Feminist Dialogues - Kyrgyzstani feminist and women movements' stories

Page 62

Self Care and Collective Care as a Radical Practice Aizat What did I learn at BFI? It taught me transformational processes and radical self care for oneself and others.

I want to share an example that I remember very well. Once we were having an online call with my colleagues, and an argument started among the And it is politically important to participants. I was neutral in learn how to treat yourself well this situation, but I couldn’t take in order to treat others well in it anymore and told them to get turn. Society very rarely allows lost. I regretted it right away, us to talk about our emotions, because I hadn’t practiced such our feelings and experiences, an attitude at work before and and we are filled with these thought that I would be fired. things every single second of But in response, I received a our lives. But this is a long pro- caring letter from the team, cess that never ends. which recommended that I rest. I was shocked and did not know We often regard conflicts as how to express my gratitude. something bad, something that We are used to being punished should lead to some kind of for uncomfortable behavior disaster. People don’t want to and emotions. BFI never fired speak of, discuss or remember anyone and never punished conflicts. We do not know how anyone. to accept them or give them space to exist. We do not know what non-violent communication is. Our anger, disagreement, rage can be beautiful too. It is the path that led us to feminism and to the betterment of humanity.

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AND IT IS POLITICALLY IMPORTANT TO LEARN HOW TO TREAT YOURSELF WELL IN ORDER TO TREAT OTHERS WELL IN TURN.


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