ONE DC’s structure of horizontal staff leadership and membership driven efforts for racial and economic justice match ONE DC’s values that have led the organization to shift to shared leadership. Dominic Moulden served as ONE DC’s executive director for years before stepping down from this position. This January he returned to the staff after a 6-month sabbatical, during which he traveled to Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nicaragua. Dominic Moulden shared his first reflection on his sabbatical during the Jan. 31, 2011 membership meeting.  

Let justice roll down the Blue Nile water falls and flow from East Africa to Central America…

Muchas gracias todas, I am happy to be back. I want to thank ONE DC for its support of my plan five years ago to take a retreat/sabbatical in 2010. I believe my extended break for rest and reading fit best with the evolving shared leadership structure at ONE DC. Many times we “spoke” softly of a non-hierarchal structure because the internal and external challenge of a different model of leadership is overwhelming. Nevertheless, I gladly moved forward with my retreat to create space for new and more leadership at ONE DC.

Here is a short summary of my trips. Other presentations will follow throughout this year.

I spent my retreat listening, learning, and living among the people of Gondar, Ethiopia. I also spent some time in Nairobi, Kenya and Bluefields, Nicaragua. I met people in Gondar organizing adults with HIV, in Nairobi with women organizing around women’s leadership and tribal gender issues, and Bluefields’ women organizing the Afro descendent people who are indigenous to the Atlantic coast. These Nicaraguans focused on women’s leadership, a local based communal government, and land rights.

With the support of the members, staff, and Board, I will gradually unveil my reflections, research, and results of lesson learned based on common issues tied to ONE DC’s mission, vision, and values. Some of these reflections will focus on common obstacles organizers face such as patriarchy, neo-liberal globalization, intense capitalism, and mass oppression of people of color.

I look forward to sharing with you how the Education Centre for Women in Democracy is creating a young women’s leadership school in the mountains of Eldoret, Kenya. You will see pictures of the beautiful Gondar countryside and get a glimpse of the Kebera government housing crisis and women organizing to prevent HIV in area villages. You will also hear stories about the Creole Communal Government and the women’s leadership of the Afro descendent people of Nicaraguan occupying land in the neighborhood of Diez y nueve de Julio where they built houses from the resources on the land. These stories are similar too our struggle for justice in the District of Columbia. 

Therefore, let’s move ahead to nurture the members of  ONE DC’s in non-hierarchal leadership to more effectively work for housing, land, income, and wellness justice.

Thank you… Asante, Betam, and Gracias to ONE DC!