Voices

Rev. Francisco Marrero of Cuba: “Society is More United Today”

On July 10th in Washington DC, Reverend Francisco Marrero, the General Secretary of the Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba (PRCC), discussed the role of the PRCC in Cuba. In celebration of the 45th anniversary in which the PRCC became autonomous from the New Jersey Senate of the Presbyterian Church, Marrero shared the strides the PRCC had made as well as the challenges the church still faces in light of its strong and active presence within Cuba's ecumenical community.

:2012, Blog Posts, End the Travel Ban on Cuba, Voces

Colombia: “Disappearances happen when people think differently”

“Very few people have been found, so the question’s always there: how do we talk about them? Is or was? Presence or absence?”

It’s hard to understand what exactly it means to be disappeared. One day a daughter, father, or aunt is there, and the next they aren’t. Families are left to search endlessly for their loved ones, meeting immense resistance from the government, and all the while never knowing if their loved one is across town or across the country, dead or alive.

:2012, Advocate Articles, Blog, Colombia, Stand by Colombia's Victims of Violence, Voces

“If you go this year you will find another Cuba”

Dr. Reinerio Arce, President of the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Matanzas, Cuba, participated in a briefing at Washington, DC’s National Council of Churches last week regarding the current reality of religious life and the role of churches in Cuba. Dr. Arce’s presentation focused on the current economic and social changes occurring on the island and how they have affected various faiths and churches. He also expressed deep support for small, but important measures taken by the Obama Administration in regards to religious travel--which he claims has greatly facilitated his seminary’s ability to carry out social projects. Dr. Arce began by stressing the importance of the relationships between U.S. and Cuban churches:

:2012, Blog Posts, Voces

"Without Justice, Bloody Histories Have a Way of Repeating Themselves"

“We have called for justice in Guatemala for almost 20 years, but we still have not been able to accomplish our major goals. When we denounce the authors of these atrocities, the government often loses the evidence. The proof, the testimonies disappear in the Attorney General’s office. We have done so much. We have written books and made declarations. Even people from outside of the community have done studies; but still, we do not advance toward justice. We continue because we know that without justice, bloody histories have a way of repeating themselves.”

:2010, Publications

"The Country is Different Now"

“It's important to talk about the terrible things that are happening, but the media always covers the negative. It’s more important to talk about what is rarely discussed—that the people are organizing themselves. Not much has been said about how the country is different now, or at least that there are new ideas now about what policies should be like and how we can change things. I wanted to bring that sense of hope and possibility here. The belief that a new America is possible, a different order is possible.”

:2010, Publications