Frozen #

This is the first month in several months I have no idea what to write about. The frantic pace of our preparations for the December 2024 cohort left me with almost no space to breathe, and the results of the 2024 U.S. elections seemed to suck all the air out of the room. It's a strange feeling to once more witness something terrible with the certainty of a disaster, and t feel yourself being consumed by anxiety, provoked by the uncertainty of how that disaster will unfold. No matter how many times you experience it, it never becomes easy to go to bed knowing bad news awaits you when you wake up.

Will my country follow the same path in two years or less? It's rumored that Biden's presidency had a hand in preventing the execution of plans for a coup that are being unveiled as I write this. It's no secret that Jair Bolsonaro was and still is an ally of Trump; one of his sons, Eduardo, was in Mar-a-Lago the night of the elections. Our far-right politicians rallied as they asked for amnesty under the same breath and we struggle to hold them and the Brazilian military accountable. As I wrote last week:

The last dictatorship in Brazil ended in 1985—almost FOURTY YEARS AGO—, and we’re still haunted by its ghosts, its enablers, its perpetrators. The generations before mine witnessed it and experienced it first hand. They suffered—they were tortured, they were murdered. Every time I think about how close we were to witnessing another one I feel sick to my stomach.

Were? We still are. The words of Ricardo Darín echo in my mind: "Esta es nuestra oportunidad, quizás sea la última."

Fighting #

Those in the Global South know we suffer the effects of U.S. imperialism irrespectively of who's in charge of the U.S. empire; marginalized and minoritized groups in the U.S. know its inner workings—oppression and genocide are historical and ongoing long before this current election cycle. We have to acknowledge, however, that Trump's victory emboldens it all in profoundly terrifying ways.

In Ode to free software, I wrote:

If oppressive systems make use of technology to further our oppression, we must understand it and subvert it in the same or in greater measure.

I speak the language of technology—and if you're reading this, there's a high chance you do too. We're living bridges of domains mysterious and unknown to many, domains that make and will continue to make a difference in the scale of oppression and horrors being spread and perpetuated into the world. What you do with that capacity and that knowledge can mean the difference between life and death. Use it to empower others.

I'll keep fighting that way—empowering Outreachy's community of applicants, interns, alums, mentors, coordinators, organizers. Supporting my local community, my national and international network. Doing whatever I can to make sure the knowledge I've acquired lives on in forms and ways beyond me—unrestrained, unifying, inspirational, liberating. Find your fight, and keep fighting.

Before you leave, I need to tell you that Software Freedom Conservancy has launched their annual fundraiser. If you're in a position to contribute, please make a donation—Outreachy is facing financial hardships this year, and our future is foggy. It will help us keep empowering the next generations of contributors, activists, and leaders in free and open source.