Join Illinois SOAWatch for a fundraiser to help activists from Latin America travel to Chicago for a September SOAW strategy meeting and to Fort Benning, GA, for the SOAW 30th Anniversary Vigil.

Date and time: Sunday, June 9, 2-4pm

Location: Timber Lanes, 1851 W. Irving Park Rd, Chicago, 60613.

Street/Meter Parking • Irving Park Brown Line Stop

RSVP: to Chris Inserra, cminserra@sbcglobal.net

Cost: Donation: $35 – $50
Students & Limited Income: $20

Click here for online donation page OR make checks payable to CRLN and write “SOAW bowling” on the memo line and bring it with you to  the event. You may also mail your check to CRLN, 4750 N. Sheridan Rd, #429, Chicago, IL  60640-5078.

Come support university scholarship students in Cinquera, Chicago’s sister city in El Salvador!
Students return to the community to share their new skills in agriculture, business, teaching and organizing.

Date and time: April 8, 4-7 pm

Location:  Timber Lanes, 1851 W. Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois

Cost: Collect $50 in donations from friends, co-workers and family and bowl for free! Otherwise, register as an individual for $25

Children welcome! Special lane for kids.

Come hear about the experiences of those from Chicago who traveled with a 50-member national delegation to Honduras during the last week in January 2018. The delegation participated in public religious ceremonies and vigils remembering those who had been killed, demanding justice for the victims, and accompanying protesters under threat. They challenged U.S. inaction in the face of Honduran impunity for those whose human rights were violated and continued funding for the Honduran military and police despite their abuse of human rights.

Context: Electoral observation teams from the Organization of American States (OAS) and the European Union pronounced the process of the November 26 Honduran elections “highly irregular” and the results of the vote count untrustworthy. Incumbent President Juan Orlando Hernandez (JOH) ran for a second term despite a Constitutional ban, was declared the winner weeks after the vote by an electoral tribunal stacked with members of his political party, has centralized power over all other branches of government in his hands, and has become a dictator in all but name. The U.S. quickly recognized his “victory.”

Citizens responded to what they considered a “second coup” (the first was the 2009 overthrow of the democratically elected president, Manuel Zelaya) by pouring into the streets, unarmed, to protest. In response, JOH deployed all military, police and special forces–many of them funded by the U.S.– against them. By the end of December, 30 were dead, dozens wounded, over a thousand imprisoned, with home raids, disappearances, and torture also used as tactics. By the time the delegation arrived, random people in cities where protests continued were being picked up and charged with serious crimes they did not commit.

Food: Bring your own lunch

Date & Time: 
Thursday, April 19, 12 noon.

Come hear Dan Dale, Lora Burge, Trini Sanchez, and Jill Landrith witness to their experience on a 50-member national delegation to Honduras during the last week in January 2018. The delegation participated in public religious ceremonies and vigils remembering those who had been killed, demanding justice for the victims, and accompanying protesters under threat. They challenged both U.S. inaction in the face of Honduran impunity for those whose human rights were violated and U.S. funding for the Honduran military and police despite their abuse of human rights.

Context: Electoral observation teams from the Organization of American States (OAS) and the European Union pronounced the process of the November 26 Honduran elections “highly irregular” and the results of the vote count untrustworthy. Incumbent President Juan Orlando Hernandez (JOH) ran for a second term despite a Constitutional ban, was declared the winner weeks after the vote by an electoral tribunal stacked with members of his political party, has centralized power over all other branches of government in his hands, and has become a dictator in all but name. The U.S. quickly recognized his “victory.”

Citizens responded to what they considered a “second coup” (the first was the 2009 overthrow of the democratically elected president, Manuel Zelaya) by pouring into the streets, unarmed, to protest. In response, JOH deployed all military, police and special forces–many of them funded by the U.S.– against them. By the end of December, 30 were dead, dozens wounded, over a thousand imprisoned, with home raids, disappearances, and torture also used as tactics. By the time the delegation arrived, random people in cities where protests continued were being picked up and charged with serious crimes they did not commit.

Date & Time:  Tuesday, April 3, 7-9 pm

Place: University Church library, 5655 S. University Ave., Chicago  60637

Parking: Street parking or University of Chicago Parking Garage (3 blocks away–entrance on Greenwood Ave. just south of 55th St.)

CRLN supported four Chicagoans’ travel with a 50-member national Emergency Faith Delegation to Honduras during the last week in January 2018. Come hear Trini Sanchez, Dan Dale, Lora Burge, and Jill Landrith present their experiences in Honduras of participating in public religious ceremonies and vigils with their hosts to remember those who have been killed, to demand justice for the victims, to accompany protesters under threat, and to challeng U.S. inaction in the face of Honduran impunity for those whose human rights have been violated and U.S. funding for the Honduran military and police despite their abuse of human rights.

Context: Electoral observation teams from the Organization of American States (OAS) and the European Union pronounced the process of the November 26 Honduran elections “highly irregular” and the results of the vote count untrustworthy. Incumbent President Juan Orlando Hernandez (JOH) ran for a second term despite a Constitutional ban, was declared the winner weeks after the vote by an electoral tribunal stacked with members of his political party, has centralized power over all other branches of government in his hands, and has become a dictator in all but name. The U.S. quickly recognized his “victory.”

Citizens responded to what they considered a “second coup” (the first was the 2009 overthrow of the democratically elected president, Manuel Zelaya) by pouring into the streets, unarmed, to protest. In response, JOH deployed all military, police and special forces–many of them funded by the U.S.– against them. By the end of December, 30 were dead, dozens wounded, over a thousand imprisoned, with home raids, disappearances, and torture also used as tactics. By the time the delegation arrived, random people in cities where protests continued were being picked up and charged with serious crimes they did not commit.

Food: Light dinner fare available.

Cost: No entry charge, but free-will donations gratefully accepted

Date & Time: 
Wednesday, March 14, 6-8pm. RSVP to Sharon at shunter-smith@crln.org to receive directions to the event. Limited space available–50 person limit.

Join CRLN for Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD) in 2018 in Washington DC! Mark your calendars for April 20-23, 2018 and register at https://advocacydays.org/2018-a-world-uprooted to join us for education, skill building, advocacy trainings, and Congressional visits!

When you register, check “no” when asked if you will attend the Lobby Day. We will set up our own Congressional meetings for CRLN members to lobby on ongoing Latin America and immigration campaigns carried out by CRLN. We have reserved a block of rooms, so contact Sharon at shunter-smith@crln.org if you plan to go with us.

Learn more about immigration issues and human rights campaigns in Latin America. Then translate your new knowledge to advocacy work on Capitol Hill where you’ll speak with your Representative and Senators’ offices to make policy demands that support the work of undocumented leaders and our partners in Latin America. For questions, contact Sharon Hunter-Smith at shunter-smith@crln.org.

¡Únase a nosotrxs al encuentro anual del 2018 de Ecumenical Advocacy Days en Washington, DC! Marque en su calendario para el fin de semana del 20 al 23 de abril del 2018, registrarse a https://advocacydays.org/2018-a-world-uprooted y únase a nosotrxs para educación, capacitación, entrenamiento de cómo abogar, y visitas Congresionales. Aprenda más sobre los asuntos de inmigración y de campañas para los derechos humanos en América Latina. Después, puede aplicar su nuevo conocimiento en reuniones con su Representante y Senadores en las que puede exigir cambios políticos que apoyan el trabajo de lxs líderes indocumentadxs y nuestrxs compañerxs en América Latina. Si tiene preguntas, póngase en contacto con Sharon Hunter-Smith at shunter-smith@crln.org.