We have rescheduled our Open House to be able to welcome two of our partners from the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in Havana. Reverend Izett Samá Hernández and Loyet García Broche have at long last received U.S. visas and can join us in person.
In-person Open House on Saturday, April 13 at University Church at 5655 South University Avenue
3:00 pm Program
4:00 Mingle, Visit info tables about CRLN projects and partners
Blanca Valladares de Red COMAL en Honduras comparte cómo la agricultura comunitaria, las cooperativas y los productos locales han respaldado a las comunidades en resistencia durante los últimos 30 años.
Celebrating Community Alternatives- Blanca Valladares from Red COMAL in Honduras shares how for 30 years, community agriculture, cooperatives, and local products have supported communities in resistance.
Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice centers racial and economic justice as we address the root causes of violence from oppression, poverty, environmental devastation, patriarchy, and war.
Thanks to our co-sponsors Church of the Good Shepherd, U of M Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Huron Valley Democratic Socialists of America.
On Sunday, November 12, 2023, the InterReligious Task Force on Central America (IRTF) will commemorate the 43rd anniversary of the martyrdom of Clevelanders in El Salvador. On December 2, 1980—four women (including CWRU alumna, Jean Donovan and Ursuline Sister, Dorothy Kazel) paid with their lives for deciding to stay in solidarity with oppressed and marginalized peoples, despite political turmoil in El Salvador.
From a young age, Patricia Perez exhibited a profound interest in art, inspired by her maternal grandmother’s crafting and garment-making from hand-drawn patterns. At the tender age of nine, she delved into oil painting on canvas by observing re-runs of Bill Alexander’s “The Joy of Oil Painting” on PBS. Her artistic journey led her to study at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and complete her art degree at Northeastern Illinois University, where she also pursued a minor in Latino and Latin American Studies, an influential element in her artistic expression.
During her time at NEIU, Patricia discovered her passion for sharing the creative process with communities, offering visual arts classes, and engaging with everyday people. Hailing from the Guatemala and Puerto Rico diaspora, she has been a dedicated mentor and educator, empowering students and establishing platforms for exploring identity and social justice issues in Chicago.
While her connection with CRLN is recent, her impact has been remarkable. In May 2023, she led a collaborative mural project commemorating the people who were martyrs and disappeared during Guatemala’s Internal Armed Conflict. Presenting the mural at a special event, she honored their memory and stories. Subsequently, in October, Patricia co-led a pilot mural initiative with Red COMAL, one of our partner organizations in Honduras. This project initiated with online Zoom classes focusing on color theory and history, culminating in her journey to Siguatepeque, Honduras. There, she provided support and collaborated with community members and youth from Red COMAL, shedding light on historical injustices and uplifting the work of people in the community and the work of Red COMAL over the last 30 years. This pilot program is very special because we are celebrating with Red COMAL 30 years of work in Honduras through the transformative power of art.
Presently, Patricia is engrossed in her upcoming painting series, drawing inspiration from the stories of migrant children and their families.
Join us for a presentation sharing Red Comal’s experiences and insights into the landscape of human rights, art, and alternative agriculture in Honduras. This is a unique opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the current human rights situation in Honduras, contextualized through the lens of our esteemed partner’s work. Our honored special guest for the evening is Blanca Esmeralda Valladares from Red Comal in Honduras.
Blanca Esmeralda Valladares, a native of Santa Cruz de Jojoa in the department of Cortés, Honduras. She is married to Lawyer Juan Angel Rivera Tabora, and they have two children: Louisiana and Lee Rivera Valladares, both of whom are doctors.
Mrs. Valladares is a Notary and Lawyer, and she is a member of the Bar Association of Honduras. Her educational background includes studies at the National Autonomous University of Honduras (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras, UNAH). Early in her career as an independent lawyer, she dedicated herself to supporting farmworkers and advocating for the human rights of Indigenous people.
In collaboration with the Catholic Church of the Department of Yoro, she co-founded the organization “El Socorro Jurídico Vicarial,” an institution committed to defending, promoting, and protecting human rights, with a primary focus on safeguarding the rights to land and water for agricultural purposes, as well as the preservation of Honduras’ natural resources.
In 1994, she assumed the role of a Judge of the Supreme Court of Justice of Honduras and served two terms. In 2002, she made the decision to leave her judicial position to continue her work as an independent lawyer, with a particular emphasis on providing legal support within the Reflection, Research, and Communication Team of the Society of Jesus (Equipo de Reflexión, Investigación y Comunicación, de la Compañía de Jesús, ERIC).
Over the past six years, she has been an active volunteer at the community radio station RADIO PAIS, focusing on family and educational content. In her capacity as a lawyer, she is dedicated to ensuring that the Right to Justice is not only a concept but a practical reality in Honduras. She recognizes that the pursuit of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights is an ongoing and formidable challenge.
Serving as an advisor and board member of the Alternative Community Marketing Network (Red de Comercialización Comunitaria Alternativa, RED COMAL), she ardently advocates for the human rights of farmworkers, indigenous communities, and women. Blanca actively promotes their work and campaigns, which they have been diligently pursuing for over thirty years, in support of food production through sustainable agriculture and ecological practices, emphasizing respect for the land and human well-being.
Thank you to all of you who have already donated to Pedal for Peace 2023. If you haven’t done so already, we kindly invite you to make a donation by clicking the “Donate Now to Pedal for Peace 2023” button above or by clicking here.
The Weather Service forecasts rain for tomorrow. If that happens our ¨IN CASE OF RAIN PLAN¨ is to gather at Centro Romero (6216 N Clark St) at 11am instead, which is about 4 blocks away from the park. Someone will be at the park to meet people and support those who did not see this email. Please let people know if you can.
If we don’t see rain, our plan is the same, meet at 11am, on Sunday, September 17, at Emmerson (Louis) Park (1820 W Granville Ave.) Those who can will ride their bikes, walk and run with us that day. The event will be two hours of biking, running, walking, and communal celebration. We have a brief program planned, which will start at 11am and wrap up around 1 pm. Following this, we will migrate a few blocks to Centro Romero (6216 N Clark St.) for refreshments, poetry readings, and to continue celebrating our friendship and solidarity.
On behalf of Centro Romero, Chicago-Cinquera Sister Cities, Chicago-Guatemala Partnership, and Concern America – we thank you and are looking forward to a celebration of friendship and solidarity.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at jgomez@crln.org.
Join us for a Special Event with Author Kathy Osberger
Kathleen Osberger has been a steadfast supporter and friend of CRLN for many years. Kathy is not only a dedicated human rights defender and activist but also a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist who has provided crucial support to the human rights community in Chicago, particularly by offering care and counseling to trauma and torture survivors.
We invite you to join us on Thursday, September 21, at 7 pm at St. Gertrude Catholic Church in Chicago as we celebrate the launch of Kathy’s new memoir, “I Surrender.”
Kathy’s memoir is a powerful testimony to her experiences in Chile. In September of 1973, a coup d’état, with the backing of the United States, toppled the democratically elected socialist government of Salvador Allende. Kathy arrived in Chile in 1975, during the early years of the dictatorship. Upon her arrival, she was entrusted with a secret: the religious women she would be living with were providing refuge to dissidents targeted by Pinochet’s secret police. “I Surrender” vividly portrays the solidarity of the Chilean people and the transformative role played by nuns and priests dedicated to serving the poor, while highlighting the changing and challenged Catholic Church.
Books will be sold at the event. And if you cannot make it on September 21, we recommend you watch an interview where Kathy shares some of her ideas and feelings behind her book. Click here or below to see the interview.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at jgomez@crln.org.
