[Peace] event for AWARE to consider for co-sponsorship

[C. G. Estabrook]

I'll second Meridith's suggestion, including the donation.  Ms. Pupovac
(who I'm happy to say was once a student of mine) has written for the
Public i <http://publici.ucimc.org/> and the late Cityview <cached on
Google>.  I think AWARE should co-sponsor the talk.  Regards, CArl


On Mon, 13 Jan 2003, Meridith Kruse wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> I'll be in DC next weekend and therefore unable to introduce this
> invitation at the meeting on Sunday-
> 
> So, I'm posting it here and hoping you all can raise the issue on the
> 19th - and then I'll be back on the 26th to hear your final decision.
> 
> Many of you may know Jessica since she's from this community and wrote
> about her work in Guatemala for the Octopus...
> 
> I would ask AWARE to donate $50 for this event, this money would not
> go to the IDF, but directly to Rights Action, the human rights
> organization Jessica works for in Guatemala.
> 
> In the meantime, please email or call me with questions,
> 
> See you soon, Meridith
> 
> -----------------------------
> 
> Dear Friend,
> 
> The Illinois Disciples Foundation would like to invite AWARE to
> co-sponsor the upcoming visit to our community by Guatemalan Human
> Rights Defender Jesus Tecu Osorio entitled, “Building Alternatives in
> Guatemala”.  On Monday February 17th Jesus will give his presentation
> with Jessica Pupovac from the Guatemala office of Rights Action on
> Monday February 17th at the Illinois Disciples Foundation from 7-9pm
> in Wisegarver Lounge.  Also, that morning Jessica will be a guest on
> the Focus 580 radio program from 11-noon and that afternoon Jesus will
> speak from 1:00-2:30pm in room D244 Parkland Community College.
> 
> Jesus is a Maya-Achi man who lives with his wife and children in
> Rabinal, Baja Verapaz.  He is a survivor of and eye-witness to the
> March 13, 1982 massacre of 177 women and children in the village of
> Rio Negro. This and three other Rio Negro massacres were committed by
> the Guatemalan Army and paramilitaries, all back by the United States,
> in part because Rio Negro villagers opposed forced resettlement to
> make way for the Chixoy Dam Hydro-Electric Project, funded by World
> Bank and Inter-American Development Bank.  Jesus lost his parents and
> all but one sibling to the massacres. Jesus has received several
> international human rights awards for his work. Jesus was co-founder
> of ADIVIMA, a group at the forefront of exhuming mass graves, building
> monuments to commemorate the lives of the victims of the genocide.  
> Also, Jesus was a participant in the legal case of genocide, in
> Guatemalan courts, against military generals of the early 1980’s.
> 
> Jessica Pupovac is a University of Illinois alum who came to Guatemala
> in April of 2001 to work as a human rights monitor and accompanier
> with the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala
> (www.nisgua.org).  For ten months she lived in Xaman, a indigenous
> Mayan community of returned refugees that suffered a massacre in 1995
> at the hands of the state.  While there, she accompanied witnesses to
> trial and reported on community conditions.  She recently began living
> and working in Guatemala City as Outreach Coordinator for Rights
> Action, a Canadian NGO working to educate in North America about
> global development and human rights issues and raises funds for
> popular organizations, raises funds for community development, human
> rights & emergency relief projects in Southern Mexico, Central America
> & Peru. She has contributed articles and columns to The Octopus and
> the Public I.
> 
> I hope your organization will be able to co-sponsor this event.  We
> welcome donations from organizations to help support Jesus and ask
> that co-sponsoring organizations allow us to use their names in
> publicity and promote the event among their members and allies.  To be
> mentioned as a co-sponsor please call the IDF at 352-8721 by January
> 27th.
> 
> This event will be free and open to the public, translation will be
> provided, and childcare is available upon request.  Jesus will also
> have copies (in both Spanish and English) of his recently published
> book “Memoria de las Masacres de Rio Negro” available for purchase.
> 
> I hope to hear from you soon.
> 
> In peace and solidarity,
> 
> Meridith Kruse
> Director, Illinois Disciples Foundation
> 
> 
> 
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