Monday, November 16, 2020: Feminists across the globe talk about the US election.

Welcome everyone to Women’s Magazine!  I’m Margo Okazawa-Rey, filling in for Jovelyn Richards, who usually hosts the “Space Between Us” Program.  I’m on the air from Berkeley California, on occupied Ohlone territory. Thanking all the Ohlone ancestors and mine  for another day.

We in the US have no question that the processes and the results of the 2020 presidential election reflect the history, the current political climate, and the future of this country. More than 150 million voters turned out—breaking records. Though not surprising, one very noteworthy development always to keep in mind is that the organizers and voters of colour—African American, Asian American, Latinx, and Native American-all played critical roles in this year’s election. They saved America. Special kudos and appreciations to the Black, and queer women-led Movement for Black lives, and all allies, that constitute the biggest movement in US History. In other words, the seriousness of this election has not been understated.

As we think and learn about the implications for the US, let’s also consider the global implications. As the saying goes, “when the US sneezes, the rest of the world catches pneumonia.”

Click here to listen to the show. 59:50 min 

I am delighted to have this extra show today, just after the elections, to give us a more global perspective.  I interviewed feminists from various parts of the world and asked them two questions:

·      What is your reactions to the outcome of the US presidential elections?

·      What difference will the Biden-Harris administration make on the lives of the women in your country?

Most KPFA listeners will probably not be surprised to hear what my guests have to say. Still, it’s important that we hear their voices as they tell us. You will get to listen to feminists in Europe and various parts of Asia.

As with my regular shows, my intention is for us in the Bay Area and the US to connect the dots—between geographies of “there” and “here” and between their lives and ours, so we feminists across the globe  can stand together in ethical solidarity to imagine and be part of creating a genuinely secure and sustainable world.

We featured the following people:

Ruth-Gaby Vermot, former Swiss Parliamentarisn of the Socialist Party, Bern, Switzerland. 15 years ago, Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold together with an international team nominated 1000 women for the Nobel Peace Prize. In an unprecedented initiative, they searched the world for women working for peace and justice. She is the initiator and co-president of PeaceWomen Across the Globe.

Randa Siniora is a Palestinian human rights and women’s rights defender with over 30 years of professional experience in the field of international human rights and humanitarian law. Since 2015, she has been the General Director of the Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counseling (WCLAC). WCLAC provides Legal Aid and Counseling for women's victims of Gender Based Violence and works towards gender equality and non-discrimination against women in all aspects of Palestinian life.  Prior to joining WCLAC, Ms. Siniora was the Senior Executive Director of the Palestinian National Human Rights Institution the “Independent Commission for Human Rights” and the General Director of Al-Haq/Law in the Service of Man one of the most prominent NGOs in Palestine with a consultative status with UN ECOSOC. She was also a Human Rights Specialist with the Secretariat for the support of human rights and good governance organizations in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).

Kunthea Chan  Just Associates Southeast Asia (SEA) Regional Program Coordinator, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She is a feminist activist and co-author of Diving Deep, Going Far: Stories of the Women Leaders Forming Cambodia's Future

Kozue Akibayashi is a feminist researcher/activist and has worked on issues of gender and peace. She is a professor at Graduate School of Global Studies, Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan, and a member of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

Corazon Valdez Fabros, Philippines feminist activist,  is currently Vice President of International Peace Bureau and a core member of thematic circle on Peace and Security both at the civil society process at Asia-Europe Peoples Forum and the ASEAN Civil Society Conference- ASEAN Peoples Forum. She is Lead convenor of the STOP the War Coalition Philippines and Nuclear Free Pilipinas. Currently the focal person for the Philippines at the No Nukes Asia Forum (A network that focuses on campaigns against nuclear power plants in Asia and the promotion of alternative renewable energy sources as an option to dirty and destructive energy)

Kamla Bhasin, who lives in New Delhi, is an Indian feminist activist, poet, and author. Kamla's work  focuses on gender, education, human development and the media. She is a founding member and adviser of Sangat - A Feminist Network. She is also the co-chair of PeaceWomen across the Globe in Bern Switzerland and South Asia coordinator of One Billion Rising. She practices advocacy that combines feminist theory and community action, often using posters, plays, and other non-literary methods to mobilize communities with limited literacy skills.

Click here to listen to the show. 59:50 min