Del 9 al 16 de Junio se celebró en la Universidad de Nueva York, una serie de seminarios de la red de profesores de esa universidad que une a cientos de profesores de distintas universidades de Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico.  La presidenta de Melassa, catedrática de la Universidad de Puerto Rico del Recinto de Río Piedras, Karin Weyland asistió al seminaro de movimientos globales de mujeres dirigido por la Profesora Beverly Guy-Shefthall de Spelman College, directora del Centro de Recursos para la Mujer de esa universidad.  Fue un encuentro ameno entre 20 participantes, entre ellas decanas, profesoras, documentalistas y activistas del movimiento feminista que se reunieron a discutir las condiciones sociales de mujeres del mundo en la actualidad, desde mujeres latinas y afro-americanas hasta mujeres del Medio Oriente y Asia, y la relación entre el activismo y la academia. / During the week of June 9th - 16th, the New York University Faculty Resource Network took place, gathering hundreds of professors from different universities in the United States and Puerto Rico.  The president of Melassa, Karin Weyland, professor at the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras attended the seminar on global women´s movements coordinated by Professor Beverly Guy-Shefthall from Spelman College, director of the Women´s Resource Center at that university.  The seminar brought together about twenty participants, including deans, professors, documentarians and activists from the feminist movement who met to debate over issues regarding the social condition of women around the world today, including Latina women, Afro-American women, and women from Middle East and Asia. Discussions also addressed the relationship between academia and activism. 

Participants: Rosalee Martin from Huston-Tillotson University, Theresa Napson from Richard Stockton College of NJ, Jacqueline Phillips-Farr from Talladega College, Leslie Richardson from Xavier University of Louisiana, Anna Rocca from Pace University, Alma Vinyard from Clark Atlanta University, Pamela Waldron-Moore from Xavier University of Louisiana, Karin Weyland from University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, Steve Willis and Gwendolyn Bookman from Bennett College for Women, Kate Wittenstein from Gustavus Adolphus College, Blanca Borges from the University of Puerto Rico in Cayey, Karen Bouwer from University of San Francisco, Darcy Brandel and Patricia Kwasek from Marygrove College, Brenda Clark from Benedict College, Liliana Coto-Morales from University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Allison Francis from Chaminade University, Sonia Fritz from the University of Sacred Heart, and Nami Kim from Spellman College.

Como una de las actividades en la agenda del Seminario, la documentalista Sonia Fritz, profesora en Comunicaciones del Sagrado Corazón, presentó un trabajo en progreso sobre la migración mexicana, y Karin Weyland presentó el video-documental, "Congo Pá Tí: identidad afro-latina en la cultura dominicana".  La  Profesora Liliana Cotto del Departamento de Ciencias Sociales del Recinto de Río Piedras presentó un resumen de los movimientos sociales latinoamericanos y posibles sugerencias para estrechar más la relación entre el Foro Social y el movimiento feminista.  Además, las participantes hicieron una visita a UNIFEM, la agencia de las Naciones Unidas que se preocupa por el estatus de la mujer en el mundo.  / As one of the activities in the Seminar´s agenda, documentarian Sonia Fritz, Professor of Communications at the University of Sacred Heart presented her work in progress regarding Mexican migration, and Karin Weyland presented the video-documentary " Congo For You: Afro-Latina identity in Dominican culture".  Professor Liliana Cotto from the Social Science Department at the Rio Piedras Campus presented a summary of Latin American social movements and possible suggestions to link the Social Forum with the feminist movement.  Moreover, participants visited the UNIFEM office, the United Nations agency that deals with the status of women in the world. 

Visita a Unifem / Visit to Unifem

Como parte de las conferencistas invitadas tuvimos a  Michele Wallace de la Ciudad de Nueva York, Bahati Kuumba y Patricia McFadden, profesoras y activistas de Spelman College.  / We had Michele Wallace from New York City as a guest speaker, as well as Bahati Kuumba,  and Patricia McFadden, both professors and activists at Spelman College.

 

Al final del seminario, las/os participantes nos dividimos en grupo para discutir la elaboración de un programa de clase que integrara todos los elementos discutidos en el Seminario, tomando como referencia la lista de bibliografía que se discutió durante la semana de trabajo.  El grupo de Puerto Rico, Blanca Borges de la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Cayey, Sonia Fritz del Sagrado Corazón, Karin Weyland y Liliana Cotto de la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Río Piedras diseñaron un prontuario interdisciplinario sobre los movimientos globales de mujeres para enseñar en sus respectivas universidades.  Otro grupo formado por Patricia Kwaske, Brenda Armstrong Clark, Jacqueline Farr, y Kate Wittenstein diseñaron un plan de acción basado en las necesidades individuales y colectivas de cada una, e hicieron sugerencias para futuros procesos de colaboración (Ver más abajo ambos programas y el prontuario del Seminario) / At the end of the seminar, the participants divided themselves into groups in order to discuss the elaboration of a syllabi integrating most of the elements discussed in the seminar, and taking as a reference the body of work discussed throughout the week.  Our group from Puerto Rico, including Blanca Borges from the University of Puerto Rico in Cayey, Sonia Fritz from the Sacred Heart, and Karin Weyland and Liliana Cotto from the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras designed an interdisciplinary syllabi about women´s global movements to teach at their respective universities.  Another group that included Patricia Kwaske, Brenda Armstrong Clark, Jacqueline Farr, and Kate Wittenstein designed a program plan based on their individual and institutional needs and gave suggestions for future collaborative processes (See below for these programs as well as for the Syllaby of the Seminar).

Imágenes de nuestros debates durante el seminario y las presentaciones de grupo /
Images from our debates during the seminar and the groups´presentations

Como gran parte de las discusiones se centraron en la experiencia de la mujer negra en Estados Unidos, decidimos ir a ver el musical de Broadway, El Color Purpura, que dio una nota concordante a la experiencia vivida durante la semana. / As most of the discussions and presentations centered around the experience of Black women in the United States, we decided to go see the Broadway Musical, The Color Purple, that gave a special empowering ending to the experiences we had had throughout the week.

   

La profesora Allison Francis quien enseña en la Universidad de Chaminade en Hawai escribió y presentó un poema que reflejó el sentir de la clase y lo vivido en esa semana, particularmente el espacio de empodarmiento que surgió de forma orgánica, es decir de forma espontánea entre las participantes gracias a la dirección de Beverly Guy-Shefthall y la participación de cada uno/a de los/as presentes. /  Professor Allison Francis who teaches at Chaminade University in Hawai wrote and performed a poem reflecting the general classroom´s feeling and what we experienced thoughout the week, particularly the space of empowerment that emerged in an organic way, that is, in an spontaneous way among the participants, in part thanks to the guidance of Beverly Guy-Shefthall and the participation of everyone there.

Fed Up!

I am so tired of
    being

blonde/indian/cinnamon
negrita/burnt/yellow/pig-skinned
blanco/or just damned   blank!

Too tired to be
    disenfranchised  disempowered
    dispossessed of my human rights.

Shall I claim you as Sista

    across Carolingo Codes  saltwater
    routes  transnational divides
    within the ethno-feminist geographies
    of my mind?

Lord knows

I am Fed Up!  Fed Up!  Fed Up
 with little action in a conscious time.

Fed Up!  Fed Up! Fed Up
with not knowing how to name that which comes before.

Fed Up!  Fed Up!  I am so
Fed Up with consciousness without a woman's rhyme.

You say     Fed Up! Fed Up! Fed Up!
Fed Up! Free Up! Free Up!  Free Us! Now!

Together we is gonna dismantle the master's
house with those tools hidden inside
our Big Mouths.


Allison e. Francis
Poem-in-progress conceived and performed at the
Global Women's Movements seminar-FRN 2007
New York, New York
14 June 2007

     

SYLLABUS /PRONTUARIO:  GLOBAL WOMEN’S MOVEMENTS
Facilitator:  Beverly Guy-Sheftall


MONDAY, June 11                         Introductions
Morning: 9am to Noon                   Seminar Overview
                                                          Presentation by M. Bahati Kuumba
                                                          Readings:  Chapters 1 & 2, Gender and Social Movements

Afternoon: 2pm to 4pm                  Contemporary Women’s Movements in the U.S.
                                                          Readings:  Lisa Gail Collins, “Activists Who Yearn For Art That Transforms: Parallels in the Black Arts and                                                                   Feminist Art Movements in the United States”

                                                          Presentation by Michele Wallace on Faith Ringgold’s involvement in the women’s art movement and Wallace’s                                                           own involvement in the women’s movement
                                                           

TUESDAY, June 12                        U.S. Women’s Movements (cont’d)
Morning: 9am to Noon                    Readings:  Kimberly Springer, Living for the Revolution
                                                          Special Issue of BLACK SCHOLAR on Black Women’s Activism, Spring 2006

TUESDAY,  June 12                      Women’s Movements  Around the World
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
Afternoon: 2pm to 4pm                  Readings:  Peggy Antrobus, The Global Women’s Movement: Origins, Issues & Strategies
                                                                                          
                                                         Selections from special issue of MERIDIANS:
                                                          Feminism, Race, Transnationalism,  guest edited by Nawal el Saadawi and Obioma
                                                          Nnaemeka, vol. 6, no. 2, 2006

                                                          Nawal el Saadawi, “The Seventh International AWSA Conference: Rationale and the Way
                                                         Forward” and Brenda Mehta, “Dissidence, Creativity and Embargo Art in Nuha Al-Radi’s Baghdad Diaries

WEDNESDAY, June 13                Transnational Feminist Theorizing and Praxis
Morning: 9am to Noon                    Readings:  Aili Mari Tripp, “The Evolution of Transnational Feminisms: Consensus, Conflict,
                                                             and New Dynamics”
                                                          Selections from Globalizing Women: Transnational Feminist Networks  
                                                          Viewing of film, Love, Honour & Disobey
 
WEDNESDAY, June 13                 Readings:  Kamala Kempadoo, “Women of Color
    Afternoon: 2pm to 4pm               and the Global Sex Trade: Transnational Feminist Perspectives” Seiko Hanochi, “Japan and the Global Sex
                                                           Industry”
                                                           Elora Halim Chowdhury, “Feminist Negotiations: Contesting Narratives of the Campaign Against
                                                           Acid Violence in Bangladesh”
                                                            Patience Elabor-Idemudia, “Migration,Trafficking and the African Woman”
                                                   

THURSDAY, June 14                       Women’s Movements in Sub-Saharan Africa
 Morning: 9am to noon                      Readings : Special Issue of  AGENDA on African feminisms
                                                            Patricia McFadden, “African Women Changing the Meaning of Citizenship”  (includes
                                                                      presentation)
                                                            Jessica Horn, “Re-righting the Sexual Body”
                                                            Liz Frank and  Elizabeth/Khazas, “Sister Namibia: Fighting for all Human Rights For all Women”

THURSDAY, June 14                       Site Visit to UNIFEM, United Nations
Afternoon: 2pm to 4p.m.

FRIDAY, June 15                              Group Presentations
Morning: 9am to Noon

FRIDAY, June 15                               Wrap-Up
Afternoon: 2pm to 4pm

                                                           

PRONTUARIO DEL CURSO INTERDISCIPLINARIO / SYLLABI OF AN INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSE
Una Mirada Global a los Movimientos de Mujeres

Objetivos del Curso:

•    Concienciar a los/as estudiantes sobre el movimiento feminista y su repercusión en la eliminación de barreras y desigualdades sociales, políticas y económicas en un contexto global desde una perspectiva transnacional.

•    Desarrollar la habilidad para identificar y examinar las conexiones entre lo local, lo nacional, y lo global sobre los debates del movimiento feminista y los movimientos de mujeres.

•    Vincular a los/as estudiantes con actividades y prácticas en pro de la igualdad y la justicia social.

Contenido Preliminar del Curso:

1)    Conexiones Globales-locales:

•    Post colonialismo y nuevos paradigmas
•    Teorías y debates feministas
•    Luchas de movimientos de mujeres nacionales versus los transnacionales
•    Estudios de caso (Africa, Asia, Arabia, la Diáspora-utilización de videos documentales para conocer las diferentes experiencias)

2)    Movimientos Sociales en Latinoamérica y Puerto Rico:

•    Aspectos de la sexualidad (i.e. violencia)
•    Racialización de las mujeres migrantes
•    Mujeres, movimientos sociales y movimientos feministas
•    La mujer y las desigualdades profesionales
•    El militarismo
•    La masculinización del poder: las mujeres en la política
•    Los derechos civiles de las mujeres
•    Patriarcado, estereotipos y discriminación de la mujer en un contexto neoliberal
•    Comunicación, arte y cultura
•    La mujer y la educación (i.e. maestras en las organizaciones magisteriales, en la luchas con el gobierno y en la educación en general).

3)    Experiencia Integradora Aplicada:

•    Viaje a la República Dominicana
•    Participación en un proyecto académico-comunitario
•    Role Playing
•    Adoptar un país
•    Dinámicas de “check-in”
•    Conferencistas invitados
•    Proyectos de investigación cortos


EMPOWERING STUDENTS AND OURSELVES/ EMPODERANDO A LOS/AS ESTUDIANTES Y A NOSOTROS/AS MISMOS/AS:

Definition of Purpose: To disseminate information about women´s studies in a global context

Individual Institutional Needs:

Jacqueline: Develop an Introduction to Women´s Studies course

Pat: Revise existing interdisciplinary course entitled "Social Justice Seminar" bringing in a global theoretical framework on women´s issues

Brenda: Revise her course entitled Women´s Issues in Contemporary Society by adding a global perspective

Kate: Add global content and perspective to her U.S. women´s history and Civil Rights movement courses

Collaborative Processes:

• Create a list serve
• Identify ongoing institutional needs
• Periodically seek feedback from our seminar facilitators
• Visit Women´s Resource Center at Spelman College
• Engage students in curriculum and course development
• Empower students to organize for social change-activism both locally and globally

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email us: kweyland@gmail.com
En Estados Unidos/In the US 787-466-5278
En República Dominicana/ In the Dominican Republic 809-239-9802