Feminist economy is a proposal and a strategy for international grassroots feminism movement building. The principles and key concepts of feminist economy were discussed in the previous two sessions at the Berta Cáceres International Feminist Organizing School. The synthesis of this accumulated elaborations was introduced on the video below on June 21st, to inspire participants to continue the conversation.
The working groups were called to create a collective drawing about the organization of territories for the sustainability of life. Drawing something together is a common activity often adopted by methodologies of grassroots feminist education to express syntheses and exercise other forms of expression. Doing this online was a challenge that the groups took on with creativity and imagination. “Do we want to draw a web or a spiral to represent the processes that sustain life?” They soon agreed that it could be a spiraling web.
The drawings and presentations of the groups point out that, when we organize our territories with life at the center, our political imagination expands, as well as our emancipatory horizons.
“Putting life on center stage” is not an abstract thing to do. It’s the lives that are rooted in territories and communities. It’s human beings and nature. Participants underscored the diversities of economic forms and ways of living that we want to sustain. Different forms of knowledge, worldviews, and ancestral origins are acknowledged and passed on from generation to generation, as part of community organizing, education, and a collective thinking that is continuously moving.
A territory for the sustainability of life redistributes care, acknowledges interdependence with respect and freedom, making it a collective effort, supported by public funds and carried out in shared spaces. The principle of ecodependence, nature and its elements—fire, air, earth, and water—are included in the drawings. They feature borderless territories and spaces, where rural and urban areas are closer and connected to each other. In them, self-management produces food, clothes, and materials; markets are built based on reciprocity, solidarity, and complementariness, and work is not alienated.
They are territories where politics is done differently, based on people power, feminist awareness, direct democracy, and assemblies to decide what’s important to sustain life. Other forms of restorative justice and accountability are created and put into practice. Our gender nonconforming bodies and sexualities are visible. The groups placed respect, equality, love, and desire at the center, as principles and practices for a dignified life free of violence. The time for leisure, conviviality, music and play, for the bonfire and festivities, all that are part of territories that are organized for the sustainability of life.
This exercise toward a synthesis drew attention to our starting points: our everyday lives and our knowledge. As women and nonbinary people in movement, we know that putting together this emancipatory horizon organizes us for the struggle in the palpable conditions we experience, with all the challenges it entails. Reclaiming body-earth territories, collective property, regeneration of vital spaces that have been polluted, hoarded, or desertified, dismantling corporate power, and reclaiming peace are conditions that can make this change possible.
We talked about transition and revolution. About the need to build collective, plural, and empowered subjects, to wage this battle, breaking free from the shackles and knots of capital power. We situated this articulation in building counter-hegemony, and we acknowledged that there are many different pathways and contexts toward it. There are no fixed formulas in feminist economy, but rather principles to be put in motion by collective subjects.
We understand the big challenges posed to build the changes we aim to make, and we acknowledge how powerful this system of domination is. But when we look at what we have built in terms of proposals, experiences and organization, values and ideas, we definitely find the strength that only the collective struggle can give us.
Our local struggles, resistance in our territories, and concrete experiences are interconnected with our big mobilizations, the struggles against transnational corporations, against free trade, against the war. What connects different struggles is the sense of what we want: to dismantle this system and its logic of accumulation and domination, and to put the sustainability of life at the center of the organization of society, with solidarity and reciprocity. There should not be a contradiction between our vision for the rupture toward a different model (society) and proposals for a transition. Our concrete experiences that are built based on the sustainability of life give us the elements and principles to guide our proposals for a transition. They strengthen our work to demercantilize life and build the commons. This requires other forms of organizing ourselves in our communities, but also in states and regions, in connection with people power and the pursuit of emancipation. This is why, when we look at our collective drawings, we see the web that sustains life being woven as a spiraling web, because we think about horizontality, not hierarchies. Building this allows us to conceive other horizons of freedom and pleasure.
“We have a proposal, we need movement”
On June 22nd, the School started its final stretch of political education activities, focused on movement building. This discussion started by looking back at the elements and challenges that have been discussed in the past three months as we came together for this international feminist education effort. Our sisters from Cuba Marilys Zaya and Yohanka León del Río introduced a synthesis of this elaborations we have accumulated over time.
They pointed out that the task to build a grassroots feminist movement is posed with internal challenges regarding the dynamics and workings of our movements. Our diversity and pluralism are a fortress, and they become stronger as we face relations of inequality, hierarchies, invisibilities, and violence in political processes. From our organizations, we present to society visions and battles to promote a systemic change that puts life on center stage.
Our movements focus on building struggles in alliance, in which solidarity is a principle and practice. Political education, from a grassroots feminist education perspective, articulates intergenerational challenges and becomes more powerful with alliances between trans, cis, and gender noncomforming people and movements. We become stronger as our education carries an emancipatory sense, revitalizes Indigenous languages and worldviews. Grassroots feminist communication is strategic for the connections between our organization and the battle between projects for society. The forms of communicating face the challenge of putting critique into practice and building technological sovereignty.
One of the facilitiators of this session, Carmen Diaz, of the World March of Women Mexico, underscored all the militant work that is necessary to build grassroots feminism, pointing out the lessons that were learned at the School. We learned to build syntheses by recording and listening to the working groups, we were dedicated to facilitating the building of common knowledge, we learned about technology tools that most of us were not familiar with, and we understood how language justice is strategic for global movement building. All this collective work and energy sustains our movements.
Carmen highlighted that our history and memory allow us to resist and care for ourselves collective. The meaning of what we are building is connected: it strengthens our movements to strengthen our alternatives. When we build our alternatives, we also strengthen our movements. We build grassroots organizing from our knowledge and everyday lives, and this is fundamental to break free from the systems of oppression.
Back to the groups, we were tasked to identify the challenges and proposals for movement building from the territories, with a global perspective. The conversation was around the pandemic and post-pandemic contexts; the rise of the far right and religious groups to power; the fragmentation of social movements; the development of a strategic perspective in face of the co-optation by states, by the agendas of the United Nations, and international coperation; the criminalization and violence that weakens the defense and reclaiming of body-earth territories; the replication of oppressions within movements.
Another facilitator of this session, Sandra Moran, of the WMW Guatemala and a School coordinator with the GGJ, discussed elements for the syntheses of the conversation. She pointed out how important it is to have a political culture that acknowledges us in our diversities, as well as in different contexts where we are in movement, which are where our perspectives and proposals are situated.
This situated diversity enrichens and strenghtens us as international movements, and poses us the challenge of building bridges and syntheses that are capable of overcoming differences and moving forward in common and shared struggles. We also have to tackle hierarchies within movements, as a political culture of “unlearning what divides us,” acknowledging different contributions and tasks, perspectives, and generations that build our movements.
Another challenge is about developing our spiritualities, acknowledging that different cosmogonies, worldviews, and spiritualities are forces to move forward, as part of our efforts to face the religious fundamentalism that affects us around the world as well.
We talked about creating political education processes, especially about how central this is when it happens in street mobilizations and in building tactics and strategies for our movements. It’s about building grassroots feminist power, capable of expanding democracy in different countries, territories, and our movements too.
The strength of grassroots feminism comes from this daily contribution from so many and all women and nonbinary people who have dedicated their lives to change.
Uchumi wa wanawake ni pendekezo na mkakati wa ujenzi wa harakati ya kimataifa ya wanawake. Kanuni na dhana muhimu za uchumi wa wanawake zilijadiliwa katika vikao viwili vya awali katika Shule ya Kimataifa ya Kupanga Wanawake ya Berta Cáceres. Mkusanyiko wa maelezo haya yaliyokusanywa ulionyeshwa kwenye video hapa chini mnamo Juni 21, ili kuhamasisha washiriki kuendelea na mazungumzo. Vikundi vya kazi vilipewa wito wa kuunda mchoro wa pamoja kuhusu shirika la maeneo kwa ajili ya uendelevu wa maisha. Kuunganisha kitu pamoja ni shughuli ya kawaida ambayo mara nyingi huchukuliwa na mbinu za elimu ya wanawake ya msingi ili kuelezea syntheses na kutekeleza aina zingine za kujieleza. Kufanya hili mtandaoni ilikuwa changamoto ambayo vikundi vilichukua kwa ubunifu na mawazo. "Je, tunataka kuchora mtandao au mzunguko ili kuwakilisha michakato ambayo hutegemeza maisha?" Wilikubaliana hivi karibuni kwamba inaweza kuwa mtandao mzunguko. Michoro na maonyesho ya makundi yanaonyesha kwamba, tunapopanga maeneo yetu kwa maisha katikati, mawazo yetu ya kisiasa yanaongezeka, pamoja na upeo wetu wa uhuru. <unk>Kuweka maisha katikati ya jukwaa<unk> si jambo lisilo la kawaida kufanya. Ni maisha ambayo yana mizizi katika maeneo na jamii. Ni wanadamu na asili. Washiriki walikazia utofauti wa aina za kiuchumi na njia za maisha ambazo tunataka kudumisha. Aina tofauti za maarifa, maoni ya ulimwengu, na asili ya mababu zinatambuliwa na kupitishwa kutoka kizazi hadi kizazi, kama sehemu ya shirika la jamii, elimu, na mawazo ya pamoja ambayo yanaendelea kusonga. Eneo la uendelevu wa maisha linagawanya huduma, linatambua kutegemeana kwa heshima na uhuru, na kuifanya iwe juhudi ya pamoja, iliyoungwa mkono na fedha za umma na kufanywa katika nafasi za pamoja. Kanuni ya ecodependence, asili na vipengele vyake - moto, hewa, ardhi, na maji - ni pamoja na katika michoro. Wao kuonyesha maeneo na nafasi borderless, ambapo maeneo ya vijijini na mijini ni karibu zaidi na kushikamana na kila mmoja. Katika hizo, usimamizi wa kibinafsi hutengeneza chakula, mavazi, na vifaa; masoko yanajengwa kwa msingi wa ushirikiano, mshikamano, na utimilifu, na kazi haijitenganishi. Ni maeneo ambapo siasa hufanywa kwa njia tofauti, kulingana na nguvu ya watu, ufahamu wa wanawake, demokrasia ya moja kwa moja, na makusanyiko kuamua nini ni muhimu kudumisha maisha. Aina nyingine za haki ya kurudisha na uwajibikaji huundwa na kutekelezwa. Miili yetu isiyo ya jinsia na ngono zetu zinaonekana. Vikundi hivyo viliweka heshima, usawa, upendo, na tamaa katikati, kama kanuni na mazoea ya maisha yenye heshima bila jeuri. Wakati wa burudani, ushirika, muziki na kucheza, kwa moto na sherehe, yote ambayo ni sehemu ya maeneo ambayo ni kupangwa kwa ajili ya uendelevu wa maisha. Zoezi hili kuelekea synthesis lilivuta uangalifu kwa vituo vyetu vya kuanzia: maisha yetu ya kila siku na maarifa yetu. Kama wanawake na watu wasio na ubaguzi katika harakati, tunajua kwamba kuweka pamoja upeo huu wa uhuru hutupanga kwa mapambano katika hali za dhahiri tunazokutana nazo, na changamoto zote zinazohusisha. "Kutaka kurudisha maeneo ya mwili-ardhi, mali ya pamoja, kuzalisha upya nafasi muhimu ambazo zimechafuliwa, kuhifadhiwa, au kutengwa, kuondoa nguvu za ushirika, na kurudisha amani ni hali ambazo zinaweza kufanya mabadiliko haya iwezekanavyo. """ Tulizungumza juu ya mabadiliko na mapinduzi. Kuhusu uhitaji wa kujenga watu wa pamoja, wengi, na wenye nguvu, ili kupigana vita hivi, na kujikomboa kutoka kwa minyororo na vifungo vya nguvu za mtaji. """Tunazingatia kuwa ni muhimu kujenga upinzani wa hegemony na tunatambua kuwa kuna njia nyingi tofauti na muktadha kuelekea hilo." Hakuna formula zilizowekwa katika uchumi wa wanawake, bali kanuni ambazo zinapaswa kuanzishwa na watu wa pamoja. Tunaelewa changamoto kubwa zinazowekwa ili kujenga mabadiliko tunayojaribu kufanya, na tunatambua jinsi mfumo huu wa kutawala unavyo nguvu. Lakini tunapoangalia kile ambacho tumejenga katika suala la mapendekezo, uzoefu na shirika, maadili na mawazo, kwa hakika tunapata nguvu ambayo mapambano ya pamoja tu yanaweza kutupa. Mapambano yetu ya ndani, upinzani katika maeneo yetu, na uzoefu halisi ni interconnected na mobilizations yetu kubwa, mapambano dhidi ya makampuni ya kimataifa, dhidi ya biashara huru, dhidi ya vita. "Kile kinachohusiana mapambano tofauti ni hisia ya kile tunachotaka: kuharibu mfumo huu na mantiki yake ya mkusanyiko na utawala, na kuweka uendelevu wa maisha katikati ya shirika la jamii, kwa mshikamano na ushirikiano. """ Haipaswi kuwa na utata kati ya maono yetu ya kuvunjika kuelekea mfano tofauti (jamii) na mapendekezo ya mpito. Majaribio yetu halisi ambayo yamejengwa kwa msingi wa uendelevu wa maisha yanatupa vipengele na kanuni za kuongoza mapendekezo yetu ya mpito. Wao kuimarisha kazi yetu ya demercantilize maisha na kujenga commons. Hii inahitaji aina nyingine za kujipanga katika jamii zetu, lakini pia katika majimbo na mikoa, kuhusiana na nguvu za watu na utafutaji wa ukombozi. "Hii ndiyo sababu, tunapoangalia michoro yetu ya pamoja, tunaona mtandao ambao hutegemeza maisha ukiwa umefungwa kama mtandao wa mviringo, kwa sababu tunafikiria juu ya usawa, sio safu ya cheo.""" Kujenga hii inaruhusu sisi kufikiri horizons nyingine ya uhuru na furaha. "Tuna pendekezo, tunahitaji harakati"" Juni 22, Shule ilianza sehemu yake ya mwisho ya shughuli za elimu ya kisiasa, ililenga kujenga harakati." """Mjadala huu umeanza kwa kuangalia nyuma kwenye mambo na changamoto ambazo zimezungumziwa katika miezi mitatu iliyopita wakati tulipokusanyika kwa juhudi hii ya kimataifa ya elimu ya wanawake." Dada zetu kutoka Cuba Marilys Zaya na Yohanka León del Río walianzisha mchanganyiko wa maelezo haya ambayo tumekusanya kwa muda. """Jukumu la kujenga harakati ya wanawake ya msingi lina changamoto za ndani kuhusu mienendo na utendaji wa harakati zetu." """Utofauti wetu na ubaguzi ni ngome, na zinakuwa na nguvu zaidi tunapokabiliwa na mahusiano ya ukosefu wa usawa, uongozi, kutoonekana na vurugu katika michakato ya kisiasa." Kutoka kwa mashirika yetu, tunatoa kwa jamii maono na mapambano ili kukuza mabadiliko ya mfumo ambayo huweka maisha katikati ya jukwaa. Harakati zetu zinazingatia kujenga mapambano katika muungano, ambapo mshikamano ni kanuni na mazoezi. """Mafundisho ya kisiasa, kutoka kwa mtazamo wa elimu ya wanawake, yanaelezea changamoto za kizazi na inakuwa na nguvu zaidi na muungano kati ya watu na harakati za transgender, cis, na jinsia." Tunakuwa na nguvu zaidi wakati elimu yetu inabeba hisia ya ukombozi, inaamsha lugha za asili na maoni ya ulimwengu. Mawasiliano ya msingi ya wanawake ni ya kimkakati kwa uhusiano kati ya shirika letu na vita kati ya miradi kwa jamii. Aina za kuwasiliana inakabiliwa na changamoto ya kuweka ukosoaji katika mazoezi na kujenga uhuru wa kiteknolojia. Carmen Diaz, Mkurugenzi wa Maandamano ya Wanawake ya Dunia Mexico, alisema kuwa ni muhimu sana kujenga utamaduni wa wanawake wa msingi na kuelezea masomo yaliyopatikana katika Shule hiyo. Tulijifunza kujenga mchanganyiko kwa kurekodi na kusikiliza vikundi vya kazi, tulijitolea kuwezesha ujenzi wa maarifa ya kawaida, tulijifunza juu ya zana za teknolojia ambazo wengi wetu hatukujua, na tulielewa jinsi haki ya lugha ni ya kimkakati kwa ujenzi wa harakati ya kimataifa. Kazi yote hii ya pamoja na nishati hutegemeza harakati zetu. Carmen alisisitiza kwamba historia yetu na kumbukumbu huturuhusu kupinga na kujitunza sisi wenyewe kwa pamoja. Maana ya kile tunachokijenga inahusiana: inaimarisha harakati zetu ili kuimarisha mbadala zetu. Tunapojenga mbadala wetu, pia tunaimarisha harakati zetu. Tunahitaji kuunda utaratibu wa msingi kutoka kwa maarifa yetu na maisha ya kila siku, na hii ni ya msingi ya kujikomboa kutoka kwa mifumo ya ukandamizaji. """Kurejea kwenye makundi, tulipewa jukumu la kutambua changamoto na mapendekezo ya kujenga harakati kutoka maeneo, kwa mtazamo wa kimataifa." Mazungumzo yalikuwa karibu na muktadha wa janga na baada ya janga; kuongezeka kwa haki ya juu na vikundi vya kidini kwa mamlaka; kugawanyika kwa harakati za kijamii; maendeleo ya mtazamo wa kimkakati katika kukabiliana na ushirikiano na mataifa, na ajenda za Umoja wa Mataifa, na ushirikiano wa kimataifa; uhalifu na vurugu ambazo hupunguza ulinzi na kurudisha maeneo ya mwili-ardhi; kuiga kwa ukandamizaji ndani ya harakati. Mkurugenzi wa mkutano huo, Sandra Moran, kutoka WMW Guatemala na mratibu wa Shule na GGJ, alizungumzia mambo ya kuunganisha mazungumzo. """Ni muhimu kuwa na utamaduni wa kisiasa ambao unatukubali katika utofauti wetu, na pia katika muktadha tofauti ambapo tuko katika harakati, ambayo ni mahali ambapo mtazamo wetu na mapendekezo yako." """Utofauti huu wa mazingira unatutajirisha na kututia nguvu kama harakati za kimataifa na kutupatia changamoto ya kujenga madaraja na syntheses ambayo yana uwezo wa kushinda tofauti na kusonga mbele katika mapambano ya kawaida na ya pamoja." "Tunapaswa pia kukabiliana na utaratibu wa uongozi ndani ya harakati, kama utamaduni wa kisiasa wa ""kujifunza kile kinachotutofautisha,"" kukiri michango tofauti na kazi, mitazamo, na vizazi vinavyojenga harakati zetu." "Tatizo lingine ni kuhusu kuendeleza kiroho yetu, kukiri kwamba cosmogonies tofauti, maoni ya ulimwengu, na kiroho ni nguvu za kusonga mbele, kama sehemu ya juhudi zetu za kukabiliana na fundamentalism ya kidini ambayo inatuathiri duniani kote pia. """ """Tunazungumzia kuhusu kuunda mchakato wa elimu ya kisiasa, hasa kuhusu jinsi hii inavyokuwa muhimu wakati inatokea katika harakati za mitaani na katika kujenga mbinu na mikakati kwa ajili ya harakati zetu." Ni kuhusu kujenga nguvu ya wanawake wa msingi, uwezo wa kupanua demokrasia katika nchi tofauti, maeneo, na harakati zetu pia. Nguvu ya feminism ya msingi inatokana na mchango huu wa kila siku kutoka kwa wanawake wengi na watu wote ambao wamejitolea maisha yao kubadilisha.