Being Better Neighbors towards Latin America

March 14th, 2012

Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and 93 other members of the Congress sent a letter on March 12th, 2012 to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressing grave concern about human rights violations in Honduras, particularly the murder of 45 people associated with small farmer associations in Bajo Aguán.

"This is a wake up call for the Lobo Administration,” said Lisa Haugaard, Executive Director of the Latin America Working Group.   “Forty-five campesino leaders in a small area of Honduras have been murdered.  Human rights defenders of all stripes -- campesino leaders, lawyers, LGBT community members, women defenders, journalists, opposition activists -- are being threatened and killed. And not only is the Honduran government failing to do enough to protect them and prosecute those who endanger them, but in too many cases, police or military agents are involved directly or are collaborating with those who commit abuses.  We need to see greater effort to protect the rule of law in Honduras."

To read the congressional letter, click here (unofficial Spanish translation, here ).

I know you have a lot going on. Whether it’s that big project at work or a 20-page paper for school, making dinner or getting the car fixed (or in my case, the bike!), free time is hard to come by.

But sometimes, we just need to take a break from everyday life, and do something that inspires us, rejuvenates us, and teaches us something we didn’t know before. For activists—especially those of us who are in it for the long haul—we need to renew our energy so we can continue our important work for justice and human rights.

That’s why we’re so excited to invite you to join us in Washington, DC on March 23-26th for Ecumenical Advocacy Days 2012, where you will hear women and men from across Latin America and the United States talk about the most pressing issue of our time: Economic Justice and Our National Priorities.