Press and Publications

The radio is also a way of educating and engaging with men and boys about violence. A middle-aged Miskita woman from Ulwas at the workshop told us that her husband is abusive and has physically attacked her. One evening, she found herself listening to the radio with her husband, and a program about women’s rights came on. After it ended, he turned to her and said, “I am afraid of you.”

Over and over, during the 6th annual Indigenous Women’s Forum in Waspam, we heard the same refrain. Climate change is a clear and present threat to our lives and communities, they shared.

We traveled for two days to get to our destination – the community of Waspam, near Nicaragua’s northern border with Honduras. After two flights and an hours-long, bumpy and dusty ride, we were bone tired when we first stepped out of the car.

On International Day of the Girl, we cheer on the bravery of young activists who are taking action to advance the rights and opportunities for girls everywhere.

This week, the US military expanded its bombing campaign to Syria. Advocates for peace and human rights have spoken out to confront this escalation and to call for rights-based solutions that do not deepen violence. Below are a few links with more information about this crisis.

Two days ago, I was one of 400,000 people in New York City–and one of many more worldwide–who took to the streets demanding climate justice.

Our partner Yanar Mohammed, President of the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), appreciates all of your questions on Iraq’s current crisis and how OWFI is working to protect families fleeing the surging violence. See her answers here. 

In 2014, as many as 90,000 children from Central America are expected to attempt to cross the border into the US – more than double from last year. Many are without their families, without prospects or plans for the future. They have only hope.

Kisalaya is an Indigenous village on the North Atlantic coast of Nicaragua. It’s also the site of Harvesting Hope, an organic community agriculture project supported by MADRE members. The project started with only 30 women, and there are now 90 participants–and Ester Tomas is one of them.

What we’ve written, read, listened to, remembered, watched and been inspired by this week.

What kind of courage does it take to defy death threats in the name of justice? The kind of courage embodied by Dr. Claudia Paz y Paz.

Since the beginning of the crisis in Iraq, our partner Yanar Mohammed, President of Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), has provided us with on-the-ground accounts of the hardships and danger Iraqi women and families are facing. Now, we want to give you the opportunity to pose your questions to her.