Treasures of the 20th Century Guideposts for the 21st

SELF KNOWLEDGE

There are many milestones in my life, each one complete in itself, yet pivotal to my progress. When I attended Primary school, a favourite motto on the wall was:

“A little learning is a dangerous thing, drink deep or touch not the Perian Spring”

I thought I would like to drink of this spring, but could not understand why a little learning would be dangerous. I however decided that I would be drinking deep. Over the years, this thirst for knowledge has been like a fire inside, driving me to actions, which some people described as "bordering on madeness"

In Secondary school, I was top of my class in Mathematics and Biology up to form IV, when for the first time I was made aware that I was different from the boys. I was told that I could not do Mathematics and Biology beyond form IV because Mathematics and Science were for boys.

My teacher, who I now see as a change agent, said that it would be a pity for me not to continue these subjects up to fifth form. So I was allowed to attend Mathematics and Biology at the Boys Grammar School where the Science teacher chastised the boys by saying – “ imagine letting a girl get more marks than you!

From these examples I see the need for a driving force, motivation and setting of goals as important to our advancement. The need for guides and mentors such as my teacher is important as well.

A MENTOR FROM THE PAST

The fire inside was very evident in a woman, years before my time, who is a role model and mentor for me today.

In her book “Elma Francois”, historian Rhoda Reddock (1988) said that “ Francois would go to Woodford Square and take on any group of men ”. Her approach was to sit on the bench next to perfect strangers, and use the Newspapers to start political discussions. Here she met the people in their locale. She struggled with them against poverty. However, I would be unaware of Francois and her methodology if Rhoda Reddock, a strong Caribbean woman leader had not recognised the importance of documenting the lives of our warrior women.

ERROR CAN BE GAIN

When I was 21, the fire inside was burning brightly. I opened an Early Childhood Education Centre without consulting any authorities. Two female inspectors saw what I was doing and gently said: “ We saw your school, the area is well ventilated, but you are doing everything else wrong. The seats are too high, you are teaching them to read and write etc. However, we won’t close it down if you would let us train your teachers ”. I, of course said yes. The objective was to free mothers for work and recreation outside the home.

I learnt from this the need to acknowledge mistakes – to be willing to learn, that addressing errors can bring you gain. These and other experiences served me well for the next twenty years as an individual and within organisations. It was a tremendous learning experience to be involved in the Women and Caribbean Project under the leadership of Joycelin Massiah.

In 1984, I resigned a position of assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, St. Vincent and the Grenadines to contest National Elections.

It was very clear that the system needed changing. I was credited for bringing a “ clean and educated campaign ” which overshadowed my very leftist tendencies, and challenged all candidates to let go the mud-slinging.

Although I contested two National elections without winning a seat I continue to hold my views.

Fully launched into the NGO community, and as Coordinator of the Committee for the Development of Women, among other things, I was being honed for my work as Coordinator of the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA). At organizational level, CAFRA is itself a change agent. The founding Mothers and early pioneers – Honor Ford Smith, Joan French, Sonia Cuales, Cynthia Ellis and Rhoda Reddock wanted clearly to move away from a welfare approach to one of challenge and transformation. The administrative and Research Coordinators, staff members and National Representatives including Rawwida Baksh-Soodeen, Roberta Clarke, Gemma Tang Nain and Catherine Shepherd played pivotal roles in the movement’s progress in challenging times.

CAFRA’s broad strategy is in:

1. Collective power for stronger lobbying – building on what already exists

2. Consciousness raising, for example, recognition that Beijing issues are part of existing work, which fits into the 12 Critical Areas of Concern

3. Beginning at people’s level through its research

4.Disseminationof information

5. Drawing up of strategic plans

CAFRA is a Network, it is a Social Movement – “ A formally organized group that acts consciously and with some community to promote or resist change through collective action ”. CAFRA’s structure and actions meet these requirements. The Leadership of Joycelin Massiah in UNIFEM, Peggy Antrobus of WAND and DAWN opened spaces for CAFRA in its transformational role. At times they were brokers and financiers.

CAFRA National Representatives have all been through processes of knowing self. This self-knowledge allows them to work as change agents. Their self esteem has been built to enable them to challenge the systems.

National Representatives know that we do not have to do everything that presents itself, but we can enable groups to work at problem solving. We can lobby and provoke our governments and policy makers to take action.

A key tool for me in this movement is the use of creative expression for social change. Armed with stories my mother told me, poems and ring games from school days, and songs from the rural areas I engaged the village elders, children, and adults as a community. It is an effective way to get people relaxed and talking. It lit the fire inside them and mobilised them for action.

In 1995, a group of women activists was lobbying at the World Summit for Social Development (WSSD). Out of frustration that our governments were not understanding that structural adjustment was causing poverty, we began to sing

“ Mother the great stone got to move
Mother the great stone got to move
Mother the great stone
The stone of POVERTY
Mother the great stone got to move ”

Then we went on a Hunger Strike “ in the market place "through which the delegates had to pass on their way to the negotiations. It lasted five days. We were well organised, sending daily press releases, making demands of the negotiations. Perhaps I looked the most “ hungry ” because it was my face that appeared in the International Papers!

The lesson here is utilising skills at different levels. While we occupied the hunger site and positively influenced the negotiations others were doing the media work.

CAFRA as an organisation embodies the feminist movement.

Here are some strategic projects:

1997 - Groundbreaking women in Caribbean Agriculture Project
- Anthology of Caribbean Women Poets

2002 - Publication of CAFRA News focusing on Feminism and the involvement of young women.
 Purchasing of a permanent Secretariat for CAFRA

CONCLUSION

As the 21st century unfolds, so do the critical issues affecting women and their communities. The social economic framework built by male-dominated structures is giving birth to crises that affect humanity, and an environment in which the male feels threatened. This has in turn given rise to threats of a backlash on women’s advancement. It is therefore critical that the Regional Women’s Movement be vibrant and focused. We need to dig for and reveal the treasures of the 20th century hidden in our diverse experiences and use them as guideposts for the 21st century. We must step out of our mental models of “ how things should be ”, to embrace change. The fact that there are cries to let the youth in, and youth themselves feel locked out, is for me good news. It tells me the youth want to come in. We must give them skills, help them organize where they are. Tell the boys what it means to be “woman”, so that they can be men; tell the girls what it means to be “man”, so that they can be women. It is not either/or. There must be balance in continuing to engage the skills, knowledge and resources of the older, while drawing in the younger. EDUCATE – A little learning is indeed a dangerous thing.

Finally, in recounting the tales of the women’s movement, it is good media to praise, glorify and dwell on the good times. I want to offer another view, another lesson – Many of our unsung heroines are achieving, making positive change, through a lot of pain – the pain of persecution, misunderstanding, discrimination and a failure. These are women who face and overcome the biggest leadership challenge, which is to keep on walking when our hearts are breaking and the pain seems more than we can bear.

I thank you.