Voice of Witness

This week, The Zimbabwean published an article titled ‘Imprisoned in Their Own Homes,’ describing the lives of Zimbabweans still experiencing the after-effects of political violence, three years after the country’s 2008 elections. The aftermath of political violence in Zimbabwe has a significant impact on women, who are frequently subject to violent retaliation for their own political activity as well as their family’s.

The Zimbabwean tells the story of Martha Matashu, explaining:

“Martha Matashu (not real name) lost her husband to political violence on 29 May 2008 when he was assaulted at his home… Three years later on, in a Zimbabwe which celebrated 31 years of independence from colonialism, Matashu cannot leave her home, receive visitors or make any contact with people without informing the Zanu (PF) ward chairman of her movements.”

Martha’s …

Yasir Aladdin Afifi’s narrative from Patriot Acts: Narratives of Post-9/11 Injustice was featured this week in Foreign Policy in Focus. Inside Patriot Acts, readers will find Yasir’s full-length narrative, along with the stories of seventeen others who have experienced post-9/11 backlash. Click here to order your copy today.

Hope Deferred: Narratives Of Zimbabwean Lives was recommended in yesterday’s Sunday Times, South Africa. David Pike describes the narratives in the book as “a series of unvarnished, restrained but excruciating accounts of personal suffering under the Mugabe regime”  and a “resounding tribute to human courage and endurance.” Read an excerpt, or click here to buy the book.

Last week a group of twenty-two teachers, educators, and community organizers from across the United States gathered to take part in a new Voice of Witness training workshop called “Amplifying Unheard Voices: The Power of the Story.”

The week included talks and workshops from Voice of Witness staff, as well as from teachers who had participated last year in a pilot project with Voice of Witness and Facing History and Ourselves. Ethics of oral history, curriculum support, tools for utilizing oral history in the classroom, and possible future projects were all discussed.

Cliff Mayotte, the Education Program Director at Voice of Witness who facilitated the training, said, ” ‘Nourishing empathy’ became one of the mottos of the training. I was blown away by …