DRC
This collective story cloth was made by a group of women who worked in the gold mines, where violent bosses rape the female workers regularly and with impunity. In Kamba Moja the women found the courage to share their stories, overcome shame and stigma, and build a sense of solidarity and community.
Read MoreNatalie Rykiel, USA
This story cloth depicts Bhaktapur, Nepal, a town where this CTP facilitator worked and lived. "The image is a mix of memories and dreams, adding the nature elements and Tibetan clouds with the temples and prayer flags. I wanted to juxtapose the African fabrics on a Nepali scene."
Read MoreLisa Raye Garlock, USA
People have been moving, traveling, relocating, migrating since the beginning, always in search of a home, a place to belong, and safety for themselves and their families.
This cloth represents that search, across time, across borders, and what gets lost and found along the way.
Read MoreMara, Ecuador
This arpillera from 2017 is a call for solidarity against oppression. Around its edges are the words, "When one woman speaks, she speaks for others who have been silenced. When one woman reacts, she does it for so many others who are still suffering."
Read MoreEcuador
Here, the story cloth maker depicts the arpillera group doing their work together: “The other women are my sisters. With them, I cried and I laughed. I learned to value many things; above all, to value myself. The sincerity of each filled me and motivated me. It is important that somebody hears you."
Read MoreEcuador
This arpillera represents the women who are a part of the Women's Federation of Sucumbios, a network of 110 women's organizations in Ecuador near the Colombia border. Stitched are the words, "We are walking, Here we breathe struggle."
Read More"Masa Amini"
This cloth was made by a Seattle facilitator who wishes to go by the pseudonym Mahsa Amini, in honor of the young Iranian martyr.
"I used Persian mythological creatures to convey the meaning in this story cloth. It is about war, discrimination, gender apartheid, poverty and the voices of generations who have been fighting against dictatorship. In Iran, women must comply with the Islamic Republic’s mandatory hijab laws and they are unequal in all aspects of life. Hundreds of protesters were killed by Iranian authorities in 2022. These nation‑wide protests were triggered by the death of 22 year old Mahsa Amini who died in police custody after being arrested for failing to cover her hair properly."
Read MoreSapana Pariyar, Nepal
Though the caste system was supposed to be abolished years ago, this story cloth tells a different story. Memorializing 6 people who were murdered because of caste, this survivor is speaking out and representing her community.
The story cloth is made by a facilitator who is from the oppressed Dalit caste. While working with CTP, she became an elected official and a leader in her community fighting discrimination and exemplifying the concept of Victim to Survivor to Agent of Change.
Read MoreBosnia
This group story cloth tells of everyday life, of struggles and celebrations, and the quest for safety.
“I come with a box containing materials for conducting Common Threads workshops and beneath the trees are beneficiaries who are lonely and who need additional psychological support.”
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