For International Refugee Week and Day, the New York/New Jersey Chapter of AF3IRM began a series on transnational women who have been historically forced out of their home territories by armed conflict, Occupation, land grabbing, and other methods used by settler colonialism. Living Elsewhere Part 1 highlights a conversation between Samira Gutoc of Marawi, Philippines, Suzanne Adely and DJ Fatin of Al-Awda, and Riham Majeed of AF3IRM NYC. Samira Gutoc works with AkoBakwit (I Evacuee), which supports the residents of Marawi City who have been driven out by the raze-to-ground bombing perpetrated by the Philippine Duterte government. Suzanne Adely, from Jordan, is the president-elect of the National Lawyers Guild. DJ Fatin Jarara is one of very few female DJs in New York City. Both Ms. Gutoc and Ms. Jarara were born in Saudi Arabia while AF3IRM’s Riham was born in the United States. The four women bring to this conversation a seamless and yet each uniquely her own perspective to the issue of dispersal, settler colonialism, and imperialism. Living Elsewhere, the Series, is a continuing exploration of what being driven/taken out of one’s homeland means, and the measures undertaken to maintain a semblance of historical continuity, of connection to the homeland. Keeping a culture alive and evolving in its relevance to the generations that will come afterward is one of the tough missions of those compelled to live outside their home territory. Other podcasts of people who have endured dislocation, displacement and dispersal are scheduled and will be announced. The series is the creation of AF3IRM National Education Director Olivia Canlas, AF3IRM Transnational Committee lead Ninotchka Rosca, with the assistance of AF3IRM NY/NJ chapter. For further information and for announcements of other podcasts, please follow www.facebook.com/AF3IRMNYC or email NYNJ@af3irm.org and request to be added to the mailing list. *** Born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Samira Gutoc found herself speaking for the people of Marawi City, Philippines, in the aftermath of its total destruction in an attempt to ferret out an estimated 900 men who had declared their allegiance to ISIS. She served in the legislative assembly of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. In 2016, President Duterte appointed her to the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, Women’s Sector, which was involved in drafting the Bangsamoro Basic Law, bangsa meaning nation/people and moro derived from the Spanish term for Moors. It was a short-term appointment. Ms. Gutoc resigned following the declaration of martial law in Mindanao and President Duterte’s instructions to the soldiers not to worry about committing human rights abuses, adding “if you rape three, it’s on me.” Fatin Jarara is a first generation Palestinian immigrant born in Saudi Arabia, raised in Brooklyn. She has been a member of Al-Awda NY and an organizer for Palestine since she was in grade school, and continues to organize with Al-Awda NY and other Palestine-focused groups . Fatin graduated from Brooklyn College with a degree in Linguistics and currently works in Education. She also has been serving her community as a freelance DJ since 2008. Suzanne Adely is a Human Rights Lawyer, Labor and Arab Community Organizer, whose family is from Jordan. She has organized with Al-Awda since 2011, is a member of the US Palestine community network and President Elect of the National Lawyers Guild. Suzanne has traveled to Philippines on solidarity delegation with lawyers. Riham Majeed is a Palestinian-American transnational feminist organizing with AF3IRM NY/NJ. She is based in New York City where she works in the non-profit sector. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/af3irm-nynj/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/af3irm-nynj/support
