Struggles on Irving Street, An Action-Research
Video for Organizing
Neighbors' Consejo would like to share with you our exciting
new documentary video Struggles on Irving Street.
Premiered in October 2004, the project is a result of more
than a year of action-research and organizing by La Casa shelter,
Neighbors' Consejo and neighborhood resident participants.
The video presents the strong voices of homeless residents,
tenants and youth struggling to be part of the city debate
about their lives-- featuring their fight against displacement
from ground-zero of gentrification in Columbia Heights, D.C.
Video-making can be a strategic organizing & leadership
development process to help people find their voices, craft
their messages, and give context and analysis to problems
that need to be solved. As expressed in discussions following
recent viewings, the finished Struggles on Irving Street
has already served as a powerful tool to educate, inspire
and speak truth to power.
Viewers break out into discussion
of the video after November 5, 2004 viewing.
“This video expressed me, my life, I know what it’s
like to live on the streets. But I’ve never seen people
like me being listened to on a big screen like this."
 
After the discussion, participants
contributed analysis and hope to the Solution Tree.
“This showed how people who focus on one thing can
accomplish it if they’re organized. What’s next?
Let’s support the tenants, let’s organize.”
"To me the solution includes all of us, the Hispanics
and Blacks with one voice."
"The solution is for us to know more about our rights."
See the Video
To arrange a screening of the 25min video, please don't hesitate
to contact Marnie
Brady or Elena Hung at NC. A facilitator's guide is available
for group discussions. Please see the viewer's guide below
in English and Spanish.
Struggles on Irving Street
English Viewer's guide
Struggles on Irving Street
Spanish Viewer's guide
This project is supported in part by a grant from The Common
Ground Fund: Investing in Racial Justice and Social Change,
a funding collaborative of The Community Foundation for the
National Capital Region. This is our first video organizing
project and we've relied on volunteer video expertise
and the energy, commitment and leadership of neighborhood
residents! Very special thanks to neighborhood volunteers
José McMurray and Nancy Shia for using their video and technical
expertise to connect video skills to work for social change.
|
In
April 2003, Neighbors' Consejo launched the distribution of
its publication "Conozca Sus Derechos" as part of
our human and civil rights education. We believe that together
we can promote a neighborhood, city and world full of peace
and justice by supporting one another and sharing resources
among families, organizations and government programs. Each
person has the responsibility and the right to receive support
to meet her or his needs and to affirm the dignity, safety
and human rights of others. The Spanish booklet publication
provides rights and responsibilities resources for D.C. immigrants
when accessing public programs.
