Red Light Politics

Welcome to my short form Tumblr blog. My name is Flavia Tamara Dzodan, I am a business developer, writer, public speaker, ideas instigator, content creator, media facilitator and trend watcher living in Amsterdam.

This Tumblr is about the spaces and intersections between politics, culture, race and gender matters with some humor and pop culture thrown in the mix.

My long reads blog is Red Light Politics.

I also blog at Tiger Beatdown.

If you would like to know more about me, visit this page .

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26 posts tagged activism

“And this is the man who is touring our local high schools in the Pacific Northwest next month to inspire girls and boys? Very upsetting. I don’t think the local principals and staff would be hosting this group if they read many of his articles. I just don’t understand.”

If you needed another reason to care, here’s a huge one.

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German pensioner battles neo-Nazi ‘muck’ via AFP/ Yahoo News Wielding just nail-polish remover, a camera and an “Against Nazis” tote bag, Irmela Mensah-Schramm is a one-of-a-kind fighter against Germany’s increasingly threatening far-right scene. Walking the streets of the depressed east Berlin district of Lichtenberg on the hunt for racist and pro-fascist graffiti, 66-year-old Mensah-Schramm’s diminutive frame belies a crusader’s iron will. “I’m removing Nazi stickers!” the grey-haired, bespectacled pensioner calls almost playfully to a young skinhead sporting a black Thor Steinar sweatshirt, popular among neo-Nazis, and walking two menacing dogs on leashes.[…] Mensah-Schramm, a retired special needs teacher originally from Stuttgart, has spent the last 25 years eliminating an estimated 90,000 graffiti and stickers used by the far right to whip up support and intimidate minorities. More about this self described “loner activist” at the link above. It is worth noting that she has no support for what she does and she estimates that she spends 34 hours per week and about 300 euros ($390) a month on her “Hate Destroys” campaign without any government or NGO funds, just out of her own pension.

German pensioner battles neo-Nazi ‘muck’

via AFP/ Yahoo News

Wielding just nail-polish remover, a camera and an “Against Nazis” tote bag, Irmela Mensah-Schramm is a one-of-a-kind fighter against Germany’s increasingly threatening far-right scene.

Walking the streets of the depressed east Berlin district of Lichtenberg on the hunt for racist and pro-fascist graffiti, 66-year-old Mensah-Schramm’s diminutive frame belies a crusader’s iron will.

“I’m removing Nazi stickers!” the grey-haired, bespectacled pensioner calls almost playfully to a young skinhead sporting a black Thor Steinar sweatshirt, popular among neo-Nazis, and walking two menacing dogs on leashes.[…]

Mensah-Schramm, a retired special needs teacher originally from Stuttgart, has spent the last 25 years eliminating an estimated 90,000 graffiti and stickers used by the far right to whip up support and intimidate minorities.

More about this self described “loner activist” at the link above. It is worth noting that she has no support for what she does and she estimates that she spends 34 hours per week and about 300 euros ($390) a month on her “Hate Destroys” campaign without any government or NGO funds, just out of her own pension.

Here’s how you fail at feminist intersectionality

The F Word UK, arguably the biggest Feminist hub, blog and news aggregator in the UK, is compiling a Twitter list of feminists by areas of interest and expertise. One just has to fill in a form with a Twitter user name and get added to the database. Now, here’s the thing, the available subjects as of this writing include “anti porn”, “anti capitalism” and “anti government cuts”. However, no “anti racism”, just “Race issues”. I am just being told on Twitter that, after 238 people added themselves to this database, the person who created it is “fallible”. Moreover, she checked it with a few hundred people and nobody noticed this. To me, this points at a much bigger issue than one individual making a mistake. It means people saw the list and didn’t cross their minds that anti racism should be a fundamental part of their activism (much more so than anti porn, but that’s just me).

Sadly, I see it as an excellent illustration of the problems we encounter with feminism and racism time and time again. Because being anti racist is an after thought and only fixed after someone (in this case, me) protests about it. 

Tiger Beatdown: Moving away from Social Justice towards Social Wellbeing

Many of us identify part of our activism (be it through writing, community engagement, online, offline, etc.) as part of the broad umbrella of Social Justice. However, most of us (or at least I) do not necessarily devote a lot of time to think of the meaning behind Social Justice and how the whole idea came to be. I did now, and I am about to share with you my findings which are, somewhat problematic and not as fair as one might expect considering the movement is devoted to the idea of fairness to begin with. This questioning of Social Justice as an idea, as a political framework has also led me to try to formulate some ideas so that I can move forward and outside of it because I believe that, in more than one way, Social Justice does not exactly represent the kind of goal I wish to advance towards.

In which I take a step back and distance myself from the idea of Social Justice due to, well… read the piece, I have to entice you with something, no?

This week in abundance: plenty of European commentary that uses the word “community” in reference to the London riots. Examples: the looters are damaging their own communities. Communities will organize and come together for the clean up. Many more. You get the idea.

This week in absence: the explanation of how exactly these analysts define community. Because I am almost certain the word does not mean what they think it means to everyone else. Example: you can live in a neighborhood, surrounded by people who even look like you and share your cultural traits and yet, you might be utterly isolated because in urban settings, not everyone talks to each other. And there are many forms of invisible exclusion (i.e. you are perceived as a trouble maker; you do not like to talk to people you don’t know; you are a new comer to town, etc. etc.).

Many of the people talking about “community”, particularly those who have an inclination to Social Justice seem to operate under a kind of romanticized prism of what community entails and how it is evident that it is available to everyone (one of the premises of Social Justice: organize your community!). Uh? That would imply that these youth have one or feel they belong to one in the first place.

What Argentina’s economic crisis could teach the West

Look! I am now writing at Global Comment!

I wrote this piece hours before last night’s events in London, but yeah, I stand by those words. How Argentina’s government(s) responded to the 2001 riots creating programs that could serve as alternative models for Western economies.

“

Lady Gaga was egged after appearing on stage in Sydney in a wheelchair, dressed as her alter ego Yuyi the Mermaid. It’s not the first time Gaga has performed in a wheelchair, and her latest stunt, in Sydney Town Hall, has angered disability groups worldwide.

Gaga sang You And I while sitting in the chair dressed as alter ego Yuyi the Mermaid, wheeling herself onto stage with a black tail flapping in front of her. The singer was left in no doubt about fans’ displeasure later in the night when, after performing at Sydney gay club Arq, she was pelted with eggs.

”

Lady Gaga: Yuyi the wheelchair mermaid has eggs thrown at her - TNT Magazine

More at the link, including her bland justifications and some blah blah art, blah blah people love it, etc.

“Getting to know” Latin America

I know I come across as very unforgiving of Europeans who claim to want to “help” Latin America and who argue that they “know” the realities of the region.

The truth is, unless they speak Spanish like a native they don’t know a thing. Because, here’s the main problem: when they go to any place in Latin America and they interact with locals in English, they are interacting with a very specific group of people: members of the dominant culture. Speaking English in Latin America, with the degree of fluency required to talk to Europeans is a privilege. Moreover, it’s a rare privilege. And as such, it is afforded in the vast majority of cases to members of a dominant class. When the members of this dominant class/ culture relay their views to Europeans, it is only going to be a partial view, a view that is going to be heavily influenced and colored by their experiences as privileged people. It is partial and even in the most progressive circles, it’s a view that, more often than not, contains a lot of unexamined privilege.

If a European wanted to get a more inclusive picture, they need to speak Spanish with a high degree of fluency. Not only Spanish, but the kind of Spanish that can navigate the dozens of dialects and particular regional slangs we utilize in the region. A two year course in the Instituto Cervantes (an international language academy that focuses in Spanish from Spain) is going to amount to zero because it’s what we call “Royal Academy Spanish”, the equivalent of the Queen’s English. Our regional slangs are so unique that it is sometimes even difficult to communicate amongst ourselves when we travel around. And that is without taking into account the hundreds of First Nation, Indigenous languages spoken across the continent. That a European who doesn’t even speak Spanish will be able to grasp the complex realities involved, realities that even us locals to the region have troubles understanding, the many vectors of oppression and how they interact is, sorry to be so blunt, just laughable.

Also of note

A moment of intense embarrassed laughter: if you are organizing an event that’s supposedly inclusive of people from Latin America, it might be advisable not to open a debate asking, in English “Is there anyone who doesn’t speak English?”. Silence followed until someone, cunningly pointed out “Non English speakers might not understand what you just asked”.

The person asking didn’t know how to say this in Spanish so, one of “us” repeated the question and, indeed, a few hands were raised.

At which point (and it was my first queue that something was just not right), everything continued… in English.

A few weekend observations

I mentioned I was attending a day of talks and events about Latin@ diasporas in Europe. I had some great moments and some moments of epic (and I mean EPIC) fail in the hands of “Carefree White People who want to do good and fix teh poors in far away lands”).

In no particular order:

  • Met this amazing professor, Rosalba Icaza whose main research subjects are “Epistemic Justice” and colonization.
  • Had to witness a Dutch girl, who does not even speak Spanish (and whose experience in Latin America includes a couple of months spent in Mexico doing a bit of “poverty tourism”) telling this professor that “she knew better” about the reasons why indigenous populations in Chiapas are being displaced. When Ms. Icaza pointed out that no, she didn’t because a) she doesn’t speak the language and b) she is not even aware of the racist component in these struggles, the Dutch girl refused to acknowledge her unawareness in this matter.
  • I had a kind of heated argument with a member of Dutch government who tried to push this idea that working in partnership with corporations like Unilever or Cargill was in the best interest of farmers and campesinos in Latin America. When I pointed out the many ways in which these corporations bring misery (i.e see my previous posts about Dutch grain traders engaging in practices that Argentinian courts have called “modern day slavery”), I am told that the Dutch government is keen on pushing this agenda for “development” in the region.
  • Sat through a session organized by a local Dutch NGO who wants to do “Solidarity Activism” to “raise awareness” about “problems in Latin America”. Surprised by my profusion of quotes in the previous sentence? Well, that’s because I experienced intense eye rolling, mounting rage, “Carefree White People Solidarity” and so much ignorance packed in one and a half hour that I had to walk away, for fear of having an anger induced seizure.
  • When I asked one of the members of this Dutch NGO (a White young woman who also does not speak Spanish), what she thinks “Solidarity Activism” means, she pointed out to her pain, her grief, how sorry she was for “those poor people” living in such conditions and how she obviously HAD to do something.
  • Witnessed a badass Peruvian elderly lady stand up while all these talks about “Solidarity” were taking place and say, in Spanish “Today I stand up in solidarity for the ignorance of my Dutch brothers and sisters”.
  • I, of course, being a bitch of a high calibre, asked this young woman who felt so sorry for Latin America why she didn’t feel the same sorrow for the hundreds of thousands of migrants (Latin@s and otherwise) who are subjected to inhumane treatment by our local Dutch government and how this displaced sense of “solidarity” was only a tactic to make her feel better about herself while promoting more White People colonialism in the region. Instead of reflecting on my words, she asked ME, if I care so much about these immigrants (of which she knew I am one), what *I* am doing to help “them”.
  • At that point I thought it was best to walk away.
  • There was a lot more but I feel tired just thinking of more instances of this arrogance.

All in all, an event full of fails but at least I met some fellow Latin@s who are indeed doing some great stuff. I guess that fact alone saved the day.

Hey, Shorty! The interview

I interviewed authors Joanne N. Smith, Mandy Van Deven and Meghan Huppuch about their newly released book “Hey, Shorty! A Guide to Combating Sexual Harassment and Violence in Schools and on the Streets” and the grass root activism they do as part of Girls for Gender Equity, an organization that seeks to empower teen women of color.

For my American readers/ followers: Colorlines Keynote Contest

I know I am followed by several (in fact, many) American students, so this might be of interest to you. via The Campus Progress 2011 National Conference: National Keynote Contest:

Despite what some may say, young people know that race and racism aren’t things of the past. But it can also be difficult to rise above the bogus “post-racial” concept pushed by the media, in which ”racism” is always interpersonal and never systemic, and in which any mere mention of race makes someone a ”racist.”

So, grab a video camera, cell phone, laptop, or your technology of choice and shoot a short video that answers the question:

In your own life, how are you changing the rules of our race conversation, and creating real solutions for racial and social justice?

Submit it by 12 am EST on Sunday, May 22*, and you could win a free trip to Washington, DC, to attend the Campus Progress National Conference and address attendees from a stage previously graced by Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, The Daily Show’s John Oliver, Van Jones, Samantha Power, Ryan Gosling, and many others.

Last year’s winners were an undocumented student activist, a young man once caught up in gang violence who now advocates for peace, and a first-generation college student working to bring young people to the table in discussions about policies that impact their lives.

Think you have what it takes? Check out the FAQ about the contest and read the official rules to make sure you qualify.

From the rules: applicants do not need to be students but they do need to be between 18 and 30 years old.

An observation about Tumblr dynamics

Yesterday I wrote a post about Libya. It was pretty badly written. It took me all of what, 10 minutes (including posting and formatting) to put together. It was a rant born out of frustration. As a standalone post, I am not particularly proud of it. Right now, it has 1600 notes (between reblogs and likes).

Now, a good deal of the people who reblogged rightfully asked, so, what can I do to change the system of inequalities we live in? I am just one person, how can I possibly do anything? It was, in fairness, an appropriate question to ask. I thought about it last night and then again this morning.

So, today, I wrote an extensive post on how people could actually take the step from online awareness to social activism. I made a few suggestions, pointed out possible shortcomings, etc. The idea was to actually present some concrete examples in which we can be the people behind change.

That post? It has 12 notes.

Two weeks from now: Women’s day & what you can do about it

I know many often wonder what they can do to raise awareness and be actors in bringing change. For the past few days we have seen an unusual assault on reproductive rights and women’s bodies. March 8th, International Women’s Day would be a great opportunity to raise awareness of the fact that we are a long way from true equality and we can do something about it, especially with some planning and forethought. So, what can we do about it? A number of things, but here are some suggestions.

First, find an issue you are passionate about. “Women’s Rights” are an umbrella comprised of many different issues that affect every woman differently. Some of these issues include (but are certainly not limited to):

  • Reproductive Health (abortion, access to contraceptives, access to medical practices, etc.)
  • Equal Opportunities in the workplace (pay gap, glass ceiling, etc.)
  • Transphobia, transmisogyny and the right to gender without enduring outdated medicalization practices
  • Media representations (sexism in media, misogyny in media representations and marketing, objectification of women’s bodies to sell products, etc.)
  • Body Policing practices (diet cultures, fatphobia, appearance policing, etc.)
  • Ableism and the rights of women with disabilities
  • Rape Culture: law enforcement and media treatment of the issue
  • Racial erasure of women that belong to minority groups (i.e. Muslim women and the way media portrays them; women of color unfairly targeted as stereotypes of “welfare queens”, etc)
  • Marriage equality and the rights of Lesbian,bisexual and queer women

As I said above, these are some of the issues, and not at all a definite list of the topics people should care about. However, in the interest of brevity, let’s say we look at this list. We have two weeks to pick at least one issue and make noise about it. Bring it to the forefront for Women’s Day. Create awareness and help shed light on how these issues affect us.

Since most people are interested in bringing change but do not know how to begin, or do not have nearly enough time to devote to the subject, here are some ideas of how you can be part of an activist approach to Social Justice without having to set aside your entire life for the cause.

  • Pick one subject and stick to it (because again, you probably have limited time and only so many resources, so better focus on the one issue you are passionate about)
  • Find your local newspapers and news outlets and write letters on the subject. Include the fact that you are writing because March 8th is International Women’s Day and you want to highlight this particular inequality
  • Urge your friends to write similar letters in their local media
  • Share your letter and the name of the news outlet you sent it to with your Facebook and Twitter friends
  • If you have seen a commercial depicting unsavory objectifications of women, write to the company behind the ad and, again, inform them that, in view of the fact that March 8th is International Women’s Day, you believe this depiction to be harmful for women and how you will actively boycott the brand and urge your friends and family to follow suit
  • If you are in high school or college, approach a student organization and suggest you collectively pick one issue and devote the week of March 8th to create awareness and promote debate on it
  • Write a letter to your elected representative urging them to give support to the issues you care about. This also works on local, Municipal level, especially in regards to supporting Community Centers and city wide policies
  • Find a local grassroots organization that supports policies and ideas you care about and volunteer to help organize an event for International Women’s Day. Now, volunteering is a luxury (not everyone has free time to devote to it), so be realistic in how many hours you can devote to helping out. Also, the best approach is to ask if they are already organizing something and add your efforts to what might be already underway. When offering your volunteering efforts, keep in mind they might not know what you bring to them. Be prepared to be humble and listen; ask questions rather than make statements (better “Have you considered doing X?” than “We should do X”).

To sum up, how you can help bring awareness of inequality on International Women’s Day:

  • keep in mind how much time you can realistically devote to your passionate support of this cause.
  • Stick to actions that are achievable and you can do in your daily circumstances (i.e. you might want to dress the local monument pink, but in reality, you do not have the resources or support group to do this)
  • Identify one issue you want to bring awareness to (there are many, but, again, you need to be realistic in how much you can do in a period of time)
  • Find like minded individuals (there is strength in numbers and local community, try to find it whenever possible)

And finally, do not be afraid to speak up. Our very own rights and living conditions are under siege. If not us, then who will speak on our behalf?

Gene Sharp: How to start a revolution

An interview and feature of his ideas.

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