Together to create other worlds
In this historical moment, globally led by ideological, cultural, and religious conservatism, extreme economic neoliberalism, plutocracy, autocracy and populism, neocolonialism and wars, and their fundamental socio-cultural components – white racial supremacy articulated with genocide, systemic racism, nativism, patriotism, immigration restrictions, and the abrogation and abuse of human rights; institutionalized heteropatriarchy through the imposition of a binary gender system (denying gender and sexualities as a fluid social construction) and the exultation of hegemonic masculinity (including the condoning of violence against women, feminized people and those with sexualities outside the confines of heterosexuality – LGTBQ+); and classism disguised as meritocracy and functionalism, exalting elitism and minimizing the systemic exploitation of marginalized and vulnerable workers - it is more necessary than ever to resist actively and collectively so as not to succumb.
“In this historical moment, it is more necessary than ever to resist actively and collectively so as not to succumb”.
It is understandable to believe that there is no turning back. That we are not enough to face this reality that crushes us day by day. However, this perception is fallacious, and it is a fundamental part of the meta-discourse that the dominant forces promote to reinforce their power and subordinate us even more. Therefore, we must counter this narrative, starting by recognizing that while most people in this world are in a disadvantaged position, many are already engaged in the practice of alternative ways of life, many are already organized and resisting, and many are already willing to do so, but perhaps feel fearful or unsure of how.
Loudly
For this reason, I join the resistance and call on all of us to encourage and support each other, tactically protecting those who are in situations of greater risk, and strategically taking advantage of the knowledge and capabilities of each one of us.
Because our knowledge, culturally inherited and accumulated through lived experiences, reflections and studies, and our multiple, coveted, rich and enriching capacities, are particularly valuable and constructive, and in the face of their delegitimization and systemic abuse, we must protect and activate them to the maximum for our good and that of the entire world.
Because
all human beings must be treated with dignity,
because
all people, regardless of their ethnoracial designations, territorial origin, or legal status, gender and sexuality, socioeconomic position, abilities, age, religious or spiritual beliefs, are worthy of equal treatment,
because
all people are human beings and have human rights, even though the protection of these rights is increasingly threatened,
because
our planet, Mother Earth, lives and must be respected rather than destroyed,
because
violence and war will not save us,
because
specifically
as migrants,
as Latin American migrants,
as Latin American migrants in the United States,
as Latinos, Latinas and Latines,
as migrants from the global south in the global north,
as women, LGTBQ+, feminists, anti-racists, pacifists,
activists, educators, researchers,
we believe in all this based on our experiences, history, and the community and scientific knowledge that demonstrates it.
Refuting falsehoods
So, when the dominant forces proclaim falsehoods, we confront them with integrity, based on scientific, historical and cultural knowledge.
If they defend that "the white race is superior," we refute them by explaining that scientific studies on racial hierarchies were ideologically biased and technically fallacious, and that sociology, anthropology, and other social sciences have shown how the concept of race, processes of racialization and racist systems are all socio-historical-cultural phenomena, not biological or genetic, and we share counterexamples of the richness of diverse human groups before and after they were ethnoracialized.
If they maintain that "there are only men and women, and that men are superior," we refute them by explaining from sociology, anthropology, psychology, medicine, biology and other ancestral sciences and knowledge, that the current sex-gender systems are also the result of socio-historical-cultural processes, and that both gender and human sexualities are fluid and multiple, and we offer past and present counterexamples of non-binary or hierarchical configurations.
If they insist that "capitalism is the only possible and desirable economic system," we refute them simply by pointing to the variety of systems of creation, accumulation and distribution of resources that existed and exist successfully, while proposing that we can also create others where the preservation of the environment and the well-being of all people are a priority.
Or when they proclaim that "violence is justified, democratic representation is irrelevant, dialogue, reflection, education, culture and science are useless," we refute them by revealing that they are arguing this only to maintain and increase their power hoping to make it absolute.
“When the dominant forces defend racism, sexism, capitalism, or violence, we refute them with scientific, historical and cultural knowledge and counterexamples”.
Enough
We say "Enough", because this way of governing the world is not necessary, nor sustainable, nor desirable, nor justifiable, nor beneficial, nor unique.
We resist because we must, we can and we want a better world for all.
We resist because we are not going to succumb, because we refuse to hand over our future to those who believe that they can simply manipulate us, silence us, use us and eliminate us; and remember well that we
are,
think,
feel,
resist,
propose,
do,
create,
live,
fully,
always,
and despite all.
Roberta Villalón
2/5/25
Comments