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Dear Friends of IFCLA and the People of Latin America, ¡Felicidades! Congratulations! Thanks to faithful friends, generous donors and persistent justice-seekers, we are celebrating our 25th anniversary. Over the years we have been touched by so many wonderful and courageous people from Latin America. We have been welcomed into their homes in Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia, Honduras, and on and on… We have welcomed them into our homes and our hearts. We have come to understand the struggles we face and found a commonality and solidarity. None of us are the same as we were before we embarked on this journey. The stranger is our sister and our brother. The cause of justice is one we share. Change must begin in our hearts, our homes and our centers of power: government, corporations, religious bodies, and social structures. What does the future hold for us and for IFCLA? One cannot know, of course. The presence of so many young people in the movement gives us hope that the work will continue. The work of accompaniment is a lifelong commitment. It calls us to challenge the investment, immigration, and intervention policies of our country and the "globalization" planet. We are called by our faith and our values to seek social and political justice which is the true foundation of lasting peace. We thank you for your part in our history and in our future. We challenge you to find your place in our work whether in your place of worship or work or in the IFCLA office. ¡La Lucha Continua! ¡Que Viva la Solidaridad!
Mid-year letter from our Program Coordinator Fri, 6 Jul 2007 Dear Friends of IFCLA, Greetings and Happy Summer! This month marks my first anniversary as Program Coordinator of IFCLA. It is a wonderful challenge to be so deeply involved in this work for justice. When I watched the Foreign Aid Appropriations Debate on CSPAN (online! technology is amazing!), it was a concern to hear some Representatives talk about fearing the movements for social justice in Latin America. Clearly, our work did not end with the Peace Accords of the late 80s and 90s. Colombia still struggles with a civil war and anti-narcotics warfare. The Free Trade Agreements are strangling the poor and once again a repressive and violent response is being used to stop the protests. The need for comprehensive immigration reform is at a crisis level. The effort to find sources of energy and minerals for technology is destroying fragile eco-systems. Our accompaniment at this time is very important -- as it was in the past. I am proud of what we have accomplished this year. Here are a few highlights:
In the coming months, we are planning a delegation to El Salvador in October to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the repopulation of Guarjila and see first hand the situation there, another great group to go to Ft. Benning, continued updating on current issues and actions for justice in Latin America, our annual dinner, and much more. Volunteers are making calls to update the mailing list and database. You will receive an online survey which will reach those who use email. Now it is time to invite you to support this work with a donation or a monthly pledge. We receive $700-1200/month from Justice and Peace Shares (see webpage for more information about this program), but this is not enough to meet our needs. We need twice that amount each month. I would like to send a printed newsletter quarterly and create more reflection and analysis pieces for uses in group discussion and classes. If someone(s) would like to sponsor a paid intern ($10/hour), we could do more outreach and networking. Please consider beginning a monthly pledge of $25 in honor of IFCLA's 25th anniversary. We are grateful for whatever you can give. Contributing is a very important way to support the important work we are trying to do. IFCLA is a non-profit 501-c-3 corporation and all donations are tax-deductible. Send your check to IFCLA/438 N. Skinker Blvd./St. Louis, MO 63130. Print the return form below and include with your donation. Thank you! In Solidarity, - - - - - - - - - - -
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- ____a monthly pledge of $25 in honor of IFCLA's 25th anniversary ____$100 sustaining member ____Please send me information about joining
Justice & Peace Shares Name: __________________________________________________ Street:__________________________________________________ City:________________________State:________ Zip: ___________ Phones: h______________________c______________________ E-mail: _________________________________________________ St. Louis Inter-Faith Committee
on Latin America (IFCLA) tel: 314/721-2977 • fax: 314/726-6427 • e-mail: ifcla@ifcla.net Contributions to IFCLA are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. |
