Board Features - Christine Rodriguez
Each month, we’ll be highlighting a different member of the board of Faith in Harm Reduction to share more about the people, practices, and values behind our work and the movement at large.
In a phrase or sentence, what is one dream you have for the world?
Collective Liberation -- & may a liberated Palestine light our way; may her people receive return, rest, & reparations as they grieve the indefensible; & as the planners, perpetrators, facilitators, supporters, propagandizers, deniers, & complicit others responsible for ongoing genocide in Gaza are held to account, may there truly be no rest for the wicked.
What does "Faith in Harm Reduction" mean to you?
How I'm interpreting this tonight, I'd say that when I've seen the work done proper, with fidelity to its foundations, faith is inherent to harm reduction. Authors of a 2014 editorial proposed a list of 5 ethical principals universally held by all faith traditions:
1) Respect for Life
2) Respect for Dignity
3) Respect for Freedom of Religion & Conscience
4) Respect for Freedom of Thought & Expression
5) The Golden Rule (i.e. reciprocity, or, people should treat others as they'd like to be treated)
It feels important to stay grounded in & remember. There are often more tangible expressions reflecting faith traditions in the practice of harm reduction than many religious spaces I've seen. It's a meaningful point of commonality to build from with religious leaders in community, & the reason I feel that harm reduction should never cede any moral high ground to opposition.
Tell us something about the work you do in Harm Reduction
I took a much-needed, if bittersweet, step back from harm reduction, so that work at the moment is mostly made up of some volunteering here & some consulting/advising there.
What is one Harm Reduction related resource you love?
Online: "Water: A Hierarchy of Risk" poster @ Exchange Supplies
In Real Life: Bad Date Sheets @ your local sex worker-friendly org/collective
Who or what inspires you in this work?
What I was most recently inspired by that I wish was more common in broader harm reduction, was a statement I stumbled across by the folks in Australia who implement an approach developed by Wildflower Alliance in western MA, called Alternatives to Suicide (emphasis mine):
"As a recognized and sought-after way to enter into conversation and change how each of us sits with thoughts and perceptions around suicide, it is important to maintain clarity around what Alternatives to Suicide is and is not. The Alternatives to Suicide approach and groups are separate and very different from traditional mental health services and suicide prevention overall. ‘While we are pleased that enthusiasm around the Alternatives to Suicide philosophy is growing and impacting the mainstream, it is essential that the Alternatives to Suicide culture, philosophy, and values remain distinct.’”
What's one thing you want to see more of in Harm Reduction movements?
Two things tie for 1st place on my current wish list:
Greater (by both breadth & depth) integration of safety & security practices, both physical & digital
Development of independent & self-sustaining revenue streams
Where do you find your own spiritual sustenance?
An agnostic in bleak times, I tend to gather bits & pieces from different sources: nature, especially beaches & forests; Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley; various artists & thought leaders, past & present; protest music, most recently The Neighborhood Kids & DAMAG3; down various rabbit holes online with long-forgotten starting points... & always open to recommendations.