STOP THE VIOLENCE, STOP THE TERROR
I am a peasant woman who tills this land
That cannot be mine,
That bears crops that do not calm my hunger
That buries me deeper in debt,
That leaves me with no option but to leave
Because I have seen violence and
terror from the landlord’s greed.
I am an indigenous woman who defends her ancestral domain
That yields treasures my tribe cannot own
That is preyed upon by foreign and local vultures
That is ravished by greed and destruction
That is bathed in blood of people who struggle
Because I have seen violence and
terror in development aggression.
I am an urban poor woman who eyes the signs for work
That continues to elude me
That cannot bring me food and shelter
That cannot ‘till now promise security
That pushes me from street to alley
Because I have seen violence and
terror from police brutality
I am a factory worker who earns a wage
That the capitalist has nailed to the dirt floor
That barely sends my children to school
That threatens and subjects me to sexual harassment
That weakens my will to join the union
Because I have seen violence and
terror that is contractualization.
I am a university student who dreams of a future
That is now heading for a dead-end
That now pushes me to seek means beyond decency
That ensnares me to trade honor and body for money
That strips me of my soul and dignity
Now I have seen violence and terror that is sex slavery.
I am an office worker who is dedicated to my ideals
That I should help and serve a government
That cannot raise my salary while officials wallow in wealth
That bullies me with a layoff when I complain
That does not really serve the people
Because I have seen violence and
terror in graft and corruption
I am a peasant, indigenous and urban poor woman
I am a factory worker, student and office worker
I am a prisoner of constant fear and anger,
I am exploited, violated and deprived of livelihood,
I am haunted by uncertainty and hunger.
I ask the authorities about my plight but
I am ignored and sent away,
I demand that I be heard but
only the government soldier’s gun replies
I march on the streets with others like me but
I am branded a subversive and a terrorist,
I am under surveillance, robbed of my rights
I am, the state says, an enemy.
But I say ENOUGH!
I am all those women who have found COURAGE and STRENGTH,
I am all the women who have built UNITY,
I am all of them who believe we must STRUGGLE
To STOP the VIOLENCE and the real TERROR!
Reproduced by Asia Indigenous Peoples’ Pact (AIPP) with permission from the author, Ms Luchie Maranan of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance in the Philippines.
From the AIPP Secretariat
