October 5, 2023
A Feminist Look at the Americas
We are proud to announce the launch of MIRA: Feminisms and Democracies, a think tank and communications center dedicated to informing, supporting and linking movements for equality, justice and peace in the Americas. MIRA builds on the foreign policy and international relations work of its predecessor, the Americas Program, by projecting a feminist analysis on both the policy and the movement realms of international relations in the region.
The work of the Americas Program began 44 years ago, when the founders set out to build people-to-people solidarity and fight back against U.S. imperialist policies that were undermining democracies, promoting death squads, backing genocidal campaigns against indigenous peoples and supporting counterrevolutionary forces in the context of the cold war, particularly focused on Latin America. Gradually we built up expertise and a reputation as a center for progressive analysis and information. In 2003, the Americas Program moved its office to Mexico and broadened its ties to Latin American social movements.
Today we are moving on to a new project:
MIRA. FEMINISMS AND DEMOCRACIES
- A feminist viewpoint on geopolitical analysis and information that not only includes, but prioritizes women’s perspectives and leadership on regional issues. We need to turn patriarchal and capitalist narratives around, and construct new ones based on lived realities and visions that understand and give voice to the different ways in which we are situated in systems of oppression.
- An international and specifically regional viewpoint concentrated in the four main themes: Democracies, Feminisms, Land, and Human Rights. We seek to critique and influence the formal sphere of diplomacy between States while supporting international solidarity among peoples’ movements. We’re convinced that in a globalized world, international and regional work is fundamental to individual rights and liberties and local and collective self-determination.
- Powerful, accessible innovative narratives for change. Our image, our content and our narratives are accessible to a broad audience. We realize that people are bombarded by information through technologies and media platforms that didn’t exist even a short time ago. We also know that many are searching for more plausible and humane political interpretations that reflect their own realities. We believe in responsible, facts-based communications. We work to bring analysis that informs, invites dialogue, builds bridges and moves people to collective action and hope.
- Network building. Our collective work sustains us and as organizations share knowledge and forge links they grow stronger. We saw this dramatically in the pandemic. In MIRA we believe in collective power to build deeper and more sustainable change and we recommit ourselves to building communication, research and action networks and supporting movements that are doing the same.
This transition requires a lot of commitment and work. Join us in this new journey by making your first donation to MIRA, you can do it and subscribe to our newsletter.
