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Post-Election Gathering
Thursday, November 17, 2:30-4:30pm
Room 5183, Metropolitan Building,
School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Arlington Campus
This past week has been difficult for many of us. Many of us believe that we have just seen the rise to power of a man who has used hate to gain support, who is a self-avowed abuser of women, and who has fostered a climate of violence and exclusion, empowering those who would seek to divide us. In recent days we have seen a surge in violence and hate speech across U.S. campuses and communities, which many of us fear is a harbinger of things to come.
In the face of this, we believe it important to state unequivocally that we stand with women and women-identifying folks, people of color, Muslims, immigrants, refugees, international students, the LGBTQI community, people with disabilities and illnesses, and others who feel targeted by bigotry and discrimination.
We seek to resist, in the immediacy of this moment, the turn to theorizing and problem-solving before providing a space to collectively mourn. We believe it is vital to hold space for those most affected by the recent violence and the violent rhetoric that surrounds us. We acknowledge that each of our responses to these events will be different and that these may be inflected by the privileges afforded to us by unjust social hierarchies. We believe in bridging differences, in seeing our struggles through an intersectional lens, and in using the peaceful tools of our field to work towards social justice for all people. But we are wary of the temptation to push forward with solutions before doing the difficult work of listening, of hearing one other’s truths, of opening our minds and hearts to each other’s narratives.
We do not believe that emotions are an impediment to the important work of social change. On the contrary, it is through our emotions that we are able to see and recognize the pain of others. For many of us, these past days have been indeed very painful. And many of us are seeking an outlet to express our fear, hurt, rage and sorrow, and to be heard -- really heard, and recognized -- by our community.
On Thursday at 2:30 p.m. we will be holding a space to sit together, to share our concerns and affirm our solidarity. This space is especially for those who feel most affected by the recent events, or who fear what the future may hold for their friends, families and loved ones. We are sure that in the days and weeks and months to come, there will be many opportunities to work through what recent events might mean for the field of conflict analysis and resolution, and how members of our community can contribute to the tremendous social and political work that will need to be done. This event, however, will aim to fulfill a more immediate need: for a safe space to simply and profoundly be together. We hope you will join us.
