One of my fondness of memories was when after a demonstration when police had blocked the roads for protesters my only option to make my plane back to the east coast in time was to get into a taxi cab that the police would allow through.

The Ethiopian driver was quick to identitify me as "a protester" and he rapidly recited his frustrations with police behavior. i was not sure if he was just telling his consumer what he thought i wanted to hear but when i got to the transporation center he refused to let me pay for my fare.

for me this act of solidarity and my initial skeptism was an important lesson that we should not underestimate our allies and support.

for me, someone who had come from the east coast to protest corporate globalization, i felt almost embarrassed to be given a free ride from a working class Ethiopian who was struggling to pay his bills. but after insisting a couple times for him to take my money, it was clear that his act was an act of rebellion and that we were on the same side of the struggle against common adversaries who he had dealt with for a long time.

i had to rethink the notion of solidarity being extended from the community to the protestors, for that moment we knew that we were in solidarity with each other. that although our struggles were different and unique that is what made them all the stronger together.

for me that ride was a honor to receive. i will never forgot it and it will always remind me of how in the struggle we will find solidarity from places and people we might not imagine. it is that hope that allows me to keep organizing even when times are tuff, even when we might not think we can win on our own, we need to remind ourselves that the point is that we can only win when we recognize the need for us to work with others beyond what we have organized and not allow skeptism isolate us. together we are strong.