November 2013 LASC

The Latin America Solidarity Committee November Coffeehouse was titled:

              Immigration Reform & Justice for Farmworkers

The date was 7-9 pm       Monday       November 18
It was held at  Wick Student Center,  Alumni Lounge, Daemen College,      4380 Main Street
Speakers were Lory Ghertner, Chava Redonnet, Peter Mares.

Dr. John 'Lory' Ghertner, cofounder of Greater Rochester Coalition for Immigration Justice, and                    
     Migrant Support Services of Wayne County, advocating for his Latino farmworker neighbors.

Chava Redonnet, pastor of Iglesia de Sam Remero, ministering to needs of farmworkers in Albion

Peter Mares, Wayne County outreach worker for Catholic Charities and Rural and Migrant Ministry.

The speakers gave us the first-hand picture of the effects of unjust, upside-down laws that create a system that destroys lives.  Jim Bittner,  a Niagara County farmer, also came and spoke eloquently about the fears and hopes of farmworkers.

Many Daemen students attended, and there was very active discussion, especially about immigration issues and how to make contact with organizations aiding farmworkers locally.

We hope to have more information posted here soon.

Photo: www.afteripickthefruit.com/    

     

             

October 2013 LASC

THE October LASC Coffeehouse was a showing of the Guatemala Film: GOLD FEVER,

part of a national effort by Rights Action  (http://www.rightsaction.org/) to draw attention to communities abused by terrible mining activities in Latin America.

500 years after the conquistadors, caught in the cross-hairs of another global frenzy for gold, resisting the arrival of Goldcorp Inc to a remote Guatemalan village. The film  addresses larger political and environmental realities around international relations and business, shaped by the interests of a tiny elite - at the expense of communities and the environment.  Gold Fever received the 2013 Rigoberta Menchú Grand Prix at the Montréal First Peoples Festival.

Film web site with trailer: www.goldfevermovie.com

the showing was 7-9 pm Mon. October 21, 2013 

at HALLWALLS 341 Delaware Ave Buffalo.

Lively discussion afterwards was led by Emma Feldman, from her work with MICLA, a McGill Research Group Investigating Canadian Mining in Latin America.    http://micla.ca/

September 2013 LASC

The Latin America Solidarity Committee 

SEPTEMBER 2013 COFFEEHOUSE, titled

    IN SOLIDARITY WITH HAITI

was about local projects around solar power and micro-loans.

The date was  7-9 pm Monday, September 23;  the place was

Network of Religious Communities 1272 Delaware Avenue.

     The  speakers:

Paige Mecca directs Solar Liberty Foundation (WNY), with Haitian solar    projects in Port-au-Prince and Ile-a-Vache.   www.solarliberty.org

Katherine Mang works with Mothers Clubs of Haiti, a successful micro-lending program offering hope to rural Haitian families. She reported on recent work-visits.   www.mclubsh.org

It was a very lively and inspiring presentation, with lots of questions and discussion, and lots of ideas generated.