#WomenWednesdays: Gloria, Roxane and Ana

In celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day on March 8, Shayna Lewis, Program & Communications Manager, is taking a moment each Wednesday to share stories of an artist, activist, or our personal favorite: artist-activists that have had an impact working towards gender equality. 

 Read on to learn about a few of her feminists icons...

Gloria Steinem at the Ms. Foundation for Women's 23rd annual Gloria Awards via Wikipedia

Gloria Steinem

I’m a sucker for keeping it old school, so I’ll start us off with one of my personal favorites: social activist, writer, editor, and lecturer Gloria Steinem has been an outspoken champion of women's rights since the late 1960s and is a staple for just about any Intro to Women’s Studies course. In a recent Ms. Magazine blog post, on how this is just the beginning of the women’s movement she stated:

At my age, in this still hierarchical time, people often ask me if I’m “passing the torch.” I explain that I’m keeping my torch, thank you very much—and I’m using it to light the torches of others. 

Because only if each of us has a torch will there be enough light.  

@rgay twitter profileRoxane Gay

The title of Roxane Gay’s book, Bad Feminist struck an immediate chord with me, and it’s chapter on reconciling hip-hop with feminism pretty much sealed the deal (more about the book and her thoughts on music here). But it’s her general idea about wanting to do more and better by rap, and writing, and feminism that make me think critically and push me to do more. From an excerpt of her book:

I am being open about who I am and who I was and where I have faltered and who I would like to become. No matter what issues I have with feminism, I am a feminist. I cannot and will not deny the importance and absolute necessity of feminism. Like most people, I'm full of contradictions, but I also don't want to be treated like shit for being a woman. I am a bad feminist. I would rather be a bad feminist than no feminist at all.

 Ana Tijoux

Some of you may have seen a post about Ana Tijoux on Calling All Crows’ Facebook, and yup, that was me. I’ve loved Tijoux’s music for several years now and am continually excited by her lyricism and storytelling. Further, her songs give me insight into political issues and musical genres far beyond Boston, and the United States, directly making the connection between music and activism. She talks about this in an interview with Democracy Now: 

I feel that the music is an amazing weapon, an amazing tool, like to have this reflection with the world. It’s a conversation, a dialogue with the world.

Translation available here.

Have a feminist icon that you want to see featured in this series? We’re just cracking the surface and have so much more to share and want you all to share alike! Email slewis@callingallcrows.org with stories about individuals who inspire you take action for women’s rights and gender equality.

Once resettled...not so settled

This year’s “Forced to Flee” tour is dedicated to bringing awareness to refugee issues throughout the world and promoting activism among the Calling All Crows community. The Crows’ Nest blog will feature articles by Trish Becker-Hafnor discussing the complex elements of the refugee experience, from conflicts affecting communities across the globe, to the challenges of living in a foreign country after resettlement. You can read previous installments here, here, and here.

The first leg of the Forced to Flee Tour has come to a close, and over the past several weeks we’ve explored worldwide conflict, refugee camps and some of the difficult decisions that face refugees throughout the process. We are now poised to understand what happens after resettlement, once refugees have landed in a third country.

Once an individual or family has decided to resettle, they must undergo a series of interviews, health screenings and bureaucracy in order to be accepted. There is often a significant waiting period between registering for resettlement and being selected, yet there is typically very little time between the moment that someone is notified and when they are required to depart. Families are often thrown into a tailspin while packing all of their belongings into one or two suitcases, saying goodbye to family and friends and preparing for the rest of their lives in a foreign country.

There are 12 countries throughout the world that have substantial resettlement programs, the US being one of them. Once refugees arrive in the US, they receive a one-time stipend of $1,800 to assist with housing, food and all costs related to their transition into the US.  They also qualify for eight months of food stamps and financial assistance, to assist with rent and expenses as they look for work. Often, refugees have specialized skills and advanced training in fields ranging from medicine to engineering to law. However, these skills and degrees are rarely recognized in the US and many individuals find themselves working menial jobs with poor hours and harsh conditions. Doctors find themselves in meat packing plants, and engineers work as janitors.

After eight months, most families are cut off from assistance, with exceptions for individuals with a disability or families with small children. Imagine suddenly moving to a new country, trying to learn the language, adapt to a completely different culture, navigate complex systems, provide for your family and find a company that will hire you despite linguistic, cultural and religious differences…all within just eight months. The amount of time given to new arrivals is far too short, and the support available is too little.

Adding to the challenge of resettlement is the fact that most refugees have significant trauma histories, and studies have shown that they experience Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at ten times the rate of the general population. Refugees are often in need of treatment for mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and PTSD, but face difficulties finding treatment that is culturally and linguistically competent. There are a limited number of mental health professionals who reflect the language and culture of the diverse group of incoming refugees. 

Refugees are often unaware that there is treatment available for the life-altering symptoms that they are experiencing. Programs designed to screen incoming refugees for mental health issues are now available, and are gaining traction in resettlement programs throughout the country. The Pathways to Wellness Program was established in King County, Washington and uses multilingual screening tools that were carefully developed to incorporate culturally relevant symptoms and idioms of distress. The screeners are now given as part of the public health examination that many refugees undergo when arriving in the US. 

The challenges that face refugees are complex and disheartening, but Pathways to Wellness and other innovative programs that address unmet needs offer some hope. Learn more about The Pathways to Wellness Program

Supporting CAC with her music

On Monday, December 22, San Francisco-based singer songwiter Jenna Lavoie is holding a virtual concert via Giving Stage to benefit Calling All Crows. Learn about why Jenna chose to support CAC below, and click here for details about how to support her show!

I chose Calling All Crows because what they do resonates with me. When Piper, CEO of Giving Stage was introducing me to all of the charitable organizations that they partner with, she mentioned that Calling All Crows was founded by Chadwick Stokes from the bands Dispatch and State Radio. Just hearing that made me want to check them out because Dispatch was a huge part of my life during a very transformative, significant time for me.  

When I was first introduced to Dispatch, I was a teenager and starting the journey of discovering who I am. I remember driving around in my car listening to "Hey, Hey" on repeat, feeling how big the world was, wanting to be a part of it, and I realizing that I could. I think all I did for a while was listen to Dispatch and that was the first time I start to feel on my own, free and realize that I am music and that's what I needed to do. Dispatch was also a huge inspiration for me musically. The emotional dynamics of their songs has influenced my own style of song writing that I continue to carry with me.  

When I went to their website and read up on Calling All Crows and saw what they're all about, I was blown away by the work that they do. There are all different kinds of lack energy and struggle going on the world and it’s shown, manifested, and created in many different forms. We choose different avenues and usually focus on one issue at a time, which is great, but there's something about Calling All Crows where they seem to connect to every avenue and cover many issues at once. I think it’s because they create change from the healing foundation of music. Music is so powerful. It is the universal language. Music alone connects to every being and heart on this planet, and creates healing, and positive change. Music helps us know that we're all ONE, that we are not alone. Music connects us to who we really are in our core, in our soul so that we can go out and live our purpose and create. All of that magic is created just from listening to music or performing it. So, if we take that notion of what music already is and put that energy into the form of taking physical action to create change in the world...you have Calling All Crows. To me, Calling All Crows dissolves the line of separation between the music, fans, audience and the community. They partner with the musicians and fans that are being transformed by this music and allow them to take action on that inspiration and healing change within themselves and spread it towards the community. 

Calling All Crows is putting the healing power of music in people's hands and inviting them to take that power and do service acts all around the world. It's like me in my car listening to Dispatch, singing and feeling so much love and inspiration.... then seeing someone in their car broken down on the side of the road, and deciding to pull over and help them. Calling All Crows does this but at a much larger level. I am honored to be putting on this concert for Calling All Crows through Giving Stage. I am excited to bring people together through music and spread the magic. 

The Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights

This fall Calling All Crows and Chadwick Stokes embarked on Forced to Flee, a tour dedicated to raising awareness about refugees. Here, Jennifer Sato, Data Coordinator at the Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights, shares a bit about the work the Center does here in Boston. The Center will also be joining us throughout our Seventh Annual Benefit Weekend, educating people about their work and how people can get involved in supporting refugee resettlement locally, and throughout the United States. 

Imagine yourself at home, surrounded by the people you love and the community to which you belong; this is a place of warmth and comfort, it is a place you know intimately because you are from there and have grown with it. Imagine what home looks lime in time of conflict, whether burgeoning or long-lasting, and how your relationships may change as your life – maybe your political opinions, your sexual orientation, or, your ethnic background – come into question. Imagine being forced to flee as you become targeted and hurt by people you once trusted, or a government you once looked to for guidance. You have been forced to flee to save your life and perhaps that of your family’s. This situation may sound far away and difficult to imagine but here at the Boston Center for Refugee Health & Human Rights we hear these stories every day and work hard to help those who have been forced to flee to make a new home and life in the United States.

The Boston Center for Refugee Health & Human Rights, located in Boston Medical Center, serves Boston’s growing population of refugees and asylum seekers. Since 1998 the Center has seen more than 2,336 people from 90 countries; as world conflicts develop and evolve, both these numbers continue to increase. The Center’s mission is to provide holistic health care coordinated with social and legal services for survivors and their families. It is our belief that by providing comprehensive care and practicing radical empathy, we can aid our clients in transitioning from surviving to surviving.

The Center has a dedicated team that works very hard to deliver competent care in various areas, including, but limited to: mental health, medical/dental services, case management, career development, and legal assistance. For many of our clients, BCRHHR is the first stop on their journey toward better mental and physical wellbeing, as well as their first point of contact in the Boston community. Everyday clients from all over the world walk through our doors seeking assistance as well as compassion; fleeing from your home is a traumatic event and it is BCRHHR’s responsibility and honor to offer an environment of rest and healing.

There are many unique obstacles that our clients face in the pursuit of services and an easier life; in recognition of Calling All Crow’s seventh annual benefit weekend I hope to briefly touch upon the obstacles faced by refugee/asylum seeking women. In 2013, approximately 62% of BCRHHR’s clients were women and 47% of those were victims of sexual violence. It is important to understand the courage that is required of these women to step forward and seek help for the traumas they have suffered as the stigmatization associated with such trauma is very high. Gender-based violence and discrimination, too, inhibits a woman’s ability to seek treatment and for some there is a very real fear that doing so will put them in further danger, even after having escaped their abusers.

At BCRHHR, the highly trained team has developed best practices in working with this vulnerable population. The Center offers not only mental health services to address sexual trauma or traumas related to gender issues, but collaborates with an OB/GYN that specializes in refugee health, connects women to spiritual groups or organizations, offers women’s support groups and mother’s groups, and educates women about feminine hygiene and associated products (something we also supply here at the Center). Offering complete care is essential to healing, especially when seeing women with children or infants. The Center ensures that the women who come through our doors are made to feel safe and can pursue care that is sensitive to their specific needs.

Regardless of gender or country of origin, political views or sexual orientation, the Boston Center for Refugee Health & Human Rights is here to not only advocate for our patients, but to help them heal and come to understand and realize Boston and her community as their home.

Celebrate ABW7 with service at IMEC

CAC Volunteer Bobby Kessling is the Northeast Regional Impact Director for City Year. Below he shares a bit about what volunteering at the International Medical Equipment Collaborative has meant to him.

Join us on Saturday, December 20, 2014 and find out what giving back can mean to you!

Beds and equipment for a hospital emergency room in Africa. Desks, chairs, and supplies for a school classroom in South America. When was the last time you spent a few hours of work here in the United States and could immediately see the tangible, possibly life-saving, benefit that it would provide to people across the globe?  

That was my favorite thing about volunteering with IMEC--getting to assemble much-needed supplies that went directly to hospitals and schools in places that needed them. What's more, the supplies they are collecting and distributing would otherwise just be discarded by hospitals here. Helping at IMEC was one of the most memorable, impactful and fun community service opportunities I've experienced.