The World Courts of Women was held in Oakland, California at Laney College from May 10 – 13, where women and men came together for four days to testify and pass judgement on poverty and the perpetrators of poverty and to make resolutions for change. Women who have experienced poverty first hand testified of the hardships they had to endure with the lack of health care, homelessness, and other degredations inflicted on them by a broken system.
Through out the event there were panels of experts and those with first-hand experience, a panel of judges, breakout sessions, keynote speakers, and also lots of soulful (and sometimes just fun) entertainment. The panels and participant breakout groups were all asked the same questions: How is the system broken?; In what ways does the broken system lead to various outcomes of poverty and inequity and how are they related?; and, What is your vision for a better world or outcome in your field?
At the end of the conference several resolutions were arrived at and presented, and the judges deliberated their findings. These outcomes should be made available soon. Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee sent a delegation from Sacramento, which included Cathleen, Tracie, Regina R., Regina B., Kim from Occupy Sacramento and Paula. Women’s Economic Agenda Project hosted the event. For more information on that organization, their website is www.weap.org
Read the resulting resolutions:
http://weap.org/WCW/resolutions-wcw.htm
Read other more detailed summaries of the events:
Steps forward to Abolish Poverty in America, The US Courts of Women on Poverty, Western Region, Summary of Resolutions of Action
http://weap.org/WCW/resolutions-of-action-summary.htm
US Courts of Women on Poverty, Western Region, The Contours of a New Political Imaginary, By Janny Castillo, BOSS Community Organizer and Videographer
http://weap.org/WCW/wcw-summary.htm
Press Conference – boona cheema, Director of Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency and Oakland’s Mayor Jean Quan
Press Conference – Ethel Long-Scott, Director of Women’s Economic Agenda Project
Here are links to other videos of the event:
http://youtu.be/5qJB2xeBOvA World Courts of Women 1
http://youtu.be/WYwb62IkzsM World Courts of Women 2 – Rahman Jamal
http://youtu.be/zeFgZLoe45o World Courts of Women 3 – Ethel Long-Scott
http://youtu.be/IPhYnLpffRY World Courts of Women 4 – Corinne Kumar (not complete speech)
http://youtu.be/D6NQ3m5zCDo World Courts of Women 5 – Regina Range reading Regina Range’s testimony
http://youtu.be/JbzDNsfpwQU World Courts of Women 6 – Regina Range
http://youtu.be/gZ883xmpq70 World Courts of Women 7 – Regina Range
http://youtu.be/zhhHTm_qmBI World Courts of Women 8 – song
http://youtu.be/PctcvFQezUE World Courts of Women 9 – song
http://youtu.be/LGo5j5VEqC0 World Courts of Women 12 - Sandy Perry
http://youtu.be/eONkcRuf7tk World Courts of Women 13 – CHAM
http://youtu.be/OFmc0KC9XQ0 World Courts of Women 14 – Sandy Perry
http://youtu.be/ZdX7OHlI-RM World Courts of Women 15 – Tracie
http://youtu.be/-o3Z5jv2vO8 World Courts of Women 16 – Ethel Long-Scott
http://youtu.be/Pm6bsiUaGL8 World Courts of Women 17 – Tracie Rice-Bailey
http://youtu.be/r5D4mj3yZko World Courts of Women 18 – Tracie Rice-Bailey
http://youtu.be/uzyfrgFPZfk World Courts of Women 19
http://youtu.be/o29ZW2QP83o World Courts of Women 20
http://youtu.be/tk2aXwwSF5k World Courts of Women 21 – dancing
http://youtu.be/tR8eyQ8jUR8 World Courts of Women 22 – Las Bomberas de La Bahia
http://youtu.be/rqW-89A7RIk World Courts of Women 23 – Revolutionary Poets Brigade
http://youtu.be/fUAmyYOPoy0 World Courts of Women 24 – dancing
http://youtu.be/d5TrdiwzUZ4 World Courts of Women 25 – dancing
http://youtu.be/5CZ4JrTbWHw World Courts of Women 26 – dancing
http://youtu.be/MRlRUrin3s4 World Courts of Women 27 – a quick wave from Ethel Long-Scott
