ABOUT
Matahari: Eye of the Day is a social justice organization that mobilizes, advocates and creates safe spaces for historically marginalized, immigrants, communities of color and allies, who are survivors of labor exploitation, trafficking, racism, heterosexism, sexual, societal and familial oppression. In solidarity, we strengthen leadership and raise our voices for social action and transformation to increase freedom, dignity and human rights.
MISSION
Our mission is to mobilize communities to engage hearts, minds and conscience to create safe, healthy communities, while helping to shape a strong social movement, prioritizing the leadership and voices of communities of color and immigrants.
VALUES
MataHari values the following life and work principles (in no particular order):
Commitment, Supportiveness, Empathy, Equality, Respect, Independence, Teamwork, Relationship Building, Results, Valuing the Process, Our Relationships with Each Other and Our Communities, Fearlessness, Big picture thinking, Solution Focused and Problem Solving, Solidarity, Understanding communities of color & immigrant communities, Valuing community based solutions, Engaging at all levels (national, state, local, global), Recognizing and Honoring Community strengths, Anti-racist, Anti-oppression, Root cause intervention, Non hierarchical, Address coercion/enslavement, Peer-to-peer, grassroots, non-hierarchical mutual education, Healthy cynicism, Unafraid to critique capitalism and economic structures that erode our well being/quality of life.
WHAT WE DO
- We provide culturally relevant and survivor-centered consultation and capacity building to victims of domestic, sexual violence and trafficked persons and their loved ones in the areas of: survivor safety planning, victim services, trauma informed counseling advocacy, detailed information and strategy when working within the criminal justice system, probate/ family and immigration courts, strategies for community organizing for broader social change.
- We connect survivors with referrals that will help rebuild support and expand circles of healing.
- We offer supervision and technical assistance around community organizing for safety and support to help survivors and their loved ones learn about and fight to attain their rights, stabilize and heal in the wake of crisis in the short and long term. This is either done in-person (when funds are available) or through phone and email trainings/consultation).
- We engage in using new and social media technology to expose human rights violations and bring this to the public eye and policy platform.
- We provide culturally relevant training and capacity building to communities, students, service providers, law enforcement and other governmental agencies that seek to act as social change agents.
OUR PAST & ONGOING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
To date, we have supported over 240 survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, incest, labor exploitation, slavery we’ve worked with over the last 6-8 years as needed.
We have been organizing communities since 2002 (partially funded since 2005) to engage in racial solidarity building work to mobilize for social change and responsible policy and human rights. Coalitions we have coordinate/initiated include:
Trafficking Victims Outreach & Services (TVOS) Network: 2002 – 2007): Monthly 60+ members (Coalition of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Immigrant Rights, Legal, Health, Worker Rights NGOs, Governmental Organizations and some survivors).
SafetyNet Project: For Trafficked Persons (2 year OVC-funded collaboration of 3 agencies. Funding stream posed safety problems for undocumented people. Chose not to renew. (Collaborating Partners: Victims of Violence Program/Cambridge Health Alliance, Jewish Children and Family Services, International Institute of Boston)
Prostitution Service Provider Network: 2004 – 2006: Monthly 10 members (Inactive now). (Coalition of Service Agencies that Work with US born girls and adults at risk/engaged in prostitution. Agencies included: A Way Back (no longer exists), Reach DV Shelter, Dept of Children and Families, Dept of Youth Services, Boston Police Dept.
- South Asian Solidarity Network: Active: 2006 – 2008 – morphed into Boston South Asians Unite! (South Asian survivors, activists, workers, counselors – women, men and queer folks)
- Boston South Asians Unite! (began 2007-2008) active in organizing for about a year, now exists as a list serve to connect progressive/radical South Asian organizing. Mutual support/ communication. (South Asian community members, Activists, Students, Artists. Organized groups include: Association for India’s Development, SASN, South Asia Center, Boston MASALA members, Harvard and MIT students, non-affiliated community members from Diaspora)
- Filipina Solidarity Network: Active 2007-2009 (Filipina domestic violence/trafficked survivors, migrant workers, new and older immigrants, women living in Boston and the outskirts. We partnered with Gabriela Network/NY, Babae (upstate NY), Boston Women’s Fund Filipina staff
- Haitian/Caribbean Solidarity Network: Active 2007 – 2009 (Haitian/Caribbean domestic and sexual violence survivors, new immigrant community members
- MA! Resist the Raids Network: April 2009 – present: (Activ/self sustaining. Approx. 150 members. Monthly actions protesting ICE/DHS Anti-Immigrant/Racist Policies)
- Full Circle New Media Social Justice: July 2009 – present: Active and Ongoing. (Collaborators – with a tiny funding: Open Media Boston, Massachusetts Global Alliance, Deported Diaspora)
- Immigrant/Indigenous Worker Sexual Harassment Intervention Network: Early 2009-present. (Collaborators: Incite! Women of Color Against Violence, Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, Center to Support Immigrant Organizing, Boston Interpreters Collective)
HOW WE WORK
MataHari works from a foundation of social justice, immigrant empowerment, racial solidarity and community centeredness. We recognize that our communities are impacted by interpersonal, institutional and structural oppression and inequity. We believe that solutions to end violence and social oppression are embedded within our own resources, families, schools and neighborhoods. We are committed to forging creative approaches and renew time tested indigenous ones that break us out of isolation, challenge stagnant practices and energize and catalyze the power that emerges from the synergy of the goodness of humanity.
We work with our communities to recognize the root causes of oppression, and, while addressing the symptoms of injustice – we strive to work toward dismantling the sources of those injustices.
Through our life practice, leadership building and community organizing MataHari does its best to preserve, create and mediate safe, respectful and empowering spaces and linkages across individuals, disciplines, institutions, borders, class, caste, religion, gender, age, race and color as we work toward ending violence and oppression in our communities.
AWARDS, RECOGNITION & MEDIA COVERAGE
Awards & Recognition:
- Political Action and Social Justice Award, 2005 Simmons College
- Statewide 2005 Victim Rights Award for Innovation
- MA Office of Victim Assistance National Women’s Conference Leadership Award 2005
- MA Conference on Women Spirit of Activism Award 2006 Jane Doe Inc. MA
- Social Change Award 2006 Transition House
- Cambridge Peace and Justice Award 2006 Cambridge Peace Commission
- Social Action Award 2007 Simmons Student Government
- New England Region, Award Finalist 2007 India New England
- Alumnae Award 2008 Simmons School of Social Work
Media:
- Boston Neighborhood Network: Focus on Human Trafficking, Feb & Aug 2004
- WBUR, Martha Bebinger: Human Trafficking segment Nov 2004
- Oprah Winfrey Show, coordination of survivor testimonial Nov 2005
- New England Cable News, Amanda Rosetter March 2005
- Comcast Cable News, Nite Beat April 2005
- MIT Radio 2008/2009
- Boston Globe 2007/2008
- State House News 2007
- Allston Banner 2008
- AP Wire 2008
- Open Media Boston 2009/2010
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About MataHari: Eye of the Day
Matahari: Eye of the Day is a social justice organization that mobilizes, advocates and creates safe spaces for historically marginalized, immigrants, communities of color and allies, many of whom are survivors of labor exploitation, trafficking, and racism.