What is a testimony? °°Engaging stories told in the first person (“I”). °Like autobiographies, but important differences.

®Autobiographies are usually about extraordinary people telling a story that represents an individual’s experiences. They are usually not intended to be political stories. Autobiographies are usually written by people with higher education. ®Latin American Testimonies are about ordinary people whose lives are transformed by the political circumstances that they confront. Rather than simply a story about one person, testimonies tell the story of a person as a member of a collective, a group of people and represents others in the community.

Testimonies are political Intent is to publicize the injustices and challenge injustice Build solidarity, understanding and support for the struggle. Many testimonies result from a collaboration between a feminist scholar and a woman activist. The woman activist tells her story to the feminist scholar who audio records the story, transcribes it, and edits it, and then publishes it. Working class women seldom have access to the resources to publish a book. Most important for understanding women and political activism, testimonies help reveal the links between the personal, everyday lives of people in the midst of civil wars as well as other political turmoil. YOUR TASKS: Read the book as you would a novel. There is

How are testimonies produced? . Many testimonies result from a collaboration between a feminist scholar and a woman activist. The woman activist tells her story to the feminist scholar who audio records the story, transcribes it, and edits it, and then publishes it. Working class women seldom have access to the resources to publish a book. Most important for understanding women and political activism, testimonies help reveal the links between the personal, everyday lives of people in the midst of civil wars as well as other political turmoil.

Famous Testimonies: I, Rigoberta Menchu  translation by Elizabeth Burgos Debray Translated into Over a dozen languages 1992 Nobel Peace Prize Award

Don’t be afraid Gringo .

How are Women’s Testimonies feminist texts? Women at the center of analysis (not marginal) Daily lived experiences significant to politics (not inconsequential) Inequality a problem to be solved (not functional)

Truth Claims? Are Testimonies reliable? First Person Point of View could be biased? The Case of Rigoberta Menchu and Historian David Stoller