Witness for Peace Southeast Report for January-June 2011
January Colombia Delegation In January 2011 Gail Phares led a delegation of 12 people to visit Afro Colombian communities in Cauca and Valle de Cauca to assess the impact of Plan Colombia on the people. We interviewed sugarcane cutters organizations, Colombian Senate offices, dockworkers in Buenaventura, displaced people from Argelia and members of non-governmental organizations. They told us that serious labor abuses are pervasive throughout the sugarcane sector in Valle de Cauca and Cauca as well as among dockworkers in Buenaventura. We also heard testimony that paramilitaries forces continue to be active terrorizing the civilian population.
Pilgrimage for Justice and Peace - April 17-22, 2011 For the 25th year, we have walked across North Carolina to promote justice and solidarity in our communities. Across NC and the United States, the detention and deportation of immigrants is on the rise. We believe that we must reject the criminalization of immigrants and demand that policy makers fix a broken system that bankrolls for -profit prisons. It is time for us to recognize the labor of workers and immigrants. Instead of blaming them for the countries woes, we should recognize the contributions that they make to our state's social and economic vitality. We stand with our brothers and sisters in the labor movement and with the immigrant community. We began the Pilgrimage this year in Goldsboro at Greenleaf Christian Church. The Rev. Wm Barber - President of NC NAACP gave us a beautiful and deeply moving blessing. We walked this year in Goldsboro, Burlington, Graham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Cary, Carrboro, Garner and Raleigh. We received extensive coverage in both English and Spanish press and were covered by News Carolina 14 as well as WRAL TV and in the Charlotte TV channels.
Currently we are recruiting people for a June delegation to Mexico as well as for the Teen Delegation to Nicaragua.
The Witness for Peace SE board and Gail Phares will recruit and select an Associate Regional Organizer to be mentored by Gail Phares beginning in August 2011