“I’m Damaris Estrada, an immigrant woman from Guatemala. There I worked as an organizer for 30 years and now for the past 6 years I have worked in this country as a grassroots organizer and in development leadership with a community organization that works with
Latin, immigrants, and Mayan women. We build and grow a crucial leadership with these women in the organization. And we recruit women who have domestic violence or immigration issues and we connect them to resources. I work very closely in political education, leadership development, and outreach to bring new women to the organization.
Technology is very important to us because it is an essential tool we use in our work.
In the outreach work, we have an important goal which is to have a deep connection with the community. In this work we train our leaders in various computer tools. Most important are the computer skills for documenting the stories of our community. This is important because our leaders and organizers are able to connect those women’s stories with our resources.
This allows us to know how this woman came here to heal with us. It also tells us how she developed in the organization. So for us, this is very important because this is the way we follow the principles of our leadership organizing.
But also computer skills are valuable when we present reports about numbers and outreach quantity, about how many leaders are involved and how many new members we reach every campaign. We use the technology for education to search for new women. Technology can help us to make a map for locating our base as we develop our outreach. Technology tools are important also to know how to make spreadsheets, conduct Zoom meetings, communicate with What’s App or tiktok, and to make slide presentations.
We use technology to research and understand the information (social media and news) that potential members are hearing. From this, we develop forums to help the women learn how to analyze if the information is real or fake. Sometimes the system tries to use the media to send incorrect information (or “fake news”) to make the community afraid or confuse them.
In conclusion, the world is complicated and can be confusing. So, more than ever, we need to be organized to defend and preserve our cultural values in order to build collective power. Information is power, but it must be tested for truth and accuracy. Having those skills to do that is very important. For instance, our community members may use tiktok. While tiktok is a powerful communication tool that can help you, it can also create a false narrative. We help our community members figure out how to tell the difference. ”
Damaris Estrada
Oakland, California
Damaris Estrada
Yo escribo porque tengo mucho que decir
yo leo e investigo porque tengo mucho deseo de aprender
me gusta el olor de los libros, su textura y su color
y también el inmenso mundo de aprendizaje de la Web
al alcance de un click puedes conectarte con el mundo si deseas
descubrir otros idiomas, culturas y odiseas
fuimos dichosos al conocer a este gigante de la web
y asi debemos ser mas ricos y ensancharnos como red
aveces tanta informacion puede ser abrumadora
y otras veces debes cuidarte de la trampa encantadora
de las noticias e informacion que sigue siendo falsa
investigando, comprobando y compartiendo con la raza
la informacion ya no es poder solo para privilegiados
pero estamos mas informados o desconectados?
luchemos por cuidar el corazon de los humanos
la web es maravillosa en buenas manos.
Entra a la web, pero afina los frenos
usa todo este mundo en tu trabajo, tu vida en tus suenos
sin limites descubre estse mundo, navegante!
tu tienes el timon, es un este viaje fascinante
Web Poem
Damaris Estrada
I write because I have a lot to say
I read and investigate because I have much desire to learn
I like the the smell of the books, their texture and their color
And i like the immense world of knowledge on the web
Within the reach of a click you can connect with the world if you want
discover other languages, cultures and odysseys
We were blissful to meet this giant of the web
and so we must be richer and expand like a web
Sometimes so much information can be overwhelming.
and other times you must beware of the charming trap
of news and information that remains false
researching, checking and sharing with la raza
Information is no longer power only for the privileged
But are we more informed or disconnected?
Let us strive to take care for the human heart
The website is wonderful in good hands.
Enter the web, but hone the brakes
use all this world in your work, your life in your dreams
Without limits, discover this world, navigator!
You have the helm, this is a fascinating journey