Building Blocs: parenting, movement and little folk Building Blocs: Parenting, Movement & Little Folk #1 "Firsts"
Mar 08, 2016
Building Blocs:parenting, movement and little folk
i s a compi lation zine of radical parenting* chal lenges, experiences and
reflections. I t' s a desire to be less isolated and to bui ld col lective knowledge.
In this issue:
Towards a Family-Friendly Radical Movement:
Intergenerational Liberation for All;Continuing the Struggle: Lessons to be Learned from
Mothers and Children in Zapatista Communities;
"Firsts" - a comic;
Feature Project: Regeneracion Childcare Collective;and more!
* Radical Parenting is an imperfect term and is meant here as inclusive and diverse - an
exploration of parenting styles that value respect, trust, autonomy, difference, non-
oppression, learning, love and revolution.
Building Blocs:Parenting, Movement & Little Folk
#1 "Firsts"
Welcome to the first issue of Bui lding Blocs! As I ' ve been putting together this new
compi lation zine focused on the connections between parents, l i ttle folk and movement/s,
the Egyption revolution has been underway. Whi lst most media coverage made invisible
the incredible sel f-organisation at work, instead trying to convince us of a state of "chaos",
el sewhere I caught wind of a different on the ground real i ty. A real i ty where people
organised not only to get out in the streets and sqaures, but to keep each other fed and
safe. A real i ty far too dangerous to let out, as i t might give us fai th in our own capacities to
organise and make change on a systemic scale. Hel l , i t might even let us bel ieve we are
capable of control l ing our own l ives! However, whi l st gl impses of this al ter-real i ty to the
mainstream story were visible in some places, even harder to see were the parents and
caregivers with kids in tow, who also make revolution.
A great hope for this zine is that in some smal l way it contributes to making visible and
supporting the parents/caregivers/kids and their l ives, which are integral to bui lding
radical communities, movements and ul timately revolutions. Whi lst the official theme for
issue #1 is "Firsts", the unofficial theme that evolved is "Intergenerational movements",
which is fi tting to such hope.
Thanks to al l those who have taken time out of their l ives and organising to share their
experiences and reflections in Bui lding Blocs. With your contributions I hope this zine
wi l l play a smal l part connecting with each other and bui lding our col lective knowledge.
Enjoy, Lara. (Jan/Feb 201 1 )
Building Blocs:Call forSubmissions
Bui lding Blocs is open to contributions from parents, caregivers, kids and al l ies. The
theme for the next issue is "Home Makin'", but don' t let that l imit what you want to share.
How is home makin' different with little folk?
What is overcome to make your home?
Who and what makes up your home?
What are the struggles of home makin' in the current political moment & your context?
What home do you have and what home do you want?
or contribute to one of the regular segments:
Make a mix tape or review a book/zine/film!
Put together this issue's feature project!
Submit art for the cover!
Deadl ine for submissions is 30th May 201 1 . Please send contributions (of any length) to
[email protected] with a bio and any pics/images.
Don't miss out! To order copies or to be notified as new issues of Bui lding Blocsbecome avai lable, emai l [email protected]
Parenting, Movement & Little Folk
Cover Art by Renata Field.
#1 "Firsts"
40
Contributors
Adam Wolfenden i s new to being a father and learning a lot in the process. He has
worked on economic global isation issues for a whi le now and sometimes makes zines, as
wel l as comics, but mostly spends his time perfecting his terribly unfunny 'dad' jokes.
Amy Hamilton i s an anarchist mama and community organizer l iving in the Southern US.
For more of her writing on community-based revolution check out her blog
http://elevenoclockalchemy.wordpress.com/
Lara Daley i s a parent among other things. She has a number of radical parenting related
projects on the run, including Bui lding Blocs, which you can check out at
raisingrebel l ion.wordpress.com or tricyclezinedistro.org
Laurel Ripple Carpenter deeply loves her uterus, her fami ly, and her new farm. She isfounder of www.Ful lSpectrumDoulaNetwork.org and publ ishes the CUNTastic Zine,which you can find at www.CUNTastic.org. Contact her at [email protected].
Renata Field i s a community organiser from Sydney who is interested in creating
sustainable radical communities.
Victoria Law i s a writer, photographer, prison abol i tionist and mother of colour. She is
also the editor of the zine Tenacious: Art & Writings by Women in Prison and the author
of Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerated Women(PM Press 2009).
ContentsArticles1 Towards a Family-Friendly Radical Movement: Intergenerational Liberation forAll by Amy Hamil ton
21 On Radical Childcare by Laurel Ripple Carpenter
12 Continuing the Struggle: Lessons to Be Learned from Mothers and Children inZapatista Communities by Victoria Law with lots of input from Terry Rodriguez
"Firsts"19 Firsts - a comic by Adam Wolfenden
Feature Project24 Regeneracion Childcare Collective by Lara Daley
Reviews33 Uses of a Whirlwind: Movement, Movements, and Contemporary RadicalCurrents in the United States by Adam Wolfenden
35 Fireweed: a zine of grassroots radical herbalism and wild foods connecting withkids and family life by Lara Daley
Mix Tape32 Ruby's songs to sing to sleep by Adam Wolfenden
Miscellanea & Contributors37 Cal l -outs/Notices/Announcements/Other
39
Towards a Fami ly-Friendly RadicalMovement: Intergenerational Liberation
for Al lBy Amy Hamil ton
“Making children is the most anti-revolutionary thing you can do. We
should not subsidize other people’s lifestyles. If you breeders want
childcare, then organize it amongst yourselves.” – Anonymous comment
on Infoshop.org
There’s more where that came from.
Whi le many revolutionary and radical
communities embrace fami l ies,
intolerance of parents and chi ldren is a
stance that sti l l has a foothold in many
circles. Scorn towards mothers, chi ldren
and fami l ies is hardly a revolutionary
mental i ty. In fact, this posi tion is a direct
holdover from capital ist, authori tarian
ideology. Unfortunately, instead of
chal lenging this rhetoric as reactionary,
anarchists and other radicals often accept
i t in our midst. (1 ) Mainstream cul ture
generates a steady stream of contempt
towards mamas and kids. Any parent can
tel l you how common it is to hear
statements l ike, “Some people just
shouldn’t be al lowed to procreate,” or
complaints about how the Worst Thing
Ever is to si t down for a fl ight next to a
young chi ld, or a baby. How strol lers are
forever in the way. How breastfeeding is
disgusting and offensive. How the unruly
chi ld in the checkout l ine or the coffee
shop is obviously the product of a lazy
mother whose incompetence is assumed
after only a few moments' fami l iari ty.
How mamas on welfare and teen mamas
should, basical ly, eat shi t and die (but
have a Happy Mother’s Day! ). This
judgment, eye-rol l ing and hatred flows
freely in our society. Interestingly, as i t
becomes less and less general ly
acceptable to express a blanket
intolerance towards women,
fami l ies in your movement or community,
including:
* Organizing from within an Anarcha-
Feminist Chi ldrearing Col lective;
* Mothers Among Us: The Prison Birth
Project;
* On Fear & Commitments: A father’s
reflects on his own chi ldhood in England,
Baghdad and the U.S. and the chal lenges
of raising a biracial chi ld in the anti -
Musl im and xenophobic cl imate of the
United States today;
* Radical chi ldrearing with a queer and
sex-posi tive angle;
* Tips on supporting parents who have lost
a newborn infant;
and much, much more.
A pdf is avai lable here:
http://issuu.com/chinabodina/docs/zine_4_
with_cover
Please note that the centerfold is a
separate fi le:
http://issuu.com/chinabodina/docs/centerf
old.zine4
If you prefer a paper copy, go to
tricyclezinedistro.org (Austral ia) &
dontleaveyourfriendsbehind.blogspot.com
(USA)
Want to contribute? This exciting zine
series is being turned into a book!
Final Cal l for submissions: March 1 5 ,
201 1 . see
dontleaveyourfriendsbehind.blogspot.com
for detai l s
Outlaw Midwives#1
Featuring visual art,
poems, essays, and
practical tips from
women global ly. About
abortion, pregnancy,
birth, and babyhood,
colonial ism, structural violence, anti -
oppression work, and revolutionary love.
Read onl ine at:
http://issuu.com/maiamedicine/docs/outla
w_midwives
The Life of an Anarchist
Mormon
"My hopes for putting
my zine onl ine as wel l
as printing i t is that i t
might help someone
else not feel so lonely or
gui l ty for not ful fi l l ing a stereotype of an
identi ty that they l ive in; be it an identi ty
of popular cul ture or some random
subcul ture; especial ly women".
download or buy a copy here:
http://mormonanarchisthousewife.wordpre
ss.com/
Submit! call outs, announcements, letters,
etc. to this section: email
[email protected] with subject
heading "miscellanea"
1 38
mothers–and by association, their
chi ldren–are sti l l a “safe” reposi tory for
cul tural scorn. Any m/other can tel l
you–it’s always open season on her and
her sisters. (2 )
To offer an i l lustration of this dynamic: a
couple of years ago. there was an incident
on an Air Tran fl ight. The crew ejected a
mother with a screaming 3-year-old chi ld
from the fl ight before the plane took off.
Simi lar occurrences are relatively
common and women often organize
around them–mothers kicked out of
restaurants for breastfeeding (i ts legal i ty
notwithstanding), cafes declared kid-free
zones, et cetera.There is often media
coverage, complete with the peanut
gal lery, which usual ly weighs in on the
mothers in question as if witch burnings
might be an option.
I f onl ine comments are any measure,
plenty of people were in agreement with
the Air Tran decision. Here’s one:
“Good to see that at least some
airl ines throw out the inconsiderate parents
with their brats. Seriously, that should happen
more often. I f your damn kid can’t shut up, stay
off of airplanes. I don’t see why anyone else,
be it crew or passengers, should have to put up
with unruly brats. I t’s about time that
enti tlement-ridden parents learn their lesson.”
Here’s another comment from a different
website:
“Parents of smal l chi ldren should
except [sic] the responsibi l i ties[sic] of their
[sic] decision to have these mewl ing brats
and let those of us who were smart enough
not to make the asinine [sic] mistake of
parenthood, have the peace we so richly
deserve.”(3 )
The point should be made that this
blanket intolerance of parents lands
disproportionately, and squarely, on the
backs of women.
This is a value system clearly dictated by
capital ism.Whi le giving l ip service to the
sancti ty of motherhood and putting social
pressure on women to procreate –alas,
soldiers and workers do not come from
thin air – in actual i ty, a capital i st
framework places a very low value on
chi ld-rearing and penal izes al l women
(some far more than others) economical ly
and social ly for becoming mothers. This
is particularly true in the US version of
capital i sm. M/others on the low-end of
this totem pole (whether single, of color,
receiving government assistance, poor,
young, or undocumented) are the
recipients of increasingly compl icated
layers of discrimination, intolerance, and
exploitation.
Unpaid caregiving (for chi ldren, the
disabled and the elderly) is not measured
in the gross domestic product of the US,
or any other nation-state. I f unpaid
MiscellaneaCall for Birth Stories from LGBTQParents
There are vast col lections of birth stories
written by heterosexual folks. I t i s time for
your stories to be heard & recorded as a
part of our queer history. I am asking you
to share your story with me because I am
passionate about your story of the day you
welcomed your chi ld to the world being
heard, in your own words. Send me your
story whether you were the parent who
gave birth or the co-parent who supported
your partner when your baby was born.
I am not certain about the direction this
col lection wi l l take & I wi l l respond to
your e-mai led story to ask permission
before posting/publ ishing it.
Who’s asking?
Hi . I ’m Kristen. I ’m a queer feminist birth
doula and chi ldbirth educator in Chicago.
I am passionate about the power of queer
voices in pregnancy & birth cul ture. You
can learn more about me
at www.kaleidoscopedoula.com
Al l submissions can be e-mai led
to kaleidoscopedoula@gmai l .com
Call-out to parents/caregivers inNewcastle, Australia
Hey! I 'm interested in starting a parenting
group for al l kinds of parents/caregivers.
For folk who share a desire to support
each other and to talk about what i t i s l ike
to be a parent/caregiver in this world
where race, class, gender, abi l i ty,
sexual i ty & age dramatical ly al ter your
parenting/caring experience.
I f this sounds l ike your kind of group emai l
Free zines on the net
Don't Leave Your
Friends Behind #4
The latest issue of Don’t
Leave Your Friends
Behind is ready for your
reading! Featuring over
70 pages of stories,
experiences and tips on how to support
37 2
fami ly-based labor were calculated as part
of the world GDP, i t would amount to over
1 /3 of the gross domestic product of the
entire world. (4) One conclusion to be
drawn from this information is that the
exploitation of the unpaid work of women
is a precondition for the success of global
capital i sm. Capital ism, as a system,
depends on this uncompensated fami ly-
centered labor, meanwhi le penal izing
women – the very people whose labor
makes the system possible – for doing this
work. Put another way, we can say that
global capital i sm is erected on the backs of
women (then, adding insul t to injury,
women are often scapegoated for
capital i sm’s woes: see “welfare mothers
are ruining the fabric of our society”
rhetoric).
In the US, motherhood is the single biggest
risk factor for poverty in old age. (5 )
Though mothers are the most impacted,
this effect is not confined to gender.
Anyone choosing to devote her time to the
unpaid caregiving of chi ldren, people with
disabi l i ties, or our elders is subject to
economic and social hardship and
isolation. This fami ly work is simply
invisible and uncompensated under
capital i sm. I t’s also worth noting that
chi ldren themselves embody much that
capital i sm discourages and devalues: they
are not productive in the traditional sense.
They are often disorderly, reluctant to be
control led, and natural ly distrustful of
authori ty. A hyper-individual ist society
takes no col lective responsibi l i ty for
chi ldren. I t says that your choice to
become a parent is yours alone, therefore
an expectation of help from non-parents
is unreasonable. This idea gets plenty of
play in radical and anarchist circles, as
another comment on Infoshop.org, in
response to an article (penned by mysel f),
advocating for the inclusion of fami l ies in
the anarchist community, demonstrates:
“Get this homegirl – I ’m a woman and I
don’t care about your fucking kid. Clearly
I must be internal izing patriarchy if I
don’t drop everything I CARE ABOUT TO
DEAL WITH YOUR CHILD. Does this
mean I think you or your chi ld should be
treated badly? No. But I don’t want kids
and I don’t want to help you take care of
yours.”
Mi l ton Friedman would be proud.
* * * * *
Why do we al low anti -parent and kid
rhetoric in spaces devoted to l iberation?
What are some of the various ways that
anti -fami ly atti tudes manifest in
anarchist/radical communities?
First of al l , the dominant practice in the
US is to segregate people by age, so
many of us raised unquestioningly in
dominant, white, US cul ture are not
social ized to spend time around chi ldren
fami les are having out there-from
wildcrafting stories, remedies for i l lness &
how we share & grow everyone' s plant
knowledge.”
I al so love plant artwork, so Monkeypants'
plant art makes the zine even more
awesome!
The only thing that would make this zine
an even better read and resource would be
reflections on the pol i tics of wi ldcrafting
and radical herbal ism. Jess is currently
pul l ing together the second issue of
Fireweed and I am excited to see if in this
issue people wi l l meet her cal l out for
“Thoughts on privi lege, accessibi l i ty,
racism, classism in the herbal community
and how we relate these ideas to our kids
or the general publ ic. How have you
chal lenged these oppressions and made
herbs and herbal knowledge for
everyone?”.
As with other ongoing zine projects I am
sure Fireweed wil l continue to grow, take
root and amaze, so I highly recommend
fol lowing its evolution and spreading it
round!
For more info check out:
http://www.fireweedherbalzine.blogspot.c
om/ and
www.tricyclezinedistro.org
Plant Artwork from Fireweed by Monkeypants
3 36
or include them in conversations – much
less consider their needs in a space, or
provide a space expl ici tly devoted to
chi ldren’s l iberation. People unused to the
company of kids are often wary of them
because they can be painful ly honest,
direct and may not hide their disinterest in
you. Elements of unfami l iari ty and
discomfort are often at play, and many of
our gatherings, spaces and communities
habitual ly take the defaul t form of “adul t-
only”, indirectly (but repeatedly) excluding
chi ldren and their caregivers.
This is simple enough to solve, given
awareness of the problem and a col lective
wi l l ingness to expand our comfort zones.
But actively exclusionary atti tudes towards
fami l ies and caregivers are less easi ly
remedied. When spaces are unwelcome to
chi ldren and parents, over and over again,
regardless of any attempts on the parts of
parents and al l ies to create a space of
inclusion, we must assume that there is
resistance to the presence of fami l ies. Or,
as event organizers may have discovered,
chi ldcare is difficul t work that requires
tight planning, starting months
beforehand, in order to come off without
a hitch. Sometimes i t’s easier to “forget”
about i t or claim that insurance won’t
cover i t. Word to the wise, event
planners: two weeks before the
conference, when interested parents start
asking you about chi ldcare arrangements,
i t i s far too late to try to whip something
up. At this tardy point, attempts to create
chi ldcare often fal l short and may resul t
in chaos and an unsafe atmosphere (not
to mention that this last-minute
responsibi l i ty often fal l s to burnt out
women organizers or parents
themselves). In my opinion it' s better to
chalk i t up to experience, create a fami ly
hang-out spot, and put chi ldcare on the
l ist for the next event (starting on logistics
Fireweed: A zine of grassroots radical herbalism andwild foods
connecting with kids and family life
edited by Jess
"Wildcrafting is the practice of harvesting plants from their natural, or "wild" habitat, for
food or medicinal purposes. It applies to uncultivated plants wherever they may be
found. . .When wildcrafting is done sustainably with proper respect, generally only the
branches or flowers from plants are taken and the living plant is left, or if it is necessary to
take the whole plant, seeds of the plant are placed in the empty hole from which the plant
was taken. Care is taken to only remove a few plants, flowers, or branches, so plenty
remains to continue the supply. " (Wikipedia)
"There is also a very radical reason I love being an herbalist. I am learning how to rely on
nature as my medicine chest and breaking the American dependence on the
pharmaceutical industrial complex. " (ancestralapothecary.com)
Reviewed by Lara
Fireweed is a fantastic zine overgrowing
with info and ideas on many aspects of
radical herbal ism and wildcrafting!
Anyone new to the subject wi l l appreciate
the practical stuff, which makes up a great
portion of the zine. I t has recipes and
remedies; ideas for plant adventures with
kids; as wel l as descriptions of different
herbs and how they are useful at home.
The interviews with herbal parents are also
a great insight into how herbs and
wildcrafting can be a wonderful part of
fami ly (in the very broadest sense) l i fe.
For those that are already wildcrafters and
herbal ists themselves, this zine is a
wonderful opportunity to connect with
and share in what others are doing. Zine
editor Jess says:
“I started Fireweed to connect
radical -herbal fami l ies. Al though there
many herb zines & books I want
"Fireweed" to focus on real experiences
35 4
In our society, life as theparent of a small child canbe socially isolating, and
many public placesbecome “de facto”
inaccessible.
from Day 1 of general planning). Good
intentions are not enough–if you offer
chi ldcare, safety is a top concern, and you
can’t afford to make big mistakes. (6)
Perhaps I ’m alone, but I bel ieve that every
event, unless inappropriate for chi ldren,
should be accessible for kids of al l ages (and
their mothers, and fathers, and caregivers).
Within many circles, this is often not the
case. Saying a meeting is welcome to
chi ldren, and then tolerating eye rol l s and
penetrating glances towards mothers and
kids when l i ttle ones vocal ize or run around
welcoming the chi ldren there – both so
the chi ldren feel welcome, and so the
participants know that caregivers are not
“out of place” for bringing a kid around.
Yes, chi ldren can be disruptive or
distracting–so it’s up to us as a
revolutionary community to figure out the
best ways of fi tting them in, and
empowering them, so that good work gets
done and everyone goes home happy.
La Lubu, a labor activist, describes the
“meeting cul ture” she has experienced as
a mother:
(because they have
not perfected the art
of si tting sti l l for a
three-hour meeting)
is not true accessibi l i ty.
Caregivers often
leave these events
early, with the grim
frustration that
comes from knowing that our world truly is
not set up with parents and young chi ldren
in mind, and being reminded of this,
rudely and repeatedly. In our society, l i fe
as the parent of a smal l chi ld can be
social ly isolating, and many publ ic places
become “de facto” inaccessible. Scenarios
such as these, in which chi ldren and
parents are treated as an intrusion, are part
of the problem, not the solution.
I f you are hosting an event, i t i s helpful and
kind to make a point of publ icly
“Why am I barred
from your feminist meeting,
your environmental
meeting, your pol i tical
meetings, or your
slow/local food/support
farmers gathering,
or…whatever? Why are
those spaces considered ‘inappropriate’ for
chi ldren? And why do you sigh and complain
about publ ic apathy when you have this
arbitrary rule about ‘appropriateness’? Why is
i t so ‘inappropriate’ to raise a chi ld with
pol i tical consciousness and knowledge of
power dynamics? Especial ly when she is
al ready encountering this stuff in her own l i fe,
and needs a framework to put i t in? I t boggles
my mind. I t especial ly boggles my mind
because I remember when it was not l ike this
in the US. I grew up going to pol i tical
gatherings of al l stripes….and protests, and
picket l ines. When and why did left-leaning
involved it was also a cathartic process,
where upon being given the invitation to
write has also proved to be a beneficial
excuse to stop and take the time to reflect
on what is happening. This makes for great
reading as you can see the sel f analysis in
al l i t' s brutal honesty and hope shine
through. The stories mix both
personal/organisational experience with
theoretical analysis of the current pol i tical
moment adding weight and meat to what
could have just been a col lection of
experiences without any context for a
future.
The book has a strong undercurrent for
' activists/organisers/radicals' of inquiry
into our current struggles and working
with others who are also seeking
l iberation. You get the sense from some
stories that people have learnt this lesson
the hard way, seeing coal i tions breakdown
as differences between 'activists' and other
folk become too big. The interviews at the
end of the book provide some wonderful
historical contexts from people who have
been around long enough to see activist
fads change.
I read this whole book in about one and a
hal f weeks whi l st carrying my sleeping
baby in a sl ing and I think this was a
disservice to the book. There is a lot to
digest in this col lection and powering
through it meant that some things that
might have come to l ight upon further
reflection were buried under an avalanche
of more info. This is a book that needs to
be read and appreciated as a whole, with
al l four sections combining together to
make it greater than the sum of it' s parts.
Whi lst i t i s US focussed there were sti l l
some lessons for those of us not based
there. One thing I wi l l take away from the
book is the role that organised resistance
has played in crises and how we must
keep that in mind when we' re evaluating
our histories and present moments. This
wi l l al so help us in determining what
futures lay ahead.
5 34
mother was the event that cemented my
ties to anarchism and anti -capital i sm. I t’s
best not to assume that parents are post-
radical or post-mi l i tant – we lose too many
comrades this way. Some of the most
effective mi l i tant activi ty that I am aware
of is undertaken by mothers. Some of us
mindful ly continue the high-risk activi ty
that we did before we had chi ldren. This is
as i t should be if we want to create a
revolutionary trajectory.
Anarchists often voice the opinion that al l
parents are capital i st
sel l -outs, as i f parenting is just one more
insti tution to be demol ished. Those that
make this assumption fai l to have an
appreciation for the cul ture of
revolutionary, anti -authori tarian parenting.
They don’t recognize that the problem is
not parents themselves as a universal
enti ty, but the cul tural style of parenting
that many of us have grown up in.
Possibly the most divisive issue in many
communities is the question of population.
The idea that humans should decrease our
numbers or procreate less often can
devolve into contempt for kids who are
people buy into right-wing ideas of parenting
and the role of mothers? Why are left-leaning
people participating in the backlash against
women’s growing pol i tical strength?”
One common assumption is that parents
no longer have what i t takes to be a
successful activist. When Rahula became
pregnant, she had this experience:
“A ‘comrade’ (someone I had done a
lot of running in the streets and food-not-
bombing with) said, ‘Oh wel l , there go two
good activists, ’ as though surely my partner and
I would no longer be active in any way, now
that we were procreating.”
The notion that parents have nothing of
value to offer (and stale pol i tics to boot)
can become a sel f-ful fi l l ing prophecy, as
many revolutionaries and radicals with
chi ldren find spaces less and less tolerant
of them and eventual ly ti re of doing work
or seeking community in an unwelcome
and al ienating atmosphere. Additional ly,
the expectation that a parent have the
exact same level of activi ty as a chi ldless
activist is eeri ly simi lar to the capital i st
boss expecting a mother of a newborn to
come straight back to work to resume
productivi ty. Parents may not be able to
do as much as they could prior to having
chi ldren (al though some may do more) but
being a parent often bui lds our resolve,
focuses our commitment to change and
makes us more valuable, accountable and
responsible. In my case, becoming a
When and why did left-leaning people buy intoright-wing ideas ofparenting and the role ofmothers?
Uses of a Whirlwind: Movement, Movements, andContemporary Radical Currents in the United States
edited by Team Colors Collective
Reviewed by Adam
Uses of a Whirlwind aims to be an inquiry
into the current state of radical /anti -
capital i st organising in the US, and it does
that rather wel l . I t was written at a time in
the US where the financial crisis is hi tting
hardest and the wel l of hope promised by
Obama has dried up, leaving many on the
broader Left displaced and unable to put
their feet on sol id ideological ground. In
order to get a picture of what things are
l ike for organisers in the US at the moment
the book is broken up into 4 sections:
Organisational case studies; Movement
strategies; Theoretical analysis; and
Interviews. These four sections and the
variety of authors manage to cover an
incredible amount of ground and make for
a diverse and interesting cross section of
US radical pol i tics.
When reading this book you get the sense
that for the organisations/individuals
Reviews
33 6
already here, and their mothers, who then
get slapped with the unfriendly label
“breeders”. Anarchist parents and their
al l ies have plenty of feedback about this:
Brad says:
“The fact that hating on parents has
become so widespread and fashionable is
troubl ing. The fact that elderly folks are just
about as ‘welcome’ as kids i s al so problematic.
I don’t think anyone needs to hear that our
industrial -civi l ization social structure is fucked,
and I ’d suggest that the fucked-ness wrapped
up in cal l ing someone a ‘breeder’ comes the
detri tus of an atomized human experience, as
opposed to a reasoned ideal to be strived
towards.”
Dave says:
“There may be ‘too many of us’, but
what is far more significant is the consumption
levels of the population. A far better tactic
would be to massively reduce the average
consumption level – which of course is al ready
far lower than ‘average’ in many parts of the
world. Activists condemning other people for
having chi ldren are already on the wrong page.
I t’s an inherently anti -human standpoint,
demonstrating incredible negativi ty about one’s
own capabi l i ty for posi tive impact. My advice:
lead by example! Go and create sustainable
communities, and learn the ski l l s to help others
make the transi tion to l iving in them.”
Adam says:
“I t i s very easy for a white male from
an industrial ized country to say, ‘No one
should have chi ldren’. When the main impact
of a pol icy l ike this is on women and
particularly women in non-industrial ized
countries…over population is just one of the
things that is causing the destruction of the
ecosystem. Consumption, particularly that of
industrial ized countries is another. These al l
have to be looked at and debated."
The 1 2 percent of the world’s population
that l ives in North America and Western
Europe accounts for 60 percent of private
consumption spending, whi le the one-
third l iving in South Asia and sub-Saharan
Africa accounts for only 3 .2 percent. (7)
This over-consumption is, in effect, force-
fed to the population by the powers that
be. Let’s stop needlessly targeting parents
and kids as the “problem” and keep the
heat on the enemy – the most egregious
pol luters and consumers by far – the
mi l i tary and corporate industrial
complexes.
Ruby's Songs to Singto Sleep Mix Tape
A B
The World Turned Upside Down -
Billy Bragg
I Was Only 19 (a walk in the light
green) - RedgumA Song of Unapolgetic Optimism -
Tom FramptonDear Coaches Corner -
Propagandhi
Saint Patricks Battalion - David
Rovics
Hopeless and Fearless - Jamie Hay
Virtue The Cat Explains Her
Deperture - The Weakerthans
I Wish That I Was Beautiful For
You - Darren Hanlon
Behind Two Hills.... A
Swimmingpool - Múm
My Favourite Chords - The
Weakerthans
We Now Know - Lia Rose
Refusing To Be A Man -
Propagandhi
And The Band Played Waltzing
Matilda - Eric Bogle
I Ain't Got No Home - Woody
Guthrie
7 32
Although I do not advocate for any
ideology that advances population control
as a real istic consideration, one point that
may not be immediately apparent to zero-
population growth promoters is: a cul ture
that accepts and embraces fami l ies can
have the indirect effect of lowering birth
rates. A chi ld-inclusive community helps
us break away from the nuclear fami ly
expectation (those that wish to procreate
must pair off and form a household unit in
order to experience parenthood). The
more we can raise our chi ldren in an
accepting community where each chi ld
has many adul ts who commit to an
ongoing caregiving role, the less every
individual who wants a close relationship
with a chi ld wi l l feel compel led to
become a parent. When chi ldren find
belonging in a larger, low-resource
community, less people wi l l feel the need
to have their own biological chi ldren.
The population control argument is tone
deaf to freedom struggles around the
world. Many communities and cul tures
identi fy a form of resistance as creating the
next generation of fighters–their chi ldren.
This includes tribal groups, Palestinians,
and other cul tures whose right to bear
chi ldren/exist has been contested by the
corporate state. “Breeder” is also a word
with a continuous history of racist use,
used (both historical ly, and to this day) by
white supremacists to describe slaves and
poor women of color. Population control
rhetoric (see the Sierra Club) often uses
the same arguments that many ul tra right
wing groups/white power groups are
making about the world’s oppressed
populations. Let’s stop using the
vocabulary of fascists.
A community committed to revolutionary
l iberation can agree – we should be free
to decide to procreate or not procreate.
Women should not be under pol i tical
pressure to get pregnant or stay chi ldless,
whether under the rubric of population
reduction, in the name of God and
Country, or by any other coercive
ideology. Being a mother should not be
viewed as a central i ty for women, or the
pinnacle of womanhood, but a choice to
be freely made without experiencing
pol i tical coercion.
Final ly, let’s speak pragmatical ly. In a
revolutionary struggle that needs al l the
support we can get, why cut off the most
powerful source of support possible–new
generations? Taking the long view: in
twenty years, you, me, and our comrades
wi l l be the older generation in the struggle
(unless we’re l iving in a post-revolutionary
society). I f our l iberation struggle has
gained the reputation of being chi ld-
haters, why should youth feel any
attachment to us, or choose to join our
ranks as they grow older? I f we insist on
insul ting parents and chi ldren, we wil l
ensure that anarchism remains an insular,
i rrelevant movement of twenty-somethings
part of movements for liberation and howhave you dealt with this?
Yes, certainly, I think I covered that in theabove question? We have conversationswith folks where appropriate, and wecertainly make note of the spaces that feelmore participatory and mutual lyappreciative.
If you could have any super power, whichwould it be and why?
As a col lective, I think we would love tobe able to shape shift or at least manifestimagery around us. I 'm thinking of thestory we concocted for CR1 0 – there wasactual shape shifting, flying, travel l ing,manifestation of so many different symbolsand we were using these differentimageries to convey in the most authentic,playful , digestible way possible our visionof justice and truth, our pol i tics aroundconfl ict resolution and heal thycommunication, our guiding wisdoms forhuman and systemic transformation. Is thatthe superpower of being god?
(1 ) PACHAMAMA: THE BUSHWICKCHILDCARE COOPERATIVE: Black and Latinamothers caring for each other and our childrenwhile organizing for collective liberation.Regeneracion was birthed through a processwith Pachamama, and its mother organizationSista II Sista (a Brooklyn-wide collective of poorand working-class young and adult Black andLatina women building together to model asociety based on liberation and love) , as theyenvisioned a community of support for mothersand families in a movement for collectiveliberation.
(2) From websitehttp://www.childcarenyc.org/
(3) Interview conducted over email in Jan/Febof 2011 .
31 8
who eventual ly drop out, rather than a
multi -generational tidal wave of resistance
that wi l l meet our objectives.
* * * * *
This brings us to the question: what do
intergenerational communities of
resistance look l ike?
Connie says:
“Everyone in our community is very
supportive and has developed relationships
with my chi ldren separate of me. I get to l ive
vicariously through them in raising a girl , since
I have two boys. I ’d say this came out of
necessi ty (financial , help in chi ldcare) as wel l
as a desire to share my l i fe with folks. I t’s a
direct stand against the nuclear [fami ly]
si tuation I find so isolating. I ’ve l ived
col lectively for the last five years (2 with a
baby) and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I t
helps that we’ve developed our relationships
with each other and that our community is
smal l and so we’re able to better support each
other.”
Jacob says:
“Our 1 6 month old loves a lot of our
community members and runs laughing to hug
them whenever we stop by or they stop by. At
fi rst i t wasn’t quite this way and we did have to
have a community meeting about the
breeder/non-breeder divide, and now some
friends of ours defend us parents real ly
furiously when they hitch and travel around.”
Jason says:
“Santa Cruz, CA has an enormously
strong radical movement that is effective and
beauti ful , and they LOVE babies, they seriously
love babies, you’ve never seen so many
fami l ies at an infoshop. During the 2009 Santa
Cruz Anarchist convergence which included a
book fair and freeskool conference, they set up
chi ldcare through the entire 4 day event and
prior to the event they did their best to help
people get set up with places to stay, they had
specific kid friendl ier houses set up for
incoming fami l ies. AND I went to multiple
workshops that deal t with baby/fami ly/youth
AND older generation issues, every workshop I
went to had babies in the crowd and never
once did I see anyone be less than welcoming
to fami l ies, i t’s al ready part of the cul ture in the
rad scene there.”
Roberto says:
“What people don’t real ize about
chi ldren is, in an indigenous world, they are
our teachers and angels sent to straighten our
l i ’ l chi ldish asses up. Chi ldren Are Important,
they are the next generation they are US.”
Chi ldren are a joy to have around. Yes,
years of incredible, dedicated work, whichinspired the birth of Regeneración, theytransi tioned out – this was after aconscious, caring, gentle process ofattempting to transi tion out of dependenceon non-profi t funding. Organizations suchas Sista I I Sista (and others includingSisterfi re – INCITE! : Women of ColorAgainst Violence NYC Chapter) – thatwere Regeneracion’s primarycommitments – were unable to sustainthemselves, posing a chal lenge for us.
How does the collective support kidsbeing important to movements?
The dream of bui lding a trulyintergenerational movement, aka amovement that wi l l sustain i tsel facross generations - this means doingchi ldcare to support ‘adul ts’ who worktoday to resist systemic oppression and tocreate al ternatives, and to i l luminate,integrate and celebrate the pol i tical visionbehind this work in our chi ldcare practice.
One of our ul timate goals with this work isfor groups to recognize kids as an integralpart of movement bui lding… creatingevery space to be intergenerational (forkids and elders). This could take the formof a vision for chi ldcare being integratedinto organizations themselves… andconnecting across organizations to evolvethat vision.
We are also working to create curriculumfor our chi ldcare gigs – in practice withour partner organizations. We have abirthday party every December where weinvite al l the kids from al l the orgs to playat the museum of natural history – itssomething people look forward to every
year. We were doing ‘pol i tical playtimes’this summer in a simi lar vein – kids comeand play, let folks have a day off, wepresented the play we made at CR1 0 forone of the playtimes, we played gamesand hung out.
How does the collective encounter thecity as a site for intergenerationalmovement building?
I ts hard here because its such a huge, busycity – we usual ly find ourselves in a parkor playground near to the event space,which works out wel l , but i t i s a bitstressful to move around with kids here. I twould be lovely to have big open spaceseverywhere to run around in. Buthonestly, the parks and playgrounds feell ike a gift!
There exist counterproductive andnegative attitudes towards children withinsome activist and radical circles. Whathas been the response from activist andradical networks to your work and vision?
We haven’t received any overtly negativeor disrespectful cri tique or atti tude towardthe work. I t’s much more subtle … folksassign a space for chi ldcare that is dark,stuffy, without windows, without l ight.Chi ldcare is that hassle folks have to dealwith, or that afterthought. That kind ofthing happens. Many many spaces valueand appreciate the work. There are thosethat pay l ip service to the work, and that’sok too. We’re al l working together tostretch the boundaries of our imaginationsand investments!
Has the collective ever been treated as aservice provider, rather than an integral
9 30
they’re also a pain in the ass, but so are
adul ts. Chi ldren tend to l ighten the
atmosphere of any given event. I ’ve been
to meetings which were stuck in
intransigent bickering and petty-minded
back and forth fighting, and seen the
presence of a chi ld alone make people
real ize their shoddy behavior.
Kids offer simple and straightforward ideas
for change. They are solution-oriented
people who are sti l l young enough not to
have been completely disempowered and
brainwashed by our cul ture. A world
where everyone is free is easi ly within the
realm of a chi ld’s imagination. Kids are
powerful al l ies to have in your camp.
They understand the logic of direct action
more than most adul ts. A chi ld’s opinion
can give you a fresh take on a problematic
si tuation and often bring more wisdom
than a whole roomful of adul ts put
together.
A mature and effective radical and
revolutionary movement has nothing to
lose and everything to gain by creating
multigenerational communities of
resistance. A powerful example of the
strength that can come from a generation
raised in struggle and freedom is
mentioned in the Zapatista’s Sixth
Declaration of the Selva Lacandona:
“I t so happens that our insurgents,
insurgentas, mi l i tants, local and regional
responsables, as wel l as support bases, who
were youngsters at the beginning of the
uprising, are now mature men and women,
combat veterans and natural leaders in their
units and communities. And those who were
chi ldren in that January of ’94 are now young
people who have grown up in the resistance,
and they have been trained in the rebel dignity
l i fted up by their elders throughout these 1 2
years of war. These young people have a
pol i tical , technical and cul tural training that
we who began the zapatista movement did not
have. This youth is now, more and more,
sustaining our troops as wel l as leadership
posi tions in the organization.”
A culture that does not embrace chi ldren,
and our elders, i s a cul ture of death. A
revolutionary movement that is intolerant
of chi ldren wi l l always be stuck in an
adolescent, easi ly co-opted phase,
bubbl ing up and then fading into
irrelevance. Whether you are a parent or
an al ly, helping to pass on our cul ture of
resistance to the next generation is one of
the most powerful ways of saying, “We’re
here! Get ready, because soon it’s going
to be OUR TURN!”
_______________
A world where everyoneis free is easily within therealm of a child’simagination.
2010 has come to an end and it is anumber of years since the collectivesinception. What have beenRegeneración's priorities for the year andwhy?
We actual ly celebrated our 5th birthdayparty in 201 0, so its been around 5 years.Regeneracion continued to do regularchi ldcare over the year – we supportgroups such as Domestic Workers United(DWU), Fami l ies for Freedom (FFF) andAnother Pol i tics is Possible (APP) byhanging out with kids so that their fami l iescan participate in col lective movementbui lding work. We meet regularly toreflect on chal lenges, opportunities, and toprepare for special events.
In 201 0, we journeyed to Detroit toparticipate in the second-ever UnitedStates Social Forum (USSF) where ourgoals were to bui ld with other chi ldcarecol lectives (from cities including the BayArea, Austin, Bal timore, Chicago, DC,Atlanta, Seattle, Montreal , Phi ladelphia,and Portland Oregon) by co-faci l i tating aworkshop that we had been planning viaconference cal l s for some months beforethe event. We also offered ourselves as aresource in planning the Chi ldren’s SocialForum, having created an interactive,immersive, pol i tical , educative, theatricalKids Program for the Critical Resistance 1 0Conference in 2008; participated invarious Al l ied Media Conference (AMC)Kids Tracks, including the 201 0convergence that occurred days before theUSSF; and having participated in the first
Chi ldren’s Social Forum in Atlanta.
What have been the challenges forRegeneración over the years?
One of the earl iest struggles that wasnamed by moms in Pachamama (1 ) i s thatfolks are attracted to chi ldcare as a form of‘al ly work’ – chi ldcare and cooking beingthings people feel they can support with,having a different identi ty from corecommunity members. One of thechal lenges to this, named by a mom, wasthat ‘we don’t want to send our kids themessage that we need people from theoutside [aka white folks] to come in andtake care of our kids’.
Capacity, in that this is a volunteerorganization – we are al l very pol i tical ly,social ly, cul tural ly active New Yorkersl iving hectic l ives – one of Regeneración’svalues is, in fact, that this can’t be the onlything we do. So capacity for us is huge,and related to this is the chal lenge ofgrowing the organization – it takes a lot oftime, energy and investment to grow theorganization in a way that feels in integri tywith our guiding principles. New Yorkmakes commitment a chal lenge.
And final ly, and probably mostimportantly, Regeneracion exists primari lyto serve organizations with whom weal ign in vision. This includes pol i ticalcommitments to sel f-rel iance andsustainabi l i ty in resistance to Statedominance. Unfortunately, in thispol i tical /economic cl imate, i t i s verydifficul t for ‘off the grid’ organizations tosurvive. An example is Sista I I Sista, aradical , visionary col lective of women ofcolor in Bushwick, Brooklyn. After 1 0
Interview
29 10
Special thanks to Vikki , China, Rahula, Jen,
Erik, Tomas, Tal ia, Sienna and everyone on the
A-parenting l ist for the continuous col lective
discussion over the years that helped me to
develop this work.
Footnotes
(1 ) This essay is general ly intended for the
predominantly white activist community,
especial ly the anarchist community. This
includes people that consider themselves post-
left, autonomist, progressive, radical ,
insurrectionist, and revolutionary, as wel l as
any formulation of ‘anarchist’ . This is due to
my observation (and gross general ization) that
white communities and White Cul ture often
have difficul ty seeing the value of
intergenerational i ty, al though this is often less
true of subsegments of white cul ture. I wri te
from my perspective as a white,
Southern/Gael ic, queer, middle-class raised,
poor-for-almost-two-decades, food-stampin’
mama.
(2 ) M/others: (sel f-identi fied single, teen and
welfare mamaz) defini tion from the Al l ied
Media Conference 201 0
(3 ) Comments after article:
http://honeymoons.about.com/b/2007/01 /07/sc
reaming-3 -year-old-ejected-from-plane.htm
(4) 1 995 UN Human Development Report,
Ch. 4: hdr_1 995_en_chap4.pdf
(5 ) Cri ttenden, Ann; The Price of Motherhood,
2001 ; Henry Holt and Co.; p.6
(6) Don’t Leave Your Friends Behind zine is a
great resource for al l ies and those who need
help planning rad chi ldcare. There’s a world
beyond chi ldcare, too–if you are planning a
conference, you might consider a “kids track”.
I f you publ icize i t, chances are, a whole new
group wil l come to partake of your event.
(7) http://www.worldwatch.org/node/81 0
Drawings by Lara (when l i ttle), " love" by Sienna (age 5) & page 9 by Shizuki (age 3 )
We are a cultural catalyst.We aren’t capable of organizing an entire intergenerational
movement under our umbrel la, nor do we want to. Our primary
focus is not to grow our organization, but to grow our vision of
an intergenerational movement for col lective l iberation.To do
this we wil l model the movement we want to see, inspire other
groups to transform themselves, and provide resources to help
the process along. Our work is about more than just changing
pol i tical posi tions, or having people adopt ours. I t requires us to
make anew our entire cul ture, and reshape our communities and
movements.
Our dreams are big, and we sti l l have much to do. But after some
years of growing with kids and their communities, we see many
more holes in the wal l s of the system than when we first started.
They are al l over the place, growing in size and connecting with
one another. The smal l things we’re doing now wil l further these
openings, and the world that awaits us wi l l become bigger,
stronger and more beauti ful .
We are on a journey,building the world we want aswe go.
11 28
I had original ly been inspired to go to the
Women’s Encuentro by the cal l to
volunteer at the Non-Conformist Cul tural
Center. Recognizing that an encounter of
women required a safe (and fun! ) place for
them to leave their chi ldren whi le they
attended meetings, plenaries and
workshops, volunteers from a sol idari ty
group put a cal l -out for people around the
world to help put together not just
chi ldcare, but a Non-Conformist Cul tural
Center whose activi ties would reflect the
plenaries and sessions that their mothers
were participating in.
As a mother who pushes for the social
justice movement to support the parents
and chi ldren in the struggle, I was excited.
For the past year and a hal f, I had attended
(predominantly white) anarchist and
feminist events to present “Don’t Leave
Your Friends Behind,” a workshop
outl ining the need for the radical
community to support the mothers and
chi ldren in their midst. My daughter, at
ages five and six, accompanied me and
had a chance to experience each event’s
chi ldcare (or lack thereof). At some, such
as the Chi ldren’s Social Forum at the
United States Social Forum (USSF), she
had participated in activi ties reflecting the
social justice themes of the day, discussing
concepts such as gentri fication, war and
gender in ways that she, and other
chi ldren her age, could grasp.
Reading about the plan for a Non-
Conformist Cul tural Center, I was
intrigued. What would radical chi ldcare in
a zapatista community look l ike?
Then I got a cal l from Terry, a mother I
had roomed with at the USSF. She and her
now-three-year-old daughter Pi were
members of a delegation of women of
color (and white al l ies) who were going to
the encuentro. Was I interested in coming?
Continuing the Struggle: Lessons to BeLearned from Mothers and Chi ldren in
Zapatista Communitiesby Victoria Law with lots of input from Terry Rodriguez
(article has also appeared in the zines "Don' t Leave Your Friends Behind #2" & "Raise Some Hel l ")
From its inception, Regeneración has provided chi ldcare to low-
income parents of color and queer parents, in order to faci l i tate
their participation in movement groups. This al ly role remains
central to our work, but i t’s si tuated within a larger vision.
Regeneración also wants to change and deepen the way groups
interact with chi ldren. We want to bui ld connections between
radical parents and caretakers, furthering their sel f-organization
and nurturing movement that is relevant and accessible to folks
with kids. Ul timately, we want to change how individuals and
groups connect: not just through formal meetings and
compartmental ized issues, but through al l our various forms of
l i fe, including fami l ies, caretaking and personal relationships.
Connecting in this way enriches our movement, and at the same
time, changes i ts scope and vision.
As a form of work, chi ldcare has been feminized and devalued
in our society. Al l around us, women are expected to care for
chi ldren in isolation and without support; schools and jai l s
produce kids l ike commodities on an assembly l ine; and
domestic workers are exploited whi le raising the chi ldren of the
weal thy. Regeneración wants something better. We bel ieve
chi ldcare is a central part of our creative activi ty as a people, a
kind of labor that creates and molds subjectivi ty, producing
human beings who can interact with others and cooperate with
their peers. We bel ieve chi ldcare is the crucial labor that
reproduces human community, generation after generation. We
want to draw it into the open, recognize its true importance, and
make it the col lective labor of al l .
Childcare is a centralelement, but not the
only one.
Childcare is valuable, critical, beautifullabor.
27 12
My answer was an unequivocal YES! I
joined the delegation
and real ly became excited
about the adventure we were
al l about to embark upon.
I didn’t find the Non-Cul tural Conformist
Center unti l the second day of the three-
day encuentro. I t was far from the center
of the community where the plenary
sessions and other activi ties were taking
place. A woman and several boys were
painting a mural on the cinderblock
façade of the school . Other boys raced
around hitting each other with empty
plastic bottles, apparently a favori te game
among chi ldren in the campo. There were
eight chi ldcare providers and eight l i ttle
boys. The man I spoke to looked at Pi and
said, “There aren’t any girl s here.”
“Why not?” we asked.
He shrugged. “Maybe they are busy
working.”
Only much later did I begin to real ize that
the concept of organized chi ldcare - of
separating chi ldren from the adul t
activi ties - is a western capital i st concept.
In other cul tures, chi ldren are integrated
into dai ly l i fe, not shunted into a corner or
separate room far from grown-up eyes and
ears. The zapatistas didn’t need the kind of
chi ldcare usual ly expected by those of us
north of the border. They incorporated
their chi ldren into the struggle, teaching
not only with stories and words but also
by example. After al l , the chi ldren (and
their chi ldren and their chi ldren’s
chi ldren) is who the struggle is ul timately
for. To emphasize this point, many of the
t-shirts and gas sold during the encuentro
depicted smal l chi ldren growing out of
corn stalks.
Throughout the plenary sessions, chi ldren
ran in and out of the auditorium to see
and si t with their mothers or to be hugged
before dashing off to resume playing
outside. Babies sometimes cried, but no
one took much notice and, unl ike
meetings and events in the north, no one
even dared suggest that the mother leave.
Intergenerational movements arepowerful.
Kids change how we dopolitics.
Intergenerational movements sustain themselves through periods
of intense repression and regenerate over time. They develop a
profound col lective memory, which al lows each generation to
learn from the experiences of those that came before. They offer
more than a scene, which one dips into and out of on a whim, or
a phase, which one ul timately abandons for more serious
responsibi l i ties. Intergenerational movements create
cul tures of resistance that people use to understand themselves,
their communities, and col lective action in the world throughout
their entire l ives. Struggles that embody this vision continue to
surge from the global south, and they remain a huge inspiration
for Regeneración.
Kids teach us that movement is a process–not a program– and
that this process is playful , imaginative and creative, not just
serious and rational . In turn, we teach kids that their play is a
powerful tool they can and should cul tivate throughout their
l ives, with serious impl ications for the world we inhabit.
Interactions with kids produce another kind of pol i tics, one that
recognizes play as a crucial ingredient of any movement and
demol ishes the wal l s that sequester i t in chi ldhood or bar i t from
our adul t l ives.
13 26
Masked girl s sat beside their mothers,
l i stening to the stories of what their l ives
might have looked l ike had they not been
born into the movement.
“Before, only the men and boys could
have fun,” Comandanta Rosal inda said on
the first day. “Girl s had to take care of the
babies and never had time to go to school
or even to play.”
Having heard stories from their parents
and grandparents, chi ldren, particularly
the girl s, understand the significance of
what they now have. Marina stood before
thousands of women from around the
world and, in the clear words of a girl just
about to turn nine, stated what the
revolution means to her:
"I want to tel l you about my l i fe. I
study in an autonomous zapatista school
because I have rights. My parents respect my
right to dance, to sing, to have fun. In my
autonomous school , sometimes we don’t have
school suppl ies and we don’t ask the
government because we are part of the
resistance. My father works in his fields and
sel l s his harvest so that we have money to buy
my school suppl ies. We are zapatistas and we
don’t take crumbs from the government. I am
very proud to be a zapatista; we won’t be
discouraged because we are used to resisting."
That evening, a woman from our
delegation wondered aloud about the
girl ’s speech: Could a nine-year-old real ly
have come up with these words and
sentiments on her own?
Raising a chi ld of my own in the struggle
and having seen how her older peers talk
and think, I defended the girl ’s sinceri ty.
When chi ldren are taught and included
from an early age, they absorb these
teachings. They ask questions about
experiences and real i ties and, i f their
questions aren’t dismissed or si lenced,
their understanding and consciousness
grows.
Mothers both in and out of the zapatista
movement are the primary teachers of
their chi ldren.
For many women, the zapatistas were the
first to encourage them to think, question
and learn:
"Before the EZLN, we [the mothers]
didn’t have this education. We didn’t know
that we could fight a just fight for the wel l -
being of our chi ldren. We dedicated ourselves
to working in our homes and in the homes of
the landowners. Our chi ldren were raised l ike
animals. We didn’t educate our chi ldren
[before] because we didn’t know these things.
The landowners didn’t teach us so that they
could keep us as workers."
–Maribel , a zapatista mother
Integrating mothers has been crucial to
continuing the struggle. This sentiment
was repeated again and again as women
The Regeneración ChildcareCollective i s committed to growing an intergenerational movement for
col lective l iberation, in which people of al l ages can participate,
learn from each other, take care of each other, and dramatical ly
reshape the conditions of their l ives. Since 2006, Regeneración
has bui l t relationships with and between domestic workers,
immigrant fami l ies, fami l ies facing detention, queer fami l ies
organizing for racial and economic justice, and radical parents
and caretakers; we’ve sent delegations to the U.S. Social Forum,
faci l i tated a chi ldren’s program at the Critical Resistance 1 0
conference, and been in dialogue with radical chi ldcare
providers across the country; we’ve occupied cafeterias in New
York City, swung on swingsets in Detroit, and played hide-and-
go- seek in Oakland.
As we did al l this, we discovered an incredible secret: the wal l s
that constrain our everyday l ives are riven with fissures, tears and
holes. The holes are hard to spot, but once we notice them, they
nourish us with a powerful magic. We can peer through them
and see real i ties that exist right now, inside this world and inside
of ourselves– magical real i ties in which people fashion their
world together, everyone feels respected and loved, and people
are responsible to one another and to a col lective vision. The
more we practice our magic, the more we’re able to notice these
holes, tug at their edges, and begin stepping through them into
what awaits us. Here are some pieces of the magic we’ve
practiced so far. Use them wisely.When movements provide
people of al l ages a way to participate in their own
l iberation–from the very young to the very old–they are capable
of fantastic things.
25 14
from the different caracoles spoke their
experiences:
“As mothers, we set examples for our
chi ldren,” stated El izabeth, a mother from La
Real idad. “We teach them that unless you fight,
you are fucked. As mothers, we show by
example, by taking on responsibi l i ties and
participation in the EZLN, in the region, in the
CCRI . We teach our chi ldren not to
contaminate the earth with chemicals so that i t
wi l l continue to provide for us and for future
generations.”
“When our chi ldren are smal l , we talk to them
about what they’d l ike to do when they are
big,” stated Elena, a mother from Oventic. “We
talk about options in the mi l i tary, in the
community, and in doing pol i tical work. We
tel l them that they have the same rights as the
Ladrones [l ight-skinned landowners] . We talk
about the resistance and why we resist. We
teach them why we don’t receive help from the
bad government.”
Some women spoke about the difficul ties
of actively participating in the struggle.
Some husbands do not understand the
importance of women’s participation,
fearing that i f their wives are active in the
community, the work at home is left
undone. Other husbands agree to their
wives’ publ ic participation provided that
they continue do al l of the housework and
chi ldcare.
Zapatista mothers are actively raising the
next generation to combat these
entrenched oppressions and gender
Feature Project:Regeneración Chi ldcare
Col lective
Each issue of Bui lding Blocs wi l l feature a pol i tical project that is ei ther specifical ly
focused on kids in movements, or is working on/supporting intergenerational movement
bui lding in their organising.
Hopeful ly one day al l our projects wi l l be doing this!
This issue' s feature project is Regeneración Chi ldcare
Col lective. Regeneracion Chi ldcare is a col lective
based in New York City, USA. Regeneración was
born out of a process with Pachamama and Sista I I
Sista (1 ) in order to contribute to bui lding an
intergenerational movement for col lective l iberation.
Regeneración participates in chi ld-raising as a form
of resistance that bui lds radical communities and
relationships. They provide chi ldcare at
organizational meetings, events, and in col laboration with community based chi ldcare
col lectives and cooperatives. Their partner organizations are those whose visions inspire
them. (2 )
This issue' s feature starts off with a reproduction of Regeneración' s vision and artwork,
fol lowed by an interview with Radhika Singh, a founding/col lective member of
Regeneracion. (3 )
15 24
expectations:
“We teach the boys housework so
that when they are bigger they can help. This
creates a sense of equal i ty between boys and
girl s. We teach [al l our chi ldren] to defend
ourselves and our community when the army
comes in to try to evict us,” said Elena.
Gabriel la, another mother from Oventic,
explained that, without the participation of
the mothers, the struggle fal ters:
“Sometimes mothers wi l l say they
can’t participate because they don’t understand
the importance of their participation. Some
women do not want to send their chi ldren to
the autonomous school because there is so
much responsibi l i ty at home and they don’t
understand the concept of col lectivism.”
For the mothers who do participate in the
struggle, their chi ldren - both boys and
girl s - learn from their examples. They
teach their chi ldren by model ing what
women’s participation looks l ike and
shows them how this is important.
The lessons for us visi tors should not be
that our communities are rel ieved of the
responsibi l i ty of providing chi ldcare or
otherwise supporting the specific needs of
mothers and chi ldren. Rather, we have
witnessed how the zapatistas incorporate
chi ldren into their struggle, how they
include mothers and chi ldren rather than
shunting them into a corner or onto the
outskirts. And, fourteen years after the
uprising, we see that those who were
smal l chi ldren in 1 994, who grew up in
the movement, now entering and
continuing the struggle for dignity and
l iberty.
Now, when we return home to organize
ourselves, we need to find a way to do the
same in our own communities and
movements.
PicsbyVictoriaLaw
create a shared chi ldcare arrangement that
meets everyone' s needs right their within
the home. There are clearly less
communal options also, where a
community can informal ly swap
babysi tting hours between fami l ies, or a
radical fami ly could setup their own in-
home daycare, infused with the values
important to their radical community.
Ideal ly, a radical chi ldcare cooperative
would be a fantastic option for us. We
would be fami l iar with the people
involved and their values, our chi ld would
be social izing with other kiddos in ways
that we support, and our community
would be drawn together and rooted l ike
never before. But the catch for us is that
we l ive in a rural , conservative area with a
fairly isolated radical community. There
just aren' t enough of us to make this work
wel l yet.
Instead, we've spent the past few weeks
patching together a temporary plan that
involves help from grandparents and
standby assistance from a fami ly that we
previously co-parented with. Our chi ld
spends her parentless days feeding
Grandpa' s chickens or wreaking havoc
with her brothers-in-anarchy at the former
Black Diaper Col lective. There' s no
chi ldcare bi l l , no time-out, and no
imposition of a worldview that directly
confl icts with ours. I t' s by no means long-
term solution, but neither is daycare.
23 16
CUNTastic i s an exploration of al l things cunt, and is meant to
be a compi lation of experiences, thoughts & research from the
editor & others. I t’s part personal , part educational , and al l
pol i tical .
Tricycle Zine Distro was created to distribute and inspire the writing of radicalparent/ing* zines and other zines/resources useful to parents, caregivers and al l ies.
I t i s a project that aims to chal lenge the norms of parenting (and other norms l ikegender, race, class, sexual i ty, age, abi l i ty and capital ism) and explore al ternatives;inspire writing as an act of rebel l ion; support radical parenting, pol i tics and action;value parents/ caregivers/ chi ldren as integral to bui lding communities of resistance;create col lective knowledge and networks of support and mutual aid amongst parents,caregivers and their al l ies in Austral ia.
I f you have a zine or resource which you would l ike to distro through Tricycle pleaseemai l [email protected] For orders or more info go to tricyclezinedistro.org
Zines in stock
* Radical Parenting is an imperfect term and is meant here as inclusive and diverse – an
exploration of parenting styles that value respect, trust, autonomy, difference, non-oppression,
learning, love and revolution.
and their goal is to generate a profi t. (1 ) While
I acknowledge that they' re often run by
very wel l meaning folks who've probably
done a fantastic job raising their own kids,
that doesn' t mean that they should be
raising mine.
At times, I feel l ike this atti tude is
condescending--as i f I can real ly walk into
a place and judge in 1 5 minutes the
worthiness of a set of people to spend time
with my daughter. But the sticking point is
that as radical parents, we are committed
to insti l l ing a particular set of values and
behaviors in our chi ld, and these values
are not necessari ly (or even l ikely)
priori tized by the majori ty of the chi ldcare
providers in the broader community.
When I identi fy mysel f as a ' radical '
parent, what I 'm trying to communicate is
that I hold the values of autonomy,
respect, community, non-oppression, and
non-hierarchy at the core of both my
personal worldview and my parenting
phi losophy.
That means that a preschool where the
toys and play time are segregated by
gender is total ly inappropriate for the
gender ideas that I 'm trying to insti l l in my
daughter. I t means that a daycare that
uses time outs and candy rewards isn' t
teaching her how to act in the world as an
autonomous human being motivated by
her own good judgment. I t means I 'm not
feel ing ok about preschool or daycare
right now, unti l my l i ttle one' s
understanding of the world is more sol id.
Radical Childcare Options
There are other options that circumventthe capital i st-infused, gender binary,authori tarian models of chi ldcare that theworld confronts us with. Radicalcommunities across the U.S. have createdtheir own solutions in the form of radicalchi ldcare cooperatives and co-parentingcol lectives, among others.
These options each have their advantages
and disadvantages, but they general ly
meet the needs of egal i tarian fami l ies
better than commercial chi ldcare. In a
radical chi ldcare cooperative, each fami ly
earns ' credits' for providing a certain
number of hours of chi ldcare, and is then
able to redeem those credits with any
other fami ly in the cooperative for
chi ldcare in return. In a co-parenting
col lective, fami l ies l ive together and
17 22
Dadam i s a personal and pol i tical zine about the
experiences, observations and reflections of i ts writer’s
journey as a Dad.
Don’t Leave Your Friends Behind i s a series of work-in-
progress zines toward a book geared to the non-parent radical
community about how to be an al ly to the parent(s) in their
midst.
Fireweed: A zine of grassroots radical herbalism and wild
foods connecting with kids and family life i s a zine sharing
remedies and ideas for al l things kids, herbs, and wi ld foods.
The zine includes recipies, remedies, interviews with herbal
parents, suggested reading l ists, book reviews and more.
(See review on page 35)
Tenacious: Art & Writings by Women in Prison i s a zine fi l led with
articles, essays, poetry and art by formerly and currently
incarcerated women across the United States. The idea for
Tenacious originated with several women incarcerated in Oregon
in 2003 and The Mother' s Day issues feature the writings of
incarcerated mothers.
Raising Rebellion i s a cut-n-paste personal zine whose author
puts as much work into the col lage as the content. I t deals with
personal/pol i tical journey that is raising a l i ttle person and
rebel l ion.
Needing Childcare for the First Time
After 29 months of insuring that my chi ld
has been with a trusted, emotional ly
bonded member of her personal
community every hour of every day, I 'm
facing a choice. The choice of how she
wil l spend her time now that both me and
my partner are working 30-40 hours per
week to support our new home, the Circle
A Farm.
As two sel f-identi fied anarchist parents,
the chi ldcare options we face are almost
always incongruent with our view of
chi ldraising in some serious way. But the
real i ty is that we have to work at our paid
jobs right now, in the short term, in order
to give our l i ttle one a place for her
chickens to roost, for her toys to be played
with, for her drawings to hang on the
fridge.
In the long term, once this l i ttle farm starts
producing food, we can stop sel l ing our
time to our bosses and start sel l ing our
veggies to our community. But for now,
the capital i st tradition of paying someone
else to raise our chi ld for several hours a
day has final ly entered our l ives.
Daycare and preschool and nannies, oh
my!
The search for a chi ldcare solution has
been arduous and eye opening. In the US
daycares and preschools are businesses,
On Radical Chi ldcareby Laurel Ripple Carpenter
As two self-identifiedanarchist parents, thechildcare options we
face are almost alwaysincongruent with ourview of childraising in
some serious way.
21 18
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