From June 4th to 9th, as part of the ongoing activities of the Exchange in the United States, the Black Alliance for the End of Violence carried out significant engagements in Washington, DC. Activists, leaders, and representatives from the Alliance participated in meetings at the OAS, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the State Departments. Additionally, they took the opportunity to visit prominent monuments and institutions associated with the Black movement in the city, including the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and Ipàdé, a space dedicated primarily to activities related to supporting Black women. Local support was provided by the Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights and the Washington Brazil Office.
During the meetings, the Black Alliance met with leaders from Colombia and the United States to discuss the situation of Afro-Latinx women and the implementation of measures for protecting human rights in Latin America. There was an intense exchange of information, allowing the participants to learn about the challenges faced in their respective countries and communities. In these discussions, the Brazilian leaders emphasized the importance of establishing an alliance between the Americas, seeking a common agenda to promote fundamental freedom.
Throughout the meetings, the Alliance presented the dossier “Alliance for Well-Being: Universal Right to Breathe and the End of Racial Violence Against Black People” to the attending leaders. This document symbolizes the commitment of the organizations to promote concrete actions. It contains proposals and recommendations based on the struggles of the organizations, outlining strategies to combat racial and gender violence and ensure the universal right to breathe, free from oppression and injustice. The dossier is signed by the 16 organizations that comprise the Black Alliance.
The Black Alliance for the End of Violence is a collective composed of Black women leaders in the Black Movement and 16 different organizations in Brazil, some of which have been active for over 30 years. Its mission is to combat violence, advocate for the rights of marginalized communities, and raise awareness of the challenges faced by Black individuals in the country. Furthermore, the Alliance seeks to promote systemic changes and strengthen solidarity among social movements. The Black Alliance is a program of ELAS+ Doar para transformar.