TAKE ACTION: Solidarity and campaigns news

Environmental Network for Central America

Over the past three years ENCA has supported an impressive variety of projects in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica. They include environmental educational campaigns involving local radio broadcasts in Honduras and World Environment Day celebrations in El Viejo, Nicaragua; donations to banana workers in Managua; solar equipment for a clinic diagnosing pesticide poisoning among sugar and banana workers in support of legal actions: help for a eco-tourism centre; seed funding for organic production in Nicaragua and Costa Rica; and support for the Environmental Movement of Olancho (MAO) in Honduras which is at the forefront of environmental protests that have been met with serious threats and assassinations. Our donations are usually modest but we are always amazed by how much can be achieved.

Nicaragua

Nicaraga Solidarity Campaign (NSC)

Four intrepid NSC runners took part in the new Royal Parks Half Marathon in October. Gay Lee (ex-chair of NSC), Rose Friel, Janet Draper and Ian Draper all made the 13 miles in good time, raising money for NSC. If you or anyone you know would like to run in the London Marathon next April, please get in touch with NSC soon: nsc@nicaraguasc.org.uk / 020 7561 4836

Swindon Ocotal Link

SOL is providing bursaries for 25 school children and three university students, continuing links between young people in both towns and maintaining ‘Viajes SOL’, which promotes working trips to Ocotal. Visitors from Ocotal this year have included Carlos Norori, who represented the Ocotal Rotary Club and is hoping to become the municipality’s next mayor. He met local clubs in the Swindon area, two of which are likely to lead to ongoing links. SOL fundraising has included sponsored marathons (one in the Himalayas), a curry meal donated by a local restaurant, a pub quiz, and a Central American craft stall.

Bristol Link with Nicaragua

BLINC donated $1,000 to stage an exhibition by the “Legalise Therapeutic Abortion” campaign in Leon. The money was raised at a joint BLINC and Bristol ACTSA's International Women’s day event featuring Nicaraguan Fairtrade coffee producer Marta Gonzalez, speakers from the Maria Elena Cuadra Women’s Movement (MEC) and a Zimbabwe women’s leader.

Guatemala Solidarity Network (GSN) 

Lobbying

While visiting the UK in a speaker tour in November, Guatemalan journalist and human rights activist Iduvina Hernandez met with Labour MPs Jeremy Corbyn and David Taylor, staff of Conservative MP Mark Lancaster and MEP John Purvis. She also met Lord Avebury and various officials from the FCO. She spoke with the Central America team of Amnesty International, which will release a report on impunity in January. We would like to thank Rosemary Burnett, who accompanied Iduvina, Jane Pelly for all her hard work coordinating the tour and making it so successful, and to everyone else involved.

Fundraising

Summer fundraising work raised almost £3,250, helping make the speaker tour possible. Over 30 volunteers worked hard as bar staff at festivals including Flugtag, Glastonbury, Hop Farm, Latitude, RISE, Leeds, and Metro Weekender throughout the summer. We'd like to thank Megan Ciotti, who coordinated this effort, and all the fundraising volunteers.

Meetings                                                                                    

In October, Jane Pelly represented GSN in Guatemala at the Social Forum of the Americas and also at a meeting of the nine national committees that make up the Committee of International Accompaniment in Guatemala (CAIG-ACOGUATE).

El Salvador

Scholarship scheme
Young people from the village of Dimas Rodriguez (a small village north of San Salvador, created at the end of the war by a group of FMLN guerillas and their families) are being offered the chance to go to university through a scholarship scheme. Local work prospects are limited and a lack of funds has prevented many young people from accessing higher education, one of the main reasons why so many migrate to the US. Every penny donated goes directly to the community leaders in Dimas Rodriguez, who select young people to receive the support. In return, they agree to undertake regular community work, ensuring the whole community benefits from the scholarship fund. Details of past and current students are available at: http://www.educationforthefuture.blogspot.com.

If you are able to pay £40 a month (or any other amount as a contribution) to support a young person to go to university, please set up a standing order.
Account name: Education for the Future / Account number: 20162520 / Sort code: 08 60 01

Central America Women’s Network (CAWN) 

Response to government move against NGOs
The recent accusations and actions of the Nicaraguan government against civil society groups - and in particular women’s organisations, which have worked for many years to defend human rights, women’s rights and democracy - prompted CAWN to express serious concern. On October 10, national police raided the offices of two rights organisations and put a further 15 civil society groups under investigation. This followed the launch of Operation “No More Lies” in which the government alleged that NGOs and local women’s organisations working to promote gender equality and poverty reduction are "modern-day Trojan horses", and part of a rightwing plot to destabilise the government.

These events put the integrity and security of activists - and in particular the lives of women leaders - at risk. CAWN feels that the hostility of the Nicaraguan government has gone beyond legitimate political opposition and constitutes resistance to citizens’ rights and peaceful attempts to secure better conditions. In response to the deteriorating democratic environment, CAWN expressed its concerns in a letter to the Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and other government officials. In the UK, a joint letter was sent to Foreign Secretary David Milliband and other parliamentary officials, drafted by CAWN and members of the Latin American and Caribbean group of BOND (British Overseas NGOs for Development), calling for the government to take action. CAWN has also sent letters of solidarity to Nicaraguan organisations offering continued support for the promotion and protection of women’s rights in the region.

Copies of the letters can be found on CAWN’s website: www.cawn.org

GET IN TOUCH

Wales NSC: Betws, Fford Haern
Bach, Pen Y Groes LL54 6NY
Tel: 01286 882359
Email: benica@gn.apc.org
www.walesnsc.wordpress.com

NSC, local links and ENCA:
86 Durham Rd, London N7 7DT
Tel: 020 7561 4836
www.nicaraguasc.org.uk

GSN: 6 Marylands, Haywards Heath,
West Sussex, RH16 3JZ
Tel: 01444 443401
Email: gsn_mail@yahoo.com
www.guatemalasolidarity.org.uk