Welcome to “The Gender Corner,” published in collaboration with The Anguillian Newspaper. Through this publication we hope to provide relevant information about Gender Affairs; offering material to create thought-provoking and stimulating community discussions. This week, as we approach the Christmas season, we’ll take a look at the true nature of the holiday and how we may align our actions with activism throughout the season.
As we come to a close with the “16 Days of Activism” this week, it is important to look both backwards, and to look forward. We need to review the efforts that were made to raise awareness about pressing issues facing our nation and then look forward to determine how best to address them as a collective community. The “16 Days” of 2014 in Anguilla included radio outreach, workshops, a panel discussion, a retreat for young ladies, a Governor’s Tea for young women activists, and an ongoing social media Facebook campaign called AXA Break the Silence.
We have tackled the taboo issues of Domestic Violence, HIV/AIDS, and Harassment & Discrimination in the workplace while charging forward and charting new ground for discussions on Gender in Tourism and encouraging the success of young women activists.
As I think about how we’ve grown in acknowledging the importance of gender considerations over the past year, I cannot help but to think of where we will go for the future. However, as the West African Asante Adinkra symbol of “Sankofa” tells us, you cannot move forward unless you know where you have been. The Sankofa symbol is of a bird facing forward with its head turned backwards; acknowledging that we can never forget the lessons learned from our past.
With the Christmas season right around the corner, we look to this time of year as a celebration of the grand display of love that God showered upon his people so many generations ago, through the birth of his son, the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. The true meaning of the Christmas season is a time for love, for healing, for hope, for renewed purpose and strength, and to reunite with friends and family in order to promote health and wellness. In short, this is the perfect season for activism.
When some people think of the word “activism,” ideas of protests, boycotts and people marching with signs in the streets may come to mind. These are all strategies of activism, but the true meaning of activism is displaying passionate and long standing involvement for bringing about positive change in our society.
In celebrating Christmas, we acknowledge our role in activism by asking the following questions: How am I active in creating change in Anguilla this Christmas season? How can I help families and households who are in need of the basics of food, water and clothing? How can I be on the forefront of political change by ensuring that my voice is heard? How can I fight the unproductive status quo and seek to uphold justice and equality in my workplace? Where do I see the need for a spirit of activism and positive change in this nation?
The opportunities for contributions toward constructive transformation are all around you. There are large and small ways that you can ensure the total health and wellness of every man, woman, girl and boy in our country. The occasion presents itself in our schools, in our workplaces, in the home, out at the food truck or barbeque pit, in our political spaces and all around us.
Christmas is a celebration of activism. It is a time of gratitude to God for a priceless gift. This sacrificial gift allows us to be dynamically active in promoting positive social, economic and political change. Let us establish a responsible, loving and thriving nation. Make a personal commitment that this season and in the next year, you will work toward the cause of justice. Let’s all remember: It’s not where you’re from; it’s not where you’re at: it’s what you do. Happily wishing you a Merry Christmas and a fruitful Season of Activism!
For more information about Gender Affairs, or to contribute an article to the Gender Corner, please contact Dr. Ronya Foy Connor, Gender Development Coordinator at the Ministry of Home Affairs in The Valley, 497-2518 or at Ronya.Foy-Connor@gov.ai.
