Intergenerational Movement Building in the Time of COVID-19 and Beyond

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Over the last few months as we have all grappled with this current reality, many activists, changemakers, and spiritually rooted leaders have affirmed that this moment is calling us to be different and have let it be known that we cannot go back to the way things were before. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent quarantine life has unmasked on a global scale what many us of already knew, that the systems by which we have been living our lives are not life-giving, that they harm the vast majority of us, and that they breed inequity, scarcity, and violence. Since this all began, we at MEV along with our partners have been asking ourselves the questions, what is this moment calling us to? How do we seize this moment as an opening to a new world and a new way of being? One of the responses to these questions came in the form of a series cultivated by Trina Greene Brown founder of Parenting for Liberation and MEV faculty, featuring Move to End Violence Movement Makers. This series affirms that during this moment of shelter in place/physical distancing/stay at home, it is imperative that we center cultivating and practicing liberation in our homes, with our families, as a way to transform culture and systems.

In part 1 of this series, Trina talks with Nadiah Mohajir, of HEART Women and Girls, about centering families in the work to end gender based violence. In addition to the interview Nadiah and HEART have also developed tools for the community regarding creating family inclusive work (and work from home) cultures.

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In part 2 of this series, Movement Maker Wakumi Douglas of SOUL Sisters Leadership Collective talks with Trina about liberated homeschooling and inviting children to play an active role in their learning. As an accompaniment to the conversation, we include a tool that you can adapt to use with the children in your lives.

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You can view these resources on Planning Co-Created Lessons and an example Week at a Glance Schedule.

In part 3 of this series, Movement Maker Sarah Curtiss of Men As Peacemakers talks with Trina about reclaiming ancestral practices through cooking, growing, and preparing food as part of liberation. As an accompaniment to the conversation we invite you to create your own recipe for liberation and share them with us on social media using the hashtag #MEVRecipeForLiberation.

You can view Sarah's Recipe for Liberation in English and Spanish here.