Rahula Janowski
Template:TOCnestleft Rahula Janowski was born on a commune and grew up poor in rural, economically depressed Northern Vermont. She moved to California in the early 90’s and became involved in direct action organizing and activism, primarily with Food Not Bombs and Earth First! For most of the 90’s Rahula was involved in direct action, anarchist based organizing on the west coast. Following the global justice movement’s shut down of the World Trade Organization in Seattle, November 1999, during which she coordinated the legal support office, like many of her anarchist comrades Rahula sought to increase her knowledge and skills around anti-racist organizing. She participated in the Challenging White Supremacy workshops, and then, following the attacks of September 11, joined the Heads Up Collective, an organization of white anti-racists focused on solidarity with organizations of people of color and on supporting anti-racist development among white activists and organizers.
As a member of Heads Up, Rahula focused on Palestine Solidarity work and developing Heads Up’s vision and strategy with an emphasis on developing and supporting white working class leadership. Rahula has worked closely with the Catalyst Project for years, in sister organizations such as the Heads Up Collective and through supporting the Anne Braden program as a mentor to participants and as a member of the Braden Leadership Team. Rahula enjoys talking about race, power, and anti-racism in unexpected places, like her child’s school’s PTA, the grocery check out line, or in her spiritual community. She is a trained mediator and facilitator and enjoys group process and working collectively to engage and resolve conflict. She enjoys doing crafts with her excellent 12 year old, reading liberatory speculative fiction, smashing the patriarchy. [1]
Anarchist
Rahula Janowski, was a member of the Heads Up Collective, and a long time anarchist,.[2]
Anarchist "editorial crew"
Chris Crass', essay "Beyond Voting: anarchist organizing, electoral politics and developing strategy for liberation" was assisted by an "editorial crew" consisting of : Nisha Anand, Clare Bayard, Dan Berger, Ingrid Chapman, Chris Dixon, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Jeff Giaquinto, Rahula Janowski, Sharon Martinas, Gabriel Sayegh and Josh Warren-White[3]
Study & Struggle
Catalyst Project "Study & Struggle" sessions range from small, intimate, study series, to public panel discussions and presentations. Past sessions have included:
Burning Questions: What is it going to take to get Revolution out of the Air and Onto the Ground? A discussion with Max Elbaum on lessons from the New Communist Movement and the strategic role of United Fronts. Followed by Rahula Janowski from the Heads Up Collective, Claire Tran from Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Steve Williams, an organizer with POWER (People Organized to Win Employment Rights), on left organization, strategy and movement building. Co-hosted with the School of Unity and Liberation (SOUL).[4]
For May Day and Beyond
For May Day and Beyond: White People Stepping Up for Immigrant Rights! was a letter circulated in May 2006, among people mostly affiliated with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.
Open Letter to White Communities
- In the past month, five million people, mostly immigrants of color, have mobilized for justice and are making history, flooding the streets in unprecedented numbers. Meanwhile, the most visible participation by white people is coming from the racist and right wing leaders who are defining and dominating the debate in the Federal government and in the news, radio and opinion pages. Where are the voices of anti-racist white people in this crucial moment, when the worst anti-immigrant legislation in decades is still poised to drop?
Signatories included Rahula Janowski, mother, Heads Up Collective, Justice In Palestine Coalition. [5]
Open Letter to Obama on Iran
In 2008 Rahula Janowski an Anti-War Activist, San Francisco, CA signed an online petition “A Open Letter to Barack Obama on Iran”.[6]
Comrades
According to Chris Crass;
- The day to day leadership in my life comes from my comrades who have challenged, pushed, and struggled with me hundreds of times in our organizations and our lives, comrades like Nilou Mostoufi, April Sullivan, Johnna Bossuot, Rahula Janowski, Clare Bayard, Nisha Anand, Molly McClure, Marc Mascarenhas-Swan, Rachel Luft, and Ingrid Chapman.[7]
Catalyst staff
Catalyst Project staff, as of 2015;[8]
- Clare Bayard -
- Donna Wilmott -
- Dylan Cooke
- Hilary Moore
- Isaac Lev Szmonko
- Molly McClure
- Rahula Janowski
- Will Dominie
References
- ↑ CP staff, accessed November 24, 2015
- ↑ Chris Crass, Colours of Resistance Archive Beyond Voting: anarchist organizing, electoral politics and developing strategy for liberation
- ↑ Chris Crass, Colours of Resistance Archive Beyond Voting: anarchist organizing, electoral politics and developing strategy for liberation
- ↑ & Struggle sessions, accessed November 2015
- ↑ Indymedia For May Day and Beyond
- ↑ Open Letter to Obama on Iran
- ↑ [Going to Places That Scare Me: Personal Reflections on Challenging Male Supremacy Saturday, 07 June 2014 09:06 By Chris Crass, PM Press |]
- ↑ Catalyst Project staff, accessed November 25, 2015