|
IMMIGRATION: HB 1549 goes into effect on August 28
JEFFERSON CITY – Gov. Matt Blunt and Colonel James F. Keathley, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol today announced that 10 Missouri troopers graduated from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) “287g program” at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Charleston, S.C. Last August, Gov. Blunt requested that we have troopers in Missouri with this training to enforce immigration laws.
“The fight against illegal immigration is important to Missouri as a whole as well as to Missouri families. To protect public safety and our families, we simply cannot tolerate illegal activity,” Gov. Blunt said. “It was a priority for me to have state troopers on the ground in Missouri who could enforce our immigration laws. I congratulate Missouri’s law enforcement officers on their completion of the program that now allows these 10 state law enforcement officers to help enforce federal laws and protect Missourians against illegal immigration.”
The graduation ceremony took place in Charleston, S.C., on Friday, July 11, 2008. The training results in ICE deputizing these 10 troopers, allowing them to enforce federal immigration law under the supervision and authority of ICE as authorized through section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The troopers attended the four weeks of training in accordance with a memorandum of agreement between the state of Missouri and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security concerning the enforcement of federal immigration laws during the course of their normal duties and in accordance with 8 U.S.C. Section 1357(g).
Four troopers are assigned to the Patrol’s Gaming Division and will remain assigned in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas. The remaining six troopers are assigned within the Division of Drug and Crime Control, with two officers each in St. Louis, Springfield, and Kansas City.
At the direction of Gov. Blunt, the Patrol began pursuing this training in August 2007. The training was funded through ICE’s section 287(g) program. The Missouri General Assembly appropriated $84,000 to assist with costs associated with the training and other future training opportunities with ICE.
“We appreciate our partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE,” Colonel Keathley said. “This training will further the Patrol’s mission to serve and protect the public.”
This week Gov. Blunt enacted one of the strongest laws in the country to fight illegal immigration. The new law prohibits illegals from obtaining driver licenses; prohibits the creation of sanctuary cities in the state; requires verification of legal employment status of every public employee; allows for cancellation of state contracts for contractors if they hire illegal immigrants; requires public agencies to verify the legal status of applicants before providing welfare benefits; criminalizes the transportation of illegal immigrants for exploitive purposes; and enacts provisions to punish bad acting employers who hire illegal immigrants. The bill also requires verification of lawful presence for every individual presented for incarceration.
Last summer Gov. Blunt directed all state law enforcement agencies to verify the immigration status of anyone presented for incarceration.
Gov. Blunt also authored the state’s first directive to audit all state contracts to ensure that the employees are legally eligible to work in the U.S. and to terminate contracts if the company employs illegal immigrants. He added tough provisions to allow the state to immediately cancel contracts if the contractor knowingly employs workers not eligible to work in the U.S. and to require contractors to certify that all their employees meet state and federal employment eligibility requirements.
Additionally, he took significant steps to shield taxpayers’ money from supporting building projects that employ illegal workers, including conducting random on-site inspections and performing a Compliance By Written Demand action for all tax credit recipients to verify proof of legal status for all workers.
The Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) has adopted a stringent workforce eligibility policy consistent with Gov. Blunt’s recommendations to the commission, including sanctions of up to a lifetime ban of contractors and developers who knowingly employ illegal immigrants in violation of federal law. The governor called for this policy to be made permanent through state statute.
Last year, Gov. Blunt ousted a state contractor who hired illegal workers and ordered state agencies to enact a no tolerance policy through tough new contract protections. The governor cancelled the state’s contract with Sam’s Janitorial Services and barred them from doing future business with the state after local and federal law enforcement agencies identified dozens of suspected illegal immigrants working under falsified documents.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gov. Blunt Commends Two Highway Patrolmen for Outstanding Honors in Training to Enforce Immigration Laws
JEFFERSON CITY – Gov. Matt Blunt today commended two Missouri officers who not only graduated from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) “287g program” but also made a strong showing on behalf of Missouri, taking both the valedictorian and class president spots.
“Leave it to Missourians to go above and beyond just meeting the basic requirements of training to enforce our immigration laws and protect Missouri families from illegal activity. I am proud of these two officers for demonstrating to ICE the caliber and quality of people we have serving in our Missouri Highway Patrol,” Gov. Blunt said. “I congratulate Sergeant Wade Stuart and Sergeant Michael Cooper for their work and for their dedication to protecting Missouri families from the threats of illegal immigration.”
Gov. Blunt congratulated Sergeant Wade E. Stuart who was named class valedictorian and Sergeant Michael A. Cooper who was elected as the class president in yesterday’s South Carolina ceremony. Both officers are assigned to the Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control. The training results in ICE deputizing these 10 troopers, allowing them to enforce federal immigration law under the supervision and authority of ICE as authorized through section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
At the direction of Gov. Blunt, the Patrol began pursuing this training in August 2007. The training was funded through ICE’s section 287(g) program. The Missouri General Assembly appropriated $84,000 to assist with costs associated with the training and other future training opportunities with ICE.
This week Gov. Blunt enacted one of the strongest laws in the country to fight illegal immigration. The new law prohibits illegals from obtaining driver licenses; prohibits the creation of sanctuary cities in the state; requires verification of legal employment status of every public employee; allows for cancellation of state contracts for contractors if they hire illegal immigrants; requires public agencies to verify the legal status of applicants before providing welfare benefits; criminalizes the transportation of illegal immigrants for exploitive purposes; and enacts provisions to punish bad acting employers who hire illegal immigrants. The bill also requires verification of lawful presence for every individual presented for incarceration.
More...
[0] comments (0 views) | link
COLOMBIA: Announcing and Denouncing
In the country of the "Sacred Heart," a Colombian can live many kinds of realities. Here, I will limit myself to two of these: the reality of exploitation and poverty that can be seen through the media, and the reality of oppression and displacement that can only be glimpsed through the statistics of the DANE. During the June 10-16 Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) delegation to the Middle Magdalena region, made up of members of the Mennonite Church and the Basilian Fathers, these were the two realities that accompanied our experiences.
We benefited from the assistance of many local inhabitants in educating us regarding the fundamental importance of the Magdalena River to the region. The river allows for commercial development and for transportation, but has also been a witness to many massacres committed by armed actors. This is what those who live in the area told us, inhabitants of the villages of Neques, Florida and Cienaga del Opon. Frustration and desolation marked their testimonials, and even as it seemed that they did not understand the political motivations of the various armed groups, they were well aware of the effects of the violence perpetrated by these same groups on their own lives. Nevertheless, these same humble farmers who continue to live in those lands impacted us with their aspirations to live and thrive amidst all of this frustration. In their faces we saw a hope for peace and for true political solutions that is often absent among other Colombians.
Through the life experiences of each person we met, we were happy to find ourselves filled with hope. It is a different experience to come to know the reality of the armed conflict through first hand accounts, through the stories of the very people who have lived through massacres and displacement, rather than through secondary sources. This difference is of no small account, since I, like so many Colombians, are completely unaware of the lived reality of rural peasants here. For so many of us, the Madgalena River is simply the source of great fish. What we too often fail to realize is that for those who live within its reach, the Magdalena River can mean both life and death. With this in mind and to finish our time together, on June 16, 2008 at 10 am our delegation held a time of public prayer. Through a Ritual of Purification of the River, we chose to both announce and to denounce what we had heard and seen in order to clamour for a time when the waters of the river, too often marked with sickness and death, will instead flow with hope.
To be prophets in the midst of this armed conflict: This is the invitation and the commitment that the members of our delegation undertook. This means announcing and denouncing every type of reality that goes against an ethic of peace and the protection of life, particularly the violent actions of the armed groups against civilians in this area. This also means accompanying and supporting the communities that have been victimized by this conflict. Finally, this means working for the recuperation of the very essence of the Magdalena River, that of being a source of hope for the inhabitants of the Middle Madgalena region through the rejection of every type of action that brings death to this people, thus rescuing the very life force of the river. This is the challenge for us all.
________________________________________________
MISSION STATEMENT: Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) Colombia is a community made up of trained volunteers from different cultures that forms part of the international, ecumenical organization, CPT. Our work is based in, though not limited to, the Middle Magdalena region of Colombia. We work together on grassroots initiatives to expose and transform structures of domination and oppression through active nonviolence in order to make possible a world grounded in respect, justice and love, even of enemies.
[0] comments (17 views) | link
FESTIVAL OF NATIONS: Tower Grove Park: Saturday, August 23, 10am-7pm & Sunday, August 24, 10am-6pm
nternational Institute’s Festival of Nations is St. Louis leading multicultural celebration featuring:
* traditional dance and music,
* ethnic food,
* cultural and educational exhibits,
* folk art demonstrations,
* and an international market.
Where
Outdoors in the leafy urban setting of Tower Grove Park on the City's South Side. The event will take place nearest S. Grand and Arsenal, just steps away from the thriving International District. A free shuttle service will be available throughout the Park during most of the opening hours. Parking is available in Tower Grove Park and on surrounding streets. To view a map of the festival area click here.
Activities & Entertainment
Music & Dance
Listen to traditional music and song in Folk Grove. Dance and swing with traditional ethnic artists at the Forest Stage. See you local world music favorites at the World Music Stage. From Spanish flamenco to a Vietnamese dragon dance, from thundering Ivorian drums to Jewish klezmer, there is something for every taste.
Food & Drink
30+ food booths featuring delicate Bosnian baklava, Brazil's national dish feijoada, Ethiopian injera with doro wt, Filipino kebabs, and other mouth-watering ethnic treats!
Shopping
25+ gift booths selling Mexican glassware, Israeli jewelry, Indian saris and other hand-made items.
Fun for all ages
Children's Area with ethnic storytelling, mask-making and other hands-on activities. Test your dancing and athletic skills in the Village Green, where you can join in on informal, free dance lessons including Spanish Flamenco, popular Indian dancing and the Mexican Hat Dance. Stop at the World Sports Meadow to show off your strength in the caber toss.
Global Corner
Learn about your cultural ancestry and your new immigrant neighbors. Visit informational booths from local community agencies and cultural organizations.
[0] comments (9 views) | link
ADVOCATING & VOTING FOR THE COMMON GOOD: Sunday, September 14, 12:30-2:30
Sara Dwyer, ASC, Director of Education for NETWORK, will be giving a workshop for ASCs in the St. Louis on Sunday, September 14. We would be happy to have others join us. Here is the info to pass on:
ADVOCATING & VOTING FOR THE COMMON GOOD
A workshop given by Sara Dwyer, ASC,
Director, NETWORK Education Ofc.
Sunday, September 14, 12:30-2:30
Adorers of the Blood of Christ Regional Mission Center
4233 Sulphur Avenue, St. Louis
(RSVP Sr. Kate Reid at reidk@adorers.org )
For more information about the Platform for the Common Good: www.catholicsinalliance.org or www.networklobby.org
More...
[0] comments (9 views) | link
INTERCAMBIO at Carl Kabat House: Forum Sunday, August 24, 3pm with SALSA dancing!!
-Looking for a place to practice Spanish?
-Know a Spanish speaker wanting to practice English?
-Want to get to know a member of the St. Louis Latino community?
We will put you in contact with someone, you just have to be willing to share your language. Half of the conversation will be in English and the other half will be in Spanish. When and Where? There are two options:
1) Meet at the Kabat House Catholic Worker House (1450 Monroe Street, 63106) on a Sunday afternoon at 3pm for an "intercambio" forum.
2) Visit someone's home in your area for a weekly language exchange.
For more information:
Elizabeth Driscoll
(314)-721-2977 or (630)-650-3173
driscoec@slu.edu
Marilyn Lorenz:
ifcla@ifcla.net
[0] comments (272 views) | link
From UFW: Tell CA legislators it has to end. A sixth farm worker just died of heat stroke
#6 Maria de Jesus Alvarez, 63, mother of nine died on August 2. Maria had been picking table grapes for Anthony Vineyards and was employed through farm labor contractor Manuel Torres during the afternoon of July 15. She began feeling ill and went home. According to witnesses, she was working in a crew of 150 workers and they had no shade nor had they received training in heat stroke prevention and precautions as mandated by state law. According to weather.com, the high that day was 111 degrees.
After Maria's condition deteriorated, she was taken to a hospital on July 19. The doctor determined she was severely dehydrated and had suffered heat stroke. After being treated and admitted by two different hospitals, Maria died Aug. 2.
Maria's death makes six farm workers who died of heat exposure since May and the 15th farm worker heat death since CA Governor Schwarzenegger took office.
These recent deaths make it clear the state does not have the capacity to protect farm workers. As California's summer sizzles we must do everything we can to ensure that no more farm workers fall victim to the heat because the laws written to protect them are not enforced. Speaker Emeritus Fabian Nunez has introduced secret ballot legislation which has moved out of the assembly and which is now in the state senate. The bill, "Secret Ballot Elections for Farm Workers", protects farm workers' right to a secret ballot election and will make it easier for farm workers to organize and enforce the laws that the state cannot enforce.
http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/heatdeath15
#5 July 31, 2008: Jorge Herrera, 37, died on July 31. Jorge worked for a labor contractor and was loading table grapes when he passed out July 10 and was taken to the hospital. His core body temperature was 108 degrees, the same as the high temperature reported that day by the National Weather Service.
#4 Ramiro Carrillo Rodriguez, 48, father of two, died in Selma, CA on Thursday (7/10) afternoon after working all day for Sun Valley Packing in Reedley thru a farm labor contractor. Ramiro had complained being sick from the heat. He was taken home by his foreman. He passed out almost as soon as he got in the house. By the time an ambulance got there he was dead on arrival. He leaves behind two children ages 13 and 16.
Ramiro's death makes two farm workers dying of heatstroke last week, four farm worker heat deaths in the last 8 weeks and the 13th farm worker heat death since CA Governor Schwarzenegger took office.
Yesterday (7/9) another farm worker’s life was lost due to heat stroke. Abdon Felix Garcia was the third farm worker heat death in the last 8 weeks and the 12th farm worker heat death since CA Governor Schwarzenegger took office.
#3 July 9, 2008: Abdon Felix Garcia, 42, father of three, died after spending the morning and early afternoon working for Sunview Vineyards in Arvin. The coroner says Felix's core body temperature was measured at 108 degrees just 13 minutes before his death.
The 42 year-old farm worker Abdon Felix Garcia--father of three--died after spending the morning and early afternoon working for Sunview Vineyards in Arvin. According to the coroner's office, Felix was returning to Delano in a company vehicle and he became unresponsive. He was taken by ambulance to Delano Regional Medical Center when he later died. The coroner says Felix's body core temperature was measured at 108 degrees just 13 minutes before his death.
#2 The second worker who died was 64 year-old Jose Macarena Hernandez. Tomorrow I will attend his funeral. Jose died during a record-breaking heat wave on June 20 while harvesting butternut squash in Santa Maria on land owned by Sunrise Growers. According to news reports, temperatures reached 110 degrees that day.
#1 And then there was the heat death of 17 year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez who died while laboring in the Stockton area grape vines.
Governor Schwarzenegger came to Maria Isabel’s funeral and said he would do everything possible to prevent this from happening again. But with the death of Abdon Felix Garcia and Jose Hernandez--the 11th and 12th farm workers who have died since Governor Schwarzenegger took office--it is clear the state does not have the capacity to protect farm workers. And now as yet another heat wave hits California, we must do everything we can to insure that no more farm workers fall victim to the heat because the laws written to protect them are not enforced.
We are not ready to accept more farm workers dying. E-mail California Gov. Schwarzenegger (if you live in California, a cc of your e-mail will also go to your legislators) and tell them enough is enough. It’s time to put a law in place that will allow farm workers to protect themselves!
More...
[0] comments (132 views) | link
NICARAGUA: HELP STOP VULTURE FUNDS!
The problem
A 'vulture fund' is a company that buys up the debt of poor countries at a big discount from the original owner with the purpose of suing the indebted country in court once it has some money (often after debt cancellation).
The campaign
Action is needed now to put an end to vulture fund profiteering. That's why Africa Action , Jubilee USA Network , and TransAfrica Forum are joining forces in a joint campaign to "Stop the Vulture Culture." The cam¬paign includes public education, grassroots action, and targeted advocacy with policymakers and banks.
What can you do?
Get educated. Check out educational materials to learn more about vulture funds, read case studies, watch videos, and more.
Educate your community. Check out a sample presentation on our website that you can use to educate your family, friends, church community, campus group or local Jubilee chapter about vulture funds.
Sign the petition. Sign onto the petition to leading private banks, urging them to pledge not to sell their claims on poor countries on the secondary market to vulture funds. Go here. http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/863/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1288
Take action. Watch this space for new and exciting opportunities to advocate for new laws in the United States to challenge the practices of vulture funds.
Background
Debt cancellation agreed upon by the global community gives impoverished countries a chance to start fresh and spend more money on health, education, and other essential social services. But while countries and international organizations have been giving some countries debt relief, a new form of business has emerged, with the purpose of making huge profits on poor coun¬try debt. This new business by so-called "vulture funds" comes at the expense of the citizens of these indebted countries - some of the poorest in the world - as well as taxpayers in countries like the United States, who have been supporting in part the cost of debt relief.
The actions of several unethical vulture funds are threatening to undermine some of the hard-won gains of the international campaign for impoverished country debt cancellation. Last year, one such vulture fund, Donegal International, got hold of $15 million from Zambia, money that was freed up by debt relief and should have been used for the fight against HIV/AIDS and poverty. Zambia was not alone: A 2007 report on vulture funds by IMF staff showed that 11 out of 24 poor countries approached said they were involved in litigation worth a total of $1.8 billion with 46 creditors. Now Liberia, a country emerging from decades of devastating civil war, faces the possible threat of vulture lawsuits as it tries to clear up its illegitimate debt with the international community.
More...
[0] comments (23 views) | link
UPDATES from Latin America Working Group
July 30, 2008
Dangerous Directions: Military Aid to Mexico
The brutal violence associated with drug trafficking paired with authorities' apparent lack of capacity and political will to effectively confront organized crime has taken a profound toll on public security in Mexico in recent years. More than 5,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence since President Calderón took office in December 2006. Despite these challenging times, it is critical that drug violence not serve as an excuse for increased abuses by Mexico's military and police. Read more here. http://lawg.org/countries/mexico/dangerous_directions.htm
Cuba: A Step in the Right Direction
After years without any positive change in U.S. policy toward Cuba, the House Appropriations Committee recently demonstrated support for alleviating the inhumane restrictions on trade and travel to the island. On June 25th, the committee passed the Financial Services Appropriations bill with a provision that will ease travel for Cuban Americans who want to travel to the island to visit family. Read more here. http://lawg.org/countries/cuba/financial_services_approps.htm
Beyond the Rhetoric: Report from Venezuela
"What can we as Americans do?" This question was asked by our delegates more than once during our 12 days with Witness for Peace in Venezuela. "Tell your government to leave us alone!" was a typical response from the Venezuelans we encountered. Understanding what that means is not so easy. Read more here. http://lawg.org/countries/venezuela/beyond_the_rhetoric.htm
Mexico: Bordering on Disaster
There is little doubt that fencing constructed along the United States' border with Mexico divides communities. Fencing has also contributed to a tragic increase in migrant deaths as people desperate for a better life are pushed to cross in increasingly remote stretches of desert. Yet it is not only human communities that are affected by the United States' current security strategy. Read more here. http://lawg.org/countries/mexico/bordering_on_disaster.htm
Tohono O'odham Activist Speaks Out
With communities spanning the Arizona-Sonora border, the Tohono O'odham nation has been directly impacted by the surge of border enforcement operations and divided, literally, by border fence construction. In February 2008, a group of Tohono O'odham tribe members embarked on a six month trek across the United States - from Alcatraz Island to Washington, DC - to raise awareness about the harm caused by border fencing on their tribal lands. Read more here. http://lawg.org/countries/mexico/tohono_activist.htm
Colombia: The Other Half of the Truth
On February 4, 2008, Colombians marched in the millions in a powerful rejection of violence by the FARC guerrillas. It was an inspirational, authentic cry by Colombians weary of the horrific guerrilla tactics, and a show of solidarity for the suffering of the many Colombians held for years as captives of the FARC. For many of the victims of paramilitary violence, however, the march's enormous scale raised the question of why the same Colombian society that stood so united behind the victims of the FARC would fail to stand behind them. Read more here.
http://lawg.org/countries/colombia/other_half_advocate.htm
To order a copy of The Other Half of the Truth, a new LAWGEF publication, visit http://www.lawg.org/misc/Publications.htm
LAWG Celebrates Freeing of Hostages
On July 2, Ingrid Betancourt, a former presidential candidate and mother of two, three American contractors - Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell and Thomas Howes - and eleven Colombian police and soldiers were freed after suffering many years as captives of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Like so many in Colombia and around the world, we at the Latin America Working Group were overjoyed to learn of their release. Read more here. http://lawg.org/countries/colombia/advocate_hostage_statement.htm
[0] comments (35 views) | link
ANALYSIS: El Salvador Elections 2009
By the National Committee of the War Veterans' Sector of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN)
El Salvador has entered a governance crisis the signs of which include the bare participation by the general public in the life of the nation. There is no attempt by the government to achieve consensus, or a will to reach agreement on public policy; and there is no tolerance of even a minimal participation by the citizenry in public affairs. Disillusion and scepticism are the predominant feelings amongst the general public. The country's institutional structures are weak and poorly developed. This impacts even upon political parties, which neither express nor channel popular demands and lack the capacity to play an intermediary role in the conflicts caused by the demands of different sectors of society.
Separation of powers exists only on paper -- the centralism of the executive power predominates. There are no oversight bodies, accountability systems or freedom of information, which has led to high levels of corruption. This has produced, in consequence, an erosion of the country's institutional structures and of democracy.
Poverty and inequality
The governance crisis is also founded in a lack of equality, which finds its expression in increased poverty, caused by economic and political imbalances. Rural life has collapsed. There is accelerated urbanisation, pressure on public services, employment and public safety; accelerated emigration. In the urban setting, employment opportunities are mostly absorbed by the informal sector, with the risks this entails for workers. Men predominate in regular employment and women in the informal sector and in maquiladora assembly plants, which means they are less protected. Schooling is low level and poorly funded, which does not favour the technological development required for an increase in productivity. Crime has worsened as a result of these inequalities. Law and order is a recurring public concern. A range of studies on the matter have produced recommendations for the development of public policies aimed at preventing, containing and addressing the situation, but the government has not shown much political will and its approach to the issue has been counterproductive and increased the problem to some degree.
Authoritarianism
As there has been no plan aimed at bringing about a lessening of social divisions, there has not been any democratisation of society and the state, but rather a greater concentration of power and greater authoritarianism. Inequality and authoritarianism have damaged the legitimacy of democracy and the political system. As socioeconomic conditions have worsened, people's demands upon the government have grown and governments usually resort to repressive measures to maintain the status quo, which is easy to do in an authoritarian society.
The country's viability requires the wealthy, the government and the social forces to arrive at minimal accords to reduce inequality. Accords have been the usual practice only amongst sectors with much in common, not with adversaries. Accords have been between the senior leadership of political parties, not with the sectors affected. The alliances proposed by previous governments as a governance and transparency tool were very soon forgotten. At present we have the practice of isolation, sociopolitical conflict, imposition, confrontation and polarisation instead of accords.
Democracy
Democracy is unsustainable with such large social divisions. Governance, to be consistent, should be accompanied by viable proposals and/or should close these gaps. Democracy cannot be built with institutional structures lacking in legitimacy. Democracy also requires active social participation in the government. This does not just mean good electoral results. It is related, as well, to the channelling of social demands, social, legal and legitimate control. The democratic sustainability of the country is nourished by the preparation of pacts or accords, public discussion of problems and the prevention of conflicts.
The National Committee of the War Veterans' Sector of the FMLN, 9ª Av. Norte No. 229 entre 1ª y 3ª Calle Poniente, San Salvador, El Salvador.
Mauricio Funes, the FMLN candidate for hope
Excerpt from Amanda Shank, Upside Down World, http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/1282/1/
May 13, 2008 -- Mauricio Funes steps into the hotel surrounded by his campaign staff and supporters. Earlier in the afternoon in the hot Central Plaza of San Miguel, he was greeted with cheers, chants and fireworks by 8000 supporters donning FMLN red. Amid the excitement and exhaustion of El Salvador’s presidential campaign, where the FMLN has a strong possibility of breaking the right-wing ARENA party's 19-year grip on power, Funes searches the hotel lobby for his wife. Vanda Pignato checks her watch, 10pm, and suggests that they should order dinner from Wendy's. It's the only place open this late.
“Let's do this interview before dinner, Mauricio”, Vanda advises, “but change your shirt, first”. Energised by the day's successful events, Funes stops to think and admits that he could use a couple of minutes alone. He has already appeared at three public events, and held an afternoon press conference. With a packed agenda and plans to leave next week for Germany and then Brazil, he had to back out of a radio interview and turn down an invitation from a nearby community that had organised a welcome celebration.
After a ten-minute break in his room, Funes returns with a new shirt and invites me to take a seat at a nearby table in the hotel's outdoor restaurant. When I ask the first question, he speaks quickly and clearly, an ability that he has practiced and refined throughout 21 years of professional journalism and six months on the campaign trail.
Q: From the election of Hugo Chavez to the recent election of Paraguay's Fernando Lugo we’ve seen a leftward shift in Latin American countries. Where does the FMLN and your candidacy fit within this movement?
We are often asked, "Well, what type of left do you represent?’’, and I have said: “We represent the left of hope. We are a sensible left, a reasonable left, a left that is betting on change, a stable change. We are looking for a type of society that builds functioning institutions in El Salvador, a democracy that functions, a viable nation.
Given the current international context, we do not aspire to build socialism in El Salvador. What we hope to build is a more dynamic and competitive economy, placing ourselves in the international playing field in a highly globalised and competitive world. We hope to have a stronger and more dynamic economy than what has been built up until now. To do this we need the institutions that work, and for democracy to become a symbol that also exists in our country.
We do not need to be close to Chavez, close to Lula or close to Bush in order for our institutions and democracy to work. What we need is to build a model of public management that responds to the needs of Salvadorans and that will resolve Salvadoran problems.
We respect the process being followed in Venezuela, as well as we respect and closely watch the new society which Lula is building, and the one that the new President Fernando Lugo in Paraguay has promised to build.
Those processes are a response to other circumstances. What we hope to build are relationships based on cooperation and solidarity with the people represented by each one of these countries. However, we are not going to follow the same recipe or model that might have worked in other countries, but has nothing to do with our reality...
People's Government Program of Hope
1. Completely founded in human rights All public policy and government action will be built upon, and aimed at reaching, the greatest degree of effectiveness in human rights, to better meet the essential needs and aspirations of the Salvadorean people, the basis of the legitimation of democratic governance which will begin with the Social and Democratic Inclusiveness Program.
2. Informed by gender policy Despite struggles, women still suffer discrimination and exclusion from decision making. Thus, for the People's Government, the exercise of democracy begins precisely with widening the spaces which rightly belong to women as co-actors in the history, present and future of El Salvador.
3. Environmental rehabilitation The People’s Government immensely values all life forms in the Salvadorean-Middle American ecosystem.
4. Local level strengthening The inclusiveness model proposed by the new government stems from an understanding that El Salvador’s development will include local development and co-ordinated gearing-up of its municipalities and regions.
5. Independent Integration in Central America The new government is integrationist and will launch an initiative, involving all the country's social and economic forces willing to contribute to the deepening of Central American and Caribbean integration, from the standpoint of the real interests of the people of El Salvador and the country's economic strengths, as well of those of our sister peoples. This means seeking benefits for people; an increase in our domestic and regional capacities; the promotion of knowledge; scientific and technological innovation; social rights; and environmental sustainability.
FMLN War Veterans’ campaign for 2009 elections
We, FMLN war veterans, were the driving force behind the foundation of the FMLN on 10 October 1980, and in addition we were the only vanguard force in the Salvadorean left, forged in the popular struggles of our people and in urban and rural guerrilla warfare in the decade of the 1970s.
Our aim was to take political power through armed revolutionary struggle to bring about social transformation with a people's revolutionary government for the benefit of El Salvador's poor majorities. All non-violent and political roads to power had been closed off to us, roads which the Salvadorean people sought at the time, as shown in practice through the massive demonstrations of all sectors of our people which took place in the very centre of San Salvador, demanding political, economic and social changes, and which were responded to by the fascist dictatorship governments of the day, with killing and repression of students, workers, peasants and any social sector which mobilised and protested.
In 1972 and again in 1977, the political opposition of our Salvadorean people won the presidency through the ballot box and both times was shamefully robbed of victory by the right wing and the military. What we confronted was a military dictatorship under the direct political, military, economic, ideological and intelligence control of the US governments of the day. The right-wing in our own country was considered the most stubborn and murderous in Latin America. It made use of all the US was able to develop in terms of counterinsurgency warfare in order to defeat us, as they thought.
For 12 years we fought them with success, and we can therefore now say, with pride, that we, the War Veterans' Sector of the FMLN, are the moral and historic reserve stock of the FMLN Party, and as such we can and should transmit our experience to the Salvadorean people, together with all our militancy, as adapted, of course, to the current historical and political moment in El Salvador. As veterans we have every capacity to train contingents of new comrades who will join and strengthen the party, in political schools based upon revolutionary principles.
In other words, the FMLN is the party born of the people and which cost tens of thousands of deaths of heroes and martyrs of the Salvadorean people. Therefore, as war veterans we have both the duty and the right to keep on developing and strengthening it to make it capable of taking political power in 2009, which is what our dead dreamt of, those who fell in the course of our struggle in past decades.
The signing of the Peace Accords on January 16, 1992, closed off a chapter in our history as the FMLN and as the people of El Salvador. War came to an end, weapons were silenced. We and the government signed for peace, aware that peace was not only signed for on paper; the peace we signed for would have to be with dignity and social justice, that is, with benefits in education, health, housing, nutrition and other aspects for all the marginalised of our country. And above all with respect for the human rights of the people of El Salvador, a transformation of the legal system and an end to impunity in all areas of power.
We knew that we had not achieved political power, but that we had managed to dismantle the military dictatorship which had been deeply entrenched for over 100 years. We also knew that with the signing of the Peace Accords we had opened the way towards a real democracy which would have to be built together with the people, making full use of the opportunities opened up through the negotiations and that could not be gone back on.
But now practically the opposite is happening. Once peace was signed, our party the FMLN worked to transform itself into a political party which could participate legally in Salvadorean politics, since that is a requirement laid down in our constitution, in order to take part in elections. Over the past five years we have been making an effort to organise FMLN war veterans (both men and women) with the aim of continuing the struggle to change our country into a more just society with a place for everybody.
The FMLN is the best-organised and strongest left-wing force in the country. The National Committee of the War Veterans' Sector of the FMLN wish to help strengthen the party and join in the social organisation of our people, to prepare favourable conditions to win government in 2009. In order to organise the youth, our plan is to foster demand-based, economic, political and social struggle. We plan to create 12 departmental committees, one in each of the 12 departments of El Salvador (San Salvador, La Libertad, Santa Ana, Sonsonate, Cabañas, Cuscatlán, Chalatenango, San Vicente, Usulután, San Miguel, Morazán and La Unión). This work will directly mobilise 15,000 people -- FMLN war veterans and their families -- for the 2009 elections. As part of the larger effort by the Salvadorean people for the 2009 elections, we are asking our compatriots, our friends and supporters in Australia -- all who can recognise the flame of hope in Latin America today -- to give us financial support to achieve our objectives.
FMLN Community Support Group 2009. Convened by Mr Jose Amaya, fmln_sydney@yahoo.com.au Sponsored by Andrew Ferguson, secretary, NSW Construction and General Division, CFMEU; Mr Paul Lynch MLA; Peter Murphy 0418 312 301, pmurphy@search.org.au PO Box 602, Strawberry Hills NSW 2010. Donate to: FMLN Community Support Group Fund, 2009. BSB 032-072. Account Number: 10-2686
source:
http://links.org.au/node/537
More...
[0] comments (48 views) | link
HEMISPHERIC SOCIAL ALLIANCE BULLETIN
Contents:
1. Colombian Chapter of the People's Permanent Tribunal
The people's permanent tribunal is an international non-governmental organization which is attempting to make permanent something which began in 1966 as the Russel Tribunals about Vietnam and in 1974 challenging the dictators in Latin America. This is a Tribunal which has the opinion that it is important to continually shed light on the impunity which some governments exercise and the resistance of the people against multiple and systematic violations of human rights which they are subject to, and which their countries are internally unable to contain.
The Tribunal which happened from July 21-23 in Bogota, Colombia, where 1500 delegates from Colombia and 70 international experts came together with other peoples of Latin America. This is part of a process which began in Colombia starting in 2005, with 17 national and international audiences, and 6 specialized audiences where more than 30 multinationals have been brought to trial. The central axes of the tribunals are: multinational companies, the theft of natural resources and the dirty war of the Colombian State with the view towards the expropriation and exploitation of natural resources.
The Tribunal condemned the Colombian State, the home offices of the multinationals, their branches in Colombia and those States who have the home offices of the transnational companies in their territories- for the serious and systematic violations of human rights against the people.
Read more (in Spanish):
- Sentencia TPP Sesión Colombia: www.observatoriocolombia.info/
- Día mundial contra las políticas de las multinacionales: http://www.colectivodeabogados.org/article.php3?id_article=1388
- TPP acusa de genocidio a Alvaro Uribe: www.minkandina.org (este vinculo no le veo importancia)
2. The WTO DOHA round
The Ministerial Declaration by the WTO, which happened in November of 2001 was behind what is now called the 'Doha Round'. After 7 years of intense pressure to have an agreement signed, it appears that the Doha agenda is condemned to failure. In the most recent negotiations, which happened on July 21 in Geneva, they were trying to save the international trade agreement. The civil society presence in Geneva helped to alert public opinion as to the deadly implications of the proposals for certain sectors, particularly for developing countries. Industrial countries pressured others to save the round no matter the cost: they conducted prior meetings to discuss strategies, in closed door sessions, with different countries separated out, with the purpose of diluting the 'development round'.
The challenges of the Round demonstrate how positions diametrically opposed impede a negotiation with symmetry. On one side, the industrialized countries with proposals which don't do anything to improve the level of inequalities, and on the other side, the developing countries increasingly more confined by the world economic policies, in detriment to their autonomy and development. At the center of the controversies, the themes of agriculture and services. The accent of the major world crises, food and climate change are completely missing from the agenda.
Read more:
- Trade: Failure of talks a serious setback, admits Lamy: http://www.twnside.org.sg/title2/wto.info/twninfo20080756.htm
- Trade: Schwab still blaming India and China at press briefing: http://www.twnside.org.sg/title2/wto.info/twninfo20080755.htm
- Alerta mundial por las negociaciones:http://www.rmalc.org.mx/index.shtml
- La OMC Ronda de Doha no va a solucionar la crisis alimentaria mundial:
http://www.movimientos.org/cloc/show_text.php3?key=12725 (este vinculo trae iformacion muy secundaria) ensayar owfins
3. The New Constitution project for Ecuador is presented
On Friday June 25th, in the city of Alfaro, Ecuador the new Constitution of Ecuador was presented. It will be submitted to a national referendum on September 28th. There were 94 votes in favor and 32 against it's approval. This closes another chapter in the process which began with a national consultation in April 2007 and has as its primary goal to improve on the neoliberal model which until now has operated in Ecuador.
The new constitution is a product of an inclusive consensus process, which began last November with a National Constituent Assembly made up of people from different sectors of society. The new Constitution recognizes diversity and incorporates two languages as official languages of the country:(Spanish and Quechua). It also expresses it's attempts to find fairness, justice and an eraticating of discriminations.
The Constitution promotes the way of being 'live well' (sumak kaway), the rights of nature, food sovereignty, the declaration of the State as plurinational and the recognition of the languages Quechua and Shuar as "official languages of inter cultural relations". It also recognizes rights of people, the determination of groups for priority attention, the right to water and to communication, among others, which are expressed in the Constitution and represent advances in the history of Ecuador.
Read More:
Asamblea Constituyente entrega nueva constitución: http://www.boliviasoberana.org/blog/_archives/2008/7/25/3810205.html
Nueva Constitución fue entregada por la Constituyente: www.asambleaconstituyente.gov.ec este vinculo no abre
Dos idiomas indígenas son declarados oficiales: http://www.ecuarunari.org/asamblea/no_20080724.html
4. The Recall Referendum in Bolivia
The recall referendum which will happen on August 10, passed by the Senate 80 days ago and approved by Evo Morales will hopefully mark the end of the political crisis which was provoked when State governors from the "Half Moon" provinces (in the eastern half of Bolivia) carried out autonomy referendums. This conflict between the central government, which the opposition considers illegitimate and the governors who are promoting autonomy projects are at the center of why this Recall Referendum is happening.
This initiative has been seriously questioned, as to its legality as well as political and social legitimacy. These debates have gone beyond the national foro, and the opposition has worked to divide supporters, and now is attempting to stop the referendum to the media, while their followers continue supporting the referendum. The publicity this has ignited, and the mobilization by both opposition and supporters has been widespread and promises to be an historic moment for Bolivia and the rest of Latin America.
Leer más:
- El referéndum: http://alainet.org/active/25382〈=es
- OEA descarta fraude: http://alainet.org/active/25361〈=es
- CUT Brasil, solidaria con gobierno Boliviano: http://www.cut.org.br/site/start.cut?infoid=19542&sid=6
5. Civil Society Declaration in defense of services at the WTO
In the framework of attempting to radicalize the liberalization of world trade in the mini-ministerial which happened in the recent Doha Round, the tensions resulted in no agreements being reached in the negotiations. Themes such as agriculture and services are the points of major controversy, where the industrialized countries offered proposals which were not only far from improving the inequalities which exist, they make them more profound.
Civil society organizations who have been observing the negotiations have expressed their concern because of the pressures by the industrialized countries to include as part of the discussions basic services, which are considered vital and have exhorted governments to guarantee these fundamental rights in the developing countries.
One hundred twenty five organizations have denounced that during this round the developing countries have been treated like spectators and convoke these countries to insist in the exclusion of basic services in these negotiations, because they are a threat to the dignity and rights of these countries to decide if they want to participate or not in the negotiations which involve the services sector.
Leer más
-Comunicados de avances en la OMC: www.twnside.org.sg
-Un Nuevo texto de Servicios llama a hacer obligatoria la liberalización en el Acuerdo General de Comercio de Servicios (GATS): http://www.rmalc.org.mx/index.shtml
[0] comments (31 views) | link
| NEXT page |