Fighting Systems of Oppression: How Do Our Principles Guide Our Work for Justice?

On 13 November, Makan’s director, Aimee Shalan, joined a brilliant panel of educators and organisers doing powerful work for justice, locally, nationally, and globally – from resisting genocide to fighting for abolitionist futures. This virtual event was co-sponsored by Makan’s partner, PARCEO – a community research, resource and education centre that centres with a range of groups and institutions to strengthen our collective work for justice – and Haymarket Books.

The discussion, which centred on the critical principles that guide our work, was moderated by writer, performer and JVP member, Morgan Bassichis. The other speakers included:

• Nina Mehta, community educator and co-director of PARCEO
• Ujji Aggarwal, an Assistant Professor at The New School, who has a long history of working to build organising for educational justice, immigrants’ rights, and abolition, as well as projects of the intersection of arts and social justice, popular education, and adult literacy
• Nyle Fort, a minister, organiser and scholar, who is currently Assistant Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Columbia University
• Darakshan Raji, founding director of Muslims for Just Futures (MJF), where she manages the organisation’s overall development, programming and strategic direction, leading MJF’s national advocacy and movement-building efforts, local Chicago power-building programming and DC Guaranteed Income Program
• Lesley Williams, a long-time advocate for Palestinian rights and for anti-racism in local and municipal government and services.

You can watch the full discussion below: