Transgender Day of Remembrance

As many of you observed Transgender Day of Remembrance yesterday, you may have noticed that among those who were mourned was a child.

Ashlynn Conner, a 10 year-old from Ridge Farm, Illinios, took her own life on Friday, November 11th. Ashlynn had been experiencing teasing and bullying for two years, being called "pretty boy" (after cutting her hair short), "slut," "ugly," and "fat." When she went to teachers for help, they told her stop tattling.

This is scary, disturbing, angering, saddening, and much more. Let us not forget that gender-violence and harassment affects children deeply.

I am at a loss of words of wisdom or comfort. I am hoping that by reminding those of us who work and play with children to remain caring and compassionate, that a little bit of the culture that supports harassment, bullying and violence will be weakened.

In solidarity.

China's report back on Fair Childcare Now! children's programming

Well it's over - and I really want to say something about how it all went. It went great! So many people worked together for this! There were new-ish volunteers from past actions that now were part of the organizing team, and that was so cool. There were really wonderful youth (about 7 or so - mostly around 12 and three 3 year olds). There were neat people who dropped in and played. There were lots of volunteers* and games and discussions. There was rides and packing up and packing down and little bags of carrots and tomatoes. and juice boxes. and hide the juice boxes, lets just stick with water. And strawberries!

There was duck duck goose, thumbs up, musical chairs, fast games, slow games. There was rain and snow. There was the buddy system. There was all these intricacies of interactions that I would love to be able to write about, I would write and write and It would take days and someone would need to edit it and cut out about at least one third to half of my words; and run spell check. But that wouldn't happen, probably.

You see I always want to write reflections from when the event is over - but I usually never do. So much preparation goes into making an event happen, and when it's over you often feel happy, satisfied, relieved, tired, and ready for the next things you need to do. So you don't write your reportback. Cuz it all feels so BIG. where to start? What to say?

So I just wanted to start a new pattern. A new personal goal. That every time an event is done I will post just a little something about it. Even if its not perfect. (Thats a lesson for me lately too, to do things, although they are un-perfect)

As the bottom liner on this, I wish I started organizing (a month or two) earlier, and this is a rule I KNOW, but all I can say, is remember that for next time. I know this stuff really well, but I still wound up doing a lot of stuff the day before (as well as the week before) and waking up to finish packing and not getting enough sleep so I was sleepy and out of it at the end of the day. But it was ok because we had everything planned and responsibility divided and I just walked away and didn't worry about it. (my shift was past done, and they have my cell phone, I'm just in the next building)

I drank coffee and ate a brownie. And held babies. Which is great, more for me, I think. Holding babies is good for you.

I remember when I was taking a break, hearing this facilitator (on a workshop on facilitation, or group dynamics, or something) talking about that these skills - we need to learn them. We need to learn how to work in groups, there are some good tools with that. And if we learned this stuff when we were young, how useful that would be. And I thought: thats like Kidz City!

I think we are all learning how to work together, sharing different aproaches with each other. Making that space for that to happen in. And the best way to learn these skills, is just like how we were all playing those games together --- is hands on. Its much better hands on then anything I can write here. I love having an actual space to build together, our kidz city, for a day or two. Childcare and children are part of the United Workers, its not like childcare isn't something that should be an integrated part of the whole - just its great to build a space, with intentions and priorities, for youth like Kidz City too. I really see us all learning stuff, together, every time we get together. Trying to build a new model, trying this experiment and work in progress called radical childcare. I like it!

But also part of that, is the reflection afterwords. To discuss and learn for next time. So I am going to put writing report backs on my final list of things to do when planning an action, just like thanking the volunteers and organizers and asking for anyone's feedback - good or places where we have room for improvement to learn for next time- and maybe one day it will feel normal and not stretching too much to do that, just like how it now is for us to plan for food.

So, it went good!

A lot of folks helped!

Thank you,

China

*three volunteers on each (two hour) shift, plus one kidz city organizer doing three hour bottom lining shifts, plus some folks doing more than one shift = 13 total volunteers. There was a good amount of volunteers - I think thats really important. Keep a high ratio. You never know how many kids will show up (we had a 5-15 estimate). Organizations stress pre-registration, and it would help us prepare a lot, but many participants do not register ahead.

What is Fair Childcare?

Fair childcare is respect and care for every child and every caregiver

Fair childcare respects mothers and doesn't separate them from their children through forces such as economics and borders

Fair childcare is divided across all sectors in a more equitable fashion

Fair childcare means all children to have the physical and emotional requirements they need to grow and blossom

Fair childcare supports caregivers and children's leadership & dignity

Fair childcare is respect for individual differences and culture

Fair childcare value's the work of growing bodies, hearts and spirits

Fair childcare is concrete support for all families

Fair childcare is community solidarity

Fair childcare centers those on the margins in this unjust system

Fair childcare is beauty and self expression, even when that self expression isn't so beautiful

Fair childcare is affordable, free, sliding scale, collective

Fair childcare is wonderful and necessary

Fair childcare is healthy

Fair childcare is equal

Fair childcare is putting your resources where your mouth is!

What does "Fair Childcare" mean to you?

original flyer and spanish translation here:

http://issuu.com/chinabodina/docs/pg_2_fairchildcare-4

This project was inspired by the "What is Fair Development ?" photo booth project (check out the photo set - lots of youth and kidz city volunteers mixed in!)

Fair Childcare Now! - Children's Programing at the Fair Development Conference Oct. 29

Hello! Kidz City is preparing for the children's programming for the Fair Development Conference (in Baltimore) at the end of the month. WE NEED LOTS OF VOLUNTEERS! Volunteer for a two-hour shift! Let me know if you are interested and mark the date

Time: Saturday Oct 29, from 9 am to 5

Place: 2640 Saint Paul

Estimated: 5-15 kids. But they don't really know.

For more info: http://unitedworkers.org/fair-development/conf/

I am also interested in assembling a planning/organizing team!

Second organizing meeting this tuesday, oct.11 at 6:30 in Hampden. Let me know if you would like to come. We will also have a volunteer orientation the week before the event.

yours for the long term intergenerational building,

china/kidz city

radkidcare@gmail.com

http://kidzcitybaltimore.blogspot.com/

ENVISIONING BRAINSTORMING IDEAS SO FAR (from United Workers Meeting):

* Make Halloween Costumes with/for Kids! They can use them to march around the next day for the Sunday action (There is going to be a giant pumpkin prop involved in the United workers demo), to feel part of the larger action, and also trick or treat in. I am thinking it would be neat to set up a sewing and costume station and get a lot of creativity going on around this.

Create a "Fair Development" GAME for children! Build Something meeting the criteria of using public resources fairly, with respect for all, and is sustainable. Or perhaps experience the game in two ways, with one boss; and then in a collaborative way. various ideas - but creating a game is a really cool idea!

Create a village, there own town. Building a community. Verbally or with waterpaints. Older kids building with younger kids.

Puppets

Workshops for Youth.

Assemble Packages of crayons, paper, and toys to put in each workshop so that children that go to workshops with caretakers have stuff there to be occupied with.

Work on ways to develop youth leadership, incorporate youth decision making.

Represent "Fair Development" in Kidz Terms: youth to experience collective decision making.

Work on a Fair Childcare Bill of Rights! What is fair childcare? Perhaps work with kids on a Children's Bill of Rights.

Photo Booth Project: If we make signs we could be part of the larger photo booth project which will ask a question like: "what is fair development?"

Develop some kind of idea for presentation that could come from the youth to the greater assembly before supper

Have ideas? Get in touch ASAP. Especially with workshop ideas and folks that could give workshops to youth. We need to put that program together.

More about the Fair Development Conference:

The 2011 Fair Development Conference is a going to be an incredible convergence of some of the most dynamic and effective organizers and scholars locally, nationally and even globally.

Check out the amazing program of workshops, events, and actions here!

People are traveling far and wide to share stories and strategies for building the power needed to develop our communities and economies in ways that respect the inherent worth of all people. From the Dominican Republic, Vermont, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, West Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania and elsewhere, organizers, artists, faith leaders, and students will be making their way to Baltimore to participate in the Fair Development Conference. We hope that you will make your way too.

So don’t miss out, register online today!

Be on the lookout for additional updates on Fair Development Conference events, actions, and news.

Here’s a list of just some of the participation groups

Amnesty International

Baltimore Algebra Project

Baltimore Bicycle Works

Centro de los Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha

Civilian Soldier Alliance (CivSol)

Coalition for Economic Justice

Coalition of Immokalee Workers

Community Law Center

Democracy Collaborative

Fight for a Fair Economy

Generations for Peace and Democracy

Good Jobs Better Baltimore

Iraq Veterans Against the War

InvertedPower.org

Justicia Global

Keeper of the Mountains Foundation

Media Mobilizing Project

Michigan Welfare Rights Organization

Milk Not Jails

Northeast Pennsylvania Organizing Center

National Economic and Social Rights Initiative

Philadelphia Student Union

Picture the Homeless

Poverty Initiative

Puppet Underground

Spectres of Liberty

United Workers

Urban Justice Center

Vermont Workers Center

War Resisters League

And More!

BOOKFAIR!!!! starting tomorrow ...

They've got a great line up of talks aimed at radical parents and kids
this year in the Radical Bookfair Pavilion at the Baltimore Book
Festival, taking place outdoors in Mt. Vernon Place, September
23rd-25th:

Saturday 9/24 @ 1PM: Rad Dad

Tomas Moniz, creator of the zine "Rad Dad", presents the new
anthology collecting the best of "Rad Dad" and "Daddy
Dialectic"---essential reflections on the politics of
fatherhood. (In the Radical Bookfair Pavilion)

Sunday 9/25 @ Noon: Encouraging Reluctant Readers

Iris Kirsch, Baltimore City public school teacher, leads a
discussion workshop on "Encouraging Reluctant Readers": we all know
reading is vitally important, but how do we get kids to realize
this? (in our brand new Baltimore Free School Lit & Language tent).

Sunday 9/25 @ 1PM: Urban Theory for Kids!

Art activist Becky Slogeris presents an interactive workshop for
kids based on her new book, "The Baltimore Textbook"---a
middle-school level introduction to critical urban theory focused on
Baltimore. (in the Free School Lit & Language tent).

There's tons more great stuff going on in the Radical Bookfair
Pavilion, and at the larger Book Festival itself, all of it 100% free.
Check out the full schedules at http://bookfair.redemmas.org/ and
http://baltimorebookfestival.com/http://bookfair.redemmas.org/

DIY Fest! "The flower of independence blooms from the soil of interdependence."

"Do It Together" Children's programming at DIY Fest – this Saturday!

WHERE: 2640 St Paul Street Balt. MD 21218

WHEN: Saturday, September 17 - between 12 PM and 6 PM.

Kidz City is excited to be working with DIY Fest to program more activities for children, support for parents, and all-ages community building skills. There will be:

‪- children’s craft table with Grandma Shirley;

- making dinosaur eggs (and hang out in the dinosaur nest) with Kidz City;

- puppet theatre;

- and jewelry making for (older) children at the jewelry making table

Come to DIY Fest and bring your children!

The flower of independence blooms from the soil of interdependence. Let’s work together to make a great DIY Fest for all.

More Info about DIY Fest:

DIY Fest 2011 (Do It Yourself Festival) will be the 5th DIY Fest to be held in Baltimore City. The event is free (donations are greatly appreciated) and is open to anyone wanting to learn a new skill, teach or present one of their skills/hobbies or just check out what goes down at a DIY Fest.

Harriet's Reflections on the IWW CONVENTION

So the IWW Convention is over, it's been a week or more, and I have spent some time reflecting.

Coordinating childcare for this event has really helped to revitalize my hope for our collective, for Baltimore 'radicals' and for the world (okay may that's over stating it).

I think doing Kidz City work I've gotten comfortable with the role of someone who has to push to be heard, who has to shout to be considered. I went into organizing with Baltimore IWW folks defensively, ready to be disapointed. Well I was not disappointed, I had such a great time, and developed a deeper repsect for all the people in the IWW branch and for the IWW in general.

Visiting delegates were also on the whole lovely people, many of them came and said "thank you for your work" to the childcare volunteers. There was a lot of respect for the 'work' that each person did. And it seemed that care work was just as appreciated by the people that I had the pleasure of speaking with.

We also had new volunteers join us for the first time labor day weekend, and they were amazing. I can't wait to continue working with them, and learning more about them.

The coloring book I make was just a blast to research, draw, paste up and copy (many hours at Kinkos). There are still copies available if anyone wants one.

Kidz City has other activities coming up very soon. It seems like the organizing with DIY Fest has been going really well, and the kids program looks amazing.

If you want to be on our e-mail list to volunteer or recieve updates please e-mail radkidcare-at-gmail.com.

In solidarity and love,

Harriet