AJWS Blog

The AJWS community has a lot to say about what's happening in the world. Read our insights about the struggle for justice and human rights around the globe — and meet the activists on the frontlines of the fight to build a better world.

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Women to the front: Gender equality in the fight for Indigenous land in Guatemala

For nearly two decades, AJWS grantee the Association of Communities for the Development, Defense of Land and Natural Resources (ACODET), has successfully fought off government plans to build a hydroelectric dam in Ixcán, Guatemala, that would force 19,000 Indigenous villagers to lose their homes. ACODET is a grassroots coalition of 36 Indigenous farming villages that …

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“Love yourself as much as you can”: The journey of a Thai LGBTQI+ rights defender

Methawee Pannon (Sai) grew up in Khon Kaen, Thailand, understanding exactly what was expected of her. Outside of Thailand’s metropolitan, progressive capital of Bangkok, traditional, conservative gender values can be completely destabilizing for queer people, especially in rural regions like northeastern Isaan. “Women are meant to be the pride and joy of our parents and …

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An Oasis for Queer Joy in the Dominican Republic

Esther grew up in Bonao, a conservative city in the Dominican Republic where discrimination against queer people is extremely common. While in university in Santo Domingo, the country’s capital city, she saw that resources for queer people were more abundant than at home. It was there that she realized that gathering spaces for queer activists …

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