Be heard on the issues that matter most to you!
Co-optation and bureaucratization are great strategies for squashing attempts to create social change. There are some kids in South Carolina who are facing exactly that problem right now. They fought for and won the right to have a GSA in their school (the Irmo High School principal announced his resignation last month after the district ruled that the GSA must be allowed) but their victory might have some unintended and negative consequences.
The school board for District 5 of Lexington and Richmond Counties is now considering new rules regulating "student-initiated noncurricular clubs" that will "allow" GSAs but make them difficult to form and will hinder their effectiveness.
From the SWANK and SWOP-NYC Listserv and from Melissa Hope Ditmore, Ph.D at Network for Sex Work Projects:
*** CALL TO ACTION *** ***** DISTRIBUTE WIDELY *****
PROTEST HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES OF SEX WORKERS IN CAMBODIA!
1:30 PM AT THE CAMBODIAN MISSION TO THE UN 327 E 50TH STREET NEAR SECOND AVENUE
HLM ATTENDEES LEAVE THE UN CAFÉ AT 1 PM
The Cambodian Government under the influence of the US has passed a law against sex work. Since March, sex workers have been rounded up in raids, arrested, detained, denied medical services, beaten and raped by police. At least three sex workers have died in police custody. Others are being denied life-saving medicines. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!
Maybe you've been reading about the antiprostitution pledge that the US requires international organizations to sign if they want to receive USAID money to help fund their public health programs. Or maybe watched the Taking the Pledge video that I posted here (or perhaps you saw it on the Sex Workers Project web site) and it left you wanting to do something to help. The people at Project Prosper felt the same way when they saw the video and they did decide to do something. They created Pledging Action as a way to raise money and collect condoms that could be sent directly to organizations that help sex workers protect themselves.
And they need more condoms. Can you send them a box of condoms or a cash donation to help them with shipping?
Where will the condoms go?
