VALENZUELA: RENEWED FOCUS ON MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS LIVING IN U.S.
This has been a momentous week for Mexican immigrants living in the United States. Two separate, high-profile, meetings took place with U.S.-immigrant leadership in Mexico in order to develop policy in response to the raids, mass deportations of Mexican nationals, and U.S. immigration policy, in general.
Claiming our Rights, Envisioning our Future:
Communities Organizing for Justice
A National Conference for Immigrant & Refugee Rights
Una Conferencia Nacional para los Derechos de las y los Immigrantes y Refugiados
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Jan 18-20, 2008
18–20 de Enero, 2008
Houston, Texas
Come to Houston in January 2008! Help build a shared immigrant rights platform for this critical election year and lift our voices to reframe the national debate towards justice, dignity and human rights.
¡Ven a Houston en enero del 2008! Ayuda a construir una plataforma compartida para los derechos de las y los inmigrantes para este año crítico electoral y alza nuestras voces para mover el debate nacional hacia la justicia, la dignidad y los derechos humanos.
A major protest is being organized by the youth(us) here in Brownsville, Texas and would appreciate if any of you all could come.
If any accommodations for any organization or individual is needed for the trip, don't hesitate to call the number provided.
We will provide signs & bottled water.
You can come and represent your organization or simply come and have a great time for a just cause.
Contributed by:
The Comedy Club!
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La Nueva Raza News
www.lanuevaraza.org
[English below]
Compañeros y compañeras
Les escribimos de la campaña EZLN: El Fuego y la Palabra, para invitarlos a participar en la organización de las actividades que proximamente planeamos realizar en Estados Unidos.
Como muchos de ustedes saben, esta campaña arrancó en México en noviembre del 2003, en el marco del décimo aniversario del levantamiento zapatista y el vigésimo de la fundación del EZLN. Para festejar estas fechas, la revista Rebeldía coordinó la realización de una serie de materiales que próximamente se presentarán en Estados Unidos en versiones actualizadas. Se trata del libro *EZLN: El fuego y la palabra*, que está siendo publicado en Estados Unidos en versiones separadas en inglés y en español (City Lights); una memoria musical integrada por cuatro CDs de ska, reggae, rock, trova y corridos compuestos bajo la influencia de la lucha zapatista; la exposición fotográfica más grande y completa que se haya organizado sobre el zapatismo; una serie de videos sobre su historia y autonomía.
El recorrido de la autora del libro se realizará por regiones de Estados Unidos, en varias etapas, durante el año 2008 y partiendo de California, estado que se visitará del 1 al 15 de febrero. La invitación concreta es a organizar la presentación de alguno o todos los materiales de la Campaña (libro, fotos, memoria musical o videos en sus barrios, foros, espacios comunitarios, universidades, etcétera), con el modesto objetivo de seguir acercando esta lucha a más personas: mexicanos, latinos, chicanos, afroamericanos y otros estadounidenses (entre otros); además de apoyar la construcción de la autonomía de los pueblos zapatistas, que son la columna vertebral de este movimiento.
Estamos enviando esta propuesta a los colectivos adherentes a la Sexta Declaración de la Selva Lacandona en California (para esta primera etapa).
De antemano ofrecemos una disculpa a algún colectivo interesado que por un error involuntario no reciba la presente.
Compas, queda en sus manos esta propuesta, con la esperanza de que la hagan suya y podamos organizar algo jun@s. En archivo adjunto encontrarán más detalles sobre esta invitación, sobre los materiales y la historia de esta campaña de difusión.
En espera de su respuesta, reciban un abrazo donde quiera que se encuentren
Atentamente
Gloria Muñoz (periodista de la revista Rebeldía y del periódico La Jornada)
Campaña El Fuego y la Palabra
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Subject: Invitation to Zapatista collectives in the United States
Compañeros and compañeras,
We're writing to you on behalf of the campaign EZLN: The Fire and the Word, to invite you to participate in organizing the activities we are planning for 2008 in the United States.
As many of you know, this campaign was launched in Mexico in November 2003 during the 10th anniversary of the Zapatista uprising and the 20thanniversary of the foundation of the EZLN. To celebrate those dates, the magazine *Rebeldía *coordinated the development of a series of materials, which will be presented in 2008 in the United States, in updated versions.
The materials are: the book *EZLN: The Fire and the Word*, which is being published in the US in both English and Spanish editions (City Lights); a musical collection composed of four CDs of ska, reggae, rock, trova, and corridos composed with the influence of Zapatista struggle; the largest and most complete photographic exhibit ever organized on Zapatismo; a series of videos on Zapatista history and autonomy.
The book's author will tour various regions of the United States in several stages throughout 2008, starting with California, which will be visited from February 1 to 15. The concrete invitation is to organize the presentation of some or all of the Campaign's materials (book, photos, musical collection, or videos) in your communities, forums, community spaces, universities, etc., with the modest goal of continuing to make this struggle known to more
people: Mexicans, Latinos, Chicanos, Afro-Americans, and other US Americans, (among others); as well as supporting the construction of autonomy of the Zapatista communities, which are the foundation of this movement.
We are sending this proposal to those collectives which have adhered to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle in California (at this first stage). We apologize in advance to any interested collective which, due to an involuntary mistake, may not receive this proposal.
Compas, the proposal is in your hands. We hope that you will make it yours and that we will be able to organize something together. Attached you will find more details on this invitation, on the materials, and on the history of this campaign.
We look forward to your response and we send you greetings wherever you are.
Sincerely,
Gloria Muñoz (journalist for the magazine Rebeldía and the daily La Jornada)
Campaign The Fire and the Word
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INVITATION TO ZAPATISTA COLLECTIVES IN THE UNITED STATES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CAMPAIGN EZLN: THE FIRE AND THE WORD
In November 2003, within the context of the 20th anniversary of the foundation of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) and the 10th anniversary of the indigenous insurrection that shook the world, the Mexican magazine Rebeldía coordinated the Campaign EZLN: 20 and 10, The Fire and the Word.
Within the framework of these two anniversaries, a series of materials was developed that gathered works created by painters, photographers, video makers, and musicians from around the world who have been influenced by Zapatista discourse and practice. Additionally, a book on the history of the EZLN, with the same title as the campaign, was presented together with the largest and most emblematic photographic exhibit in the history of Zapatismo, the most representative musical memory of this first decade of political struggle, and a video that, like the book, brings together pieces of that history.
The appearance of the EZLN represents a turning point that does not end and that continues being reinvented. The materials that make up the campaign The Fire and the Word tell the story of the days and years that shook the world. By recapitulating and documenting this history in progress, the book, the video, the photographs, and the musical collection try to become tools with the modest (and ambitious) goal of continuing to bring home this history, especially for youths who in 1994 were only children and who today try to find different ways of seeing the world.
In four years (from 2003 to 2007), the Campaign EZLN: The Fire and the Word has been presented in various countries and in various languages. In that period it traveled through over 150 cities of Greece, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Austria, Turkey, Switzerland, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, with presentations of the book The Fire and the Word in its various translations, the video and the musical collection with the same name, and the photographic exhibit “69 Gazes against Polyphemus.”
In addition to the above presentations, which were organized directly by the magazine Rebeldía and by collectives and organizations from each country, a number of events were put together as part of this campaign in 33 countries of the five continents, in a period of only two months.
THE CAMPAIGN IN THE UNITED STATES
Throughout 2008, updated versions the materials will be presented in several regions of the US, using as a pretext the publication of the book The Fire and the Word: a history of the EZLN, in both English and Spanish versions, by City Lights.
The general proposal is to present the book, the video, the photographic exhibit, and the musical collection at various events during different stages, just like it has been organized in other countries, with several tours by the book’s author accompanied by activists and collectives that are interested in the Zapatista movement. At each location the author will contact universities, collectives, and organizations interested in organizing presentations of one or more of the materials. It may be just the book, or a concert with the musical collection, or the book and the photographic exhibit, or the video and the book, all of this depending on the interest and proposals of the organizers and the spaces they choose.
It is important to note that all potential profits, both from the sale of the materials (book and musical collection) and from the events organized (conferences at universities, concerts, or any other event) will be destined to finance projects of the Zapatista Good Government Boards, as has been the case in all tours organized in other countries. Both the Good Government Boards and the Zezta Internazional (the Zapatistas’ international initiative), as well as organizers of other presentations around the world, may confirm the delivery of these funds.
Finally, it is important to clarify that the campaign EZLN: The Fire and the Word is not organized by the EZLN, but by people and collectives in solidarity. The intention is not to represent or to substitute the voice of the Zapatistas, but merely to make known a history of rebellion that, for many of us, is still an alternative. Both the Good Government Boards and the Zezta Internazional are aware of these activities, but we in no way represent them or make contacts or create connections in their name.
Proposed Calendar
California: February 1 to 17, 2008
Chicago and surrounding areas: April (dates to be confirmed)
New York and surrounding areas: June (dates to be confirmed)
Washington and surrounding areas: September (dates to be confirmed)
Border states other than California: November (dates to be confirmed)
MATERIALS OF THE CAMPAIGN EZLN: THE FIRE AND THE WORD
Book: The Fire and the Word: a history of the EZLN
Four years after its publication in Mexico, the book The Fire and the Word, written by Gloria Muñoz Ramírez, is released in the United States in an updated version and in two separate editions, in English and Spanish, both of them published by City Lights.
The original edition draws a landscape composed of pieces of the history of the Zapatista movement from its creation, in November 1988, to the birth of the Good Government Boards in August 2003. The introduction and the prologue were written by Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos, military chief and spokesman of the EZLN, who in an extensive interview also evaluates the first decade of Zapatista struggle and resistance. The English and Spanish U.S. editions of The Fire and the Word have two additional texts that bring the book up to date and help answer the question: “What are the Zapatistas doing now?”
The first addendum is a series of reports by the author on the five Zapatista regions of Chiapas. According to Carlos Montemayor—president of the jury that honored the reports with the José Martí Latin American Journalism Award—it is “a series that reveals the political and social complexity of an indigenous autonomous movement—the EZLN—in today’s America.”
The reports were first published as a special supplement for the 20th anniversary of the Mexican daily La Jornada in September 2004, under the title “Chiapas, the Resistance.” They reveal the daily challenge faced by thousands of Zapatista men, women, and children in their everyday construction of autonomy; that is, as they forge their own destiny.
The new epilogue to the US editions was written by the book’s author and by Hermann Bellinghausen, renowned Mexican writer and journalist who has been covering the war in Chiapas since its beginnings. Bellinghausen is undoubtedly among the journalists who most thoroughly knows and understands Mexico’s indigenous movements.
The epilogue deals with the current stage of the Zapatista movement, set forth in the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle, published in June 2005. Its national component initiated a tour through “deep Mexico”—Mexico from below and on the left. The objective was to develop a national plan of struggle and a new Constitution. This initiative, which was called The Other Campaign, spanned Mexico and crossed the northern border to reinvent the map, creating what the Zapatistas call The Other Geography—one without walls, which has become a new territory where Mexicans and Chicanos encounter one another across artificially imposed barriers. This Other Geography finds echoes around the globe because, by refusing to recognize borders, it recognizes systemic problems that affect all who struggle from below for justice and dignity in any country of the world. This is basis of the international component of the Sixth Declaration, better known as the Zezta Internazional, which is delineated in this epilogue through its recent initiatives.
Since its first Mexican edition, the book The Fire and the Word has traveled the world. It has been translated into French, Italian, German, Turkish, Persian, and Greek, and published in separate Spanish-language editions in Spain, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. It is also currently being translated for publication in Russian, Portuguese, and Japanese.
In the last four years The Fire and the Word has been presented in approximately 150 cities of Spain, Greece, Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Turkey, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, by social leaders, activists, intellectuals, and scholars from various parts of the world, including Subcomandante Marcos, Nobel laureate José Saramago, Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano, Catalonian writer Ramón Chao, French sociologist Yvon Le Bot, the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo from Argentina, and the Mapuche Indians of Chile, among others.
The exhibit “69 Gazes against Polyphemus” is undoubtedly the most complete and emblematic photographic collection on the Zapatista movement (and one of the largest collective exhibits presented in Mexico on any topic). In it, 68 photographers from around the world and an anti-photographer (Subcomandante Marcos) offer 137 images covering the EZLN’s first decade of public struggle (from 1994 to 2004). The immense effort of gathering and selecting the works was undertaken by photographer Yuriria Pantoja.
According to Mexican photographer Pablo Ortiz Monasterio, “the true authors of this exhibit are not the 69 photographers—an undoubtedly evocative number. The Zapatistas soon understood the power of images and adopted them as a weapon to make themselves felt and seen, and to show the world that this other reality exists.”
Subcomandante Marcos, military chief and spokesman of the EZLN, who participates in this exhibit as presenter and, for the first time, as photographer, states: “A photograph is a gaze. And a gaze is a way of illuminating something. Like the sun, these photographers’ lenses illuminate various moments of Zapatismo. They do not encompass, nor do they pretend to, the entirety of their subject. They are honest and they declare with their gaze that they only see a part of it. But that is precisely their main virtue, because it allows us to interrogate their gaze and ask ourselves what is not seen. With those answers we begin to complete the jigsaw puzzle of gazes that neo-Zapatismo has been claiming since that cold early morning at the beginning of 1994.”
The photographers that participate in this collective exhibit—who, as a side note, paid the setup costs for their own photographs—are: Sebastião Salgado, Antonio Turok, Eniac Martínez, Fabricio León, Pedro Valtierra, Francisco Mata, Raúl Ortega, Adrián Mealand, Alberto Contreras, Alejandro Meléndez, Alfredo Estrella, Angeles Torrejón, Araceli Herrera, Arturo Fuentes, Arturo Talavera, Carlos Cisneros, Carlos Ramos Mamahua, Cecilia Candelaria, Claudio Cruz, Cristina Rodríguez, Eduardo Verdugo, Elsa Medina, Emiliano Thibaut, Erik Meza. Ernesto Ramírez, Félix Cúneo, Fernando Castillo, Fernando Luna, Fernando Villa del Ángel, Francisco Olvera, Fred Jacquemont, Frida Hartz, Georges Bartoli, Gildardo Magaña, Guiomar Rovira, Heriberto Rodríguez, Javier García, Jesús Ramírez, Jesús Villaseca, Jorge Claro, José Ángel Rodríguez, José Carlo González, José Núñez, Juan Ramón Martínez León, Julio Candelaria, Leonor Solís, Lourdes Grobet, Luis Cortés, Luis Jorge Gallegos, Marco Antonio Cruz, Marco Peláez, Marco Ugarte, María Meléndrez, Omar Meneses, Oriana Eliçabe, Pasqual Gorriz, Patricia Aridjis, Paulo Vidales, Rafael Seguí i Serres, Ricardo Deneke, Rosaura Pozos, Simona Granatti, Tim Risso, Víctor Flores Olea, Víctor Mendiola, Xóchitl Zepeda, Yazmín Ortega Cortés, Yolanda Andrade, Yuriria Pantoja and the anti-photographer Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos.
The Photographic Exhibit in the United States
For its presentation in the United States, new images will be included in the exhibit, covering Zapatista autonomy and the Zapatistas’ current initiatives, within the framework of the Other Campaign and the Zezta Internazional.
The exhibit was set up in two formats. A professional format with photographs measuring 40.64 x 50.80 cm and a smaller format laminated in plastic, easier to handle, transport, and present. For the US tour, we propose to bring from Mexico a selection of approximately 40 photographs in the professional format, and the entire exhibit in the smaller, more manageable format.
The professional exhibit should be presented in a closed space with large walls or dividers appropriately set up for hanging with nails. A total of 40 meters are needed. In the case of sufficiently tall walls, two rows of photographs may be placed together.
Installing the exhibit requires time and effort, so we recommend setting it up in places where the exhibit may remain three or four days. Ideally, the same space would be used to present the video or the book. The exhibit in the plastic format can be placed in public spaces: plazas, school patios, gardens, etc. The photographs have holes that allow them to be hung with strings. They are also easily attached to any kind of wall.
Any social movement that leaves its mark on time has its background music: its songs, anthems, a soundtrack. In other words, the sounds that capture and evoke its spirit. The national and international mobilization generated by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) has its own music, and it was gathered in a four-CD collection edited by the magazine Rebeldía with the title The Fire and the Word.
The collection gathers 82 songs that talk about and celebrate the Zapatista uprising and its social and political impact. The collection and selection was done by Ignacio Pineda and remastered in the studios of Foro Alicia, an emblematic center of Mexico City’s Zapatismo. Each CD in the collection has a different title: Fire, The Word, Resistance, Dignity.
For the version presented in the United States, a fifth CD is being planned, composed of groups and musicians on this side of the border who have been inspired by Zapatismo.
Fire, explains Pineda, contains “international groups that have been supporting the Zapatista cause: Basque, French, Spanish, Chilean, Argentine, Brazilian, Venezuelan, Chicano and other US American.” It includes names such as Fermín Muguruza, Mano Negra, Sargento García, Manu Chao, Hechos Contra el Decoro, Aztlán Underground, Kortátu…
The Word includes Mexican or international authors and composers that, while not necessarily alluding directly to the Zapatista movement, reflect the social context within which the EZLN arises and evolves. The volume contains songs by Lila Downs, Café Tacuba, Joaquín Sabina, León Chávez Texeiro Arturo Meza, Gerardo Enciso, León Gieco, Rafael Catana, Pedro Guerra, Real de Catorce, and Nina Galindo, among others.
The third CD, Resistance, contains Mexican ska and reggae groups that, contrary to the trends established by the large commercial music industry, combine their musical creation with social commitment: Salario Mínimo, Los Rastrillos, La Tremenda Korte, Tijuana No, Panteón Rococó, Salón Victoria, La Sonora Skandalera, and Maldita Vecindad.
Dignity, the fourth CD, includes musicians from Zapatista communities in mixed and remastered field recordings. In this CD, the protagonists of one of the most important social movements in recent years tell a musical chronicle of their own struggle, especially through cumbias and corridos. The musicians include insurgents, comandantes, and bases of support of the EZLN.
The musical memory The Fire and the Word has been distributed in Mexico, Spain, Italy, France, Greece, and Germany. Ann additional CD is being planned for the version presented in the United States, bringing together part of the music that Mexicans, Chicanos, and other US Americans have produced on this side of the border.
We propose presenting this collection in small or large concerts, with the participation of groups and singers in solidarity, according to the possibilities and resources of the organizers.
The following is the content of the four CDs (without the additional disk that will probably be included, with music and songs from this side of the border).
VOLUME 1
FIRE
1. Fermín Muguruza; Brigadistak
2. Hechos Contra el Decoro; Un mundo donde quepan muchos mundos
3. Banda Bassotti; El pueblo unido jamás será vencido
4. Amparanoia; Somos Viento
5. Arpioni; Zapata
6. Segarroi; Begi estalitako indioa
7. Todos tus muertos; Alerta guerrillas
8. Aztlán Underground; Revolution
9. 99 Posse; Resiste Chiapas
10. Chico Science a nacao zumbi; Monólogo a opéido ouvido
11. Mano Negra; Long long nite
12. Sargento García; Qué palique
13. La Banda de la Banana Voladora; Casas de cartón
14. Ozomatli; Guerrillero
15. Dusminguet; Babilonia
16. Quetzal; Todos somos Ramonas
17. Dr. Calypso; Brigadistes internacionals
18. Kortátu; La línea del frente
19. Los Miserables; Corrido Zapatista
20. Cojón Prieto y Los Guajolotes; Carcelero
21. Manu Chao; Clandestino
22. Flor de Fango; Zapatista Anthem
VOLUME 2
THE WORD
1. Rockdrigo González; Tiempos híbridos
2. León Chávez Teixeiro; En esta ciudad
3. Arturo Meza; La rebeldía de la luz
4. Café Tacuba; Flores de color de la mentira
5. Gerardo Enciso; Daga
6. Marina Rosell; Emiliano Zapata
7. Ismael Serrano, México Insurgente
8. Roberto González; Ramona
9. León Gieco; Sr. Durito y yo
10. Santiago Feliú; Declaración de principios
11. Leticia Servín; Cachos
12. Rafael Catana; Pueblo de patinetas
13. Pedro Guerra; Contra el Poder
14. Joaquín Sabina;Como un dolor de muelas
15. Real de Catorce; Crecimiento cero
16. Vicente Feliú; Preguntas desde un ocho de marzo
17. Guillermo Velázquez; Para que conste
18. Lila Downs; Smog
19. Santiago Behm; Donde el hierro mata
20. Durito y Los Twin Tones; Moraleja
21. Nina Galindo; Zapatista Anthem
VOLUME 3
RESISTANCE
1. Salario Mínimo; Zapatista Anthem
2. Los Rastrillos; Vaya
3. La Yaga; Libertadores del Babylon
4. Nana Pancha; Wake Up
5. La Tremenda Korte; Yo no vengo
6. Salario Mínimo; Declaración de Principios
7. Bosquimanos; El fantasma del sur
8. Antidoping; Planeta
9. Tijuana No; Transgresores de la Ley
10. La Secta Kore; Insurgente
11. Panteón Rococó; Marcos Hall
12. Salón Victoria; Zapata Bophal
13. La Sonora Skandalera; Sin rostro
14. Maldita Vecindad y los hijos del quinto patio; El barzón
15. Los de Abajo; Tiempos muertos
16. Mescalito; Cosa buena
17. La Comuna; En los brazos de Babylon
18. La Revuelta Propia; Yo Digo No
19. Panteón Rococó; Gracias compañeros musicales
VOLUME 4
DIGNITY
1. Dos Vientos de Voz y Fuego; Mañanitas Revolucionarias
2. Dos Vientos de Voz y Fuego; Zapatista Anthem
3. Dos Vientos de Voz y Fuego; Combate de Ocosingo
4. Perseguidos Magonistas; Toma de Ocosingo
5. Dos Vientos de Voz y Fuego; Porque esto ya comenzó
6. Colectivo Polho; Ven, ven, ven
7. Jóvenes Zapatistas del Sur; Héroes y Mártires
8. Jóvenes Zapatistas del Sur; Año de 94
9. La Comandancia; No nos dejaremos
10. Dos Vientos de Voz y Fuego; Fundación del Municipio
11. Grupo 17 de noviembre; Compañeros Insurgentes
12. Dos Vientos de Voz y Fuego; Solicitando Parcela
13. Los Continuadores de los Veteranos del Sur; Primero de Enero
14. Los Relámpagos del Norte de Chiapas; Placas inolvidables
15. Trío Montaña; El Insurgente
16. Trío Montaña; La Cumbia del Insurgente
17. Trío Montaña; 17 de Noviembre
18. Los Magonistas Perseguidos; Traición del 95
19. Los Magonistas Perseguidos; El deber de las Mujeres
20. El Comandante David; Corrido de la Selva
21. Colectivo Musical de San José del Río; Diana Revolucionaria
The Fire and the Word is a collective work that brings together dozens of voices and faces, but not just those of the leaders. One of the most important aspects of this video is that it focuses on the least visible characters that make Zapatismo possible. The idea is for people to realize that the Zapatista struggle is a long-term movement that stays alive and keeps moving beyond current political contexts.
It is a story made up of images of small stories: a dance party, a theater piece, a soccer game, an army helicopter hovering over the village, a march of torches; previously unpublished scenes of the uprising in San Cristóbal de las Casas on January 1, 1994, of the tragedy at Acteal, of uprooted communities, of armed conflicts… “fragmentary and apparently local” stories traversed by a thread of coherence that give weight and drama to their political presence in the world and legitimizes their struggle of resistance.
This hour and a half video, in DVD format, has been subtitled into French, Greek, German, and English, and the intention is to present it in the US, whether for sale or simply for viewing, at any location chosen by interested collectives or universities.
Other videos are also proposed for presentation, produced by autonomous video makers from Zapatista communities. They are videos of various lengths in DVD format (15, 20, or 30 minutes), and they deal with topics such as the defense of the land, women’s struggles, and other aspects of Zapatista autonomy.
Folks:
Due to problems with scheduling at the UU Fellowship of Hidalgo County, the previously announced meeting for the founding of the RGV chapter of the ACLU has been moved to Friday, December 14 @ 7PM.
Please forgive any inconvenience this may have caused. Hope to see you there!
In Solidarity,
Erik Toren
Dear Friends,
As concerned community residents, Nadezhda Garza and I are taking the initial steps toward founding a Rio Grand Valley American Civil Liberties Union chapter. ACLU chapters are volunteer-led ACLU branches to the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas that address civil rights and civil liberties issues affecting local communities, represent the ACLU in local matters, and maintain an ACLU presence in communities across the state.
After the horrendous events of Sept. 11, many of us have also been horrified at the further erosion of civil liberties and human rights in our country and in our local communities. From the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base detention camps to our own local detention centers, from the use of torture on detainees to the flagrant assault on immigrants, we are ready to take on the task of participating in activities and events to help preserve our rights as our nation’s leaders seek solutions to today’s political questions, and we are asking you to join in.
Please join us for our first meeting:
Date and Time: Friday, December 14, at 7pm
Location: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hidalgo County Bldg. located at
1401 S. Nebraska Avenue in San Juan.
If you are unable to attend, but still excited about taking part in this effort to organize and defend our civil liberties and human rights, please contact me at by phone or email listed below.
Thank you so much, I am looking forward to creating a strong ACLU and strengthening the defense of civil liberties here in the Valley!
In Liberty,
Erik Torén
Contributed by:
Erik Toren
Valley World Peace Alliance
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La Nueva Raza News
www.lanuevaraza.org
By new orleans indymedia team Friday, Nov. 16, 2007 at 8:12 PM
Many activists believe New Orleans is a test ground for the US Government to demolish public housing across the nation and replace it with "mixed-income" developments that would displace thousands of families.
Pledge to come to New Orleans and resist this privatization of public housing!
Yesterday the Housing Authority of New Orleans backed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development of the Federal Government told the federal judge hearing the public housing lawsuit that the demolition of all four complexes will start in mid-December.
In a grassroots email campaign, People's Hurricane Relief Fund (PHRF) and Survivor's Village issued this call for national supporters to pledge that they will come to New Orleans to defend public housing with their bodies:
"I Pledge"
We ask that all those interested in coming to New Orleans to contact us before making the journey. We need to ensure that everyone coming is registered, properly orientated and trained in order to partake in this act of resistance in the manner determined by the local leaders and residents. Please contact us via email at action@peopleshurricane.org, with the word "registration" in the subject line. Also, please include the following information:
Name:
Affinity Group/Organization (if applicable):
Phone:
Email:
Have you ever received any training in civil disobedience?
What skills/resources are you able to bring to New Orleans?
All making this pledge must be advised of the following:
1. As of now we do not know exactly when the demolition orders will be given. We hope to have this information within at least 48 hours of the scheduled demolition to contact you and give you sufficient time to act (including travel for residents and allies coming in from out of town). 2.
Given the limited timeframe and resources of the various organizations spearheading this fight back, access to the following will be limited:
* Legal counsel and aid. All effort is and will be made to provide adequate legal support, but the reality is that it is limited at present.
* Lodging and food. Again, given the uncertain timeline and limited resources, housing venues are presently limited, but all effort will be made to support all those making this bold pledge.
(PHRF) at 504.301.0215 or info@peopleshurricane.org or Survivors Village at 504.239.2907 or survivorsvillage@gmail.com.
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We Are All Journalists
Dont hate the Media, Be the Media
Dear Friends,
We invite you to submit a workshop proposal for the upcoming National Conference on Immigrant and Refugee Rights in Houston, TX, January 18-20, 2008. The complete guidelines and criteria, along with the workshop proposal form, can be found online at: http://www.nnirr.org/resources/docs/NNIRRCallforWorkshopProposals-FINAL2.pdf
In response to many of your requests for fundraising assistance, we have recently put together a Grassroots Fundraising Guide to Support Local Conference Participation, available at: http://www.nnirr.org/action/docs/GrassrootsFundraisingGuideforConference08.pdf
In Peace,
NNIRR
*****************************************
Estimadas compañeras y compañeros,
Les invitamos a hacer una propuesta de taller para la conferencia nacional para los derechos de las y los inmigrantes y refugiados en Houston, TX, 18-20 de enero, 2008. Se puede encontrar los criterios y lineamientos para las propuestas, asi como el Formulario de Propuestas, en: http://www.nnirr.org/resources/docs/Convocatoria-talleres-FINAL3.pdf
Respondiendo a los pedidos de apoyo economico, hemos redactado un guía para la recaudación de fondos de bases para apoyar su participación en la conferencia haga clic en: http://www.nnirr.org/action/docs/GrassrootsFundraisingGuideforConference08.pdf
Por la paz y la justicia,
NNIRR
Contributed by:
Maria Jimenez
Houston Youth Coalition
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La Nueva Raza News
www.lanuevaraza.org
Giuliani: "We could end illegal immigration"
http://www.themonit
s.html
Sara Perkins
November 19, 2007 - 8:56AM
MISSION - With Mission police cruisers parked behind him, border
patrol boats swarming in the background, and Winter Texans standing
on tiptoe to grab photos on their cell phone cameras, Republican
presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani struck an upbeat note Monday on
the possibility of ending illegal immigration.
Having seen the border during a short tour through Mission and
McAllen, Giuliani said seeing the Rio Grande reassured him that a
border fence -- part electronic, part metal -- could reduce illegal
border crossings.
"If we had the national will, we could end illegal immigration and
expand legal immigration,
The former New York mayor stopped at Chimney Park, an RV park along
the Rio Grande, before heading to a private fundraiser at the
McAllen Country Club.
Giuliani is a strong advocate of a border fence. "There's some
places where a physical fence would work, some places a virtual
fence would work. ... In some ways, the virtual fence is more
valuable," he said.
When asked how he would secure the section of the border around the
park, Giuliani said a system of night-vision and heat-seeking
cameras trained on the Mexican bank of the Rio Grande could alert
Border Patrol to movement without restricting American use of the
river.
Chimney Park has a boat ramp and is a frequent site of illegal
crossings in both directions.
"It's about prediction," he said. "The border patrol is trying to
guess where people are going to cross. This system would make that
guess more strategic, better informed."
A camera system "doesn't mean you're going to pick up every single
one of them, but you learn from it."
Eventually, he said, "you change behavior. People realize they can't
cross there anymore."
J.R. Lewis, a resident of the park, said he got a chance to greet
Giuliani before the candidate's brief press conference. "When I
shook his hand, I told him he's got my vote," he said.
Other residents said he hadn't answered all their questions.
"I wanted to know if he wanted to make English the national
language," said Ed Augustine.
JoAnn Birchare, a winter Texan from Iowa, said she is planning to
vote for Sen. Hillary Clinton. However, "if it would be a
Republican, he would probably be the best one," she said of
Giuliani.
Looking across the park's shuffleboard courts toward the river, she
said, "I don't understand how (the virtual fence) is going to work."
"Where's the money going to come from?"
Giuliani and a phalanx of staffers and traveling press arrived in
McAllen around 10:30 last night and stayed at Casa de Palmas.
Watch themonitor.com for updates on Giuliani's visit, as well as
photos and video from his morning events.
ORGANIZATIONAL SIGN-ON LETTER OPPOSING SHULER-TANCREDO BILL
WE NEED REAL SOLUTIONS, NOT MORE FALSE PROMISES
Dear Advocates of Immigration Reform,
Representative Heath Shuler, Democrat from North Carolina, announced plans to introduce new immigration legislation called the “Secure America with Immigration and Enforcement” or SAVE Act. Everyone recognizes that our immigration system is broken. Unfortunately, this bill offers a false solution to a real problem. Our leadership in Congress should focus on making our immigration system more efficient, effective and fair rather than grasping for false promises.
Please sign your organization onto the letter below – it’s time for Congress to stop playing politics with immigration and give the country what it needs: immigration reform that makes us safer, protects all workers, and upholds our values.
To sign on, send email Jessica Luevano at jluevano@cirnow.org, and please indicate how you would like your organization’s name listed.
DEADLINE: TUE 11/27 at 5pm ET.
SIGN-ON LETTER
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Member of Congress:
We, the undersigned organizations, write to express our strong opposition to H.R. 4088. The Secure America through Verification and Enforcement Act, introduced by Representatives Heath Shuler and Tom Tancredo, among others, offers a false promise to the American people and will not solve the issue of undocumented immigration.
We demand more from our leaders in Congress than harsh rhetoric and ineffective solutions. Congress needs to fix our immigration system in a smart way, not just throw more money at the problem. For the past twenty years, the Federal government has dramatically increased immigration enforcement and yet, enforcement-alone has not worked to stem undocumented immigration. There are now more than 12 million undocumented immigrants living and working in this country. They are here because our economy is beckoning them and because we do not have a channel for hard-working people to come here legally. Yet, the Shuler-Tancredo bill does nothing to address that, nor the devastation that this broken system creates: exploited workers, thousands of deaths in the desert, and over three million U.S. citizen children living in constant fear that their parents will be deported.
These problems exist because Congress has ignored reality and failed to update our immigration laws. Unfortunately, H.R. 4088 is not a solution or even a stop-gap measure. If enacted, it would simply make a bad situation worse, providing a windfall to bad employers by making workers more exploitable, pushing them deeper underground and off the tax rolls. It would harm U.S. workers displaced by the flawed employment verification program, and waste even more U.S. tax dollars trying to detain and deport peaceful workers instead of focusing in on those who mean us harm.
H.R. 4088 is a misguided political response to a policy problem where voters already have spoken. The vast majority of Americans think that rounding up and deporting 12 million undocumented immigrants is a fantasy and a waste of federal dollars. Furthermore, Americans do not want to wait an estimated 91 years and spend the projected $200 billion it would take, to round undocumented immigrants who are mostly hard-working people. They want real solutions. H.R. 4088 is not only about preserving the failed status quo on immigration, but about intensifying its negative effects. We urge Congressional leaders from both parties to get to work and pass the type of immigration reform legislation that addresses the issue at its root, not ineffective laws that waste resources and offer false promises to the American people.
Respectfully,
[organizations]
Regards,
Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
From Pamela Mann
RESEARCHER NEEDED FOR PBS DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT OF THE 1950S
We need a researcher to do a day or two (or maybe more) of picture and document research for A CLASS APART, a new documentary for PBS about the Hernandez v. Texas Supreme Court case of 1954 and the post WWII Mexican American civil rights movement. A CLASS APART is directed by Carlos Sandoval ("Farmingville") and is a production of Camino Bluff Productions. More info about the film is at www.caminobluff.com
We're in the middle of editing the film and are looking for some images (photos, documents, etc.) to help bring the story to life. We're in New York City and it's hard for us to come to Texas, so we're hoping to hire a student or other Austin-based researcher who can find us what we need in the Benson Latin American Collection and possibly other parts of the University of Texas Library. We will provide very specific guidance and a reasonable stipend for the work.
---------------------------------------------------------
Pamela Mann
Librarian for U.S. Latino Studies and the Caribbean
Benson Latin American Collection
The University of Texas Libraries
-- Center for Mexican American Studies
The University of Texas at Austin
West Mall Building 5.102
1 University Station F9200
Austin, TX 78712
(512)471-4557
(512)471-9639 fax
cmas@uts.cc.utexas.edu
www.utexas.edu/depts/cmas
*INFORME DE LA SENADORA ROSARIO IBARRA A LA CONVENCIÓN NACIONAL
DEMOCRÁTICA (CND) SOBRE LA SITUACIÓN DE LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS EN MÉXICO
EL DOMINGO 18 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2007 EN EL ZÓCALO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO**
**
Compañeros y compañeras:
El gobierno usurpador está haciendo terrible daño en todos los terrenos
de la vida del pueblo mexicano. Ya se han explicado las consecuencias en
lo económico y en lo social, pero como se trata de un gobierno sin
legitimidad, que además quiere imponer una política antipopular, ha
abierto un curso de represión y violación de derechos humanos muy
grave. Un curso de enorme peligro al que, además, hay que frenar para
continuar en mejores condiciones con nuestra lucha en defensa del
gobierno legítimo que encabeza Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Este curso se expresa en varios puntos que ahora resumo:
*La militarizació
saca a los soldados de los cuarteles para darles tareas de policías con
el pretexto de la guerra al narcotráfico. Al imponer la presencia del
ejército en todas partes, busca acostumbrar a la población a su nuevo
papel e intimidar la protesta social. Con la presencia del Ejército se
solapan las violaciones a derechos humanos cometidas por militares como
lo muestran los casos de Zongolica, los asesinatos en Sinaloa y
Michoacán y las violaciones y humillaciones sexuales como en Castaños,
Coahuila y de nuevo en Zongolica con la agresión a la señora Ernestina
que continúa el maltrato a mujeres indígenas que ya habíamos visto en
Chiapas y otros estados. Por eso hemos reclamado insistentemente en el
Congreso que se elimine el llamado fuero de guerra.
.
*La generalizació
humillaciones sexuales* a mujeres y hombres que son hechos presos como
vimos en Atenco y en Oaxaca. No se trata de perversiones de policías o
soldados como casos individuales, sino de una política en que se ofrece,
en cada represión, el cuerpo de las mujeres como botín de guerra, como
hacen ejércitos de ocupación en otras partes del mundo. Este trato
violatorio de los derechos de los presos políticos incluye el regreso a
la práctica porfiriana del traslado de estos a cárceles lejanas que
dificulten su defensa, como lo vimos en Oaxaca.
* *
*Hay un incesante crecimiento del número de presos políticos.* Se dice
que hay ahora más presos políticos que en años terribles como el de
1969, inmediatamente después de la represión al movimiento del 68.
Requerimos la ayuda de todos para completar un censo confiable del
número de presos políticos y su situación en todo el país.
* Regresa amenazante la práctica de la desaparición forzada de
personas.* En todos estos años no ha dejado de haber desaparecidos
políticos y sigue sin hacerse justicia en cuanto al saldo mayor de
desaparecidos de los años 70 y 80, pero en los últimos meses vemos la
tendencia de volver a hacerlo, como una política general. Muestra de
ello son las denuncias del EPR de la desaparición de dos de sus
militantes desde hace meses o la desaparición de Francisco Paredes Ruiz
en Morelia, Michoacán, a fines de septiembre.
*Hay un intento de legalizar lo ilegal*. Así como en Estados Unidos
buscan justificar la tortura en Guantánamo o en Abu Grahib con reformas
legales, en México los traidores a la patria también quieren restringir
derechos. En abril pasado aprobaron lo que se conoce como ley contra el
terrorismo, copia del /Patriot Act/ de Estados Unidos, que apunta a
criminalizar la protesta social. Ahora mismo está a debate la llamada
reforma judicial propuesta por el usurpador, con la que se que busca
legalizar la intercepción telefónica, cateos y detenciones sin órdenes
judiciales para ello y otras reformas que desconozcan derechos
conquistados por el pueblo mexicano, incluido limitar el derecho de
manifestación.
*Hay ataques también a los defensores de derechos humanos*. Es decir, la
represión no se limita ahora a los activistas, luchadores sociales o
militantes de oposición o aquellos a los que las autoridades suponen que
lo son, sino que también atacan ahora a defensores de derechos humanos y
a los abogados de los presos, limitándoles sus derechos.
La subordinación a la política de Estados Unidos por parte del gobierno
usurpador también lleva a permitir *la intromisión y actuación de
fuerzas armadas y policíacas extranjeras* en México, como se ha
denunciado con motivo de la Iniciativa Mérida, el diseño un Plan México
similar al Plan Colombia e incluso la actuación de agentes colombianos
en suelo mexicano.
Como consecuencia lógica de todo lo anterior *se mantiene la impunidad*
en crímenes políticos cometidos no sólo por el gobierno usurpador, sino
por los crímenes pasados del priíato y que la derecha demagógicamente
dijo que resolvería. Sigue la impunidad en cuanto al 2 de octubre, al 10
de junio, los desaparecidos de los 70 y 80, Acteal, El Charco, Aguas
Blancas, el Bosque y muchos más casos de antes y ahora.
Ante la gravedad de esta situación es que propusimos volver a crear un
Frente Nacional Contra la Represión (FNCR), como hicimos a fines de los
70. Así, el pasado 2 de octubre formalizamos con el apoyo de más de 100
organizaciones, entre ellas de la Coordinación de la Convención Nacional
Democrática, el FNCR. Estamos convencidos de que la posibilidad de poner
un alto a la represión y violación a los derechos humanos depende de que
logremos la unidad más amplia de todas las fuerzas sociales y políticas
interesadas y evitar que cada quien siga luchando por separado por sus
presos y en contra de la represión. Por lo menos eso nos dice la
experiencia histórica si recordamos que a fines de los años 70
conseguimos así una amnistía para más de mil 500 presos, la libertad de
148 desaparecidos, la cancelación dos mil de órdenes de aprehensión y el
regreso de los exiliados.
La necesidad de que nos unamos contra la represión es evidente Hay que
decir, que. el Frente Nacional Contra la Represión no pretende sustituir
o suplantar a ninguna de las organizaciones existentes o espacios de
coordinación; es la unificación en torno a objetivos muy precisos por la
defensa de derechos humanos, que respeta la autonomía y práctica de
todas las organizaciones integrantes, que no pretende tener una
representació
de una nueva organización. Es un frente necesario de muchos que somos
diferentes, pero que nos une la defensa de los derechos humanos y la
lucha contra la represión. Por eso necesitamos que la fuerza de la
Convención Nacional Democrática se integre ahí y respalde también los
esfuerzos del Frente Nacional Contra la Represión.
Lo hacemos con el criterio de que los presos y desaparecidos de otros
compañeros son también nuestros presos y desaparecidos. No hacemos
exclusiones ni tenemos criterios sectarios que expresen que sólo
luchamos por nuestros presos o hacemos un frente exclusivo de una fuerza
política. Por lo mismo el compromiso del FNCR es luchar contra toda
forma de represión, venga de donde venga, de cualquier nivel de gobierno
o de cualquier color político. Así como nos hemos manifestado contra la
PFP en Atenco o Oaxaca, contra el usurpador disfrazado ridículamente de
militar, contra criminales como Luis Echeverría Álvarez, Ulises Ruiz,
Peña Nieto o Mario Marín, lo hemos hecho también contra gobiernos como
el de Chiapas o el de Zeferino Torreblanca en Guerrero, que ha reprimido
a los estudiantes de Ayotzinapa y a los opositores a la presa en La
Parota. Nuestro compromiso indeclinable es defender los derechos humanos.
Por eso discutimos ya sobre la conveniencia de impulsar una amnistía
general. En varios casos de presos políticos se han agotado las
instancias legales en el reclamo de su libertad y la amnistía parece ser
la única forma institucional para lograr su liberación. Son los casos,
por ejemplo, de los Hermanos Cerezo o de las brutales sentencias a 67
años de cárcel para Ignacio del Valle y sus dos compañeros de Atenco. La
amnistía no es un perdón ni el reconocimiento por parte de los presos de
nada indigno, sino la respuesta política posible al reclamo justo de
libertad a los presos políticos. No es simplemente una acción
legislativa, sino que implicaría básicamente una campaña y lucha políticas.
Al final de esta asamblea se someterá a votación la propuesta de defensa
de los derechos humanos y el apoyo a los trabajos del Frente Nacional
Contra la Represión. Hay tareas inmediatas que realizar y preparar. La
próxima semana, el 25 de noviembre, se cumplirá un año de la brutal
represión contra la APPO y además de la gran movilización que se
realizará allá, celebraremos la segunda asamblea nacional del Frente
Nacional Contra la Represión en Oaxaca. Resolveremos ahí el nuevo plan
de acción del frente y sobre todo preparar la gran movilización del 10
de diciembre, día universal de los derechos humanos, así como la tercera
asamblea nacional en la Ciudad de México.
Estoy convencida de que, con el apoyo de la Convención Nacional
Democrática y del Presidente Legítimo de México, Andrés Manuel López
Obrador, la lucha contra la represión y por el respeto a los derechos
humanos, alcanzará un nivel superior y serán más fuertes los gritos que
llamen a la movilización contra la represión y la libertad para los
desaparecidos y los presos políticos.
Muchas gracias,
Rosario
Ibarra
*Rosario Ibarra presentó este informe en la magna asamblea de la
Convención Nacional Democrática (CND) celebrada hoy 18 de noviembre en
el Zócalo de la Ciudad de México. La intervención de Rosario Ibarra
fundamentaba las propuestas que sobre la situación de derechos humanos,
incluido el apoyo al FNCR, se votarían favorablemente en la CND. Después
de votar las propuestas de resolución, Andrés Manuel López Obrtador
(AMLO) presentó su informe general a un año de haber sido declarado
Presidente Legítimo de México por la propia CND.
Rosario Ibarra actualmente es Senadora de la República, cargo para el
cual fue electa como candidata de la Coalición que constituyeron los
partidos que apoyaron también la candidatura presidencial de AMLO para
la elección del 2006: Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD),
Partido del Trabajo (PT) y Convergencia.
Rosario Ibarra, dirigente del Comité "Eureka" de familiares de
desaparecidos y promotora del FNCR es la primera mujer que ha sido
candidata presidencial en México cuando fue postulada para este cargo
por el Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores (PRT) en 1982. Fue
candidata presidencial del PRT nuevamente en 1988 y diputada federal del
PRT en 1985. Actualmente es Presidenta de la Comisión de Derechos
Humanos del Senado.
AHUMADA WANTS VALLEY INTERFAITH AND TBC TO JOIN FORCES IN FIGHT AGAINST BORDER WALL
After becoming the first person to sign Valley Interfaith's new petition against the border wall, Brownsville Mayor Pat Ahumada said coalition-building was the only way to defeat the federal government's "ugly" plan. Valley Interfaith plans to get 50,000 registered voters to sign the petition.
Calling All Pearce Pirates
Who attended J.E. Pearce Middle School prior to 1995
Pearce alumni: the Parent-Teacher-Association is seeking graduates from a wide variety of career backgrounds to get involved with students at Pearce.
If you are interested in giving back to your alma mater and keeping the village growing with positive impact, please email mvidal@austinisd.org, with the following information: name, profession, email address and telephone numbers.
Please respond (by November 15) to share your wisdom, as well as network with fellow Pearce alumni and catch up with what’s happening at Pearce.
Help change a Life....
WE NEED YOU!!
It Takes A Village
Contributed by:
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La Nueva Raza News
www.lanuevaraza.org
