Feminism can mean many different things to many different people, especially to me. My feminism revolves around giving a voice to those who need it most, and for me there are only two groups which I feel are truly deserving of my attention simply because of my personal connection to each. The first issue is standing up for, and listening to battered women and their children; the second is giving a voice to those women, men and children who are faced with both physical and mental disabilities. I come from a home where abuse was prevalent, thankfully it was not physical but it was emotional for everyone involved. I also grew up in a home with an older brother who was faced with both a physical and mental disability and throughout his 20 years on this earth, I was his voice when he had none. People can be so cruel when they see someone who is not the “norm” according to societal standards. This manifesto calls for a strong voice for those who need it and it draws upon a more liberal feminist approach in that you must work with a system, not against it. My personal feminism comes from the understanding that you should fight for what you believe in, and this is what I will continue to do.
Manifesto
Giving others the respect and dignity they deserve, just as I would ask for myself to be treated in that manner. Understanding that we all have different viewpoints in life and that those views shape us, they don't break us.
Avoid judgement – it is often easier to judge than it is to listen and learn.
Never assume you know everything, no matter how rooted, involved in and committed to a movement you are. Always listen to those voices around, let them be your guiding light.
Standing up for what you believe in, working towards your goals and not being afraid to ask for help along the way.
Getting involved in fighting the dirty politics that diminish a person’s worth; finding the space to fight against those which governing rules which do not work.
Ensuring that my human needs, rights, and wants do not infringe upon another human beings rights, needs, and wants.
Living, fighting, and believing in what you hold close to your heart, whatever it may be.
Most importantly: become someone’s ally— don’t be the voice of the people – let the people guide your voice.
Zain, I really identified with your manifesto because to me, one of your main points, that feminism means different things to different people, closely relates to my own manifesto. I thought it was interesting that you talked about giving a voice to battered women and children, and about giving a voice to people faced with physical and mental disabilities. I agree with this as well, and I feel that it is our job as feminists to advocate for them. I also appreciate that you chose to share your personal experiences and that you call for a strong voice for the people who need it, as you fights for what you believe in and share those beliefs with others. I definitely agree with you when you talk about treating others the way you would like to be treated, which is something that I try to do in my own life as well. Like you, I also do not agree with judging people and treating them based on those judgements, and I believe that it is important to listen and get to know people for who they are. Standing up for your beliefs and for your rights and becoming involved and advocating is also something that I find very inspiring, especially when you say “don’t be the voice of the people – let the people guide your voice.” Your manifesto is about fighting for what is important to you and to others, and I think it was eloquently written.
Unsurprisingly, I found your manifesto very interesting! I found one of your last points ("don’t be the voice of the people – let the people guide your voice"), howeverm to be especially important. I think it should be an incredibly important part of anyone's manifesto! Oftentimes, especially when apathy seems to be the main response from people, it is difficult to take the time to help others find their voice or a way to use it, instead of speaking on behalf of them. This is definitely one of my lacking-in-areas, and it was good to see that someone else finds this too be important.
Also, I read once(I think it was Machiavelli who said it) that one's fight for the greater good often results in the belief that their actions and behaviours are permitted to transcend their morals, for the sake of that "greater good." Food for thought, anyway.
It was great to hear - er, read - about your passions in fighting for the rights of those persons living with a mental or physical disability. They're often neglected, and I too think that ableism is an often underestimated social issue.
There was one thing, however, that I would like to suggest? You wrote "...thankfully it was not physical but it was emotional for everyone involved." I would argue that emotional abuse is just as damaging and/or traumatizing as physical abuse. I don't think you need the disclaimer of "thankfully it wasn't physical." I think your inclusion of it belittles your experience (as well as others'!)
That being said, I understand that for strong women such as yourself, it is easy to underestimate the pain or stress in our lives.
Your manifesto really touched my heart. Your connection of your feminism to your everyday life was incredibly strong. Your first point on respect was poignant. A big part of understanding feminism is, in my opinion, learning respect for other people and their views.
I also loved what you said about fighting for what is closest to your heart. I think often we get consumed by the large issues that we neglect to work for the things that may affect us the most.
Overall, I could not have enjoyed reading a declaration of someones feminism more.
Zain, I appreciate that your manifesto was very personal. When you spoke about how your feminism revolves around issues that you are personally connected to it reminded me of something that I wrote in my manifesto; “My feminism was built and is expanded based on my personal experiences.” I think that it is very important to use your personal experiences to guide your activism. Also, by sharing this personal information with us, it allowed the readers to have a better understanding of what drives your feminism.
I found the line “living, fighting, and believing in what you hold close to your heart” very inspirational. This statement reflects the notion that the personal is political and encourages activism. I think that it is important to advocate for things that you are passionate about.
I really admire your commitment to fight for battered women and the physically and mentally disabled. I think that these are often two of the populations that are most neglected in our society. It is often taught that battery and mental illnesses are things to be ashamed of and thus these processes silence individuals. I admire that you are actively seeking to change this, by “fighting the dirty politics that diminish [people’s] worth.”
I enjoyed reading your piece and I feel there are some good concepts that you are willing to apply to your life. There are three points that stood out to me after reading through the whole piece. The first two issues are not meant to be a criticism, just something that a discussion can come out of. In the beginning statement you say that there are only “two groups which I feel are truly deserving of my attention.” When I first read this I was really taken aback because it sounded to me as though you only felt the need to care about those two areas. But this really made me reflect on the fact that in life we really do generally care about the things that are relevant to our life at the moment. I think that our personal connections to an issue can be a great source of motivation for us, but I also feel that it is too easy to get caught up caring about one issue and not consider what else is going on in related issues. If we were to be interested in everything dealing with people’s rights it would be overwhelming and impossible, so I see the value in having advocates in each area as long as we do not shut ourselves off from what else is going on.
The second point that stuck with me is that you said you work under a liberal framework and believe that we must work within the system, not against it. My response to that is to question whether you consider challenging the system to be important. I agree in some areas that we have to choice to not work within a system, but when that system is what is causing much of the problems in the first place, I wonder if you would be willing to also work for a new system.
And the third point that made me think is when you said don’t assume you know everything. I see this as important, especially for university educated people, to understand because it is easy to get caught up feeling like we are an authority on something and forget that there is always room to engage and grow.
It is clear after reading your manifesto that you have found much empowerment through feminism. Feminism has helped healed you and through life experiences, has helped you recognize the importance to fight to stop violence against women. You have made “the personal political” which I find we sometimes forget how powerful that philosophy is. “My personal feminism comes from the understanding that you should fight for what you believe in, and this is what I will continue to do”. You are a feminist warrior.
You write about the importance of listening to people. We live in a society that is so focused on doing things quickly, massive production, quick fixes, etc. We forget that taking a moment to listen to someone is one of the most powerful gifts a person can give. Truly listening to a person takes work, it is hard to take yourself out of a situation, turn off your thoughts and fully give yourself to that person. Feminism has helped you to achieve this quality of listening.
Anyone can say they stand up for what they believe in; but once feminism is backing that claim it make your actions and ideas more legitimate. This may be incorrect but from what I’ve read it seems like feminisms has been an encapsulating idea/concept that has given you empowerment and a purpose in life.
I agree with Meghan in her critique “I would argue that emotional abuse is just as damaging and/or traumatizing as physical abuse”. I do not believe there is a hierarchy to abuse; although you did not experience physical abuse it does not mean you should devalue the abuse that did occur to you.
Thank you for opening yourself up and sharing your feminism.
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who commented here. You all had wonderful blogs yourself and I'm glad we could all share with each other :)
And just a quick little note regarding Meghan and Cassandra's comment about the "thankfully comment": I appreciate the support you two gave, and I just want to clarify that when I say thankfully I didn't mean for it to come off as a disclaimer of sorts or a be-littler of experiences, I've just always been taught to be "thankful" for things and I guess the way I read it for myself is different than someone else who reads it, but still thanks for that critique, I will be sure to keep it in mind :)
Zain,
ReplyDeleteI really identified with your manifesto because to me, one of your main points, that feminism means different things to different people, closely relates to my own manifesto.
I thought it was interesting that you talked about giving a voice to battered women and children, and about giving a voice to people faced with physical and mental disabilities. I agree with this as well, and I feel that it is our job as feminists to advocate for them. I also appreciate that you chose to share your personal experiences and that you call for a strong voice for the people who need it, as you fights for what you believe in and share those beliefs with others.
I definitely agree with you when you talk about treating others the way you would like to be treated, which is something that I try to do in my own life as well. Like you, I also do not agree with judging people and treating them based on those judgements, and I believe that it is important to listen and get to know people for who they are. Standing up for your beliefs and for your rights and becoming involved and advocating is also something that I find very inspiring, especially when you say “don’t be the voice of the people – let the people guide your voice.” Your manifesto is about fighting for what is important to you and to others, and I think it was eloquently written.
Zain,
ReplyDeleteUnsurprisingly, I found your manifesto very interesting! I found one of your last points ("don’t be the voice of the people – let the people guide your voice"), howeverm to be especially important. I think it should be an incredibly important part of anyone's manifesto! Oftentimes, especially when apathy seems to be the main response from people, it is difficult to take the time to help others find their voice or a way to use it, instead of speaking on behalf of them. This is definitely one of my lacking-in-areas, and it was good to see that someone else finds this too be important.
Also, I read once(I think it was Machiavelli who said it) that one's fight for the greater good often results in the belief that their actions and behaviours are permitted to transcend their morals, for the sake of that "greater good." Food for thought, anyway.
It was great to hear - er, read - about your passions in fighting for the rights of those persons living with a mental or physical disability. They're often neglected, and I too think that ableism is an often underestimated social issue.
There was one thing, however, that I would like to suggest? You wrote "...thankfully it was not physical but it was emotional for everyone involved." I would argue that emotional abuse is just as damaging and/or traumatizing as physical abuse. I don't think you need the disclaimer of "thankfully it wasn't physical." I think your inclusion of it belittles your experience (as well as others'!)
That being said, I understand that for strong women such as yourself, it is easy to underestimate the pain or stress in our lives.
Zain,
ReplyDeleteYour manifesto really touched my heart. Your connection of your feminism to your everyday life was incredibly strong. Your first point on respect was poignant. A big part of understanding feminism is, in my opinion, learning respect for other people and their views.
I also loved what you said about fighting for what is closest to your heart. I think often we get consumed by the large issues that we neglect to work for the things that may affect us the most.
Overall, I could not have enjoyed reading a declaration of someones feminism more.
Zain, I appreciate that your manifesto was very personal. When you spoke about how your feminism revolves around issues that you are personally connected to it reminded me of something that I wrote in my manifesto; “My feminism was built and is expanded based on my personal experiences.” I think that it is very important to use your personal experiences to guide your activism. Also, by sharing this personal information with us, it allowed the readers to have a better understanding of what drives your feminism.
ReplyDeleteI found the line “living, fighting, and believing in what you hold close to your heart” very inspirational. This statement reflects the notion that the personal is political and encourages activism. I think that it is important to advocate for things that you are passionate about.
I really admire your commitment to fight for battered women and the physically and mentally disabled. I think that these are often two of the populations that are most neglected in our society. It is often taught that battery and mental illnesses are things to be ashamed of and thus these processes silence individuals. I admire that you are actively seeking to change this, by “fighting the dirty politics that diminish [people’s] worth.”
Zain,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your piece and I feel there are some good concepts that you are willing to apply to your life. There are three points that stood out to me after reading through the whole piece.
The first two issues are not meant to be a criticism, just something that a discussion can come out of. In the beginning statement you say that there are only “two groups which I feel are truly deserving of my attention.” When I first read this I was really taken aback because it sounded to me as though you only felt the need to care about those two areas. But this really made me reflect on the fact that in life we really do generally care about the things that are relevant to our life at the moment. I think that our personal connections to an issue can be a great source of motivation for us, but I also feel that it is too easy to get caught up caring about one issue and not consider what else is going on in related issues. If we were to be interested in everything dealing with people’s rights it would be overwhelming and impossible, so I see the value in having advocates in each area as long as we do not shut ourselves off from what else is going on.
The second point that stuck with me is that you said you work under a liberal framework and believe that we must work within the system, not against it. My response to that is to question whether you consider challenging the system to be important. I agree in some areas that we have to choice to not work within a system, but when that system is what is causing much of the problems in the first place, I wonder if you would be willing to also work for a new system.
And the third point that made me think is when you said don’t assume you know everything. I see this as important, especially for university educated people, to understand because it is easy to get caught up feeling like we are an authority on something and forget that there is always room to engage and grow.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDear Zain,
ReplyDeleteIt is clear after reading your manifesto that you have found much empowerment through feminism. Feminism has helped healed you and through life experiences, has helped you recognize the importance to fight to stop violence against women. You have made “the personal political” which I find we sometimes forget how powerful that philosophy is. “My personal feminism comes from the understanding that you should fight for what you believe in, and this is what I will continue to do”. You are a feminist warrior.
You write about the importance of listening to people. We live in a society that is so focused on doing things quickly, massive production, quick fixes, etc. We forget that taking a moment to listen to someone is one of the most powerful gifts a person can give. Truly listening to a person takes work, it is hard to take yourself out of a situation, turn off your thoughts and fully give yourself to that person. Feminism has helped you to achieve this quality of listening.
Anyone can say they stand up for what they believe in; but once feminism is backing that claim it make your actions and ideas more legitimate. This may be incorrect but from what I’ve read it seems like feminisms has been an encapsulating idea/concept that has given you empowerment and a purpose in life.
I agree with Meghan in her critique “I would argue that emotional abuse is just as damaging and/or traumatizing as physical abuse”. I do not believe there is a hierarchy to abuse; although you did not experience physical abuse it does not mean you should devalue the abuse that did occur to you.
Thank you for opening yourself up and sharing your feminism.
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who commented here. You all had wonderful blogs yourself and I'm glad we could all share with each other :)
ReplyDeleteAnd just a quick little note regarding Meghan and Cassandra's comment about the "thankfully comment": I appreciate the support you two gave, and I just want to clarify that when I say thankfully I didn't mean for it to come off as a disclaimer of sorts or a be-littler of experiences, I've just always been taught to be "thankful" for things and I guess the way I read it for myself is different than someone else who reads it, but still thanks for that critique, I will be sure to keep it in mind :)