|
Haiti : The
Other Disaster in Haiti ----------- |
|
|
|
FOR Work on Latin America and the Caribbean
What is the Task Force on Latin America and the Caribbean? The Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), a national, interfaith, pacifist organization, founded the Task Force on Latin America and the Caribbean (TFLAC) in 1983. TFLAC's goals are: (1) to strengthen communication and collaboration between North and Latin American nonviolent movements; (2) to help FOR members become actively engaged in Latin American and Caribbean issues; (3) to promote demilitarization and justice in U.S. policy toward the region through public education, collaboration with other North American groups, and advocacy. TFLAC is made up of volunteers from different parts of the U.S. (with two full-time staff members and an intern) who have come together out of a shared interest in Latin America and the Caribbean and a shared belief in the power of active nonviolence as a force for personal and social change. In Latin America, TFLAC works closely with groups struggling for nonviolent social change,especially the Latin America-wide network, Servicio Paz y Justicia (Service for Peace and Justice, or SERPAJ). TFLAC Programs Include: Colombia Program Puerto Rico Campaign - focuses on education, advocacy, networking
and action to end the Navy’s bombing and clean up the contaminated lands
in Vieques, a municipality of Puerto Rico. Outside of the Puerto Rican community,
the campaign has been one of the leading U.S.-based national efforts for demilitarization
and environmental justice in Vieques, with staff in Washington and San Francisco. Delegations - TFLAC sponsors one to two delegations to Latin America or the Caribbean each year. The purpose of the delegations is: (1) to stand with the people of Latin America, share briefly in their lives, and gain an understanding of their reality through meetings with a wide range of contacts; and (2) to assess the political, military, economic, and human impact of U.S. policy in the region. Most delegations have a special focus, such as the impact of U.S. military bases on the poor or indigenous peoples' movements. Delegates commit to sharing their experiences as widely as possible on their return to the United States. Upcoming Delegations: April 25 - May 12, 2006 Join the Fellowship of Reconciliation and the Buddhist Peace Fellowship on a humanitarian delegation to Colombia this spring. As war rages on in Iraq, four decades of conflict between armed actors in Colombia has led to the killing, displacement, and kidnapping of indigenous people, women, union activists, youth, journalists, and human rights workers. To learn more and apply, click here. Speaking Tours TFLAC sponsors visits by representatives of Latin American movements as a means of sharing experiences, building contacts, advocating just U.S. policy, and strengthening the basis for future collaboration. Past exchanges have included SERPAJ representatives from Brazil, Peru, and Chile, and movement leaders from Puerto Rico, Panama, Ecuador, and Bolivia. To learn more about tours currently being planned by the Colombia program, click here. Coalitions TFLAC also participates in a variety of national coalition efforts, such as Servicio Internacional para la Paz (SIPAZ), an international peacemaking effort in Chiapas, Mexico; Latin America Working Group, based in Washington, DC; Military Toxics Project; Peace in Colombia; several groups in Haiti and others. Servicio Internacional para la Paz/International Service for Peace is a coalition of North American, Latin American and European organizations formed in 1995 to support the peace process in Chiapas, Mexico. SIPAZ combines violence reduction and peace building strategies in Chiapas with efforts to inform and mobilize the international community. FOR was aco-founder of SIPAZ and continues to participate in the coalition. |
The Fellowship
of Reconciliation ©2003 Fellowship of Reconciliation |