Movement for Justice en el Barrio
Encyclopedia
Movement for Justice in El Barrio/Movimiento por Justicia del Barrio is a community organization based in East Harlem, New York
.
. It is part of the fight against the effects of neoliberalism
and discrimination
in all of its forms and operates on a commitment to the ideals of self-determination, autonomy and participatory democracy
.
The movement has been organizing for five years building a 600 member strong community-led social justice
organization. Movement has protested, marched, gone to court and fought back against the actions of multinational corporation
s such as the Dawnay Day Group, abusive and greedy landlords, and the city institutions that are agents of the gentrification
of their neighborhood.
in its task planning process. It also encourages the development of leadership skills and expansion of knowledge in its members through a skill-building and political education program.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Organisational profile
The Movement defines itself as follows:- We are Movement for Justice in El Barrio. We are part of the simple and humble community that lives in El Barrio. We fight for dignity and against displacement. We fight for the liberation of women, immigrants, gays, lesbians, the transgender community, people of color, and indigenous communities. We are part of The Other CampaignThe Other CampaignThe Other Campaign is a political program by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, as a new approach in its sixteen year-long struggle for the recognition and protection of indigenous rights and autonomy in Mexico. This program began in January 2006, and sent Subcomandante Marcos, the main...
.
Background
Movement for Justice in El Barrio was founded by immigrants and low-income people living in East Harlem, New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It is part of the fight against the effects of neoliberalism
Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is a market-driven approach to economic and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics that emphasizes the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized trade and relatively open markets, and therefore seeks to maximize the role of the private sector in determining the...
and discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
in all of its forms and operates on a commitment to the ideals of self-determination, autonomy and participatory democracy
Participatory democracy
Participatory Democracy, also known as Deliberative Democracy, Direct Democracy and Real Democracy , is a process where political decisions are made directly by regular people...
.
The movement has been organizing for five years building a 600 member strong community-led social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
organization. Movement has protested, marched, gone to court and fought back against the actions of multinational corporation
Multinational corporation
A multi national corporation or enterprise , is a corporation or an enterprise that manages production or delivers services in more than one country. It can also be referred to as an international corporation...
s such as the Dawnay Day Group, abusive and greedy landlords, and the city institutions that are agents of the gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
of their neighborhood.
Issues and philosophy
- The Movement is an adherent to the Other Campaign
- The Movement operates outside political parties and party politics. They have taken a particularly strong stance against council member Melissa Mark-Viverito for her support of gentrification in the area.
Structure
Movement for Justice in El Barrio relies heavily on participatory democracyParticipatory democracy
Participatory Democracy, also known as Deliberative Democracy, Direct Democracy and Real Democracy , is a process where political decisions are made directly by regular people...
in its task planning process. It also encourages the development of leadership skills and expansion of knowledge in its members through a skill-building and political education program.
Accomplishments
- Named "Best Power to the People Movement in NYC" by the Village Voice.
- Prevented grentrification of 47 apartment buildings East Harlem by the UK based Dawnay Day Group
See also
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in Brazil - Narmada Bachao AndolanNarmada Bachao AndolanNarmada Bachao Andolan is social movement consisting of tribal people, adivasis, farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists against the Sardar Sarovar Dam being built across the Narmada river, Gujarat, India....
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in South Africa - The New York Foundation