By Vidya Kissoon
Vidyaratha Kissoon is involved in gender equality work
Red Thread, Breadfruit Collective, Guyana Trans United, SASOD and the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition teamed up with the Faculty of Law, University of the West Indies Rights Advocacy Project (U-RAP), to host a conversation “Living Good 2 ” on August 19, 2022. Previous Living Good events have been held in Trinidad and Tobago, Belize and Guyana prior to the Covid-19 pandemic
The topic of the conversation was Administration of Justice, Creating Just Communities. Vidyaratha Kissoon moderated the conversation. A recording of the talk will be available on the Caribbean IRN YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/caribbeanIRN on 20 September 2022)
Intersectional rights and justice
The panel was diverse. Different in age, ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation. However, the panelists had common ways of working – educating others, speaking up and collaborating or “holding hands” to achieve the common goal of a just society.
Immaculata Casimero – called Mackie and Mabaaba – lives in Aishalton and is the co-founder of the Wapichan Wiizi Women’s Movement. She spoke about the lack of essential services for her community, – poor access made worse by Covid-19.
Immaculata Casimero also spoke about the experiences of indigenous women – dealing with the violence of abuse and emotional trauma. The right to a life free of violence is denied to many women.
Her other contributions to the conversation centered around indigenous rights; relating to the denial of the right to a healthy environment caused by mining and intergenerational violence and trauma. Her just community is one with gender justice, clean rivers, no pollution and no generational trauma.
Twinkle Aria Paul, a member of Guyana Trans United, shared her thoughts on the fight for equality for transgender citizens. She spoke of the Constitutional challenge to related laws previously used to victimize them and said challenges to other discriminatory laws are currently being mounted. For her, living well is a journey of self-determination, as transgender Guyanese are still excluded from employment, housing, education, access to services and participation in the general economy.
Wintress White from Red Thread focused on the economic violence faced by people at the grassroots. She said that the salaries paid do not compensate for the current inflation and emphasized that cash grants are not a sustainable solution. She was concerned about oil spills and other environmental impacts of the oil and gas industry and advocated that poor people deserve a good life. Her righteous community has no economic violence.
Christine Samwaroo is the founder of Breadfruit Collective. She explained that the Breadfruit Collective was organized in response to gender-based violence and the destruction of the planet. The work, she explains, involves visioning and thinking big while working in ways that connect with the community.
Christopher Martin France is a public health professional who uses his personal experience to advocate for LGBTIQ equality and mental health awareness. “Living well means feeling well,” he said while talking about how mental health services may be available but not accessible.
Not accessible because they were not affordable, or because mental health professionals did not understand LGBTIQ+ issues.
Lincoln Lewis is the General Secretary of the Guyana Congress of Trade Unions. He referred to Article 13 of the Constitution – on organizing and participating in inclusive democracy. His contribution to the conversation centers around the importance of collaborative efforts and how unions can serve as a bridge for complementary interests. He thinks that in creating a fair society “we have to start from ourselves”.
Ria Mohammed-Davidson is a lawyer in Trinidad and Tobago. She felt she should use her legal training to make equality a reality. Referring to the experience of persons with disabilities, she noted that even with legislation and the signing of international conventions, many persons with disabilities experience discrimination and face exclusion.
As she asked questions to make us reflect on our interactions with people with disabilities, I realized that there were no people with visible disabilities in the conversation.
There was no specific intent to exclude anyone, but that’s sometimes the nature of community building even with good intentions, to make sure everyone is seen, heard.
The issues raised by the panelists remind me of The Hon. Justice Peter Jamadar of Trinidad and Tobago, who wrote that “We must come to the primary and a priori realization that, although I am not you, I am not at the same time other than you; and, though I am not earth, I am at the same time nothing but earth.” (Ensuring Equality for All in the Administration of Justice, UWI Faculty of Law (Mona), 2019)
This realization of unity with each other and with the environment is not in Guyanese law, even though President Ali has a One Guyana initiative. However, the absence of law should not prevent us from coming together to live good conversations, overcome historical violence and trauma, and engage in collaborative and communal action to build just communities and a just society.
Some of us were strangers to each other, but we had come to listen, share and talk, maybe even find workable solutions.
Talking, talking
“Do you think we have a light culture when it comes to dealing with topics about minority groups…?” a young man asked the panel.
Quiet; defined as relaxed, casual, comfortable, maybe even dismissive. It seems like we joke about things, get angry on social media for two minutes, complain, and then things stay the same.
Immaculata Casimero, whose work involves educating people about their rights and how to exercise those rights, told the young man that many people are silent and they must speak up to protect their rights.
Lincoln Lewis added that people seem to be easy because they don’t understand their history and that there is a lot of division. He invoked Article 19 of the Constitution of Guyana which guarantees freedom of expression and the right to share ideas. He also called on people from minority groups to join unions.
I think of the transgender citizen who was a union representative, but who received no representation when her employer terminated her relationship. Perhaps this call is the opportunity for trade unions in Guyana to look at how they deal with issues of discrimination against different sections of the population. And to speak out against all forms of discrimination.
Wintress White said yes, Guyanese are very quiet. She said many people don’t want to deal with issues until the issues ‘arrive at their door’.
She recalled Red Thread’s work on domestic violence and how some parts of civil society did not want to get involved until they realized they also had problems in their own communities.
Red Thread, who is constantly speaking out, has been regularly criticized by supporters of various governments. Still, they have organized ‘Speak Out’ events and produced materials to give a voice to those who might be silenced.
Their latest ‘speak out’ is a video “Who Feels It, Knows It” (https://youtu.be/77_a4AQYWH4) which features Margaret John, a resident of Mahdia in Region 8. She advised lawyers to put “Bush Cowhide” to prevent damage to people’s comments. Her encouragement of Red Thread would be encouragement to anyone trying to work for equality in Guyana. A young religious leader I know has had to block government supporters from his social media as they attack him for talking about a street issue.
Christopher Martin France explained that a personal voice can be helpful. He noted that after going public with his mental health he challenges others connected to him to deal with their own mental health. Consequently, he has been able to encourage them to seek help.
Christine Samwaroo explained that many may feel they have no voice and do not understand their personal power. She spoke about how the Breadfruit collective works cross-sectorally and about the need for integrity in collective action and building partnerships.
Ria Mohammed-Davidson emphasized that light walking is not necessarily bad. It has its time and place, she said while acknowledging that there are many people from Guyana and across the Caribbean who are disrupting systems of oppression and challenging the status quo. She encouraged collective action and cooperation among groups working on various justice issues.
Collective action, cooperation, community building
Lincoln Lewis said he has urged union leaders to work with others to bring about political, economic and social change. He emphasized that the Constitution is only good if citizens become active and demand their rights.
I hear his call to work together and for union leaders to recognize marginalized workers. I think of the Red Thread standing at the edges of the May 1st parade to call for respect for the rights of domestic workers and for the recognition of unpaid care work.
Perhaps this call to hold hands in various struggles will be an opportunity to integrate domestic workers and others into the trade union movement, perhaps prevent discrimination against a transgender or other LGBTIQ+ or able-bodied citizen limited that requires employment.
Community building is not just about war.
A woman asked about self-care when dealing with violence and disenfranchisement. The panel shared ideas about caring for personal health and well-being, as well as setting boundaries and switching off. They also talked about teamwork and healing in the community.
Wintress White specifically noted that many women were taught to put others first and that self-care is a luxury. We hear from Red Thread’s Karen DeSouza that they control each other – unlike when the focus was just on ‘work’ and fighting.
This conversation has brought together human rights with a focus on gender justice, disability justice, justice for indigenous citizens, justice for LGBTIQ+ citizens, economic justice, environmental justice with self-care and healing.
Immaculata Casimero recommended that talking should not be a big deal. We need to talk to each other about our problems and find solutions.
Having good conversations in different places with different people.
