by Lisa Haugaard
on February 09, 2010
We charitably termed the Obama Administration’s first year of Latin
America policy a “false start.” After the year was kicked off with a
promising beginning with a rousing speech at the Summit of the
Americas, a promise to close Guantanamo, the lifting of the ban on
travel to Cuba for Cuban Americans, and some principled words on human
rights to Colombian President Uribe, we had some hope for a new, less
ideological, more people-centered approach to the region. As the year
progressed, those hopes were dashed. But now we dare to hope again.
Read more »
by Vanessa Kritzer
on February 03, 2010
"With the Clinton Administration, Cuban artists were more able to come
to the US.... There was a wonderful event in Cuba in the
1999 when a large number of musical artists from the US came to Cuba
and met with Cuban artists. It produced songs, new working
relationships, wonderful paths and bridges—projects that were all
terminated with the Bush Administration. It was very telling that when
I was denied a visa in 2004 to do a tour in United States, and many
Cuban youth protested in Miami. How could it have been that they left
Cuba looking for the land of the free and they weren’t even allowed to
listen to their own musicians?”
Read more »
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by Lisa Haugaard
on February 05, 2010
In two interesting analyses of elections in Latin America, Professor Doug Hertzler, associate professor of anthropology at Eastern Mennonite University and Adam Isacson of the Center for International Policy remind us, and the U.S. government, to look closely at the reality in each country rather than viewing it in an ideological context.
Read more »
by Lisa Bonds, Lutheran World Relief
on February 03, 2010
We thought you should hear this story from Lisa Bonds, with our partner
Lutheran World Relief in Colombia. See LWR’s blog on Colombia and other
topics by clicking here.
“I joined my Lutheran World Relief colleagues and Rosario Montoya, the
Director of Fundacion Infancia Feliz, in a visit to the ‘ Finca la
Alemania,’ the German farm… As we drove to the farm, Rosario briefed us
on the farm's history and the people who had recently returned to the
farm after having been displaced by one of the most feared paramilitary
leaders, called ‘ the Chain,’ in the state of Cordoba...
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by Vanessa Kritzer
on February 03, 2010
On a cold afternoon during the last days of 2009, a man dressed in a
black shirt, black pants, and a black hat walked through the quiet
halls of Congress with a guitar in hand. While no passerby could have
known it, this was a landmark moment for Grammy award-winning Cuban
singer-songwriter Carlos Varela. For the past ten years, Varela had
been denied a visa to tour in the United States due to harsher travel
restrictions imposed by the Bush Administration.
Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) hosted a briefing and performance
with Varela that highlighted the importance of international cultural
exchange. Varela—who has been compared to Bob Dylan for his beautiful,
often controversial lyrics and prolific repertoire—was frank in his
views on the problems caused by the increased restrictions on travel
between the U.S. and Cuba in recent years.
by Vanessa Kritzer
on February 01, 2010
When the crisis in Haiti began, we were glad to know we could count on
you to join in raising the resources to help those in immediate need.
Going forward, we're going to need your voice to make sure that our
government and the international community take the necessary steps to
support Haiti as it begins the long road to recovery. Please start with
this urgent action from our friend Hayley Hathaway at the Jubilee USA Network:
In the wake of Haiti's unimaginable tragedy, one obvious and simple
step toward a just recovery is for the international community to
cancel Haiti's $1 billion debt.
Please take an extra moment to click here and sign Jubilee USA's petition "Drop Haiti's Debt Now and No More Debt for Disaster."
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