<![CDATA[TEAH ARDOIN

<![CDATA[TEAH ARDOIN - Blog]]>Mon, 29 Dec 2025 07:58:45 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[The California Coalition for Women Prisoners, 30th Anniversary Program]]>Sun, 26 Oct 2025 19:25:46 GMThttps://www.teahardoin.com/blog/the-california-coalition-for-women-prisoners-30th-anniversary-programOn October 11, 2025, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., I attended the California Coalition for Women Prisoners’ (CCWP) 30th Anniversary Program. I have been on their mailing list for about 10 months, and the CCWP is truly inspirational. I would encourage others interested in social justice to get involved and join their mailing list.
Here is a link: https://womenprisoners.org/contact/

The CCWP event on October 11th was moderated by KD Dixon, as shown in the first picture below. An inspiring individual and community advocate started an interest in helping others while homeless by becoming a peer counselor for a nonprofit. Eventually, Dixon earned a fellowship with Legal Services for Prisoners with Children and later with the Criminal Justice Reform team. Now, Dixon is CCWP’s Policy and Campaign Coordinator. A keynote speaker at the event was Romarilyn Ralston, a former woman prisoner who served 23 years in jail, who went on to earn a Bachelor of Gender and Feminist Studies with honors and a master’s degree in liberal arts. Ralston is currently working on a PhD. Her words conveyed hope, motivation, and upliftment for women who are currently prisoners or have been former women prisoners. Ralston has been an organizer for CCWP for decades and is a leadership team member. She is pictured in the second picture.
The lead keynote speaker was Dr. Angela Davis, a scholar and former woman prisoner who advocates for abolishing the prison system. Dr. Davis quoted Fannie Lou Hamer, saying, “No one is free unless we are all free.” Dr. Davis said with strength, “Close down the prison industrial system.” She also spoke about the intersectional struggles of women of color and the enduring effects of colonialism. However, Dr. Davis emphasizes that we need to embrace all social justice fights. Dr. Davis encourages collectivity within social activism. Dr. Davis explains that she has never achieved anything alone in her advocacy; it is always a collective effort. She praises the CCWP for collaboratively closing down the women’s Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, where women prisoners were victimized and abused; Dr. Davis states, “abolishment is a women’s issue.” Lastly, Dr. Davis explains that the nation state does not create community; we build community. Dr. Davis is pictured in the third picture.

]]><![CDATA[Former President of Poland, Lech Wałęsa]]>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:23:59 GMThttps://www.teahardoin.com/blog/former-president-of-poland-lech-walesaOn September 6, 2025, I had the opportunity to hear the former president of Poland, Lech Wałęsa, give a lecture in Oakland, California and get a book signed by him. Barbara Lee, the mayor of Oakland, introduced Wałęsa. Wałęsa, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, was an activist and union leader who started the Solidarity movement in his country. In my humble opinion, Wałęsa reminds me of Brazil's dynamic current leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a union leader who became president. Some of Wałęsa’s most interesting viewpoints were his high regard for Bill Clinton and his belief that Clinton should receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Wałęsa’s comments on Ukraine’s nuclear disarmament for peace and Russia’s subsequent destruction of Ukraine were distressing. Wałęsa spoke of the confrontational attitude the countries surrounding Russia must face from Vladimir Putin; there is much tension. Wałęsa urges nations to recognize that they cannot solve all their problems alone and need global assistance.
Moreover, Wałęsa discussed his political ideology by identifying fifteen global issues that all nations must address and emphasizing the need for shared values among them. In Europe, Wałęsa strongly believes that economic systems can unite countries and praises the Euro. He advocates for open borders in Europe and believes a common currency can facilitate this goal. Wałęsa feels Europe is heading in the right direction and particularly approves of France and Germany's current stances. Additionally, Wałęsa states that without the United States, the world cannot be saved; therefore, the United States plays a crucial role in maintaining global peace. He warns that the world could be destroyed if the United States regresses. Wałęsa notes that the global political climate is full of populists and demagogues. Regarding the media, Wałęsa jokes that people used to trust politicians before the rise of media influence. Wałęsa sees communism as a system that looks promising but cannot be practically implemented, and capitalism as a system that appears flawed but is achievable. As President, Wałęsa moved Poland away from communism and built a democratic capitalist society; he believes he saved his country by breaking free from Russia. Lastly, Wałęsa believes that the current leader of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has united the entire world against him through his actions.

]]><![CDATA[The Mexican Flag]]>Wed, 30 Jul 2025 19:22:03 GMThttps://www.teahardoin.com/blog/july-30th-2025I was driving near the Hesperian Boulevard exit in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area when I noticed someone had erected the Mexican Flag. I thought about how Palestinians cannot display their flag in their homeland, and how, in other countries, people cannot erect other flags. In America, we still have this right.

]]><![CDATA[The 5th Arrondissement of Paris]]>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 22:41:57 GMThttps://www.teahardoin.com/blog/the-5th-arrondissement-of-parisThe 5th arrondissement is one of 20 districts in Paris, France, the country’s capital. It is known for being home to the Latin Quarter and the Pantheon. I visited the Pantheon in February and was impressed by its architecture; many historical figures are buried there. Additionally, while working around the 5th arrondissement, I came across the town hall, which houses municipal services and serves as the city hall for Paris.

]]><![CDATA[Frankfurt, Germany]]>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 21:19:56 GMThttps://www.teahardoin.com/blog/frankfurt-germanyI traveled to Frankfurt, Germany, on a high-speed train from Gare de l'Est, Paris. I wanted to visit the Städel Museum because it was hosting an exhibition of Rembrandt’s work. The paintings by Rembrandt were darker than the ones I had seen before, and many of the pieces dealt with death and human anatomy in very graphic ways. I was pleasantly surprised to find a painting by Matisse that I had never seen in person before. I also spent time at Römerberg, a historic square established in the 9th century. Moreover, Frankfurt is home to the European Central Bank, and visiting the building was cool. Additionally, during my visit, I took long walks to enjoy the city’s distinctive architecture and visited St. Bartholomew's Church. I left the city the same way I arrived, by train. The Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof displays how diverse and accepting Frankfurt is, with an LGBTQ flag flying atop the train station.

]]><![CDATA[L'Assemblée Nationale (The French Parliament)]]>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 20:14:05 GMThttps://www.teahardoin.com/blog/lassemblee-nationale-the-french-parliamentAnother place I was interested in seeing was the French parliament. Although I had lived in France prior to my February trip, I had never visited the parliament. I hopped off the Paris Métro and peeked in the evening. The building is large and bustling in the evening. Across the street is “Les Républicains” headquarters, the party founded in 2002 by the French president Jacques Chirac. Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was also a member of this party and was instrumental in changing its name from Union for a Popular Movement to “Les Républicains.”

]]><![CDATA[My visit to the Élysée Palace]]>Sat, 05 Jul 2025 18:40:10 GMThttps://www.teahardoin.com/blog/my-visit-to-the-elysee-palaceI have not visited the White House in the United States yet, but during a recent trip to Paris in February, I decided to stop by the Élysée Palace. The Élysée Palace wasn't exactly what I expected; I thought it would be glitzier. The Élysée Palace looks more like a government building than a palace. I was able to look through the gates and see the famous entrance used by the French president to greet world leaders and dignitaries. I must admit, it was thrilling. Furthermore, the Élysée Palace occupies a large space in an expensive Paris shopping district. No, I did not buy anything, but there was a nice jacket for a couple of thousand Euros, which was out of my price range. There is also a lot of security around the palace and the area. Nonetheless, it was an interesting experience because France is a major center for foreign policy, and a lot of international policy is handled there. An interesting fact is that the first French president used it as a residence in 1848. The Élysée Palace is a powerful international symbol.

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