Friday, June 17, 2005

Laid off workers in 23rd day of hunger strike fail to move Saca
Today marks the 23rd day of a hunger strike to protest the Ministry of Governance laying off 116 prison and postal workers. The workers were laid off six months ago and have still not received their severance pay. Of the eight workers participating in the hunger strike, two of them started 10 days ago, the others have lasted more than three weeks without food. The hunger strikers are camping out downtown on the sidewalk in front of the Cathedral steps. Read more

CRISPAZ and Sierra Club team up for anti-CAFTA campaign
CRISPAZ is working with a coalition of organizations on a 'Faces of Trade' campaign, designed to put a human face on issues surrounding CAFTA and free trade. Sierra Club, Public Citizen, Witness for Peace, Stitch and CRISPAZ are targeting members of Congress and the general public to emphasize how CAFTA's approval would impact the people of Central America. The campaign will be rolled out over the next several weeks.

CRISPAZ is also supporting Sierra Club's speaking tour this Saturday-Monday in California and next Thursday in Washington, D.C., featuring Honduran environmental activist and Goldman Prize winner Father Andrés Tamayo. Tamayo has been compared to Nelson Mandela, Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King Jr. He has led thousands of people in peaceful marches and protests to end the rampant commercial logging that is plaguing the communities of Honduras. Learn about how his work could be impacted by globalization and trade rules and what YOU can do in the fight for a just and sustainable world.

If you live in California or the D.C. area, click here to see a schedule of events.

Meet the 2005 Summer Immersion Program volunteers!
It’s that time of year again. CRISPAZ recently welcomed Cheryl Clark, Amelia Iraheta, Kristina Leszczak, Gina Meyer and Paul Mitchell to our team. The Summer Immersion Program (SIP) volunteers, affectionately referred to around here as “Sippies,” are placed in rural communities and accompany CRISPAZ partner organizations in a variety of areas. This year’s projects include organic farming, community radio stations, English classes, community organizing, researching water quality and a training course for aspiring reporters. To see and read more about our five newest CRISPAZ faces, click the link below. Here you will also find our SIP volunteers’ online journals, so check back often this summer to read up on their experiences. SIP 2005