Day 320 -- grandmothers uniting

Friday evening I attended a showing of a new film release that chronicled the African Grandmothers Tribunal held in Vancouver in 2013. The film was from the Stephen Lewis Foundation, which had begun a grandmother to grandmother campaign several years ago. Canadian grandmothers (and grand 'others') have started community groups who fund raise and support the African Grandmothers. The testimony of African women and a 3-judge tribunal including Gloria Steinem and two women working in African development projects was stunning.

The stories of the grandmothers showed great courage, one even testifying through a written document since it was too dangerous for her to do so in person, even should she have been allowed out of her country. Others told of their struggles as older women caring for their grandchildren and other orphans. Many had buried their own children and husbands, often from complications of AIDS. The lack of human rights for women in many developing nations was presented clearly. While these women are nurturing the next generation for their countries, they have few supports and many barriers -- being 'inherited' by their husband's family, losing the land owned by their husbands, caring for many children with little available money. Grassroots organizations have developed in rural and urban areas with the goal of supporting all grandmothers. Policies are being spoken of, but there is a long road ahead. These grandmothers are the trailblazers -- standing up and demanding basic human rights. They have developed strong bonds with other grandmothers in their area, countries, the continent and Canada. Together these women are poised to change their worlds.

The evening reunited me with some people I had worked with on a support program for HIV/AIDS organizations in Rwanda and Botswana. I found it heartening to see about 40 people out on a miserable night with rain, ice pellets and snow falling since mid-afternoon.  The evening left me with much to think about -- but most of all, the hope for change. The song today is different than the 'we shall overcome' that was part of the film. Different, but I think it carries the idea of working together. There are many versions of this. I've chosen one from the Live8 concert (for Africa) in 2005 -- it seemed to make sense. Enjoy!

Sisters are doin' it for themselves -- Annie Lennox