Institute. I look forward to convening these leaders for shared reflection and action through the Gather Platform that will launch in March 2018. With your support, Gather can become a critical tool in supporting advocates and policymakers to authentically and meaningfully make our communities safer, mitigate police brutality, reduce civilian gun violence and make our criminal justice systems just and equitable.
Gather Platform Previewed at Community Writing Conference
The Goldin Institute was pleased to participate in the Conference on Community Writing hosted at the University of Colorado at Boulder from October 18 - 21, 2017.
In a presentation on the theme of Building Global Networks that Support Local Action, Executive Director Travis Rejman previewed the Gather Platform alongside partners Lisa Dush and Delasha Long from DePaul University.
The conference overall focused on the field of “Community Writing” which is typically associated with the physical movement of students, teachers and researchers into local spaces to write, teach and learn. In our presentation, Lisa and Delasha offered a tool and framework for understanding how space, curricula and activities work together to facilitate learning. In light of this theory of space, Travis presented a new way to imagine spaces in a digital environment that incorporates the sense of being and working together in physical learning environments.
[quote]This was my very first time presenting at a conference, and the attendees made me feel very welcome. I enjoyed the discussion on rethinking our current models of service-learning projects. It was exciting to see how participants said they were blown away by the presentation on the Gather Platform.[/quote]
-- Delasha Long, DePaul University
The 2017 Conference on Community Writing featured dozens of enlightening presentations on the overall theme of “Engaging Networks and Ecologies.” The conference convened community writing teachers, students, scholars and activists from across the country to address the issues facing our communities—climate change, population movements related to climate, political instability, systemic misogyny, racially motivated police killings, mass incarceration, expansion of corporate rights, resurgence of anti-immigrant rhetoric, educational injustices and gun violence—from both scholarly and practical perspectives.
Questions that were explored at the conference that were of particular interest to the Goldin Institute network included:
- How can we apply or use ecological theories of writing as distributed, hyper-networked, circulatory, and remixed in order to strengthen our work to catalyze change in our communities?
- How can we work to expand our networks and ecologies to include the voices and writings of historically and chronically marginalized members of our communities?
- What projects have you completed or envisioned that take advantage of digital technologies aiding community development?
A special thank you to our partners Lisa Dush and Delasha Long for co-presenting and to our new friends at the Conference on Community Writing for hosting such a wonderful event.
Nathan Shapiro Recognized for Work with Ethiopian Jews
At a gathering in September 2017, Goldin Institute Board Member Nate Shapiro and his wife, Randy, were recognized for the vital role they played in rescuing Ethiopian Jewry by the Consul General of Israel to the Midwest, Aviv Ezra, and staff of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces Central Region. Nate served as President of the American Association for Ethiopian Jews (AAEJ) from 1983-1993 and under his leadership, the AAEJ provided relief, rescue and advocacy on behalf of the threatened Ethiopian Jewish community in Ethiopia and Sudan, leading to the successful immigration of the Ethiopian community to Israel through Operation Solomon in 1991.
"We're proud to take this opportunity to acknowledge Nate and Randy Shapiro for their support and continued dedication to the brave men and women of the Israel Defense Forces, and unwavering commitment to the state of Israel," said Tamir Oppenheim, Midwest Director of the Friends of the IDF.
Architect of a highly successful brokerage firm, SF Investments, Nate was a dear friend of “Moe,” late husband of Goldin Institute founder, Diane Goldin. When he took over as AAEJ President in 1982, Nate stepped up the organization’s political advocacy as well as its direct relief efforts inside Ethiopia. AAEJ had been founded in 1969 to launch a public campaign for Ethiopian Jews, who faced discrimination and dire poverty within Ethiopia and had dreamed of emigrating to Israel since the founding of the state in 1948. Nate organized the U.S. Congressional Caucus for Ethiopian Jews, which negotiated with the governments of Ethiopia, the United States and Israel, and eventually won the backing of U.S. President George H. Bush, who personally convinced the government of Sudan to cooperate with Operation Moses and Operation Joshua, airlifts which finally brought tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel.
From 1989 to 1991, the AAEJ facilitated the departure of Ethiopian Jews, known as the Beta Israel, from over 300 villages in the Ethiopian provinces of Gondar and Tigray to the capital of Addis Ababa. AAEJ then provided them with food, housing and medical care while Nate and other members of AAEJ’s leadership played a key role in the political conversations. Finally, in May, 1991, the Israeli government launched Operation Solomon, the largest single departure of Ethiopian Jews.
Its mission complete, the AAEJ was disbanded in 1993. However, Nate continues to work with Ethiopian Israelis – both the immigrants as well as their descendants – through Friends of Ethiopian Jews, an organization founded in 1998 to support grassroots organizations working for full integration and successful absorption.
Author Ethan Michaeli Joins Team as Senior Advisor
I am proud to welcome a new colleague to the Goldin Institute, Ethan Michaeli, as a Senior Advisor for Communications and Development. Ethan is an award-winning investigative journalist, educator and former executive director of a not-for-profit organization in Chicago that focused on citizen journalism.
Most recently, Ethan is the author of “The Defender: How the Legendary Black Newspaper Changed America,” named a best book of 2016 by The New York Times, The Washington Post and Amazon, and praised by Brent Staples of The New York Times as “a towering achievement that will not be soon forgotten.”
[quote]“I feel honored to be asked to contribute to the work of the Goldin Institute, who have created a uniquely ethical and effective model for collaborating with grassroots organizations around the world. Goldin’s partners in marginalized communities around the world have stories that need to be heard. I plan to help amplify these voices through our own media as well as through traditional outlets.”[/quote]
- Ethan Michaeli, Senior Advisor
Ethan’s book, “The Defender,” is the first comprehensive history of the newspaper, which was founded in 1905 and developed a national reputation by investigating lynching and other abuses of the Jim Crow segregation system. As a national communications vehicle for Black America, The Defender fostered the Great Migration of millions of African Americans from the South to the cities of the North, negotiated the integration of the U.S. Armed Forces, and primed the pump for the civil rights movement.
Ethan was inspired to write “The Defender” by his own tenure as a copy editor and reporter at the newspaper from 1991 to 1996, when he covered criminal justice, politics, environmental issues and public housing. At the time, the newspaper was still owned by John H. Sengstacke, nephew of the founder, who had engaged with presidents going back to Franklin Delano Roosevelt and remained an influential figure in city politics. Many other legendary staff members were still there too, reporters who had covered the murder of Emmett Till and the 1963 March on Washington as well as the entertainment editor who had discovered the Jackson 5. Ethan was transformed by the experience, gaining a new understanding of race in America and the essential role of media in a democratic society.
After five and one half years, Ethan left The Defender to found Residents’ Journal, a magazine written and produced by the tenants of Chicago’s public housing developments, and an affiliated not-for-profit organization, We The People Media. The high-rise public housing complexes, Cabrini Green, Robert Taylor Homes and many others, were internationally infamous as places that concentrated poverty and criminality, but beyond the public perception, the reality was that the developments were an important source of affordable housing for the city’s low-income African American families, mainly women with young children living on incomes of less than $10,000 per year. With a staff of full-time and freelance writers, editors and photographers drawn from the tenant population, Residents’ Journal chronicled the final years of the high-rises from the perspective of those who lived there.
In 19 years of operation, more than 5,000 adults and youths received training and employment through Residents’ Journal/We The People Media’s journalism programs, which won grants from national foundations including the Ford Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as well as national awards for its investigative journalism, including the 2006 Studs Terkel Award.
In addition to “The Defender,” Ethan’s work has been published by Atlantic Magazine, Oxford University Press, the Nation, the Forward, In These Times and the Chicago Tribune, among other venues. His next book, “Twelve Tribes: Promise and Peril in the New Israel,” will be published by Custom House Books in 2019.
A native of Rochester, NY, Ethan earned a degree in English Language and Literature from the College at the University of Chicago in 1989. Ethan served as a member of the part-time journalism faculty at Columbia College Chicago from 1995-2002.
Ethan plans to use his writing skills and experience in the world of philanthropy to help the Goldin Institute broadcast the accomplishments of our partners, enhance our public profile, and expand programming.
Celebrating the First Anniversary of YOLRED
Greetings from Gulu, Uganda! On behalf of my colleagues here at Youth Leaders for Restoration and Development (YOLRED), I’m happy to share an update to our partners around the world.
Developing this report gave us a chance to reflect on the first anniversary of the launch of YOLRED that we celebrated in August. We have been reflecting on the relevancy of our programs and identifying what works well and what does not work well as a reintegration strategy for the war affected community. We hope that sharing our journey will help others who are working on issues affecting the former child combatants.
This attached report focuses on our activities of the past few months, but we will share a full report with the network at the end of the year. Watch the next newsletter for that report which will include information about a big event we are hosting in our community in Mid-December.
Thank you to our partners around the world who have been following the work of YOLRED. We hope you will share the work that YOLRED is in doing to directly address issues affecting ex-child-combatants. As the only organization designed and run by former combatants, YOLRED stands as an example that we returnees can contribute positively to our communities.
In the attached report, you will learn about our progress over the past few month in providing support to former combatants. The progress is hard-earned, as the young people we support face serious difficulties:
- Many children born in captivity have no trace of their family, and consequently no sense of identity or belonging.
- Many of these children do not go to school because their parents can’t pay fees or no parent to pay.
- Female ex-combatants are face additional stigma because of being associated with LRA atrocities and sexual abuse.
- There is a consistent low economic status for former combatants.
- Rejection and social stigmatization endure for returning fighters.
A participant in our programs, Lakot Jackline, sadly has to deal with many of these difficulties. Jackline was abducted as a child during the civil conflict with the LRA, but is now 39. The incredible trauma of her past and the stigma she faces today is compounded by her HIV positive status, making it very difficult to raise and care for her nine children.
Despite these difficulties, former combatants have made some great progress at the YOLRED center. She has benefitted greatly for our new music therapy programs which offers her a chance to heal and connect with others. In addition to Jackline, we recently helped two brothers who had been estranged to reconcile through our ESPERE forgiveness and reconciliation program.
In addition to our programs here in Gulu, I was able to share the tools and methods of YOLRED with a global audience this year. This spring, I travelled with my colleague Arach Janet to participate in the 5th International Forum of the Global Network of Religions for Children as part of a delegation led by Goldin Institute Founder Diane Goldin.
As the only organization designed and run by former combatants, YOLRED stands as an example that we returnees can contribute positively to our communities. Thank you to our partners around the world who have been following the work of YOLRED. We hope you will support and share the work that YOLRED is in doing to directly address issues affecting ex-child-combatants.
READ THE FULL REPORT
Board Spotlight: Nathan Shapiro
Nathan Shapiro was a dear friend of “Moe,” the late husband of Goldin Institute founder, Diane Goldin. “When he passed away he left behind a very intelligent woman who wanted to do good,” recalls Shapiro. “Diane was always out there. She had the energy and support, but also didn’t want to seek credit for what she was doing. She just wanted to make the world better. When people have money, they become accustomed to a certain life and don’t want to give up. Diane, she gives everything.”
“Giving everything” is a commitment with which Nathan Shapiro is well acquainted. Involved as a mentor and supporter to Diane Goldin and the founding team of Goldin Institute, Nathan Shapiro is an iconic figure in the Chicago community and internationally, both as the architect of a highly successful brokerage firm, SF Investments, as well as for his long-time advocacy and support of the Jewish community in Ethiopia. Suffering under brutal oppression and famine-like conditions in the 1970’s and ‘80s, 14,000 Ethiopian Jews were airlifted to Israel in 1991 as part of the historic relief effort “Operation Solomon,” which Nathan and Moe spearheaded.
Frank Cohen, a friend of Shapiro for more than 50 years and fellow Goldin Institute board member, reflects:
[quote]Nate is one of the most well-respected people whom I have ever known. He goes about doing things for others with no mention or fanfare. He only wants to help others out of a sense of humanity.[/quote]
Two years after the airlift, Nathan left his position as president of the American Association for Ethiopian Jews (AAEJ) and later became president of Friends of Ethiopian Jews (FEJ), which he still leads. As his eldest son, Steve, shared:
[quote]Our father has always forged his own path. He knew what was right and didn’t seek approval. For whatever reason, the plight of Ethiopian Jews was not being addressed, and so he made them his mission.[/quote]
As a recognized authority on humanitarian assistance and relief in crises, Nathan Shapiro has brought a critical depth of understanding and detail to Goldin Institute’s international efforts since becoming an inaugural board member upon the organization’s launch.
When asked what keeps him engaged in the organization since his role in the founding of the organization, Nathan shared:
[quote]The Goldin Institute has a great network for going into the most impoverished areas and doing essential community organizing, like what’s happened with the clean water project in the Philippines. Diane, Travis (Rejman) and their partners go out and connect with local people to talk about the changes which need to happen and how they can do it. Assisting (former) child soldiers in Uganda, mobilizing communities to stop rape in Haiti, providing safe drinking water in the Philippines...the Goldin Institute really puts its ideas into action.[/quote]
Though he hasn’t had the opportunity yet to make any field visits to Goldin Institute global associates, Nathan has been a consistent cheerleader and advisor to to the leadership team, and Diane.
“Nathan has been a mentor to me and is one of the most generous men I’ve ever met,” marvels Diane Goldin. “Nathan has expressed pride in our efforts, accomplishing so much with limited resources. Since our very founding, Nathan has been a great friend to the Goldin Institute.”
We are honored to have Nathan Shapiro on our Board and thankful for his deep wisdom and insight as well as his generous support and dedication to our mission.
Major Foundation Support for Philippines Water Project
We are pleased to share that the Goldin Institute has received a $20,000 grant from the Lush Cosmetics Charitable Foundation to support our work in the Philippines.
With this grant, the Goldin Institute will be able to expand the safe drinking water project to an additional sixteen schools in Mindanao, estimated to reach more than 3,680 students. To help raise awareness about the Goldin Institute’s work, Lush Cosmetics has also agreed to provide information about the project on their website and on select product packaging.
This support will be a major boost for our work in the Philippines, which recently marked a significant milestone by serving over 40,000 students at 113 schools in Mindanao. As you know, this work is critical in a region where over 70% of the population lives without reliable access to safe water.
The Goldin Institute is proud to parther with the Lush Foundation, a philanthropic leader in supporting grassroots driven social change.
Please join us in thanking the Lush Foundation Charity Pot program for their generous support!