Stories of Resistance: Immigrant Solidarity with YARR activists

612 Ocean Street,Santa Cruz CA 95060

13 May, 2023

Description

Stories of Resistance is sponsored by the Resource Center for Nonviolence to lift up movement memories in Santa Cruz County and inspire future activism. In the last 50 years local activists have conducted many actions and campaigns resisting colonialism, violence, racism, exploitation of people and the environment. Story telling about personal and political impacts, racial dynamics encountered, and learnings for future organizing will help us transform our society and ourselves.Ticket info: Tickets are freeJoin in community to hear Stories of Resistance, featuring local activists Mariam Gafforio and Iridaea, co-founders of YARR, Your Area Rapid Response. YARR was responsible for providing rapid response to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids ushered in by president Trump. Community members from religious communities and peace and justice groups were trained in skills to observe and to intervene with nonviolent action, and above all, to respect the wishes of people targeted by ICE. A text hotline called trained YARR members in emergency response. Mariam and Iridaea will tell their stories of YARR organizing and actions, addressing: How did they mobilize?What did we learn? How did we organize?How were we and the community impacted? What movement dynamics did we encounter?Mariam is a mom, facilitator, mediator, organizer, and high school drop-out. She spent 9 years as a touring musician in the band Blackbird Raum. Mariam grew up in a working-class Muslim household in New York and now lives in a small intentional community in California. She envisions a world where humans can collaborate with one another to care for basic needs and difficult dilemmas, attend to conflict with care and purpose, and live in balance with the Earth. Iridaea grew up in the painfully sterile suburbs of the United States, and longs for liberation and authentic life experiences for all sentient beings. He cut his teeth organizing civil disobedience against the Iraq war and marrying direct action with permaculture at various global justice convergences. His work with YARR is part of a life-long dream to create social connections that are stronger and more compelling than the default settings that atomized consumerism offers us. Iridaea currently lives with his family and community in Santa Cruz and is the vision keeper for the Temple of the Waters.(templeofthewaters.org)