AMERICAN POLITICS/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS:

WASHINGTON FOR JUSTICE IN FEBRUARY:

The following is from the Latin American Solidarity Coalition. They hope to persuade people to come to Washington in February to present the idea of "not just change but justice". So far the incoming Obama Administration has been long on platitudes and short on specifics. A new deal for Latin America is one of the specifics that the LASC hopes to see addressed. See their website to learn more.

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Not just Change but Justice!:
Toward a New Latin America Policy

The election of Barack Obama provides an opportunity for the United States to change its relationship with the other nations of the hemisphere. It is up to us, as advocates for justice in the hemisphere, to push the Obama administration to end the long legacy of using Latin America's blood and gold for U.S. ends. Now is the time to ensure that the next administration brings to the Americas not just change, but justice.

During the presidential campaign, the LASC sent a letter to Obama in which it articulated 11 policy changes we would like to see happen under the new administration. The January/February issue of NACLA Report on the Americas will also feature articles advocating a new U.S. relationship with Latin America. The LASC and NACLA realize that in order to achieve these goals, it will take more than a change in the White House - it will take the kind of hard and persistent grassroots organizing that has brought the victories that we are seeing in Latin America.

The two organizations have decided to combine their efforts to organize three events featuring activists and scholars aimed at building grassroots power and educating the public and policy makers on three broad topics, tentatively scheduled as follows:
Topic: Anti-Militarization

City: Washington, DC

Date: February 15-17, 2009

Co-sponsors and endorsing organizations: SOA Watch, CISPES, the Alliance for Global Justice, SHARE El Salvador, ElEnemigoCommun.net, ImaginAction.org, and the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Topic: Sovereignty and Democracy Manipulation

City: Chicago

Date: March

Co-sponsors: Mexico Solidarity Network, Chicago Free the Five Committee, Campaign for Labor Rights, Nicaragua Solidarity Committee, and US-El Salvador Sister Cities
Topic: Trade/Washington Consensus

City: Bay Area

Date: April

Co-sponsors: Marin Task Force on the Americas, Nicaragua Information Center-Community Action, and Nicaragua Network

We want you to be involved! This is an invitation for your organization, university, Latin American studies department, or student group to sponsor, host, and participate in planning these important events aimed at promoting a new U.S. policy toward our neighbors based on respect for sovereignty and self-determination, respect for democracy and elections, and respect for human rights.

For more information, contact LASC c/o Alliance for Global Justice at AfGJ@AFGJ.org or NACLA at info@nacla.org.
To endorse, sponsor, or offer to host one of the events, send an email to info@lasolidarity.org or call 202-544-9355.
For general information visit www.LASolidarity.org and www.NACLA.org