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"By putting these two words together, I proposed to dismantle historical fiction that made gossip a misogynistic pejorative term with the intention of dismantling links between people who flee from patriarchal structures." The Gossip Seminar brings together two words from different places: one linked to academic knowledge and another to knowledge woven by different women. By putting these two words together, I proposed to dismantle historical fiction that made gossip a misogynistic pejorative term with the intention of dismantling links between people who flee from patriarchal structures. Written by Fabiana Faleiros Translated by Mirna Wabi-Sabi Photographed by Jenny Fonseca Read it at Abeautifulresistance.org

"We mistakenly attribute the concept of vandalism to what is ‘marginal,’ and rarely to what is 'central,' when the term should apply to infringements against the integrity of public property in general. […] Vandalism is, therefore, the attempt to destroy property even in its abstract form — the body and identity." In June 2020, shortly after the attempt to criminalize anti-fascist movements in the USA and Brazil, a secret group was created on Facebook with the aim of mocking and harassing leftists. Despite not considering myself as a leftist or posting content in defense of leftist political parties, I was targeted by them in December. My participation in a group of vegetarian and vegan recipes was enough, which goes against the values of entrepreneurial freedom and ‘sustainable exploitation’ of the livestock industry that the members of the mockery group proclaim. Despite appearing childish and harmless, the group has a clear purpose of destabilizing emotionally, opening legal processes, and intimidating its targets to withdraw from the virtual public sphere. I know this because I infiltrated, observed, and contacted other people who were affected by this self-proclaimed digital militia. Written by Mirna Wabi-Sabi Photographed by Fabio Teixeira Read it at Abeautifulresistance.org

"'Fidelity to the rule of law' may now be a sentiment that serves our fleeting motivation to get rid of Trump, but it will never rescue us from the pervasive toxicity of the global political landscape ‘American Democracy’ has devised." Trump, in its desperate attempt to remain in high office, indulged to the point where it became easier to destroy him. All that is left is his disoriented flock of followers, which operate as twitchy limbs with the muscle memory for combat, but not revolution. Combat, without the heavy hand of the State, is forlorn and doomed. Written by Mirna Wabi-Sabi Read it at Abeautifulresistance.org

"Strong communities make politicians obsolete." In the last week of 2020, Croatia’s central region was struck by a series of earthquakes, the strongest hit with 6.4 of magnitude, doing unimaginable damage to one of Europe’s poorest regions. The earthquake was felt as far as Italy, Austria and Serbia. Towns Petrinja, Sisak and Glina are seriously damaged, whole neighborhoods and villages are destroyed, many are injured, and more than 200 families lost their homes. Unfortunately, seven people were killed. The mayor of Petrinja, where around 25000 people live, states that “half of the city no longer exists.” Written by Jere Kuzmanić Photographed by Jakov Prkić Read it at Abeautifulresistance.org

"For many Armenians, today’s reality of ethnic hate and war crimes is a haunting reminder of the past, a second attempt at the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Turkey's involvement in this current war not only included a dark and long history of genocide against the Armenian people during the first World War, but in addition, a geopolitical, economic, and ethnic agenda of Pan-Turkism, the desire to unify all Turkish-speaking nations for the recreation of the Ottoman Empire." On September 27th, Armenians in their homelands and millions more across the diaspora woke up to the terrorizing news of once again being under attack, this time by the Turkish backed Azeri forces seeking to regain control of the indigenous Armenian region of Artsakh, also known as Nargorno-Karabagh. Azerbaijan, in violation of international law, broke the 1994 ceasefire agreement which had frozen the decades long heated conflict over land rights of the ethnic Armenian region. As a result of Joseph Stalin’s unilateral vote of Soviet division of land in 1921, under the Caucasian Bureau of the Russian Communist Party, Artsakh, the region between Armenia and Azerbaijan, inhabited by over 95% indigenous Armenians for thousands of years, was to be administered by Azerbaijan. Written by Mané Andreasyan Photographed by Harout Barsoumian Read it at Abeautifulresistance.org Antifascists in Defense of Armenia We don’t have to become one more generation to fall in the trap of mass misinformation and disinterest for the well-being of those different from us. There is still time to use the technological advancements of our century to put an end, once and for all, to some of the most horrific practices we’ve seen throughout human history. Written by Mirna Wabi-Sabi Read it at Enemy of the Queen

For over 80 days, Belarusians have physically challenged Lukashenko's regime of over a quarter century. The August 2020 elections, which claimed to result in 80% support of the long-standing president, is widely believed to be fraudulent, leading to massive peaceful protests and "brutal police crackdown[s]" (NPR). Only a Western perspective would frame his presidency as “The Last European Dictatorship". It implies that a movement towards Western ways is a movement towards development. But there is no need to suffocate Belarus between the dichotomous forces of East and West in order to support or learn from their struggle against authoritarianism. 'Democracy' is not the only thing Belarusians are fighting for, there is also a strong desire to rescue what has been lost as a result of the power struggle between these two worlds — to preserve a unique language, culture, and home. Written and edited by Mirna Wabi-Sabi Translations from Russian to English by Inna Shulga Read it at Abeautifulresistance.org

What is the “body” under capitalism? When we speak of the body, how has our sense of “self” in relation to our bodies been redefined, reduced, and mutilated under the logic of capital and the impositions of the state? While the answers to these questions are relevant to anybody that labors under capitalism, they have a particular weight and resonance for those that have suffered most under this global system — women. Interviewer: Patrick Farnsworth, Last Born In The Wilderness Read it at Abeautifulresistance.org

"The murders of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, and the attack against Christian Cooper. Do these specific cases, whose punishments rely on the chance of someone recording at the right place and time, shake the foundations of our structurally racist society?" More often than not, articles of the past decade about Social Media and Social Justice like to present them as good friends, maybe even as “married.” Their relationship is described most disparagingly as codependent, or having some issues — but never at odds with each other. The description I present to you here is even more disparaging than one of conflict — it’s of indifference. The relationship between Social Media and Social Justice is of such little worth that they are neither married nor at odds, they are irrelevant to each other. Anything positive that comes out of their interaction is neutralized by all the negative, to the point of summoning a void into utter oblivion. By Mirna Wabi-Sabi Read it at: Abeautifulresistance.org Common Dreams

"A consequence of the desire to consume more and more as to create the sensation of belonging to a more modern and superior culture." If there is one thing this pandemic has taught us, it’s to appreciate the two most essential aspects of life: food and shelter. More important than the opinions of billionaires and deranged world leaders is our right to live, and it turns out that it's not old white men that are paramount to our survival. “Developing" countries, because they “haven't reached a point yet" where access to food and shelter is widespread, are bracing themselves for when the pandemic reaches them in full force. In Brazil, movements have been fighting to ensure these rights to the population for decades, and now that the initial panic died out, I feel confident in the ability of these long-standing initiatives to adapt in this bizarre set of circumstances. Written by Mirna Wabi-Sabi Read it at Abeautifulresistance.org

Without whistleblowers and investigative journalism, governments are free to abuse their power and keep the population in the dark about the atrocities they commit, not only to others, but also to the citizens they supposedly represent. With WikiLeaks editor and publisher Julian Assange facing an extradition hearing in February, and whistleblowers like Chelsea Manning serving time for repeatedly refusing to testify before a grand jury against Assange, we are witnessing the harsh consequences of challenging state power. If there were any illusions about what the price is for holding systems of power accountable for their crimes, these two cases in particular should dispel those notions indefinitely. An interview by Patrick Farnsworth, edited by Mirna Wabi-Sabi. Read it at Truthout

We are at the Maré complex, a grouping of favelas in the northern region of Rio de Janeiro. A place of absurdities and powers, where stories sewn together form part of the history of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the world. Here, it is blatant what society, in a mixture of confusion and shame, tries to hide. To simplify Maré in order to understand what life looks like here is impossible: it is complex and can bring together opposites, challenging reason. The tentacles of a corrupt system of exploitation certainly reach here. Written by Mirna Wabi-Sabi & Hannah Vasconcellos. Photographed Fabio Teixeira. Read it at Abeautifulresistance.org

In early September 2018, a devastating fire engulfed the Museu Nacional in Rio de Janeiro. The 200-year-old structure, Brazil’s oldest scientific and historical building, held an archive of around 20 million artefacts. Among these artefacts were invaluable materials documenting the history and culture of Brazil’s indigenous communities. Journalist Camila Zarur reported that little to nothing was salvaged from the Centro de Documentação de Línguas Indígenas (CELIN), which has documented indigenous languages for the past two centuries. Indigenous rights advocate José Urutau Guajajara believes the fire was the “death of the memory of the originary peoples, negligence to [their] patrimony. The memory of all Latin American languages was [there]. Sonic and written records of peoples who no longer exist,” concluding that we are watching indigenous culture being erased. Brazilian philosopher Djamila Ribeiro says that the fire mirrored the country’s “institutional neglect” and disregard for its history, further stating that the loss of artefacts and research “reflected Brazil’s ignorance of its African and indigenous heritage, and its indifference to an ignoble history of slavery and oppression.” Writer and political theorist Mirna Wabi-Sabi believes the tragedy of the fire began long before the flames. She reports that the country feels ashamed not to have been able to maintain a European notion of history, and that the loss of rare artefacts must be considered with an understanding of the value that is attributed to said artefacts, without forgetting the ethno- and Euro-centric processes inherently tied into Brazilian history. Written by Louise Hisayasu Read it at Los Angeles Archivists Collective (exact date of publication unknown)