Caribbean-Latin American Coalition

C L
A C

Caribbean / Latin American Coalition of Central New York
A partner organization of the Syracuse Peace Council

[updated 12/22/09]

FEATURED EVENTS:

On Wednesday, January 20 at noon, ACTS will hold a vigil at Sen. Schumer's office at the Federal Building (100 S. Clinton St., Syracuse) highlighting immigration issues & the need for just and real comprehensive reform. All CLACsters are encouraged to attend. That evening at Artrage Gallery at 7 PM, the Syracuse Peace Council's monthly program "Nonviolent Direct Action: What We Really Learned from MLK", will feature discussion with Nancy Gwin regarding the SOAW movement's implementation of nonviolent action, including court and prison witness.

On January 25, local Syracuse activist Nancy Gwin will go to trial in Columbus, GA for her nonviolent actions to close the School of the Americas at Ft. Benning, GA. Nancy is one of four who crossed onto the Army base during the annual SOA Watch demonstration and vigil. A support team from Syracuse will travel down with Nancy and hopes to organize follow up events afterwards. View the SOA Watch report or read the Syracuse Post-Standard article. CLAC continues to pressure Rep. Dan Maffei to fulfill his commitment to sign on to H.R. 2567 to support closure of WHINSEC / The School of the Americas this year.

On Sunday, February 7, join us for our next Caribbean/Latin America Coalition monthly meeting at the Syracuse Center for Peace and Social Justice (map). Agenda items will include: planning for a Mother's Day action to raise awareness of exploitation and unsafe working conditions for Colombian flower workers (see article), ongoing discussion of recent events in Honduras, participation in the 2010 US Social Forum.

CLAC will also participate in the Syracuse Peace Council's annual Bowlathon on February 28. To join a CLAC team or to purchase one of our SOA t-shirts, contact Ann at 478-4571.

CLAC MISSION STATEMENT

The CNY Caribbean/Latin America Coalition is made up of several local Latin America solidarity organizations and works in partnership with the Syracuse Peace Council. We also work in coalition with other area and national groups.

Through citizen to citizen diplomacy, we seek to build ties with progressive Latin American groups and to better understand, through them, the adverse impacts of U.S. foreign policy toward the region. In turn we seek to motivate Central New Yorkers and our political representatives to work for a humane foreign policy toward the region.

CURRENT PROJECTS:

A.) To expose and close the U.S. Army's School of the Americas (renamed Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation);
B.) To maintain Sister Community relationships with La Estancia, El Salvador and Cajibío, Colombia
C.) To support local and regional efforts to defend immigrants, including people without documents, from demonization and repression.

All are welcome to CLAC's monthly meeting at the Center for Peace and Social Justice 2013 E. Genesee St.
Please call 315-478-4571 to confirm location, date, and time of the monthly potluck meeting in case of last minute changes.