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"Self-Care and Self-Defense Manual for Feminist Activists" is a valuable resource for men and women alike. The manual was originally developed in Spanish by Marina Bernal, Elige and Artemisa. This is an English translation of the Spanish version, to make it accessible to feminist activists globally.
The manual is broken into three parts, the first being "Recognizing Who I Am". This section encourages reflection on the many identities we claim (gender, race, socioeconomic class, ethnicity, religion, sexuality), as well as what it means to be an activist or human rights defender. The second section, entitled "Recognizing the Violence That We Face", helps us to observe and examine the violence around us, and gain insight into how to deal with it. The third section, "Self-Inflicted Violence", deals with our tendency to put others needs before our own. The fourth chapter, "Optimizing Our Vital Strengths", teaches how to identify what elements give us our inner strength, and how we can nurture these things. The last chapter on self-defense teaches three types of defense: psychological, physical, and legal.
Although this manual is aimed at women feminists, the principles within it can be applied to anyone doing any type of human rights or activist work. The author includes exercises in every section to help the reader apply the theories and principles to their particular situation. The combination of self-exploration, self-care, and self-defense that is taught in this manual is absolutely essential knowledge for any human rights defender in their work.
