Many individuals and organizations across the country have been working for years to enact policies that ensure workers are able to do things like care for themselves or a loved one when they are ill, be home with a newborn during those crucial first few months, spend time with a dying family member, or heal from the trauma of sexual or intimate partner violence - And all without worrying about losing their paycheck. While to many, policies like Paid Family Medical Leave and Paid Safe Days seem like a basic human decency that we all deserve, the fight for such policies has been anything but easy.

Today's guest, Josephine Kalipeni is one of the leaders navigating this fight across the country. From a local organizer, to consulting, to executive level leadership, Josephine Kalipeni has been working in economic, racial, and gender justice policy and advocacy for more than 20 years. Born in Malawi and raised in the Midwest by immigrant parents, (and as the oldest of six children) Josie has personally navigated immigration, a bicultural identity, caregiving, and racism in Africa and North America. She initially worked in social work, where she witnessed systemic issues that drove her into progressive advocacy, particularly on issues of Medicaid, elder care, and caregiving. Josie is working to rethink traditional systems of work and leadership and ensure that everyone can give and receive care on their own terms.

In this conversation, Josie and I explore how policies that increase economic supports for families are deeply connected to sexual violence prevention. More than that, though- we really dive into the idea that this country has decided who is and is not deserving of dignity when it comes to rest and care, and what we can do to change that.

LINKS:
Don't Leave Your Friends Behind - Victoria Law and China Martens
The Need for Paid Safe Leave & Model Legislative Language
Emergent Strategy - Adrienne Marie Brown

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs.
www.nmcsap.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

In March of 2020, today's guest, Sarah Viren published a piece in the New York Times Magazine that left me seriously questioning some of my long-held beliefs about false accusations of sexual violence. It was an engrossing story that read like some kind of mystery or detective novel—except it was all true and had all happened to Sarah and her wife. And at the heart of it was this deeply nuanced conversation that I had never considered about false accusations being used to target the very people that laws like Title IX were created to protect.

From that piece came a podcast, and eventually a book that leaned into the complicated and very human narratives that can surround false accusations. In this episode, Sarah and I talk about why it was so important for her to tell her story, the larger implications of overly-simplified narratives, and how (like we often do over here at Both/And!) we can sit in the discomfort of many things being true at once.

Sarah Viren is a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine and author of two books of nonfiction. Her essay collection Mine won the River Teeth Book Prize and was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award. Her memoir To Name the Bigger Lie was a New York Times Editor's Choice and named a best book of the year by NPR and LitHub. A National Endowment for the Arts Fellow and a National Magazine Award finalist, Viren teaches in the creative writing program at Arizona State University. She lives in Tempe, Arizona with her partner, two kids and adorable rescue dog Oki.

LINKS:
Learn more about Sarah Viren!

To Name the Bigger Lie - A Memoir in Two Stories

The Inbox - Part of The 11th, a podcast series from Pineapple Street Studios

The Accusations Were Lies. But Could We Prove It? - Sarah’s New York Times Magazine piece

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs.
www.nmcsap.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

Have you ever felt like you didn't belong in movement space because you didn't have all the "right" language? If so, you are very much not alone! In this episode, Janae Sargent and I moved through the idea that some of the language that can be so helpful in grant applications and public health spaces can also limit our ability to reach the communities we know should be centered, and become a barrier to talented and passionate people getting in and staying in prevention.

Janae Sargent (she/they) received Bachelor's Degrees in Journalism and Fine Arts from Pacific University, Oregon. After working in print and broadcast journalism for several years, she transitioned into the anti-violence field in 2018, as a community organizer and prevention practitioner. Her work has primarily included TGI justice, reproductive justice and community-level prevention. At VALOR, she coordinates the day-to-day activities of PreventConnect and advances policy initiatives through the Solis Policy Institute. When she is not working, Janae spends her time outside on the trails, snuggling her pup and illustrating.

LINKS:
The Revolution Will Not Be Funded

Measuring Love as Violence Prevention

Prevent Connect

ValorUS

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs.
www.nmcsap.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

Who told you you weren’t a good artist? That is the question that ended up driving today’s episode with Indi McCasey as we explored what transformative arts education can look like in the context of prevention.

Indi McCasey (they/them) is a facilitator and community catalyst who believes that creative learning experiences can generate a collective sense of purpose and belonging. They have spent the past 15 years working at the intersection of arts, education, and community health with non-profit organizations and school districts in Boston, Santa Fe, and the San Francisco Bay Area. As a Creative Education Consultant, Indi facilitates professional learning communities of local, national, and international educators, thought leaders, and organizations. They are a faculty member of Alameda County Office of Education's Integrated Learning Specialist Program and Harvard’s Project Zero Classroom.

LINKS:
Learn more about Indi's work

Destiny Arts Center

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience - Mihály Csíkszentmihályi

Emergent Strategy - Adrienne Marie Brown

Harvard Graduate School of Education Project Zero- Making Learning Visible

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs.
www.nmcsap.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

In part 2 of a conversation on restorative justice with Anushah Jiwani and Ana Maria Hurtado, we dug into some of the barriers to implementing restorative justice in the movement to end gender-based violence, reframed what success can look like in this context, and deepened my own understanding of the role shame plays in all of our lives (and especially when someone has caused harm).

Anushah Jiwani (she/they) is a Certified Professional Coach, community organizer, poet, and facilitator based in Albuquerque. As a Pakistani immigrant who grew up in the U.S., Anushah is passionate about serving communities and BIPOC individuals in their journey to self-discovery, decolonization, and liberation. More recently, Anushah has been leading presentations and sharing their own experience with restorative justice as a survivor of sexual assault. In fostering community care, Anushah has a coaching practice, called Morning Angel Coaching & Consulting, a safe space for folks to rebuild their relationship with self. Anushah writes poetry to preserve their language and cultural heritage, but also to process the ways in which white supremacy, assimilation, and capitalism have impacted their lineage and land. Anushah has a B.A. in English-Creative Writing and International Relations from Hendrix College.

Ana Maria Hurtado is a collaborator for restorative practices in Colombia through the Ahimsa Collective Born and raised in Colombia with a multicultural educational background, Ana Maria was introduced to Restorative Justice while she was completing her Master’s Degree on East and West Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Restorative Justice has added another layer of meaning to the work she does in the world and an opportunity to reconcile with paradox. She is also a SoulCollage® and Guided Imagery Facilitator and is committed to holding space for soul and spiritual inquiry. Ana Maria is also convinced humor is a key component to healing.

LINKS:
Learn more about The Ahimsa Collective
Miriame Kaba - We Do This 'Til We Free Us

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs.
www.nmcsap.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

In this 2-part episode, I spoke with Ana Maria Hurtado and Anushah Jiwani about the basics of Restorative Justice, some misconceptions I had going into this conversation, personal experiences as a participant and facilitator of a restorative justice process, and how growing restorative practices could impact our world in both deeply personal and systemic ways.

Anushah Jiwani (she/they) is a Certified Professional Coach, community organizer, poet, and facilitator based in Albuquerque. As a Pakistani immigrant who grew up in the U.S., Anushah is passionate about serving communities and BIPOC individuals in their journey to self-discovery, decolonization, and liberation. More recently, Anushah has been leading presentations and sharing their own experience with restorative justice as a survivor of sexual assault. In fostering community care, Anushah has a coaching practice, called Morning Angel Coaching & Consulting, a safe space for folks to rebuild their relationship with self. Anushah writes poetry to preserve their language and cultural heritage, but also to process the ways in which white supremacy, assimilation, and capitalism have impacted their lineage and land. Anushah has a B.A. in English-Creative Writing and International Relations from Hendrix College.

Ana Maria Hurtado is a collaborator for restorative practices in Colombia through the Ahimsa Collective Born and raised in Colombia with a multicultural educational background, Ana Maria was introduced to Restorative Justice while she was completing her Master’s Degree on East and West Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Restorative Justice has added another layer of meaning to the work she does in the world and an opportunity to reconcile with paradox. She is also a SoulCollage® and Guided Imagery Facilitator and is committed to holding space for soul and spiritual inquiry. Ana Maria is also convinced humor is a key component to healing.

LINKS:
Learn more about The Ahimsa Collective
Miriame Kaba - We Do This 'Til We Free Us

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs.
www.nmcsap.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

In this episode, Jess Clark, Director of Prevention for the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs chats with Sarah Ferrato about moving conversations around consent from a deficit, risk-reduction model to one of pleasure, prevention, and maybe even liberation!

Sarah Ferrato (she/they) is the Manager of Sexual Violence Prevention and Public Health Initiatives at the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence and has worked in the anti-violence movement professionally and unprofessionally for almost a decade. Their liberation philosophy is grounded in pleasure-centered community empowerment frameworks supported by imagination, mutual aid, and grassroots organizing. Sarah holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Art History with a focus on Women’s Studies from Kent State University and a certificate in Adolescent Sex Education Basics from Rutgers University. She co-parents four chaotic cats with her partner. They are a novice forager, community organizer, and impulsive book-buyer. And as a typical Libra, you will find scattered half-finished DIY projects throughout their Cleveland home.

Where you can find Sarah's work:
prevent sexual violence ✨ (@betheoneohio) • Instagram photos and videos

Blog | Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence

Prevention | Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence

https://oaesv.coalitionmanager.org/resourcemanager/resourcefilesummary

Roadmap to Prevention: Connecting Critical Race Theory and Anti-Oppression

Show notes:
Make Revolution Irresistible: The Role of the Cultural Worker in the Twenty-First Century

Afrosexology

Consent Wizardry

Indiana Disability Justice

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs.
www.nmcsap.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

In this episode, Jess Clark, Director of Prevention for the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, interviews Kristin Russo about how we can use media and pop culture to dig into issues that might otherwise be too hard for us to touch.

Kristin is a producer, speaker, and consultant with a focus on LGBTQ+ issues. She is co-creator of Everyone Is Gay & My Kid Is Gay, author of This is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids, and was host and producer of First Person, a video series on gender and sexuality.

In 2016, Kristin began working as Executive Producer and co-host of the now critically-acclaimed pop culture podcast, Buffering the Vampire Slayer.

Buffering: A Rewatch Adventure began in 2016 with Buffering the Vampire Slayer: an episodic rewatch of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, hosted by Jenny Owen Youngs (professional musician & recreational Whedonverse aficionado) and Kristin Russo (professional writer & former goth teen) — and now continues through some of the most iconic genre shows rooted in the 90s and 00s.

Buffering’s work has been named one of the top rewatch podcasts by the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, Time, and Paste Magazine! Not bad for two girls with a love of 90s nostalgia and patriarchy-smashing.

While this episode contains some mild spoilers for Buffy, you absolutely do not need to be a fan to enjoy this conversation, but maybe it’ll turn you into one!

Find out more about Kristin here!
Find out more about Buffering: A Rewatch Adventure here!

Both/And is a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs.
www.nmcsap.org

Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/
Logo: Alex Ross-Reed
Produced by: Jess Clark
Edited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studios
https://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com