friendsoflatinamerica

12th Annual Human Rights Pot-luck Dinner

When: Saturday, December 5, 2009 

Time: from 6:30 t0 9:00 PM 

Where: Florence Bain Senior Center. 

Bring a main dish to share! 

Artistic presentations will include the Andean ensemble Rumisonko

 

The Military Coup in Honduras

Our guest speaker will cover:

• The illegitimacy of the coup (i.e. debunking myths about President Zelaya's pre-coup moves) 
• The human rights violations committed by the coup regime
•  The U.S. response thus far

 Monday, November 2nd
 7:00 to 9:00 PM
(7:00 pm refreshments; 7:30 pm program)
 Howard County Central Library
 10375 Little Patuxent Parkway
 Columbia, MD 21045

 Speaker: Ben Beachy
 
 As an organizer with Witness for Peace, Ben Beachy coordinates advocacy campaigns, international delegations, stateside speaker tours, and public actions on U.S. policies toward Latin America . Ben traveled to Honduras two weeks after the June 28 coup as part of a Hemispheric Social Alliance delegation to expose human rights violations, express solidarity with the pro-democracy movement, and push the U.S. Embassy to revoke support for the coup regime.

 Prior to his current position in Washington DC , Ben worked in Nicaragua for three years with Witness for Peace’s International Team. During this time, he co-led delegations to explore firsthand the impact of U.S. economic policies, wrote articles on U.S. influence in the region, and acted as a liaison between Nicaraguan textile unions and U.S. labor organizations. Ben hails from Virginia and graduated with a degree in Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies from Goshen College . 

This event is free and open to the public Sponsored by Howard County Friends of Latin America, PO Box 94, Columbia, MD 21045.

For more information call Leslie at 410-381-4899

Why We Migrate: Stories of Mexico’s Displaced

Tuesday, October 13
7:00 to 9:00 PM (7:00 pm refreshments; 7:30 pm program)

Owen Brown Community Center
6800 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, MD 21045

The Speaker: Paola Gutierrez Galindo

The immigration debate, now heating up again, has revolved around borders, deportations, and policies that are not only inhumane, but ineffective at resolving the undocumented migration crisis. Surprisingly what is lacking from this debate is the simple question: Why do millions of Latin Americans make the decision to leave their homes and cross a dangerous desert in order to live in a country with draconian anti-immigrant laws? Why did the number of Mexicans who made this decision double after the implementation of the U.S.-pushed North American Free Trade Agreement?

Paola Gutierrez Galindo is coming from southern Mexico to share the experiences of her family members, her neighbors, and other community who now live in the U.S. She will untangle the complex factors, including concrete U.S. economic policies, that have pushed person after person to abandon her community and come live among ours.

 Paola was born and raised in the community of San Lorenzo Victoria in the Mixteca region of Oaxaca. She dedicates most of her time to community organizing in her home area of Silacayoapan. Through various years of work with migrant organizations, Paola has coordinated community-based initiatives that respond to the causes and impacts of migration in local indigenous communities. While she has chosen to remain in her community, Paola has been surrounded by high levels of migration her entire life. She estimates that 90% of her family has migrated, many now living along the border and in California and New York. Reflecting the patterns of migration common throughout her state, Paola is the only member of her 25-person graduating class who has not migrated to the U.S. Paola looks forward to her town’s annual festival in August as the only time to see most of her family and friends, many of whom return home then to visit.

 Paola obtained an undergraduate degree in Indigenous Law from the Benito Juárez Autonomous University of Oaxaca in 2007. She is currently working on a Masters Degree in Rural Development from the Autonomous Metropolitan University in Mexico City. Her thesis explores the impacts of migration on identity and family in Oaxacan indigenous communities. Prior to working with migration-focused groups, Paola worked with family farm organizations such as the Emiliano Zapata State Campesino Council of Oaxaca (CECOEZ by its Spanish initials) and the Democratic Campesino Union (UCD by its Spanish initials).

Co-sponsored by: Witness for Peace Mid Atlantic and Howard County Friends of Latin America.

For more information call Leslie at 410-381-4899.

HoCoFoLA - Fall Events

September 20

Mini Retreat

at Martin's home 

Confirmed Guest speakers:

Lisa Haugaard and Paulo Gusmao. from LAWG.

Ben Beachy from Witness for Peace

September 27

Monthly Meeting

at the home of Millie

Refreshments at 7:15 PM, Meeting at 7:30PM

October 

"Why we migrate: Stories of Mexico's displaced"

 featuring Paola Gutierrez Galindo,

 a Community organizer from southern Mexico

November 

Pastors for Peace Caravan

 to Honduras and Nicaragua

Dear friends,

 I wanted to thank you for your work and support to make the 20th Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba a success. 

We had about 60 folks attend our delicious rice and beans dinner prepared by our own members! We raised close to $1,000 (including the $200 pledged from our Treasury). Nancy, thanks for the rice; Marina for the salad, Michael for the drinks, Francine for the desserts, Ray for getting the utensils and for agreeing to MC the program, Millie for the CD's of Cuban music. Thanks also to Bette Hoover for opening her home for a bunch of the Caravanistas. We sent them off late this morning, after feeding them some healthy and not so healthy food. It was great to be a part of this travel challenge.

 Let Cuba Live!!

 Leslie

Thanks for joining us to welcome the “caravanistas” on their way to Cuba.They will challenge the U.S. blockade by bringing humanitarian aid, solidarity, and friendship to our friends in Cuba .

The event was Co-sponsored by:Howard County Friends of Latin America (HoCoFoLA), the Baltimore-Matanzas Sister City Association and the Maryland-Cuba Sister City and The Maryland-Cuba Friendship Coalition.