From: mtoups@andrew.cmu.edu
Date: Fri Feb 01 2002 - 02:39:30 EST
Hey everyone, thanks for a great first meeting of the spring.
It was especially good to see the new faces, welcome.
For those of you who weren't present, we watched a video
and gave an introduction to what our group, PWR, is all
about. The purpose was not to just preach our ideas, but
hopefully to catch your interest and gain your input.
If any of the following interest you, please contact
the appropriate person for more info and to see how
you can get involved!
Sweat Free CMU -- the campaign to get CMU to adopt
an anti-sweatshop code of conduct and join the WRC.
Also, the related Major League Baseball anti-sweatshop campaign.
contact: Brad McCombs, rmccombs@andrew.cmu.edu
CMU and Pittsburgh Living Wage, silicon valley sweatshops.
contact: Matt Toups, mtoups@andrew.cmu.edu
Responsible Shopping and publicity
contacts: Alisha Bhagat, abhagat@andrew.cmu.edu
Jamie Solock, jsolock@andrew.cmu.edu
please let us know what you can participate in!
tentative schedule of things to come:
* Thursday, 2/7 - 5:30pm PWR meeting, class of 1987 room.
Video, banner making, letter writing, and more
concrete future action planning.
following our meeting will be the monthly PLANTA
meeting which we everyone is encouraged to attend.
some future items:
february: screen hardvard living wage movie and
"secrets of silicon valley"
march: jim keady speaking tour.
deadline for CMU to adopt WRC, code of conduct.
other stuff: collaboration with local green marketplace,
conspiarcy of hope w/amnesty, weekend potlucks.
We will certainly need help fundraising and promoting these
events, so keep in touch with us.
sorry for the lengthy email.
in solidarity,
- matt
Also, below is information from Prof. John Soluri about delegations
to Latin America this spring; since we will have to postpone
our group trip to next spring, we may want to consider
sending someone on one of these delegations.
--ALL: LOTS OF TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES LISTED BELOW, MANY RELATED TO LABOR ISSUES AND GLOBALIZATION. I AM NOT SURE IF THEY COINCIDE WITH CMU SPRING BREAK, BUT I'M SURE YOU WILL LEARN MORE ON THE TRIP THAN IN CLASS ANYWAY.
MEXICO
Free Trade: Fox, Bush and the Mexican People Date: April 20-May 1, 2002
Seven years after the passage of NAFTA what are the impacts of a free trade agreement between a developing country and the world's largest economy? This delegation is an opportunity to learn first hand what is happening to Mexican farming communities and labor unions against the dynamic background of US - Mexico relations.
This delegation will begin in Mexico City and travel to surrounding rural areas. Delegates will visit with workers of a foreign-owned maquiladora that sells sporting apparel to US companies. We will then stay with families in a rural area and learn about the struggles of Mexican agricultural communities.
This Delegation will: * Talk with Mexican Government trade officials * Meet with representatives from the major political parties to talk about US-Mexico relations * Learn from non-governmental agencies working on trade and labor issues * Hear from farmers who are being forced to migrate to cities and the US by government policies or corporate practices that exacerbate impoverishment * Meet with union organizers and members who are working for fair wages and working conditions in maquiladoras (textile assembly factories) * Talk with representatives at the US Chamber of Commerce about the benefit of free trade for large corporations * Explore the impacts of NAFTA and learn about alternatives to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by talking with a trade watchdog group in Mexico * Open to people age 15 and older
Cost: $925 plus airfare This covers meals, lodging, facilitation, in country-training, extensive reading materials, translation and ground transportation in Mexico.
Scholarships: Scholarship funds are limited but personal fundraising consultation for the trip is available through the WFP National Office. We will work with everyone to help them secure the financial resources to make the trip!
Registration Deadline: $100 deposit due ASAP
Witness for Peace (WFP) is a politically independent, grassroots organization of people committed to nonviolence and led by faith and conscience. Our mission is to support peace, justice, and sustainable economies in the Americas by changing US policies and corporate practices that contribute to poverty and oppression in Latin America and the Caribbean.
For an application or more information, please contact Joanne Ranney at Witness for Peace New England, 802-434-3233, wfpne@witnessforpeace.org Live The Witness!
OTHER UPCOMING MEXICO DELEGATIONS with a focus on the impacts of Free Trade: March 9-17, 2002 Alternative Spring Break in Mexico Gail Phares 1105 Sapling Place Raleigh, NC 27615 919/856-9468 Rphares105@aol.com
May 25-June 5, 2002 Free Trade in Mexico: At What Expense? WFP Rocky Mountain Sarah Bania-Dobyns 637 B South Broadway Boulder, CO 80305 303-443-8178 wfprm@witnessforpeace.org
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- GUATEMALA
NISGUA DELEGATION-SPRING 2002 Accompanying the Quest for Justice: We Say No: Impunity and Genocide
· MEET with organizations that have witnessed first-hand the impunity in Guatemala, SPEAK with human rights workers who have received threats and acts of intimidation, and LEARN why they've turned to NISGUA accompaniment for help
· VISIT and EXPERIENCE G.A.P. (Guatemala Accompaniment Project) sister communities
· TALK with representatives from the Association for Justice and Reconciliation, which has helped 20 Mayan communities bring charges of genocide against 2 former dictators
· Receive UP-TO-DATE and FACE-TO-FACE information on the current situation in Guatemala and learn what you can do to help!
Join NISGUA (Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala) for this extraordinary opportunity. This past spring, the Association for Justice and Reconciliation launched Central America's first lawsuit to accuse a sitting politician of genocide. This coming year, NISGUA will work closely with organizations in Guatemala and the U.S. to support their efforts and ensure that justice is served.
This March, experience it all first-hand!
One and Two Week Options: March 10-16 Only $650 Or March 10-23 Only $1050 Cost does not include airfare/Scholarships are available
Application deadline: Feb 11, 2002
For more information, or for an application, Please contact Carrie Ferrence at NISGUA 202-518-7638 or nisgua@igc.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- MEXICO, HONDURAS & NICARAGUA
SOLIDARITY CARAVAN TO CHIAPAS, HONDURAS & NICARAGUA MARCH 7 - APRIL 9, 2002
Help STOP the genocide of African-descended Garifuna communities - the brutal attack and displacement of indigenous people - and the assassinations of campesino leaders in Central America! Join the IFCO/Pastors for Peace Caravan to Chiapas, Honduras and Nicaragua!
Solidarity Itinerary: March 7-16: Routes through the US - including participation in educational events and press conferences and collection of material aid March 17-19: Caravan convergence in Texas -- Orientation March 20: Border crossing into Mexico March 21-27: Travel through Mexico and Guatemala, with a two day stop in Chiapas, Mexico for aid distribution and educational program March 28 - April 2: Educational program in Honduras and delivery of material aid April 3-9: Educational program in Nicaragua and delivery of material aid
You can join this life-changing project in your city when the caravan passes through; in Texas for orientation; or in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
This special solidarity project of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO)/Pastors for Peace will travel along four routes, to more than 50 cities throughout the US, before converging together in Texas and continuing south as one united caravan. This unique material aid caravan will consist of school buses, trucks and vans -- carrying tons of urgently-needed aid, including medicines, medical supplies, school supplies and construction materials.
In both Honduras and Nicaragua -- the caravan will participate in a week-long educational program which will enable caravan participants to gain first-hand information about the struggle for equality and peace with justice. In Chiapas, Mexico, the caravan will participate in a two day program. Caravanistas will also provide a critical international presence in isolated communities which are engaged in a valiant struggle to defend their human rights. Participants on the caravan will help distribute the material aid to indigenous, campesino and African-descended communities throughout Chiapas, Honduras and Nicaragua.
For more information about joining the caravan, sending material aid on the caravan, hosting the caravan in your city, or donating a vehicle for the caravan, contact: IFCO/Pastors for Peace tel: 212-926-5757 fax: 212-926-5842 email: p4p@igc.org website: www.ifconews.org
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- MEXICO
In a joint effort SIPAZ (International Service for Peace) and FOR (Fellowship of Reconciliation) distribute the following announcements regarding volunteer recruitement for their respective projects in Chiapas and Colombia.
SIPAZ Seeks Volunteers for Chiapas Project
SIPAZ (Servicio Internacional para la Paz/International Service for Peace) is a coalition of North American, Latin American, and European organizations dedicated to supporting the peace process in Chiapas. SIPAZ is seeking long-term volunteers in Chiapas. Living expenses for long-term volunteers in Chiapas are covered. In addition, volunteers receive a modest stipend and possibly health insurance and some travel expenses. Volunteers work under the supervision of the Coordinator of the Chiapas Office.
Duties include: * Develop and maintain contact with a full spectrum of the actors in the conflict in Chiapas, seeking opportunities to actively support initiatives for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. * Monitor the peace process, including the formal talks and also independent initiatives and other developments at the grassroots level. * Assist with the preparation of updates and analysis on the peace process to enable others around the world to actively support the peace process in Chiapas. * Assist with one or more of the other work areas: capacity building workshops, inter-religious reconciliation, international presence/accompaniment (for a description of the working areas, see below). * Maintain relationships with organizations cooperating with SIPAZ. * Share in housekeeping responsibilities at the team house/office. * Be accountable to the SIPAZ Steering Committee and Executive Committee and carry out the decisions of those bodies.
Qualifications include: * Spanish fluency * Good political analysis skills * Prior international working experience * A commitment to the principles of SIPAZ, including commitment to nonviolence and comfort working with faith-based groups * Excellent communication skills * Prior experience with nonviolent peacebuilding or conflict resolution * A commitment of at least one year and preferably more * 23 years or older
Job Description for volunteering in Chiapas
SIPAZ seeks to play a facilitative role that will strengthen the context in which Mexicans are working to resolve problems that are primarily Mexican. For this reason, it is very important to maintain contact with all the players in the conflict. The work is divided into four areas: * Information: Writing articles for the SIPAZ Report and for newspapers and magazines; maintain an updated Web page; welcome and provide orientation to visitors and delegations from other parts of the world who would like to know more about the conflict. * Workshops: Design and facilitate workshops concerning peaceful resolution of conflicts and active non-violence to diverse organizations and churches that work with the communities. * Dialogue with the religious players: Maintain contact with the leaders and members of the Catholic and Evangelical churches, which are at times in conflict, in order to promote reconciliation among them so that they might play a constructive role in the search for peaceful solutions to the conflicts. * International presence and accompaniment: Maintain a presence in high-conflict areas to try to help with the reduction of violence and the promotion of peaceful conflict resolution.
For more information or to request an application form, contact:
SIPAZ PO Box 2415 Santa Cruz, CA 95063 USA Tel & Fax: 831 425 1257 e-mail: volcom@sipaz.org Web site: www.sipaz.org
====================================================================== COLOMBIA
Human Rights Accompaniment Volunteers Needed in Colombian Peace Community
The Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) is accepting applications for volunteers to accompany the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, in Colombia's northern region of Urabá. San José de Apartadó is one of some 50 communities in Colombia that has taken an extraordinary and nonviolent stand against war, by refusing to support any armed actor involved in Colombia's decades-long conflict. The community has suffered terribly from political violence, mostly by paramilitary groups supported by the Colombian Army, and remains a principle obstacle to the paramilitary's expansion of its violent project in the Urabá and Chocó regions. In March 2001, the Peace Community, whose central settlement of San José is already accompanied by volunteers of Peace Brigades International, requested that the Fellowship of Reconciliation work to establish a long-term accompaniment presence in the nearby settlement of La Unión. La Unión is the agricultural center of the Peace Community, and has been victim to repeated paramilitary attacks.
In consultation with Colombian and international human rights organizations working with and living in the community, FOR has solidified its project mandate and developed the infrastructure to support the requested accompaniment of La Unión. FOR now seeks eager, committed, and skilled volunteers ready to actively support this living example of nonviolent resistance.
For more information see job description below.
Fellowship of Reconciliation - TFLAC
Volunteer Job Description Colombia Project
Accompaniment Project in San José de Apartadó, Colombia
Volunteer Responsibilities: The purpose of the accompaniment presence in San José de Apartadó is to assist in protecting the lives of the community, and by doing so, help to maintain open the space for human rights and for neutrality of the civilian population in the Colombian countryside. To this end, the volunteers seek, as far as possible within their resources to:
- Offer nonviolent support and protective accompaniment to members and leaders of the San José community (especially in the settlement of La Unión), and to the Colombian organizations that accompany them, as they are threatened with violence from various sides. - Identify what is happening in the country through direct observation and by listening to a wide range of viewpoints and experiences, respecting the need expressed by involved parties for confidentiality; - Provide the outside world with a non-partisan analysis and reports of the situation as viewed from within the country or community; - Provide accurate and timely information to the Fellowship of Reconciliation in cases of attack or threat against the community, to assist in directing international attention toward the need for human rights protection.
Volunteer Requirements: - A clear understanding of and commitment to nonviolence, and to the value of bearing witness through an accompaniment project. - Proficiency in both Spanish and English. - A strong commitment to teamwork, both in terms of working with one or more other FOR volunteers in the field, and in relation to the TFLAC staff and committees. - We seek volunteers who will commit to serve for at least six months. - Maturity. We do not accept applicants younger than 21 years of age. The maturity of all prospective volunteers, regardless of age, will be evaluated. - Resilience or the ability to work effectively under intense pressure and stress. It is recommended that volunteers cultivate habits of self-care to manage stress over extended periods of time. - Sensitivity to and the ability to work with people of different cultures demonstrated through previous experience with people of another culture. Experience in the field is an asset, but is not required. Familiarity with rural communities is also helpful. - Familiarity with consensus decision-making, - A willingness to live simply. - Ability to represent the project in a professional and appropriate manner, in a wide variety of settings. - Ability to track and analyze information that is pertinent to the safety of volunteers, the need for external support, and/or the opportunities for enhancing the work. - Ability to work with a computer, for word processing, e-mail, and basic maintenance of the computer itself. - Reasonable proficiency with writing reports, summarizing information, and capturing stories through anecdotes or interviews, is highly recommended. Some familiarity with photography is recommended. - The ability to keep basic accounts (bookkeeping) of expenses and transfers of funds. - Other skills that may be useful but are not required include experience with first aid, translating and interpreting, cooking, and other skills of daily life. - A good working knowledge of the current situation in Colombia is highly recommended. - Volunteers are expected to do outreach in the United States to share their experience (speaking, writing) after service in Colombia. - Because of the nature of this work, FOR does not accept Colombian nationals as volunteers for this project.
Financial Arrangements: FOR covers living expenses (food, lodging, and travel when doing FOR work) in the field during the term of service (in addition to providing a small monthly stipend and some health insurance). Volunteers are strongly encouraged to raise money to assist with their personal expenses while serving on the team.
Training for Volunteers: FOR will work with each volunteer to develop a training plan, which may include any or all of the following: FOR-led training sessions, attendance at the training sessions of other accompaniment organizations (such as Peace Brigades International), self-study plans, and attendance at conferences, classes or trainings on specific topics. In addition to training, each volunteer first will go through an interview process. The interview process is a mutual-discernment process - to help the volunteer decide if serving in this project is a commitment he or she would like to make, and to help FOR determine if he or she is adequately prepared for the experience.
For more information or to apply, please contact: Fellowship of Reconciliation/Task Force on Latin America and the Caribbean 2017 Mission Street #305, San Francisco, CA 94110 phone: (415)495-6334; fax: (415) 495-5628 e-mail: forlatam@igc.org or web: www.forusa.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- CANADA
Global Perspectives on Indigenous Peoples Forestry: Linking Communities, Commerce and Conservation
An International Conference Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada June 4 - 6, 2002
Organized by: The University of British Columbia (UBC) Faculty of Forestry, Forest Trends, the UBC First Nations House of Learning, Iisaak Forest Resources, Ecotrust Canada, the National Aboriginal Forestry Association and the Native American Forestry Program of Northern Arizona University
Co-Chaired by: Bill Bourgeois, Vice President, Lignum Ltd. and Garry Merkel, R.P.F Chair UBC Faculty of Forestry First Nations Advisory Council
Preliminary agenda and additional information:
http://www.forestry.ubc.ca/globalperspectives/index.htm
Alejandra Martin Forest Trends 1050 Potomac st. NW Washington, D.C. 20007 202.298.3004 phone 202.298.3014 fax -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- NICARAGUA
>EXPERIENCE SOLAR CULTURE IN NICARAGUA > >An opportunity to offer your hands, heart, and a unique gift: >Electricity! > >One doesn't often think twice about turning on the light switch. But for >more than 60% of Nicaragua's rural population, this is not even possible: >they have no electricity. For many, the cost of purchasing an electrical >lighting system is way beyond their means. A farm laborer fortunate >enough to have work all month in a country with massive unemployment >makes about $40. His family in the countryside either goes without the >luxury of light, or spends $8-$12 per month on candles and kerosene. >Alternatively, some communities have managed to obtain noisy diesel >generators that are silenced when they run out of expensive scarce fuel, >while others use old car batteries, requiring money to recharge before >they fail within months. > >In 1996 a group of third-year electrical engineering students at the >National Engineering University in Managua (UNI), saw a need without a >means. So together with their enthusiastic professor they created one: >GRUPO FENIX. They are bringing electricity to Nicaragua's countryside: >not electricity born of large generators and high-voltage power lines, >but of an abundant Nicaraguan natural resource -- the sun. FENIX is >supported by a diverse assortment of individuals who have a personal >and/or professional vision of providing the world with renewable energy >resources. Dr. Richard Komp, President of Sunwatt Corp., Susan Kinne, >Associate Professor of Electronics Engineering at UNI, and a group of >young engineers combine their expertise and resources to make this >project possible. Bridging the gap between North and Central America, >Grupo FENIX gives everyone a chance to grow and give. For more >information on this work, please check out our Internet site at >http://www.grupofenix-solar.org . > >FENIX invites interested parties to participate directly in its >development and vision. We offer an 11-day workshop/tour in which >participants learn about solar energy systems, study applications >specific to Central America, visit renewable energy installations, and >install a PV lighting system in a rural village. The program includes >recreational and cultural activities as well as excursions. The next >11-day workshop will run from the 30thof July to the 9th of August , >2002. The cost of the entire trip, excluding air fare and airport >expenses, is $850 per person, which includes a $200 subsidy towards a >solar equipment for the village where we will work. The course will be >taught in English (although Spanish ability greatly enhances your >experience of Nicaragua). > >The Grupo FENIX has been manufacturing and installing small photovoltaic >systems in remote villages in Nicaragua. The entire system, consisting >of a 35 to 50 Watt PV module, fluorescent lamps, a deep-cycle storage >battery, charge controller and wiring is made by these pioneers in >Nicaragua from local parts (except for the solar cells and some other >special electronic parts). The system are currently being donated or >subsidized and we are working out the mechanism for them to be sold to >cash-poor rural dwellers on a long-term time payment arrangement geared >to their limited means. FENIX is engaged in other renewable energy >activities, such as designing, installing and maintaining village scale >PV systems for rural health clinics and working with land mine victims to >train them to be solar practitioners. Future plans include developing >affordable solar water pumps and solar water heaters for small productive >uses. > >THE SCHEDULE: > Monday, July 29, 2002 > Arrive in Nicaragua and be picked up at the airport. Reception and >settling into the barrio (neighborhood) where we will stay in Managua. >The housing is modest; participants will have an option for fancier >accommodations in a local guest house or motel (for an additional fee). > > Tuesday, July 30 > Orientation. Tour of the barrio and surrounding area. This is in >the heart of the new center of Managua, and universities, shops, art >gallery and other cultural features are located within walking distance. >Meet Grupo Fenix participants, see how Barrio residents create local >employment opportunities, help cook a solar lunch and visit local >Solentiname Art Gallery. > > Wednesday, July 31 through Friday, August 2 > Courses on solar energy at the UNI. These will include the history >and philosophy of using solar energy, passive solar architecture, active >solar systems for heating water and air, a half day session to build >solar box cookers, and finally sessions on photovoltaics, from theory of >operation of solar cells to actually soldering solar cells together to >make small PV modules . > > Saturday, August 3 > Free day in the Barrio. Optional workshops and historic walk to >the old center of Managua and the Malecon on Lake Managua. > > Sunday, August 4 > Free day, Optional siteseeing trip to nearby beautiful places may >be arranged. > > Monday, August 5 through Wednesday August 7 > Leave for the remote village with renewable energy site visits on >the way. Reception in the village and first cultural exchange. Settle >into sleeping accommodations in simple village homes. Tuesday, install >Fenix photovoltaic system on village building. Make/Use the solar box >cookers donated to the village. Evening, celebrate the light in the night >and more cultural exchange , it is appropriate here if you have something >cultural to share; story, history, song, juggling, dance. Next day >return to Managua, possibly visiting interesting places like Ciudad Dario >or Estili, rest in the late afternoon and reflect on our trip. > > Thursday, August 8 > Visit historic Old Granda and Masaya. Visit solar wood drier , >shopping for handicrafts then fiesta in the evening! > > Friday, August 9 > Final class session at the UNI, where we will review the various >solar experiences and go into those aspects of solar energy of most >interest to the participants. Friday afternoon is the official end >of the course, you may schedule your departure flight for Saturday or >stay on in Nicaragua for a few extra days, at a slight extra cost. > >Optional Extra activities: > Saturday August 10, 9:00 AM - 12:00 Sabado Solar. Grupo FENIX's >monthly continuing education seminar, attended by local groups and >individuals active and/or interested in renewable energy. (Free, or >$1.00 donation) > Second weekend, Sat. August 10/ Sun. August 11 > Optional overnight eco-tour to a beautiful area in Nicaragua. >(additional cost $100). > >ADDITIONAL DATES: The course will be taught again from January 7 through >17, 2003 and repeated the following August. The price may rise slightly >in 2003. > >THE INSTRUCTORS: Richard Komp, Ph.D., the principal instructor, is the >author of PRACTICAL PHOTOVOLTAICS and has been working on solar cells >since 1960. He has taught numerous courses and workshops on solar energy >all over the world; is currently the president of the Maine Solar Energy >Association and has a small photovoltaics company, SunWatt Corporation. >Richard also teaches graduate courses on Solar Energy at the UNI. > Susan Kinne, initiator of the solar cultural/course, has been on >staff at the UNI for the past 11 years, originally teaching the >introductory hands on course for electrical and electronic engineers, >currently as the director of the Alternative Energy Sources Project. >Susan has worked in the manufacture of silicon wafers for electronic >integrated circuits at Cincinnati Milicron and is the organizer of the >Grupo Fenix. Many of the engineers working on photovoltaics in Nicaragua >(as well as a good number of electric utility engineers) are her former >students. > Nicaraguan Grupo FENIX staff consists of pregrad and recently >graduated engineers and technicians who have made renewable energy their >life mission. The staff has recently grown to include the land mine >survivors who were trained as solar technicians as part of the Canadian >project directed to FENIX thru Falls Brook Centre in New Brunswick. > >THE COST: The total cost of the course, including all meals and >accommodations in Nicaragua, is $850. This includes local transportation >costs, the fee to the UNI for the course, and a copy of Dr. Komp's book. >$200 of the course fee will go to subsidize FENIX photovoltaic systems >and solar ovens installed in the villages, and an additional $100 will go >to improvement funds in the barrio and villages. The extra cost for >staying on longer should amount to around $25 per day, depending on the >type of activities and accommodations. > >PAYMENT: A $50 deposit by July 8th 2002 will save you a place in the >course, which will be limited to total of 15 participants. All checks >should be made out to SKYHEAT ASSOCIATES, the non-profit US group that >Richard Komp has been associated with since 1974. The checks can be sent >to Richard Komp's address. > >AIR TRAVEL: We can recommend a "Green" travel agency, EARTH ROUTES, >travel@earthroutes.net , 207-326-8635, RFD 1, Box 22-B, Penobscot ME >04476. Each airline ticket plants three trees through SeedTree. > >FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Richard J. Komp, Skyheat Associates, RR 2 >Box 7751, Jonesport ME 04649, e-mail: sunwatt@juno.com ,phone: >207-497-2204, Susan Kinne, e-mail: skinne1@juno.com or Barbara Atkinson, >e-mail: lightstream@igc.org . Website: http://www.grupofenix-solar.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- MEXICO
Celebrate May Day in Mexico
May Day Delegation April 28 to May 5
International Worker?s Day, or Mayday, is a major event around the world, and Mexico is no exception. Every year hundreds of thousands of union members and supporters march in a boisterous expression of worker militancy. Its not hard to understand why. NAFTA has displaced thousands of farming families into Mexican cities--forcing rural poor people to compete with urban poor folks for the few jobs that exist. In addition, tens of thousands of manufacturing workers have been laid off from maquila factories in the past year. Thousands more workers in the embattled electric and petroleum sectors of the economy are threatened with privatization by the Fox government.
>From the shop floor to the ballot box, the right to organize in Mexico is severely threatened. However, workers continue to struggle against the odds. There is hope for militant, independent, democratic union voices in Mexico, and international solidarity plays a key role.
Join the Mexico Solidarity Network for our fourth annual week of labor solidarity activities, highlighted by the May Day celebration and a party with democratic labor activists at the Frente Autentico de Trabajo. The delegation is open to union members, labor activists, and student solidarity activists.
Delegation schedule:
Sunday, April 28 ? Arrive in Mexico City. Check into the Hotel Catedral, located one block from Mexico City?s historic Zocalo (central square). Sunday evening we?ll meet for dinner and review the schedule and logistics.
Monday, April 29 and Tuesday, April 30 - Meet with: · Carlos Abascal, Mexico?s Secretary of Labor. He?s the man who recently said, ?Women who work degrade femininity.? All this while his government cynically strives for more maquila development that thrives on women?s exploitation. · U.S. Embassy. Delegates will meet with the labor attaché from the U.S. Embassy. · AFL-CIO rep in Mexico. · Andres Barreda, groundbreaking economist, expert on globalization, and popular educator. Talks with Andres have been the highlight of past labor delegations. · Sindicato Mexicano de Electricistas. The combative SME has been at the forefront of struggles to prevent privatization of Mexico?s electricity and to form democratic unions. · Frente Autentico de Trabajo (FAT). A leading progressive labor organization, the FAT focuses on building independent, democratic unions in Mexico. We?ll meet with their leadership and with gasoline station workers in Mexico City, who are among the newest group of workers organized by the FAT.
Wednesday, May 1 ? Participate in the annual May Day march. We?ll join the FAT for a party afterward with workers from independent unions from around the country.
Thursday, May 2 to Saturday May 4 ? Travel to Puebla. Delegates will spend three days in the historic colonial city of Puebla, with visits to maquiladoras in the region. The area south of Puebla is one of the most heavily developed maquila centers in central Mexico, a linchpin for the infamous Plan Puebla Panama (PPP). We?ll learn about the effects of PPP and the neoliberal development model. We?ll also meet the MexMode (formerly Kuk-dong) workers who recently won official status as an independent democratic union after a grueling two-year struggle.
Saturday, May 4 ? We?ll return to Mexico City and the Hotel Catedral on the evening of May 4 for a dinner, debriefing, and a taste of Mexico City?s nightlife.
Sunday, May 5 ? Return to the U.S.
The cost of the delegation is $600 for double occupancy and $700 for single occupancy. Cost includes program, translation, ground transportation, hotels, seven breakfasts and five dinners. Delegates are responsible for other meals and airfare from the U.S. to Mexico. We encourage participants to use our travel agent, Scott at 800-328-1332.
For more information, contact the Mexico Solidarity Network at 773-583-7728 or msn@mexicosolidarity.org. To reserve a space on the delegation, please complete the application and return it with a $100 deposit to Mexico Solidarity Network, 4834 N. Springfield, Chicago, IL 60625.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- MEXICO
Language Classes in Chiapas: Spanish or Tzotzil Discover the mysteries of the subjunctive and practice regular verbs while learning Spanish inside a civilian Zapatista cultural and educational center.
"The education that we want is something to wake up the people." -member of the Comite of the SERAZ-LN (Rebel Autonomous Zapatista Educational System for National Liberation)
Your creative struggle to learn a new language can support the creative struggle of the Zapatistas for a lively education. People from around the world are invited to participate in language classes inside Zapatista territory in Chiapas, MEXICO.
Purpose - Support Maya run schools "In language, we're knocking on doors, and when we find one that opens, in we go." - Subcommandante Marcos In southern Mexico, the doors have been closed to Mayan voices for over 500 years. The Zapatistas are knocking, and language and education are at the heart of their call. Spanish and Tzotzil classes at Chiapas Spanish School are an opportunity to open the doors of language and culture, to share our different ways of resisting the same power.
The Chiapas Spanish School/Mayan Language Institute is a joint project of the Zapatista Rebellious Autonomous Education System of National Liberation (SERAZ-LN) and Schools for Chiapas. All the income supports the efforts of the indigenous peoples' of Chiapas for the construction and development of Maya schools in Chiapas, Mexico.
Structure - Active Learning -Experienced native language speakers (Spanish or Tzotzil) lead engaging classes. Indigenous, Zapatista, and related history and philosophy undergird the whole endeavor, from classroom dynamics all the way to grammatical objectives. After learning Spanish with us, may you love the subjunctive as much as a Zapatista.
-Individual and group classes are offered weekly (Monday - Friday).
-There are extensive opportunities for practice during the week. Spontaneous discussions or basketball games mix with organized chances to help labor or to discuss the history of the community and the ESRAZ secondary school.
-Chiapas Spanish School students live and learn in Oventic, Aguascalientes II which is about 45 minutes from San Cristóbal de las Casas in the highlands of Chiapas.
-Rustic lodging is provided in the Aguascalientes. Sleeping bags are recommended but can be provided on loan. Open-air showers and basic sanitary facilities are part of the experience. -Come prepared for sun, rain, or fog; ready to jump off a waterfall or play basketball.
Registration and application: Must be sent to Schools for Chiapas in San Diego, CA at least three weeks in advance ! One-time registration fee is one day of theminimum wage in your country. (For example: $6 US minimum X 8 hours = $48)
Tuition and living expenses: Paid directly in Chiapas. One week's language instruction including (rustic) room and board costs 3 days of minumum wage in your country. For example: ($6 US minimum X 24 hours = $144 Dollars)
Every third week of classes are half price. (The Chiapas Spanish School and Mayan Languages Center can offer these low prices because we are an all-volunteer effort working to support high-quality, bilingual, autonomous schools in Chiapas, Mexico. We believe that you will be inspired by the beauty and power of the Maya peoples. We know you will receive the best language instruction available in Latin America!)
Contact: Schools for Chiapas 1717 Kettner Blve., Suite 125 San Diego, CA 92101 USA (619) 232-2841 FAX (619) 232-0500 (USA) http://schoolsforchiapas.org/tzotzil.html schoolsforchiapas@mexicopeace.org http://www.mexicopeace.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- MONTANA
GLOBAL JUSTICE ACTION SUMMIT Missoula, Montana June 20-23, 2002
A CALL TO ACTION
The Global Justice Action Summit, starting June 20th in Missoula, Montana is designed to be an educational and inspirational "warm-up" to the G8 meetings at a remote location near Calgary, Alberta which begin June 26.
The Global Justice Action Summit is an international call to action inviting all people impacted by 'globalization' to Missoula, Montana for an international forum, fair and festival. Collectively we will explore alternatives to the current world economic power structure and we will demonstrate real opportunities for creating our own just and sustainable future: promoting clean energy, sustainable agriculture, local economics and community empowerment.
Our rights have been declared before - the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and other international documents guarantee them. However, the G8 and the institutions and policies it controls - the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank - have failed to recognize these rights by allowing multinational corporate interests to abuse indigenous peoples, human rights, workers and the environment.
For more info visit www.globaljas.org (coming soon!) Or contact us at: christophe@blackfoot.net or 1-888-732-2658. ---------------------------
| People for Workers' Rights | United Students Against Sweatshops affiliate | web: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/org/usas | email: pwr@andrew.cmu.edu | bboard: assocs.pwr-usas | to unsubscribe go to http://www.cmu.edu/lists
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