The work that activist Ai-Jen Poo has done over the past 20 years to galvanize the domestic workers movement is truly inspiring. In 2010 Time magazine recognized that work and named her one of the most influential people in the world. And last year the MacArthur Foundation took that recognition a step further when Ai-Jen was selected as a MacArthur Genius.
Movement Building for Change
Ai-Jen’s work to organize and mobilize a movement of domestic workers as leader of both the New York city-based Domestic Workers United and the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) offers a wonderful case study on movement building. In 2010, after a 7-year campaign led by Ai-Jen and the Domestic Workers United, New York State enacted the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights. Since then several other states have passed or are considering similar legislation supported by the national Domestic Workers Alliance.
Ai-Jen In Person
NCG members will have a chance to hear from Ai-Jen firsthand about the impact and effectiveness of NDWA’s SOL (Strategy Organization Leadership) initiative on February 24th at the upcoming program Transforming Our Lives, Transforming Movement Building.
NDWA collaborated with generative somatics (gs) and Social Justice Leadership (SJL) to take a cohort of 60 domestic workers and organizers through an intentional process of transformation that integrated political somatics practices with leadership skills for organizing and building power. NCG’s program will explore the potential of this model to deepen, strengthen, and reshape the culture of social justice organizing – integrating personal, community and social change.
Join Us
If you’re interested in learning more about the domestic workers movement and its SOL initiative, we hope you’ll join us on February 24th at Transforming Our Lives, Transforming Movement Building.