Check out this workshop Damien and I are presenting as the US Social Forum in Detroit!
In this skillshare veteran new media producers Hadassah Damien and Sarah Jenny provide a brief history of the internet as a tool for social justice, and dive into practical information for utilizing new media in your activism. The focus of this workshop is an in-depth demonstration of how social justice movements and underrepresented voices can inexpensively utilize new mediums for change, using the prevalence and usability of open source software, freeware, information repositories, and copylefts. Participants are taught overviews of specific technologies including site building/blogs, SEO, audio production, SMS technologies, and web2.0 social networking capacities. We provide a handout, a permanent web reference, examples of resources and a step-by-step practicum to engage in capacity building, networking, and information dissemination tailored for individuals and organizations on a no/low-cost budget by demonstrating the creation of: 1) a simple web page [45mins] 2) a blog linked to it [20mins] 3) an embedded MP3. [20mins] 4) plus SMS/mobile technology [20 mins] Most importantly, participants will be empowered to utilize new technologies to create a further platform for their messages and activism!
Women’s Organization Network for Human Rights Advocacy (WONETHA) is a Ugandan sex worker led organization established in August 2008 by 3 passionate and determined sexworkers who have faced harassment, insults, stigma, discrimination and arrest without trial by misinformed societies and who have been stirred into responsive action concerning the plight of other sexworkers in the same working conditions.
Macklean Kyomya, Daisy Nakato, and Zamu Namagembe, the three young women who founded WONETHA in August 2008 have all had experiences working in the commercial sex industry. Macklean, WONETHA’s Director, was struggling to pay her school fees when she followed the advice of her peers and found regular ‘sugar daddies’as a source of income. After witnessing the violent rape of her friend, she began to search for an organization that would guide and protect her. WONETHA’s programme coordinator Daisy contracted HIV from one of her first clients when she started working in a bar. During her years as a sex worker, there were many threatening exchanges between Daisy and her clients. After a particularly violent client, Daisy also went in search of a group that could help her manage her HIV and assist her in diversifying her income.
At different times, each of these women joined an organization that claimed to protect and empower commercial sexworkers, and assist them to find better sources of income. Social stigma issues were not addressed, each of the women was given different opportunities to continue their education, attend conferences, build advocacy and writing skills, reach out to other commercial sexworkers, and stand in solidarity with women late at night in Kampala’s brothels and streets.
However, this organization was headed by a man, and over time these women found that they were continuing to be exploited and manipulated by the male-headed administration. The staff would work, but were never paid on time. International donations were given to the organization to pay for the different needs of the target group, but none of the members ever received what they were promised. International funding for projects and programs was sent, but often disappeared. Many innovative ideas and opportunities were presented to the Chairperson but they were repeatedly shut down. Attempts to reform the leadership and management were made, but were never successful.
Through this time, the three women were connected by their commitment to improving the self-esteem of women sex workers and breaking the stigma around sexworkers.
Through their experiences, and with the support of many colleagues in the civil society community, these women decided to form an organization that would genuinely represent their dreams and aspirations of providing “a home and hope for marginalized women”.
VISION
“To unite sex workers; to improve our living and working conditions and to fight for equal access to rights so that sex workers’ human rights are defended and protected.”
MISSION
“To work with adult sex workers, organize sex workers claim their rights, call fordecriminalization of adult sex work; promote access to health, legal, and social services; and promote safer sex practices and sex workers’ health and well being.”
Problem Statement: Why focus on rights of sexworkers?
Rights Not Rescue: Sex workers are facing a health and human rights crisis in Uganda, yet very little is being done to protect their rights. Research done across Africa shows that the criminalization of sex work leaves sex workers particularly vulnerable to sexual and physical abuse from law enforcement officials and the general public. Sex workers experience routine violence from police, including rape, physical assault, and having their genitals sprayed with pepper-spray.
In recent engagement of government by sex workers who are members of WONETHA to have sex work decriminalized, sex workers sought to claim their fundamental right to social and economic freedom, equality, dignity, and privacy.
Why decriminalization?
Firstly, decriminalization enables the sex industry to be regulated thereby reducing violence against sex workers and cases of human trafficking. It is the oppressors and those committing violence against women who want sex work to remain illegal. Secondly, where sex work is illegal HIV prevalence increases due to difficulties in accessing health care prevention initiatives.
In the New vision of 19th 05 2009 Dr Kihumuro Apuli, Director of Uganda AIDS Commission stated that HIV prevalence among sex workers is 50% and 10% are male clients between the age of (15-49). As a sex worker Organization we are deeply concerned that this situation is alarming despite Uganda’s role model image in previous years in the fight of HIV & AIDS.
WONETHA therefore upholds that for sex workers to fully enjoy all their labour-related rights and fundamental freedoms, sex work in Uganda must be decriminalized. Decriminalization will involve the removal of outdated laws which specifically criminalize sex work, enable sexworkers to operate under the same conditions as other workers, and access the same human rights. The sex work industry will be subject to the same laws which apply to all other sectors in Uganda, including existing labour legislation. Other benefits will include;
Allowing sex workers to practice their profession openly without fear.
Easier access to health care facilities without stigma
Reducing the health and life dangers involved in the profession of sex work
Allowing sex workers the protection and benefits of the law.
More comprehensive health care services for sex workers, including those that address rape, sexual violence, mental health, substance abuse, care of sexworkers who are HIV positive, adolescent health, nutrition and antenatal care/maternal mortality.
Freedom to contribute to national tax payment system therefore raising the sex workers self esteem.
WONETHA emphasizes that the current sex worker situation in Uganda calls for immediate action and if the government does not come out to act then Uganda will lose the battle on HIV/AIDS. As WONETHA we always say that if sexworkers are not safe then no woman is safe.
Tuesday , February 23rd, 6:00pm-8:30pm
Large Conference Room, Urban Justice Center
123 William St., 16th Fl
New York, NY 10038
Ask most people about government and they tend to talk about their federal representatives, the White House, or maybe the Mayor. But the state government may have the most significant impacts on our daily lives, particularly in the realm of criminal justice. This two hour seminar is presented via a partnership of Sex Work Awareness and the Urban Justice Center’s Sex Workers Project. In it, sex workers, former sex workers, and allies will learn from a veteran staffer of the state legislature how the legislative process works, how to talk to elected officials about sex work issues, and what opportunities exist to engage with elected officials and affect change in Albany.
This piece is in progress. It is an interactive installation which will also have an audio recording (narrative) triggered by the same sensor that triggers the lights. The first person narrative will reveal the life and death of Catherine, a sex worker murdered in 2003.
This series will be an ongoing memorial for sex workers who have been victims of violence.
The first draft will be completed on December 17th, 2009 to coincide with the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers.
My initial plan has been to gather the stories and photographs (high res) of the murder victims of Gary Ridgway (aka the Green River Killer).
I am also interested collecting images and stories of other sex worker victims of violent crime for this project.
I am also looking for footage from December 17th events, statistics, and red umbrella imagery and footage to work from. I put a call out to advocacy organizations, harm reduction social service providers in New York and beyond, and sex worker communities online to gather stories. So far the contributions have been intense and overwhelming. Each year we hold a memorial service for sex workers who were murdered because of their job: by clients, cops, partners, or the system (prison industrial complex).
I envision images transferred onto plexiglass using xylene. The plexiglass surface would be part of larger light boxes. When a user approaches an image on the light box, an infrared proximity sensor or photo resistor would recognize the environmental change, causing the image to light up. I would also like to using Processing to then display video or audio to accompany each image. The impact should be immediate, visceral, and haunting.
I will probably start with a small number of people to represent, maybe five, until I work out the technological end and then continue on. This idea is a work in progress and feedback is welcome.
In the age of digital re/production, our ability to inexpensively and easily recreate and alter works of art created by others is a complicated matter. In capialist societies, this issue goes far beyond attribution and credit to financial responsibilities to the original artist. It is hard for me to argue for free and fair use for all when most artists so rarely are compensated for their work and striving for economic stability and success is something most can identify with in capitalist societies.
However, I strongly believe in free access to media, art, media justice, and the opportunity for artists to create new works from existing works as a form of critique, commentary, and/or innovation. A blogger commented on the the Meisalas vs Garnett debate over Molotov Man with the poignant question “Who owns the rights to this man’s struggle?”
Have these appropriations of Meisalas’s work devalued the initial work? Or have the various interpretations, reproductions, and new works added depth to a larger discussion and furthermore strengthened Meisalas’s photograph by creating such a public interest in the situation?
All of these readings noted the complicated situations around using aspects of writing, music, or visual art. I still think their is tremendous value in open source creativity, in using copylefting, creative commons, and making visual art and media as accessible as possible. Reinterpretations allow for dialogue, discussion, and analysis. I don’t want to see those doors closed.
The Desiree Alliance, Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP-USA) and allied organizations such as BAYSWAN and the Best Practices Policy Project are saddened to observe the malicious tactics used by Glen Beck of Fox news in a recent “expose” of ACORN. All of our organizations stand firmly against the exploitation of minors in prostitution and we also oppose trafficking in persons, but we are concerned about the way the provision of services to adult sex workers was portrayed in the recent report.
In Glen Beck’s effort to critique ACORN via a highly edited series of videos, he in fact belittles the efforts of sex workers who seek services to find stable living circumstances and financial help. “The Fox news report tears down the efforts of grassroots service providers all over the country to reach out to hard to reach communities of sex workers to help them,” said Tara Sawyer of SWOP-USA.
“Sex workers are already very fearful about accessing services that could help them and these low-brow media attacks on service providers increase barriers and harm” she added.
All of our organizations are concerned that the “expose” will cause service providers and non-profit organizations to shy away from
providing harm reduction services and helping sex workers “where they are at.”
“Providing sex workers with information about how to live safely, even though what they do is criminalized, is essential,” said Susan Lopez of Desiree Alliance “And we commend all organizations that provide these services to prevent HIV, help sex workers find housing, seek financial support and to take care of their health needs. Don’t turn sex workers away because of unconscionable undercover reports like those carried out by Fox.”
About the Organizations:
The Desiree Alliance is a diverse, volunteer-based, sex worker-led network of organizations, communities and individuals across the US working in harm reduction, direct services, political advocacy and health services for sex workers. We provide leadership and create space for sex workers and supporters to come together to advocate for human, labor and civil rights for all workers in the sex industry.
Sex Workers Outreach Project-USA is a national social justice network dedicated to the fundamental human rights of sex workers and their communities, focusing on ending violence and stigma through education and advocacy.
The Brooklyn Community Pride Center is excited to announce its first community education panel. “The Trans Community and Law Enforcement” provides an opportunity for legal and law enforcement professionals and the Transgender/LGB community to address concerns that arise for T/LGB people during interactions with law enforcement and to explore ways that police and prosecutors can better address the needs of the T/LGB community. There will be an opportunity for the public to address the panelists. This event is free and open to the public.
Moderated by Paisley Currah, Founder and Board Member of The Transgender Law and Policy Institute, author of ‘Transgender Rights.’
Confirmed panelists include:
-Marc Fliedner, Kings County District Attorney’s Office, Senior District Attorney
-Tom Verni, NYPD LGBT Liaison
-Jarad Ringer, New York City Anti-Violence Project, Coordinator of Hate Violence and Police Relations Programs
-Melissa Sklarz, New York Transgender Rights Organization
-Lourdes Hunter, Community Organizer/Campaign Coordinator
This event is co-sponsored by the Kings County District Attorney’s Office .
