Hello friends. We're wrapping up this year by bringing you highlights from our 'Another World Is Possible' event series, our Year in Review, and a teaser to 'تحریر / Tehreer', our exciting new writing group! We hope you enjoy watching and reading.
Wishing you the joy, rest and resilience you need for the rest of the year and a powerful start to 2021!
In Solidarity,
The Rights Collective
Year in Review
2020 has been a tough year for all of us. It's been disappointing, challenging, and also really weird. As we approach the end of this year, and look towards 2021 with renewed hope and optimism, we wanted to show our year in review with you all. It has been rewarding in many ways, as we were able to collaborate with some of our favourite organisations and individuals. We hope you enjoy reading!
16 Days: Another World Is Possible
This year, for 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, The Rights Collective hosted a series of conversations along the theme of ‘Another World Is Possible’. where we explored and imagined possibilities for our future beyond the current interlocking systems of oppression in which we live.
The recording for the events are now available:
Deepika Bhardwaj, Hajera Begum, Kamardip Singh, and sujatha baliga. Chaired by Nishma Jethwa.
Healing and the South Asian Community
Humma Andleeb, Ravideep Kaur, Taimour Fazlani, and Dr. Rima Lamba. Chaired by Huma Khan.
South Asian Diasporic Organising
Dr. Sita Balani, Tasnima Uddin, Maya Bhardwaj, and Farzana Khan. Chaired by Nishma Jethwa.
The Rights Collective Podcast
We're so excited to finally launch The Rights Collective Podcast with you all! Join us on our journey as we navigate the world of socially distanced audio recording. We hope for this to be a space to share our anti-oppression analysis, amplify voices, and collaborate with other British South Asians. We are taking ownership of our realities and narratives, encouraging honesty and publicizing issues that are often kept private through fear of judgment, marginalization, or dishonor.
Our first season, The Identity Series, will feature a guest from the British South Asian diaspora in each episode. We explore how our guests' identities have been shaped by their culture, religion, gender, sexuality, upbringing, family, and more. In the process of sharing these lived experiences, we hope to subvert conventional narratives and challenge stereotypes that exist about our communities, reclaiming identity in a multifaceted and more truthful way
Massive thank you to @kakikasi for the bomb podcast art! 😋 And to @substeppers for letting us use their powerful music! Be sure to go check out both their other works.
Solidarity Circle - The Blue Club
The Blue Club is an India-based non-profit organisation led by Dalit women who work with the most marginalised in the community, women who are caste-oppressed. They are seeking funds to help the continued running of their work and support services for the next year. This includes harbouring safe spaces for victims of gender-based violence and supporting women's integration into the work-force.
We know how deadly the pandemic has been to those in the Global South, especially those who are already at the frontlines of our communities. We are choosing to support The Blue Club this December and we invite you to also donate what you can! Click the link in our bio to send anything you can manage - every pound and penny means something!
To Our Community
Dear community - we've been slowing down for the holidays and reflecting upon our work over the past year. The Rights Collective has moved in ways we did not expect or predict but we are blown away by all your support and involvement. We have had the privilege of getting to know such amazing folx and our hope for 2021 is to show up in even better ways for you all.
For this, we need your help! While we have many things in the works for 2021, we would like to hear from you, our community, about what you need and want from us. Click below to tell us your thoughts!
New Reads
Check out our latest blog on The Challenges of being a Muslim Woman by our team member, Huma Khan. She explores the 'triple threat' of gendered Islamophobia on Muslim women.
We also trace the history of South Asian women in Britain, written by Avi. Read here.
Lastly, if you missed our 'Caste In The Diaspora' Teach-In during October, you can read the write up here.
Team Updates
Our co-founder Nishma Jethwa was a guest episode on 'What Is This Behaviour?' discussing South Asian activism, organizing, and our work in The Rights Collective.
Become a Mentor for تحریر // Tehreer
تحریر // Tehreer is a 6-month writing group housed within The Rights Collective which supports writers who identify as South Asian to develop their own voices in writing about gender, identity and culture. It endeavours to create a community space where participants can support one another, access mentoring and guidance with their writing, which will be published by The Rights Collective on our blog.
We are currently looking for mentors with experience as social justice writers for a minimum commitment of six months. You will provide ongoing mentorship and support the creative growth of young writers as they develop their skills writing about various social justice issues.
Find out more about becoming a mentor by clicking here. If you'd like to apply to be part of the program, watch this space for the application details in the new year.
What We're Reading
Heres a round-up of articles the team read this month ranging from the landmark protests happening in India right now, to the legacies of the Asian Youth Movements in the U.K. We recommend you read these!
Inquilaab Zindabaad: Why are Punjabi Farmers protesting in India?, Mandeep Sidhu writes for Gal-dem magazine on the historic protests against a series of farming laws.
A proposed new development in the heart of Brick Lane by the Truman Brewery is threatening local communities already hit hard by COVID-91. Tasnima Uddin explains how gentrification is ruining the East End.
'Come What May, We're Here to Stay'- We loved this piece by Taj Ali for Tribune Mag on the Asian Youth Movements of the '70s and 80's.
The Brown in Black Power - another great article highlighting the joint organizing and solidarity between brown and black folks in Britain. Read Arsalans piece for Jamhoor here.
We've updated our website!
To find out more about out work, you can browse our website to discover our projects and get access to resources! We've made our digital teach-ins available to watch and you can catch up on our Ikhatta events!