Empower: Youth, Arts and Activism - CATIE

Check it out!Check it out!www.takingaction4youth.blogspot.comwww.takingaction4youth.blogspot.comFor more info HIV/AIDS andAboriginal communities:For more info on HIV/AIDS andAboriginal Canadian Aboriginal communities: AIDS Networkwww.caan.caCanadian Aboriginal AIDS Networkwww.caan.caAboriginal Youth Network: HIV and AIDSwww.ayn.caAboriginal Website designed Youth Network: by and for HIV Aboriginal and AIDSwww.ayn.cayouth to create and maintain a uniqueWebsite online youth designed community by and nationwide. for Aboriginalyouth to create and maintain a uniqueonline Indigenous youth Women’s community Reproductive nationwide. Rightswww.nativeshop.org/pro-choice.htmlIndigenous Women’s Reproductive Rightswww.nativeshop.org/pro-choice.htmlBioBioJessica Yee is a self-described Indigenous,feminist, Jessica Yee reproductive is a self-described justice Indigenous, freedomfeminist, fighter. A Mohawk reproductive from the justice Akwesasne freedom Firstfighter. Nation, A Jessica Mohawk is the from founder the Akwesasne and Director FirstNation, of the Native Jessica Youth is the Sexual founder Health and Network, Directorof a the North Native America Youth Sexual wide Health organization Network,a working North on America issues of wide healthy organization sexuality,working reproductive on issues justice, of cultural healthy competency, sexuality,reproductive and youth empowerment. justice, cultural At competency,23 she hasand spent youth more empowerment. than half her At life 23 mobilizing she hasspent individuals, more families, than half and her communities life mobilizing alikeindividuals, to reclaim their families, ancestral and communities rights to govern aliketo their reclaim own bodies, their ancestral ranging rights from being to govern thetheir Youth own Coordinator bodies, ranging for the from Highway being the ofYouth Tears Initiative Coordinator serving for the on Highway the Board ofTears of Directors Initiative for to Maggie’s serving on Sex the Workers Boardof Organizing. Directors Her for health Maggie’s research Sex Workers centresOrganizing. around empowering Her health youth research as researchers centresaround in the areas empowering of sexual youth health as researcherspromotion,in decolonization, the areas of and sexual reclaiming health promotion, traditionaldecolonization, knowledge. She and is a strong reclaiming believer traditional in theknowledge. power of the She youth is a voice, strong and believer you can in see thepower her “activisting” of the youth it up voice, on sites and like you the can CNN seeher “activisting” it up on sites like the CNNsyndicated Racialicious, Shameless Magazineor syndicated the recently Racialicious, released Shameless special edition Magazine ofOur or the Schools recently Ourselves, released “Sex special Ed and edition Youth: ofColonization, Our Schools Ourselves, Communities “Sex of Ed Colour, and Youth: andSexuality.” Colonization, She Communities is the 2009 of recipient Colour, and ofthe Sexuality.” YWCA She Young is the Woman 2009 of recipient Distinction, ofa the 2009 YWCA Role Young Model Woman for of the Distinction, NationalAboriginal a 2009 Role Health Model Organization, for the and National wasnamed Aboriginal one Health of 20 Organization, International Women’s and wasHealth named Heroes one of by 20 Our International Bodies/Our Women’s Blog.”Health Heroes by Our Bodies/Our Blog.”ColonizationA historical concept referring to the ongoing control of one “nation” by another. The controlling “nation” comes to dominate the resources, labourand markets of the colonial territory and establishes an exploitative relationship with the controlled nation. Since nations are created by the state(and not by communities), colonization also occurs when nations do not recognize another group’s claim to a land, such as the colonization of FirstNations people across North America. This process is accompanied by beliefs that the ethnic values and culture of one group is superior to another.Today, some people say that we now live in an era of post-colonialism where the majority of “nations” are free from external rule. This is myth. Forexample, the current global gap in wealth can be attributed to historic and contemporary economic policies which leave countries at the mercyof the global north. In the case of Canada, our First Nations communities continue to experience the shameful legacy colonialism, through higherpoverty rates, lack of access to resources, systemic racism and increased HIV prevalence rates.EmpowermentA process which involves working with marginalized groups to raise their level of spiritual, social, political or economic strength, through gaining avoice in society and having their needs acknowledged and heard. This process can be problematic if the groups receiving the “empowerment” arenot included in the negotiation of deciding what needs to be done to alleviate their oppression. For example, distributing condoms to women in aneffort to empower them to have control over their HIV risk will do little if they are not given the tools to negotiate condom use with their partners.Pro-ChoiceThe belief that all women have self-determination over their bodies, including the right to make decisions regarding their reproductive health. Specifically,this term is used in reference to a woman’s right to choose whether or not to carry out a pregnancy to full-term. This movement falls under reproductivejustice and takes into account women’s decisions within social and economic contexts. Check out www.canadiansforchoice.ca for more info.Reproductive JusticeGlossaryA holistic movement that attends to women and trans-women’s rights to reproductive freedom. This may include the right to abortion, equitable,safe and quality access to health care, freedom from sexual violence, and the right to control and make choices about one’s body. It encompasses thephysical, mental, political, social, spiritual and economic well-being of women and girls, as accomplished through the protection of women’s human rights.47