Jun 11, 2012

anti-oppression resources


The Colours of Resistance Archive (http://www.coloursofresistance.org), is a collection of anti-oppression resources for movement-building.

As they put it: "Colours of Resistance (COR) was a grassroots network of people in the U.S. and Canada who consciously worked to develop anti-racist, multiracial politics in the movement against global capitalism. This network existed from 2000 until 2006. COR members aimed to help build an anti-racist, anti-imperialist, multiracial, feminist, queer and trans liberationist, anti-authoritarian movement against global capitalism. COR members were also committed to integrating an anti-oppression framework and analysis into all of the work."

I've used the term anti-oppression for years.  When I was organizing with Seattle CISPES we started each meeting with 10 minutes we called, rather ridiculously, DOBS - or 'dismantling oppressive behaviours'.  It was useful to each week think about how to be more aware and respectful of different communities.  I guess I prefer dismantling oppression to anti-oppression as a term, but in general I'd rather our terms focused on what we want in the world rather than what we don't want.  Maybe we're not there yet.  And not sure what the term for this internal work in organizations would be then.  Liberation? Respect? Solidarity?

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