In Memoriam: Myriam Merlet, Haitian Feminist Leader

In Memoriam:
Myriam Merlet
Haitian Feminist Leader
1956-2010
(From V-Day)

Myriam Merlet, the Chief of Staff of the Ministry for Women in Haiti, perished in the earthquake in Port Au Prince. She was trapped in her home and passed away before she could be rescued. Like many who sought exodus from poverty and repression, she fled Haiti in the 1970's. After a politically active life in the Haitian Diaspora, Myriam returned to Haiti with her young family in 1986. As both a political activist and professional, Myriam remained committed to the process of social and political change in Haiti. Myriam is also a published author on women's rights, race and gender issues.

"I look at things through the eyes of women, very conscious of the roles, limitations, and stereotypes imposed on us. Everything I do is informed by that consciousness. So I want to get to a different concept and application of power than the one that keeps women from attaining their full potential...The basis of my work with women is to open them up to other things, give them new tools, give them new capabilities...give women the opportunity to grow..."

"The More People Dream," by Myriam Merlet, excerpt from Walking on Fire: Haitian Women's Stories of Survival and Resistance. Read more at http://bit.ly/8hPHZs.

Check out the Gender Justice Working Group (GJWG) Wiki!

It's been a while since the last update, but the GJWG is getting in gear for USSF 2010 in Detroit, MI in June--wepa! We've been doing a lot of great work and would love for you to join us. Here's the link for the Wiki with information on our values, structure, meeting notes and more. Stay tuned!

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The goal of the Gender Justice Working Group (GJWG) is to ensure that gender, transgender justice and LGBTQ issues are well-integrated into the planning, implementation and program of the USSF.

Values

Note: To have a gender analysis is to identify and understand the ways in which gender interacts and intersects with various forms of oppression, including race, class, sexual orientation, migration status, etc. and that people’s experiences are defined by the intersection of these oppressions.

• We honor our own experiences and perspectives and equally honor the experiences and perspectives of those who are not here
• We seek to bring those absent from the conversation to the conversation
• We strive to be the change we want to see
• We challenge existing power structures through our processes and organizing
• We value and celebrate the range of gender expression and identity
• We value women's voices and women's work
• We stand in solidarity with the global women's and gender justice movements, and our strategies are informed by the work of our allies around the world.
• We value people not profit; people are valuable regardless of what resources they bring with them

Principles

• Focus outreach efforts on grassroots organizations, individual activists, and members of our communities
• In all our efforts, be conscious of the digital divide and prioritize making information accessible to all
• Integrate healing and conflict resolution into our organizing processes
• Advocate for the inclusion of a gender analysis in all USSF processes and events
• Maintain transparency in our decision making processes and publish our notes to the extent possible

Welcome to the Gender Justice Working Group's Blog!

This blog belongs to the Gender Justice Working Group (formerly the Women's Working Group) of the U.S. Social Forum taking place in Detroit, Michigan this summer. You can find out more information on the USSF 2010 wiki or on the official website. For information on USSF 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia, click here.