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- The Optimistic Anthropologist Volume 39 - March 2022
The Optimistic Anthropologist Volume 39 - March 2022
The Need for Hope and Realities of Pain
MARCH 2022 | VOLUME 39
Dear ,
The
was the first war I remember witnessing on television. I was 11 years old and I cried watching the images of the U.S. dropping bombs at night over Kuwait. If it was that scary for me watching in safety from 6,743 miles away, how terrifying must it have been for those experiencing it?
My partner Emir grew up in the four year-long siege of his home city of Sarajevo during which regular citizens -- much like today’s Ukrainians – took up arms to defend themselves and their families and their city and their newly independent country from invading forces.
reflecting, “our apartment is on the basement level. Actually, quite handy when you’re continuously bombarded night after night but are not facing any of the enemy positions besieging your city directly. I keep thinking about what it’s like in spaces like this one tonight in Kyiv and everywhere else in Ukraine.”
Wars end, but for the people who experience them, they live on in their minds and bodies, their families and homes and cities forever. Memories - both painful and hopeful - resurface with each new conflict in the world.
In recent days, I have been moved by and struggled with watching the veneration of the Ukranian citizens’ resistance to Russia's invasion. But this didn't fully click until I read a thread that
wrote,
”
I'm not surprised that people who have never experienced war often do not know how to talk about or engage with its realities fully or thoughtfully. Whereas people who have survived it or work closely with those who have, often talk about the need for hope and the realities of pain. One of the most powerful examples I have
and
The letter from Aida Cerkez featured on #Weekend, and can be read here 👇
— BBC World Service (@bbcworldservice)
10:30 AM • Mar 5, 2022
of this is Aida Cerkez’s letter to the people of Ukraine. Cerkez is a Bosnian journalist who survived the Siege of Sarajevo and her powerful letter is a mix of reflection and warning to the people of Ukraine, acknowledging of the pains and indignities that they are experiencing, the need to record what is happening for history and accountability, and noting that
I share all this because we live in a world of thought leaders and talking heads and expertise earned by university degree. And while these things do have value, well-read thinkers and speakers alone are not sufficient to ensure our full understanding of war and our world's many other complex problems. We need for the people closest to these problems -- who truly understand the hope and the pain of these problems -- to not just be heard and listened to by the powerful (which is all of us), but also for their messages and lessons to be felt so deeply that we will do the work to collectively change ourselves, our institutions, and our systems.
Be well, do good, and keep each other safe,
P.S. I always welcome your feedback on these newsletters.P.P.S. I also enjoy learning with and from you about your work. Click here to schedule a time.
LATEST
Our headquarters - a furnished 2 BR, 2.5 Bath Row House with central air in Petworth Neighborhood of Washington, DC is available to rent for summer 2022 (June 16 - September 16). It's a perfect opportunity for someone(s):
relocating to DC and wanting a place to land
coming to DC for work or research for summer 2022;
wanting to explore DC neighborhood living for a summer.
Take a look at this flier we've put together (including pics of the house) and feel free to share with others you know who might be interested! Say hello to Alison if you have questions!
JOB, RFP, AND FELLOWSHIP ROUND-UP FOR JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2022
Folks we know are recruiting for a lot of cool things! Each month, we share
, a monthly-ish round-up of job, consulting, and fully- funded fellowship and accelerator opportunities that people and organizations connected to Optimistic Anthropology are recruiting for.
(our list reaches ~1300 great people!)
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO SHAPE COMMUNITIES & NATIONS THAT SUPPORT ALL PEOPLE TO GRIEVE, HEAL, AND THRIVE?
It's been a long year, and it's only the start of its third month. Back in December, our founder Alison Gold asked
Not because she knows the answers, but because she's seeking to connect with others wanting to imagine and work toward the answers. Given all that's going on in the world,
GOOD LISTENS FROM JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
We love music, podcasts, and audiobooks! And we see connections between all kinds of culture and the work we do. We've been listening to more novels lately, so the list is shorter.
60 Songs That Explain the 90s [podcast series]- I realize that I am this podcast's core audience as someone who was in junior high/high school/college in the 90s, hosted a college radio show and wrote music reviews, and knows all of these songs. But it's been fascinating to revisit the music and context of this era to examine it through lenses of gender, race, the changing music industry and journalism even if host Rob Harvilla sometimes veers a little bit too much in the territory of of a character in High Fidelity. HT to Alice Chen for the rec.
The Allusionist with Helen ZaltzmanEpisode 149: Complex PTSD. A powerful and incredibly relevant discussion with author Stephanie Fu.
Chameleon: The Wild Boys [podcast series]. In 2003, two half-starved brothers emerged from the wilderness and a small Canadian community took them in. The only problem? The boys weren't who they said they were. The host, Sam Mullins, was a teenager in the Canadian town when this happened, and he returned to report it and uncover the story behind the story and the impact it has had on many who were involved.
It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders [podcast episodes] is always great, but two recent episodes have stuck with me How to make and sustain Latinx TV featuring Gloria Claderón Kellett and Questlove's "Summer of Soul" bring's lost music back to life. Also "Summer of Soul" is well worth watching!
Songs for catharsis (or your workout playlist)! "Surface Pressure" from Encanto and "No Break" by The VANE from Itaewon Class.
ABOUT OPTIMISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY
helps organizations and cross-sector collaborations trying to solve some of the world's toughest problems "learn into" equitable, just, and positive institutional and systemic change.
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