Languages are part of international power structures and because of that, can lead to oppression and privilege based on class, race, age, or culture. Also activist movements, organizations, and actions are heavily dependent on language and usually make use of the primary language used in the country or part of the world where they are active. This means that people who don’t speak the primary language or are part of a different linguistic community are less able to join actions or speak up against injustice. Especially within multilingual, marginalized communities that have to deal with racism, sexism, exclusion, or oppression, it is of great importance that actions can be interpreted or multilingual.

[bla] and InterpRISE fight for multilingualism within activism and are organizing the Transnational Interpreting Camp. During this multiday camp, different international groups, activists, and interpreters come together to take part in workshops about organizing transnational actions. Participants are made aware of the political effect of language barriers, practical knowledge about interpreting and translation, and technical knowledge about making and using interpreting equipment is shared.

As an international organization, Het Actiefonds finds great importance within transnational solidarity and inclusivity within grassroots activism and because of that fully supports the mission of these organizations and the Transnational Interpreting Camp.

Illustration by Freaky Panda

Because of the renovation and construction of railway tracks around the city of Kisumu, the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) has evicted the community, without prior notice, with teargas and bulldozers. On the piece of land they inhabited for over 83 years, about 500 homes and a mosque were destroyed, leaving one child dead under the debris. Since the eviction, the community has been living in makeshift tents, having to deal with inhumane living conditions on a daily basis, without protection against diseases like cholera and COVID-19, and without food, drugs, electricity, or adequate sanitary facilities.

Evicting communities that reside on public land to make way for developments is a common issue in Kenya. After an appeal from Amnesty International in May 2020, Kenya issued a presidential moratorium to prevent evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The eviction of the Nubian community in Kibos is a direct violation of this act. Next to that, the KRC executed the eviction in disregard to the Environment and Land Court of Kisumu to refrain from conducting evictions until the matter is heard in court.

The Kibos Cooperation and Development Society (KCDS) fights against these violations of human rights and mobilizes the evicted community to raise their voices. They demand landownership with guaranteed security of tenure, an immediate solution to the inhumane living conditions in the camps, and compensation for the suffered damages. The right to housing is an international human right and, especially during a pandemic, can mean the difference between life and death.

Image: Amnesty International. Kenya: Residents of Kibos in Kisumu County salvage their properties after their houses were demolished by the Kenya Railways.

The country’s ongoing lockdown hinders access to sexual and reproductive health care, which is essential for Colombian girls and women. Only in 2006 did the absolute abortion ban in Colombia come to an end. However, an abortion may only be performed in case of rape, incest or when the life of the mother or fetus is in danger. In addition, there is very poor access to information. Societal, social and economic barriers make it impossible for many women and girls to safely terminate their pregnancies – especially in poorer and remote areas.

Yukasa Feminista collects testimonials and stories about abortion, thus broadening the debate on the importance of decriminalizing abortion. By entering into the conversation they want to break the silence around the subject and inform women. The collection of stories of women from different regions in Quindío is brought out through various radio broadcasts and via social media. In this way, they effectively disseminate information about abortion rights and make the subject accessible.

We will continue to follow and support them in their fight for women’s rights: a fight that is now harder and more important than ever.

The countrywide campaign is an initiative of various organizations, including Milieudefensie, Extinction Rebellion, Greenpeace and Amnesty International. Het Actiefonds supported the large demonstration in Amsterdam. Hundreds of people gathered [on 1.5 meter distance] in the Westerpark to make a lot of noise with pots, pans, bells and whistles to draw attention to the growing climate problem and failing climate policy.

The programme consisted of a large variety of speakers: artists, activists, students and writers shared their visions, sorrow and demands for the future of climate action in the political and personal realm. Just before 3 am, those present at all demonstrations listened to a powerful spoken word speech, after which the sound protest erupted loudly throughout the country. Thousands of activists also participated from home — via Zoom, social media and their own backyards and balconies.

Especially with the recent election results, the need for climate activism is greater than ever. This demonstration brought renewed energy to rise together to bring about change.

Photo: Ireen de Vries

Throughout the country, strong protest movements turn against the brutal regime of the army. The military is trying to maintain their power by arresting and torturing political activists, students and youth involved in the protests. Violence is not shunned; guns, tear gas, water cannons and physical violence are frequently used. Detainees are kicked, beaten and shot. Over 60 protesters have been murdered and thousands are arrested in an attempt to weaken the movement, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners advocacy group.

The military and police have targeted political and social organizations, activists and news media. Telephone, internet and some television channels are constantly shut down, making news about the situation in the country difficult to access.

In addition to the protests, a major strike action by the Civil Disobedience Movement has largely halted public life. Meanwhile, military oppression is intensifying. The concurrent arrests of prominent political activists and human rights defenders sends a chilling message that the military authorities will not tolerate any dissent amid today’s unfolding events.

To ensure the safety of the protesters, we cannot mention any names of action groups. We can, however, report that we have supported various actions within the protest movement. The financial contribution of Het Actiefonds supports the protesters who take to the streets every day against the violent regime and fight for their freedom.

Want to help support the protest movement against the coup in Myanmar? You can donate via the form below, every extra donation helps!

In contrast to this institutional silence, several relatives and friends of the missing have been in regular contact with the Alarm Phone. They have collected several testimonies from friends and relatives, including names and pictures of the missing people, who all embarked on a black rubber boat in Garabulli, Libya, on the night between 8 and 9 of February 2020.

Posters through the city
Alarm Phone wants to draw attention to this horrible event with a confronting poster campaign. They want to denounce the continuing deadly situation in the Mediterranean and the continued inactivity and silence of the authorities. The posters feature pictures and names of the missing people, a QR code that can be scanned for more information on the subject as well as family testimonies. The posters are distributed by various action groups in the Netherlands, in different cities in public spaces. In addition, Alarm Phone makes a video in which activists mention the names of the missing people and in which they demand answers from the authorities.

SOS-calls
Watch The Med Alarm Phone was initiated in October 2014 by activist networks and civil society actors in Europe and Northern Africa. The project established a self-organized hotline for refugees in distress in the Mediterranean Sea. Their main objective is to offer boat people in distress an additional option to make their SOS noticeable. The Alarm Phone documents the situation, informs the coastguards, and, when necessary, mobilises additional rescue support in real-time. This way, they can, at least to a certain extent, put pressure on the responsible rescue entities to avert push- backs and other forms of human rights violations against refugees and migrants at sea.

On February 9 this year, the victims and their families were commemorated. In solidarity with all refugees worldwide. #BordersKill

Read more about Watch The Med Alarm Phone on their website.

The Polish forest 219a has a rich history –the average age of the trees there is 140 years– and a unique degree of wilderness. This forest is home to several protected bird species and mosses, and wolves, bears and lynxes live here freely. The forests in this area [Bieszczady] are extremely complex, sensitive ecosystems that are indispensable for the country. Mountain streams feed rivers and the excess water is stored by the forest. Thus, the amount of water in the country depends on their condition. Forests, especially the old, natural ones, play a key role in climate protection; they protect the whole country from droughts and floods. As one of the activists stated: “If they continue to be massively cut, we have no chance in the fight against drought in the country, floods, not to mention the climate disaster.”

The State Forests institution consistently implements plans to destroy forests in areas that are eligible to be included in national parks, and willfully cease to protect them. All the critical decisions about forest management are taken behind closed doors, without public consultation. At the moment, over 30% of the forest is planned to be felled.

Block and protect

In response to these plans, activists moved in to the forest on January 3rd to block the access road and prevent the trees from being cut. They set up a camp, built blockades and skypods and started with their task to protect the forest on site, because petitions and blockades of the forest management company were not enough.

The activists see it as their moral duty to defend our common good, and in the face of planned logging in one of the most valuable areas in Poland, the direct blockade of entryways is the only way left to do so. The rough forest exposes the activists to low temperatures, snow, wind and rain. They protect themselves with camping cloths, sleeping bags, and climbing equipment. As a symbolic sign of solidarity with the forest, they wear artistic wolf masks throughout the action.

“We stand up against the devastation of wildlife and the exploitation of valuable forests as wood inventories.”

In addition to defying the elements, Poland’s current political climate makes this action quite the challenge. The discrimination and threat against all types of civil disobedient actions is greater than ever under the current conservative government. Nevertheless, the Wilczyce continue their blockade, and have been able to keep the machines out of the forest for over a month.

After this extensive period of direct action, the group expects newcomers to be ready to get involved into the actions. They plan to extend their activities to other endangered forests in Poland. Stand up for the forest!

Read their full statement here and follow their ongoing actions via Twitter and Facebook.

“A lot has been promised but little has been delivered,” says Amsterdam Alternative. With their newspaper, the group wants to offer a counterweight to the growing right-wing propaganda, also in the context of the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Amsterdam Alternative was founded in 2015 and wants to call for action by publishing articles. Themes and subjects are gentrification, housing, climate, sustainability, (anarchist) activism, squatting, collectivity and solidarity. The group is also setting up a so-called AA Academy: an initiative to to look at certain social problems in a group context and to try and find creative solutions for them. In addition, the collective property project “Vrij Beton” (“Free Concrete”) will start this year. The aim of Vrij Beton is to collect money to buy buildings together: collective properties that may serve as new free places. These can offer a permanent space for experiments and alternative concepts that do not fit in the current commercial circuit, because they are not driven by making profit.

With this special high-circulation edition of the newspaper, the AA collective wants to ensure that a large group of people is reached. They want to inspire people and make them aware that there is more than the commercial mainstream, the hollowed-out neoliberal system and the misleading (extreme) right-wing alternatives to it.

“We argue for diversity instead of a monoculture for the highly educated with a lot of money. We believe in the power of the collective and we propagate that in all our activities. ”

Het Actiefonds supports this special edition of Amsterdam Alternative. Read more about the collective here!