2023

 

It is impossible to speak about 2023 without speaking of Gaza. More than ever, we are reminded of the devastating consequences of narratives that dehumanize those who are perceived as "other", of the tragic losses and injustice caused by an unequal access to representation and participation in decision-making processes.

We believe it is also a time for self-reflection, as people advocating for collective liberation: what is it that we can do, starting in our own backyard, to counter these systems and address the barriers that hold enduring inequities in place?

For us at en.v, it means amplifying marginalized voices. It means fostering agency and organizing skills within communities, and creating opportunities for people to represent themselves and their lived experience. It means enabling two-way dialogue that starts with a questioning of our power, privilege, and positionality, opening a space that allows for the possibility of us reaching a shared understanding and vision of what a more just, compassionate and resilient society could look like. It also means shifting from single-issue or single-group goals to a definition of success that encompasses true flourishing for all those who make up our beautifully diverse society.

This work is not without its challenges, and sometimes even pain and failure. But the response and support we have been getting from our community keeps us going through it all. In the words of poet and activist Aurora Levins Morales, "To live a lifetime of audacity, dwelling in the place where joy meets justice, year after year, can only be sustained by being so in love with a vision of what's possible that we no longer flirt with despair". That is where we choose to dwell.

Next
Next

2021-2022