56 min listen
Dr. Anne Marie Chomat: Empowering Marginalized Communities through Women's Circles
Dr. Anne Marie Chomat: Empowering Marginalized Communities through Women's Circles
ratings:
Length:
45 minutes
Released:
Mar 10, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
Guatemala has faced hundreds of years of colonization and oppression–keeping the women feeling distant, unworthy, and traumatized. Upon arriving in Guatemala, the Maya people were wary of Dr. Marie and her intentions but her constant presence eventually earned the community’s trust. Before Buena Semilla was fully realized, she started out by listening to women’s stories alongside village leaders. The women’s circles were formed over time, where women could share their experiences in a safe space. At Buena Semilla, women could talk about themselves indirectly through photography, theater, or other creative mediums. The Mayan women were so divided that they had to learn how to build healthy relationships with one another. By hearing each other’s struggles, they could collectively heal and challenge one another. Although the work at Buena Semilla is far from complete, Marie is proud to witness the transformation of indigenous women. They could now dare to dream of something better for themselves. As part of the Global North, how can we fulfill our responsibilities to help our brothers and sisters in other countries? We can follow Dr. Marie’s example by listening first. The solutions that we have are not always applicable to every situation so it’s important that we understand the full context. Tread softly and be open to embrace a new way of thinking. Anne Marie Chomat (MD, Ph.D., MPH) is a practitioner and thought-leader in decolonizing, holistic approaches to health & wellbeing. She holds a Ph.D. in stress-research focused on the intergenerational impact of stressors on women and their children in marginalized contexts. As a mentor, teacher, physician, and community engagement practitioner, she has over 20 years of experience working alongside some of the most marginalized populations across five continents. She co-founded Buena Semilla together with indigenous Maya women of Guatemala with whom she has been working over the last 13 years - a grassroots organization widely recognized for its innovations within the fields of women’s empowerment, participatory community mental health, and collective healing as a vehicle for transformative change. What we discuss: 02:15 - Marie’s calling to work in the Global South 04:55 - The Eagle and the Condor Prophecy 08:00 - Buena Semilla women’s circles 16:10 - How Marie built trust with the indigenous community 23:00 - The responsibility to listen 28:00 - Women’s circles as safe spaces to heal 32:34 - Vision for Casa Alegria 40:00 - How to support Buena Semilla 43:46 - What's the message of the Divine Mother to us? Website: https://buena-semilla.org/ To donate: https://hipgive.org/en/campaign/gomujeres2022/casa_alegria Free 6 day gathering: https://buena-semilla.org/iofferyoumyheart
Released:
Mar 10, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (84)
Grandmother Flordemayo: Healing the Father Wound, the Power of Forgiveness & Wisdom from an Indigenous Grandmother: How can we heal from the wounds people leave behind? Someone's death doesn't take away the pain they caused us. We carry it along with their memory, hoping it eventually subsides. In this episode of The Time of the Feminine, Grandmother Flordemayo... by The Time of the Feminine - A Global Sisterhood Podcast