Kathy Casavant
Kathy Casavant RIP
It is with great sadness that we announce the recent passing of long-time WILD leader Kathy Casavant. Kathy was a member of the WILD Board for many years, and then took on the job of Executive Director after she retired from the Mass. AFL-CIO, where she had served as Secretary-Treasurer (the only woman to have ever held that post.)
Kathy brought extensive knowledge of, and experience in, the Mass labor movement, which benefited WILD enormously. But more than that, her passion for supporting and propmoting the activism and leadership of women made her beloved by everyone who came into WILD's orbit. She was a leader, but also a teacher, a mentor, a friend. She will forever be in our hearts.
You can see her obituary in the Boston Globe here, or visit her online memorial page here.
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Save the Date!
- Saturday: online workshops on two current issues
- Sunday: an outdoors (under a tent) gathering in the Worcester area. This will include food and socializing, and also participation in action supporting one of the issues discussed in the workshops
Kathy Casavant QEPD
Be a WILD fashionista!
Get a new WILD facemask and support WILD while you protect yourself. Whether you are at a union rally or doing your shopping, you will look your best with this great new fashion accessory! And it is union-made.
WILD facemask
The facemask is free with a donation of $25 or more to WILD. Offer good until supplies run out.
Read WILD's statement on the ongoing epidemic of racist violence on our News page.
RECENT EVENTS
WILD in the Winter 2022
Fighting for Racial Justice!
WILD in the Winter 2022 brought together women from around the state and beyond to discuss ways to fight racial injustice, and to honor heroines from around the world who have stood up for racial justice throughout history.
The first workshop focused on K-12 education. How can we make sure our children are brought up in an environment that rejects racism and other forms of oppression and that celebrates the contributions of all the world's peoples to the building of a just society? This is a very important issue now, as the right wing attacks any mention of racism or gender oppression in public education around the country.
Our second workshop highlighted the lives and accomplishments of 5 heroines from history who stood up against racial oppression. The heroines were:
Rigoberta Menchú from Guatemala
Ella Baker from the USA
Suzanne Sanité Belair from Haiti
Leila Gonzalez from Brazil
Lucila Saico Yauri from Peru
It was inspiring to hear about women from around the world who have contributed so much to the fight for social justice.
One of the most exciting parts of the day was the participation of Peruvian Social Communicator and Human Rights Activist Alejandrina Calancha Monge, who spoke to us from Peru about pioneer Quechua activist Lucila Saico Yauri. WILD goes global!
Leadership Workshop in Kreyol
On November 11, WILD held its first-ever workshop in Haitian Kreyol, led by Haitian-American Board member Bianca Pierre. Another Board member, Isabel Lopez, has been working with Haitian American women in the Brockton Workers Alliance. She said some of them were really interested in WILD's Leadership workshop, but would need to have it given in Kreyol. Thanks to the BWA, we got the materials for the workshop translated into Kreyol, and Bianca led a very successful session. The women who attended were excited about WILD and hope for more offerings in Kreyol in the future. We, too, are excited about continuing to work with these amazing women and expanding our capabilities in this direction.
Online Workshops om Sexual Harassment and Gender Violence
On August 21 and 28, WILD held a pair of online workshops on Fighting Back Against Sexual Harassment and Gender-Based Violence. The workshops were held bi-lingually, in English and Spanish. Over 30 women signed up from Massachusetts and beyond. By all accounts, the participants enjoyed the workshop and learned from it-- and from each other.
One positive side-effect of the COVID pandemic has been that we have learned how to give online workshops, which allows us to offer additional programs between the Winter and Summer Institutes, and also to extend our reach beyond the state. We plan to continue to do this even after we are able to return to in-person activities.
PAST EVENTS
2021 WILD Summer Institute
WILD held our 35th Annual Summer Institute online June 25-26. Close to 70 women registered, from many different unions and organizations. Participants came from as far as Venice, Italy. For a more detailed account, see our 2021 Summer Institute page.
WILD in the Winter, 2021
On March 13, some 50-plus women took part in our WILD in the Winter program, "You Can't Pour from an Empty Cup: Keeping Ourselves and Others Healthy”. They came from all over Massachusetts and from nine other states. Thanks to Zoom, we were able to share our program with people as far away as the West Coast. They were caregivers, utility workers, teachers, healthcare workers and more, from a variety of unions, workers’ centers and community organizations.
At a time when many of us were feeling worn out and beaten up by everything going on around us—the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the other epidemic of violence against African Americans and other People of Color in this country – the self-care theme resonated deeply with many women. Taking our cue from the words of Audre Lord, “Caring for myself is not an act of self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare”, we put together a day of informative workshops, animated discussion and fun.
Audre Lord quoute
The morning began with a moving talk from Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards. Councilor Edwards is herself a WILD alum, and thus knew her audience well. You can see her remarks here.
Her talk was followed by 2 workshops, each of them conducted bilingually. One was on “Constructing Self Care”, and was led by Milagros Barreto of MassCOSH. The other was “Refilling our Cups: How do we address our burnout individually and collectively?” facilitated by Melissa Markstrom from SHARE-AFSCME and Prachi Goyal from the Pioneer Valley Worker Center. PowerPoint slides of the 2 workshops can be downloaded using the links above. At this time, they are available in English only.
After a short break, we reconvened in small groups for discussions of the tactics and practices we use to take care of ourselves, and the steps we can take to take care of our communities during these hard times.
The day ended with a rousing zoom “party”.
2020 WILD Summer Institute
WILD held out first ever online Summer Institute on June 27. The theme was "Women taking charge during the pandemic: We will survive!" , and workshop topics focused on issues that women are facing because of the COVID epidemic. It was a great success. Read more about it on the Summer Institute 2020 page.
See U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley's opening keynote speech on our Facebook page
WILD "Thank you" Meet and Greet: October 29, 5:30-8:30 at the WILD office. Women and a few men from the WILD community came together on the evening of October 29 and shared a delicious meal, and speeches. Several WILD participants gave moving testimony about the way the Summer Institute has impacted their lives.
Maria
Terry
Milka
group
2019 WILD Summer Institute
held June 21, 22 and 23 at Worcester State University
Our 2019 Summer Institute was one of our most successful ever. Over 130 women attended, from close to 20 different unions and several non-profit organizations, workers centers, and community groups.
There were workshops in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Excellent trilingual interpretation was provided by Mass Translations.
See more on the Summer Institute 2019 page
Here are a few photos:
Leadership class
Leadership class taught by Erin and Prachi
Anneta and Fatmata's Leadership class
Leadership class taught by Anneta and Fatmata
Trafficking class
Workshop on Human Trafficking taught by Nat and Tess
You can see more photos from the Institute on the Summer Institute 2019 page and on our Facebook page