Dear compañeras, we hope you are well when you receive this message. We want to tell you that at IM-Defensoras, we have collectively decided that we will be taking breaks at different times during the month of August.

These breaks are for rest and energy renewal. They are also part of care measures we are carrying out at IM-Defensoras in order to make our work sustainable and consistent with Holistic Feminist Protection. This commitment to collective care is for us a political imperative that dignifies our lives and those of our communities and peoples; it also makes the continuity of our struggles possible.

The work we carry out on a daily basis, through processes of accompaniment and healing to confront the socio-political violence experienced by women defenders, organizations and communities that fight for human rights, as well as the continued impact of COVID-19 on our tissues, implies a wear and tear that we must attend to in order to continue with strength and joy.

For this reason, during the month of August, even if we will continue with our scheduled activities and attend to emergencies, we will be less available than usual and it is possible that we will be slow to respond to communications that reach us and that do not constitute an emergency.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and shared commitment to set care at the center of our political action.

Sincerely: IM-Defensoras