Our Blog
It is Raining, Let’s Relocate Indoors
Dear friends of CRLN,
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.
En solidaridad y resistencia permanente,
Jhonathan F. Gómez
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.
En solidaridad y resistencia permanente,
Jhonathan F. Gómez
Join us for a Condensed / Smaller
Pedal for Peace 2023 Celebration
(You can download our flyers below)
As we approach the end of summer, CRLN enters a period of transition. Change can be both positive and necessary, but what remains unchanged is CRLN’s unwavering commitment to the liberation of the people of Latin America. Our work persists, it is part of our collective resistance and is driven by solidarity and our actions.
This year, the Pedal for Peace project will take on a more condensed format compared to previous years. Rest assured, we’ll still be bikes, as well as walking and running in our barrios. While it may not be as elaborate as before, our partner organizations – Centro Romero, Chicago-Cinquera Sister Cities, Chicago-Guatemala Partnership, and Concern America – are looking forward to a celebration of friendship and solidarity. And yes, we will continue to raise funds for our ongoing projects.
We kindly invite you to make a donation by clicking here.
Join us on Sunday, September 17, at 11 am on the north side of Chicago, at Emmerson (Louis) Park (1820 W Granville Ave.). 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.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at jgomez@crln.org.
En solidaridad y resistencia permanente,
Jhonathan F. Gómez
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.
s
En solidaridad y resistencia permanente,
Jhonathan F. Gómez
Join us for a Condensed / Smaller
Pedal for Peace 2023 Celebration
(You can download our flyers below)
As we approach the end of summer, CRLN enters a period of transition. Change can be both positive and necessary, but what remains unchanged is CRLN’s unwavering commitment to the liberation of the people of Latin America. Our work persists, it is part of our collective resistance and is driven by solidarity and our actions.
This year, the Pedal for Peace project will take on a more condensed format compared to previous years. Rest assured, we’ll still be bikes, as well as walking and running in our barrios. While it may not be as elaborate as before, our partner organizations – Centro Romero, Chicago-Cinquera Sister Cities, Chicago-Guatemala Partnership, and Concern America – are looking forward to a celebration of friendship and solidarity. And yes, we will continue to raise funds for our ongoing projects.
We kindly invite you to make a donation by clicking here.
Join us on Sunday, September 17, at 11 am on the north side of Chicago, at Emmerson (Louis) Park (1820 W Granville Ave.). 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.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at jgomez@crln.org.
s
s
En solidaridad y resistencia permanente,
Jhonathan F. Gómez
Hope Vaughn
Case Manager
Hope Vaughn is a Connecticut local who’s been advocating and organizing in Chicago for the past 3 years. Hope has her BSW, MSW, and LSW in the state of IL. Hope is passionate about international social work, immigration justice, and community collaboration. Hope has been organizing with various agencies throughout her time in Chicago. Hope’s involvement with Westside Mutual Aid has aided families and seniors in their obtainment of nourishing food throughout the West Side of Chicago. Her continued support through Chicago Community Jail Support has increased resources and volunteer attainment throughout the movement. Hope has experience in studying and living abroad in Spain, Dominican Republic, and Chile. Her Spanish speaking abilities are an asset to the Sanctuary Working Groups Team. Hope is passionate about spirituality, social justice, and community. She strives to live out radical values as did Dorothy Day, a big lifetime influence of hers.
Contact Information
(331) 465-1161
CRLN is glad to announce a special event in partnership DePaul Art Museum and host Human Rights defenders for a discussion on the legacy of Central American activism and solidarity in the 1980s, its influence in Chicago and the work for Human Rights today. International Solidarities: Panel with Current Central American Humanitarian Defenders will happen on Wednesday, April 19 at 6pm at the DePaul Art Museum. Our dear colleagues Daysi Funes, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Centro Romero, Yesenia Portillo from CISPES (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador) and Mario Venegas, a Human Rights defender from Chile with the Chicago Torture Justice Center and a torture survivor himself will participate in the panel. The event will be co-moderated by Lydia Saravia, faculty at DePaul University, both Lydia and Mario are CRLN board members and will add their unique experiences and thoughts to the event. Jhonathan F. Gómez, Latin America Program Coordinator will co-moderate the event. This event is directly related and a way for the people of Chicago to respond to the art exhibit ART FOR THE FUTURE: ARTISTS CALL AND CENTRAL AMERICAN SOLIDARITIES, which opened at the museum on March 23 and will be remain there until August 6, 2023. The exhibit “¨¨¨focuses on the seminal 1980s activist campaign, Artists Call Against US Intervention in Central America. Growing out of the friendships, solidarity networks, and political organizing amongst artists and activists such as Daniel Flores y Ascencio, Lucy Lippard, Doug Ashford, Leon Golub, and Coosje van Bruggen”.
This event is also presented in partnership with DePaul University’s Center for Latino Research and the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse.
‣ Please register here.
‣ Additional information here.
Contact Jhonathan F. Gómez at jgomez@crln.org to learn more.
We also recommend this video by PBS NewsHour on the exhibit
Ecumenical Advocacy Days 2023 (Virtual)
Swords into Plowshares: Achieving Enough for all and Pursuing Peace
Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD) from April 25-27 is an opportunity for people to come together, learn about why public policy is important, and take our message to Capitol Hill. Workshops are a highlight of EAD, providing opportunities to hear more from partners about their work on specific justice issues.
EAD will include opportunities for worship, advocacy training, and workshops on Latin America (see two of the workshops below). Visit the EAD website to learn more about the event.
You can register at https://attendify.co/ecumenical-advocacy-days-pbfNWPy. The Registration fee is $50.00. All the sessions from EAD are available on the platform for a month after EAD so if you are busy on those days you can still access the presentations.
Please contact Marilyn McKenna at mmckenna@crln.org if registration fees are a barrier to your participation or for more information.
Latin America Workshops at Ecumenical Advocacy Days
Cuba: End the violence of sanctions and build a better future for the Cuban People
Cuba is facing one of the worst economic crises in its history. And while the Cuban people are suffering, the US continues to pursue counterproductive and ineffective policies that only serve to make the situation worse. The Cuban people are facing shortages of clean water, medicine, and medical equipment, and the price of food has skyrocketed. At the same time, it is nearly impossible for U.S. humanitarian and faith organizations to provide humanitarian aid to the Cuban people. Private businesses and entrepreneurs who were thriving under the opening of restrictions under the Obama administration have been decimated in recent years. And hundreds of thousands of Cubans have attempted to migrate to the US through the southern border because they see no hope in remaining on the island. While Congress must ultimately pass legislation to end the embargo, the Biden administration can take measures to ease restrictions imposed by the Trump administration. Join this workshop to hear from our partners on the ground and experts in US Cuba policy. Learn what you can do to advocate for the Cuban people and an end to counterproductive US policies towards the island.
In Search of Safety: The Shrinking Asylum Space and Challenges for Asylum Seekers at the U.S.-Mexico Border
Faced with wars and other acts of violence that plague so many nations, individuals are often forced to make the difficult decision to leave their home country and seek asylum. In this workshop, we will learn about the experience of asylum seekers who come to the U.S. and the current efforts by the faith community to restore U.S. asylum. We will share how the lack of peace and security in home and transit countries present particular challenges for today’s asylum seekers, highlighting Honduras as one case example. This workshop will be moderated by Susan Krehbiel of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
Widening the Circle Breakfast – Opening Your Space to Asylum Seekers in Chicagoland
Asylum seekers risk everything in the hopes of finding protection and welcome in the United States. In the first year of arriving, few needs are more crucial than finding a safe and reliable home to stay in for a while. As more and more asylum seekers arrive at our city’s doorstep, there is a very urgent need for the wonderful people of Chicago to open their spaces to their newest neighbors.
Do you belong to a faith community or organization that might be willing to provide temporary housing for asylum seekers? Would you perhaps be willing to host an asylum seeker in your home, or support a group that is providing space to our newest neighbors in need?
Come and learn how to make it happen from several faith communities, organizations, and individuals who have opened their space and hearts to asylum seekers throughout Chicagoland!
Register at https://bit.ly/3lA6byF