Women Reform, Resistance and RevolutionDr. June Terpstra

2010

Reform, Resistance and Revolution

• Reform: Making things better within an existing structure or system.

• Resistance: Fighting injustices and oppression

• Revolution: Far-reaching and drastic change especially in economic systems and ideas about relationships with ourselves, others and the planet.  

Reform, Resistance, Revolution?

Women’s Suppressed History

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at7DN-Inwzg&feature=player_embedded

• Veleda of the Bructerii (Netherlands), Dahia al-Kahina (Tunisia), the Kumari of Taleju (Nepal), Jeanne d'Arc (France), Tang Saier (China), Juana Icha (Peru), Kimba Vita (Congo), Maria Candelaria (Chiapas), Queen Nanny of the Maroons (Jamaica), Cécile Fatiman (Haiti), Antonia Luzia (Brazil), Toypurina (Tongva Nation, California), the Prophetess of Chupu (Chumash Nation), Wanankhucha (Somalia), Lozen (Apache Nation), Teresa de Cabora (Mayo, Sonora), Nehanda Nyakasikana (Zimbabwe), Muhumusa (Uganda), Nomtetha Nkwenkwe (!Xhosa, South Africa), Alinesitoué Diatta (Senegal). And more.

Resistance fighter, Maria Candalaria

• She organized the 1712 Maya rebellion of Chiapas. 

Women Warriors and Shamens

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDpnit6jU-w&feature=player_embedded

• Boudicca was queen of the Iceni people of Eastern England and led a major uprising against occupying Roman forces.

Reformers: Examples• Name: Jane Addams • Date of Birth: 1860 • Place of Birth:

Cedarville, Illinois • Date of Death: 1935 • Place of Death: Chicago,

Illinois • Jane Addams is remembered

primarily as a founder of the Settlement House Movement. 1889.

• She is also remembered as the first American Woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Reformers• Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862-1931) Ida B. Wells (1862-1931).

• African-American educator, newspaperwoman, anti-lynching campaigner, founder NAACP.

ResistanceResistance Resistance is Resistance is the action of the action of opposing opposing something something that you that you disapprove or disapprove or disagree disagree with. with.

Revolution Revolution doesn't happen doesn't happen without resistancewithout resistance

ResistanceResistance NzinghaNzingha (1592 - 1673)(1592 - 1673) Congo Warrior – Congo Warrior – QueenQueen

Fought the Fought the PortugesePortugese

RevolutionThe overthrow of a political system by the people A far-reaching and drastic change especially in

ideas  

A movement in a circle, orbit or rotation about an axis

 A cycle of successive events or changes Revolutionary ( n) A person who advocates or

engages in revolution

Patricia Daniels, IWDay

Overthrow of a political Overthrow of a political systemsystem

““I believe there exists today I believe there exists today no other reality like ours no other reality like ours in which, even with such in which, even with such serious limitations, each serious limitations, each of us feels we have an of us feels we have an obligation to society and obligation to society and tries to fulfil it with tries to fulfil it with imagination and a sense imagination and a sense of humour.”of humour.”

Nora Astorga, Nora Astorga, Nicaragua, 1988Nicaragua, 1988

Leila Khaled Leila Khaled

Long-time Long-time activist and activist and Central Central Committee member Committee member of the Popular of the Popular Front for the Front for the Liberation of Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Palestine (PFLP)

Far Reaching and Drastic Far Reaching and Drastic ChangeChange

Huda ShaawariHuda Shaawari (1879 - 1947)(1879 - 1947) Harem Years, The Harem Years, The

Memoirs of an Memoirs of an Egyptian FeministEgyptian Feminist

The 13 Indigenous The 13 Indigenous GrandmothersGrandmothers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKGXpK8LXR4

Women in the American Women in the American Indian MovementIndian Movement

One young mixed Lakota Sioux and white activist, Mary Brave Bird, even gave birth at Wounded Knee as “a symbol of renewal, a tiny symbol, a tiny victory in our people’s struggle for survival.”

Native American women have fought since their first interactions with white invaders for their rights and will continue to do so within whatever women’s/indigenous/women of color framework they choose. “Like women everywhere, indigenous women do not want others defining for them what it means to be a woman.”

Revolutionary ( n) A person who Revolutionary ( n) A person who advocates or engages in advocates or engages in

fundamental systemic changefundamental systemic change Mariana Grajales Mariana Grajales PlatoonPlatoon

Brigadier Brigadier General Teté General Teté Puebla, the Puebla, the highest-ranking highest-ranking woman in Cuba's woman in Cuba's Revolutionary Revolutionary Armed Forces.Armed Forces.

Cuba’s Revolutionary Cuba’s Revolutionary womenwomen

Celia SanchezCelia Sanchez Fidel Castro Fidel Castro called Celia called Celia Sanchez “the Sanchez “the greatest guerrilla greatest guerrilla fighter and the fighter and the most outstanding most outstanding leader of the leader of the Cuban Revolution.” Cuban Revolution.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=058CusQ2CKY

Statistics from CubaStatistics from CubaFemale life expectancy: 80 years Female life expectancy: 80 years (Caribbean: 75, US: 80)(Caribbean: 75, US: 80)

Skilled attendance during childbirth: 99.9% Skilled attendance during childbirth: 99.9% (Caribbean: 87.9%, US 99.0%)(Caribbean: 87.9%, US 99.0%)

Infant mortalityInfant mortality per 100,000 live births: 5.8 per 100,000 live births: 5.8 (Caribbean: 24.8, US: 7.0)(Caribbean: 24.8, US: 7.0)

Pan American Health Organisation 2005Pan American Health Organisation 2005

Cuban Women’s Cuban Women’s participationparticipation

Doctors 51% Doctors 51%

Scientists 53%Scientists 53%

Judges Judges 49% 49%

Politicians 43%Politicians 43%

Patricia Daniels, IW DayPatricia Daniels, IW Day

rev · o · lu · tion · ar · yrev · o · lu · tion · ar · y 1. 1. -Adj.-Adj. “having a major “having a major

or sudden impact or sudden impact causing a complete or causing a complete or marked change; marked change; “radically new or “radically new or innovative; outside or innovative; outside or beyond established beyond established procedure and procedure and principles.”principles.”

2. 2. -Noun-Noun “a person who “a person who actively participates, actively participates, engages in, or engages in, or advocates a advocates a revolution.”revolution.”

http://iamrevolutionary.org/http://iamrevolutionary.org/

More Revolutionary womenMore Revolutionary women Boudica, Britain Harriet Tubman, the U.S Emma Goldman,

USA/Russia Emmeline Pankhurst,

Britain Vilma Lucila Espín,

Cuba  Phoolan Devi, India Assata Shakur, USA/Cuba

Mary Wollstonecraft, Britain

Jiang Qing, China Nadezhda Krupskaya,

Russia Joan of Arc, France

Social Justice is Social Justice is RevolutionaryRevolutionary

A fundamental principle of social A fundamental principle of social justice is to work for a world justice is to work for a world where the political and where the political and material conditions of freedom material conditions of freedom are secured for everyone. are secured for everyone.

Evil resides in the denial Evil resides in the denial of freedom. of freedom.

By their nature capitalism, By their nature capitalism, imperialism, fascism, imperialism, fascism, totalitarianism, militarism, totalitarianism, militarism, globalism, patriarchy and organized globalism, patriarchy and organized religions structure inequalities religions structure inequalities economically and socially deprive economically and socially deprive and divide people on the basis of and divide people on the basis of class, sex, race, and creed.  class, sex, race, and creed. 

When a resistance When a resistance group or revolution group or revolution does not adhere to does not adhere to the fundamental the fundamental principle to work for principle to work for a world where the a world where the political and political and material conditions material conditions of freedom are of freedom are secured for everyone, secured for everyone, people will continue people will continue to suffer injustice, to suffer injustice, inequality, inequality, exploitation and exploitation and oppression.  oppression. 

The structuring of freedom The structuring of freedom into a new society is no into a new society is no easy task and nothing can easy task and nothing can be proscribed.be proscribed.

  The conditions for The conditions for freedom are unique to each freedom are unique to each locale and culture and locale and culture and must be decided by the must be decided by the people concerned. This is people concerned. This is the essence of freedom, the essence of freedom, involving self-involving self-determination and determination and responsibility for the responsibility for the choices that are made and choices that are made and acted upon. acted upon.

If the project is not for the If the project is not for the freedom of all people than we must freedom of all people than we must not support the work, group, not support the work, group, organization, reform, resistance or organization, reform, resistance or revolutionary project. revolutionary project.

What are the principles of What are the principles of revolutionary revolutionary

relationships?  relationships?      Revolutionary relationships Revolutionary relationships are mediated through our common are mediated through our common commitment to shared goals and commitment to shared goals and values of a world that is values of a world that is structured to foster political structured to foster political and material freedom.  and material freedom. 

Recognition of each other as Recognition of each other as free and equal human beings in free and equal human beings in struggle.struggle.

If the goals and If the goals and values of a group values of a group are to rid a nation are to rid a nation of invaders, of invaders, occupiers and occupiers and despots it despots it necessarily follows necessarily follows that men and women that men and women must support each must support each others' projects as others' projects as equal self-equal self-determining human determining human beings rather than beings rather than determined beings determined beings based on creed, based on creed, culture and culture and gendergender.  . 

Women and men of all creeds and Women and men of all creeds and cultures are equally qualified to cultures are equally qualified to become guerrillas and guardians become guerrillas and guardians against injustice.  The standards against injustice.  The standards of equality, courage, strength and of equality, courage, strength and fortitude cannot be based on the fortitude cannot be based on the male body, the “American” entity, male body, the “American” entity, the “Christian spirit” or the the “Christian spirit” or the capitalist system.  capitalist system. 

All of our identities must All of our identities must be central to liberation be central to liberation

struggles struggles

I AM: Spoken Word Piece by Eric I AM: Spoken Word Piece by Eric MataMata

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8fRVvDhPxY

We are responsible for ensuring the We are responsible for ensuring the existence of the conditions of freedom for existence of the conditions of freedom for all the people: the women, the aged, the all the people: the women, the aged, the poor, the invaded, the occupied, the poor, the invaded, the occupied, the exploited, and the people of the world.  We exploited, and the people of the world.  We must learn our lessons from the past. My must learn our lessons from the past. My freedom is dependent on yours and yours freedom is dependent on yours and yours is dependent on mine.  This is the is dependent on mine.  This is the inescapable human bond.  inescapable human bond.  Dr. June Terpstra, 2010 Dr. June Terpstra, 2010

SourcesSources Lessons Learned Lessons Learned By June C. Terpstra By June C. Terpstra

http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/adda-jan.htm www.cracktwo.com/2009/10/wwii-women-in-fight.html

Patricia Daniels, Patricia Daniels, IWDayIWDay http://www.mediterraneas.org/article.php3?http://www.mediterraneas.org/article.php3?id_article=178id_article=178

http://www.cubainsideout.org/women/cuban_hereoines/Mariana_Grajales.shtml

http://iamrevolutionary.org/ Max Dashu Suppressed History ArchivesMax Dashu Suppressed History Archives