Click here to read Reclaiming the Poor People’s Campaign: Resources from Abahlali baseMjondolo & the Rural Network, a resource pack prepared for comrades that Mazwi Nzimande and Reverend Mavuso will be meeting in America.
THE SHACK DWELLERS MOVEMENT IN NEW YORK – SCHEDULE
Sunday, 16th August, 2009
Discussion & Screening at Bluestockings
Please join us for a very special evening of discussion and film about Abahlali baseMjondolo (the Shack Dwellers Movement) of South Africa. Two of their leaders, Mazwi Nzimande and Rev. Mavuso Mbhekiseni, will be in the United States building networks of solidarity with those engaged in similar struggles in this country. There will be a screening of DEAR MANDELA (15 min, 2009), a documentary work-in-progress about the Shack Dwellers Movement, directed by Dara Kell & Christopher Nizza.
TIME: 7pm (screening starts at 7:30pm)
LOCATION:
Bluestockings. 172 Allen St. New York, NY 10002. Ph: 212.777.6028 http://bluestockings.com/
DIRECTIONS: Bluestockings is located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan at 172
Allen Street between Stanton and Rivington – 1 block south of Houston and 1st Avenue.
By train: F train to 2nd Ave, exit at 1st Ave, and walk one block south.
By car: If you take the Houston exit off of the FDR, then turn left onto Essex (a.k.a. Avenue A), then right on Rivington, and finally right on Allen, you will be very, very close.
MONDAY, 17TH AUGUST, 2009
Meeting with members of Movimiento Por Justicia Del Barrio (MJB)
Movimiento Por Justicia Del Barrio (MJB) is an immigrant-led social justice organization based in East Harlem. The group was founded in December of 2004 to organize resistance against the devastating effects of gentrification in their community. The immigrant base and leadership of their organization has led MJB to address the pressing issue of immigrant rights. In 2005, their predominantly Mexican membership decided to become adherents to Zapatista’s Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle and joined The Other Campaign, a national movement to change Mexico initiated by the Zapatistas. Since then, the group has facilitated a comprehensive Consulta Con El Barrio to invite popular community participation in developing strategy and focus for the struggle for community based justice. MJB struggles for justice by challenging systems of racism, xenophobia, sexism, classism, and homophobia.
TIME: 7:30PM
Location TBD
WEDNESDAY, 19th AUGUST, 2009
Meeting with members of DOMESTIC WORKERS UNITED
Founded in 2000, Domestic Workers United [DWU] is an organization of Caribbean, Latina and African nannies, housekeepers, and elderly caregivers in New York, organizing for power, respect, fair labor standards and to help build a movement to end exploitation and oppression for all.
TIME: 11:00AM – 1:00PM
LOCATION: Domestic Workers United office,1201 Broadway, Suite 907 – 908, New York, NY 10001. http://www.domesticworkersunited.org/
PH: (212) 481-5747
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19TH, 2009
Shackdwellers Movement from South Africa at the Brecht Forum
DEAR MANDELA (15 min, 2009), a documentary work-in-progress about South Africa’s Shack Dwellers Movement, will be screening at the Brecht forum as part of the Visual Liberation Film Series, curated by Red Channels.
LOCATION: BRECHT FORUM. http://brechtforum.org
TIME: 7:30PM
ADDRESS: 451 West Street (that’s the West Side Highway) between Bank & Bethune Streets
DIRECTIONS:
A, C, E or L to 14th Street & 8th Ave, walk down 8th Ave. to Bethune, turn right, walk west to the River, turn left
1, 2, 3 or 9 to 14th Street & 7th Ave, get off at south end of station, walk west on 12th Street to 8th Ave. left to Bethune, turn right, walk west to the River, turn left.
THURSDAY, 20th AUGUST, 2009
Panel Discussion & Screening at the Poverty Initiative
Please join the Poverty Initiative at Union Theological Seminary for an evening of discussion and film about Abahlali baseMjondolo (the Shack Dwellers Movement) of South Africa. Two of their leaders, Mazwi Nzimande and Reverend Mavuso Mbhekiseni, will be attending the Poverty Initiative’s Poverty Scholars Leadership School. They then are spending a week in New York sharing experiences from their work and lives, meeting with Poverty Scholars organizations and building relationships of solidarity with similar movements here. There will be a screening of DEAR MANDELA (15 min, 2009), a documentary work-in-progress about the Shack Dwellers Movement, directed by Dara Kell & Christopher Nizza. The evening will also include a discussion with Poverty Initiative leaders about how to build deeper connections across continents.
Thursday, 20th August, 2009
7:30pm – 9:00pm in Room 205 at Union Theological Seminary, Room 205, New York, NY 10027
LOCATION: Union Theological Seminary is located at 121st Street and Broadway near the Columbia University campus. Take the 1 subway to 116th Street/Columbia University and walk north to 121st Street. When you enter the main entrance at Union Theological Seminary, the guards at the security desk will be able to direct you to Room 205.)
http://www.povertyinitiative.org/
Abahlali baseMjondolo is the largest social movement of the poor in post-apartheid South Africa. The movement’s key demand is for ‘Land & Housing in the City’ but it has also successfully politicized and fought for an end to forced removals and for access to education and the provision of water, electricity, sanitation, health care and refuse removal as well as bottom up popular democracy. Amongst other victories the Abahlali have democratized the governance of many settlements, stopped evictions in a number of settlements, won access to schools and forced numerous government officials to ‘come down to the people’. For more information, visit http://www.abahlali.org