Margarito’s Forest: Expressions of Community, Survival and Partnership
2018-10-26 18:30 (America/Chicago)
Art Exhibit Celebration
Friday, October 26th
6:30-9pm
7:30 Program
Attend this celebration of original collage art by Allison Havens that illustrated Margarito’s Forest, a children’s book written in K’iche’, Spanish, and English. The story emerges from a 30 year partnership between a Mayan community in Guatemala and the congregation at University Church who welcomed a family into Sanctuary in the 80’s. Come to learn the story of Margarito’s Forest, the effort to print more books for schools and organizations in Guatemala, and the fascinating history behind this project.
Suggested donation: $15 buys a book for a school in Guatemala
Sanctuary Café Stories Connect
University Church
5655 S. University Ave. Chicago, IL 60637

2018 CRLN Annual Luncheon: Sanctuary for All
2018-11-01 12:00 - 14:00 | Old St. Patrick’s Parish Hall, 700 W. Adams, Chicago, IL, 60661, United States
Sanctuary for All!
Join us for the 2018 CRLN Luncheon
with guest speaker Rev. Dr. Marilyn Pagán-Banks
We have always known that our work leads us to a path that many other activists share. Our aims – while focused differently—seek the same ends of social justice and human dignity. In the current political and cultural climate, with people of color especially under attack, it means that we must work together more closely to create a safe space for all to thrive. Our goal is Sanctuary for All! The CRLN Luncheon speaker, Rev. Dr. Marilyn Pagán-Banks will address ways we can join forces to protect immigrants from ICE and African Americans from police violence. As we enter our 30th year, join us at the luncheon as we renew our support of our brothers and sisters in Latin America, our immigrant brothers and sisters here, and add our support to other movements for justice.
Rev. Dr. Marilyn Pagán-Banks is a queer womanist freedom fighter, minister, teacher, and learner committed to the liberation of oppressed peoples, building power and creating community. She currently serves as executive director of A Just Harvest, pastor at San Lucas UCC, and adjunct professor at McCormick Theological Seminary.
Thursday, November 1, 2018 from 12 noon-2:00 pm
Old St. Patrick’s Church Hughes Hall 700 W. Adams St., Chicago
Order tickets and explore sponsorship opportunities at http://bit.ly/CRLN18 or by contacting Sharon Hunter-Smith at shunter-smith@crln.org or
773-293-2964. Volunteers are needed and attend for free.
Please email mmckenna@crln.org to volunteer.

We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Sponsored by the Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America

Webinar on Refugee Caravan
2018-11-08 19:30 - 20:30
Please join this Honduras Solidarity Network webinar to understand the origins of the Refugee Caravan, which finds its roots in US interventionist policies in the region. Hear about the current situation of the more than 7,000 people that are part of the caravan, and learn about ways to join in solidarity. President Trump’s announcement to send more armed forces to the already militarized US/Mexico border as a response to the caravan of Central American refugees must be confronted with active and informed solidarity for the hundreds of thousands of Central Americans that were forced to leave their homelands because of US intervention.
Facebook live available at: @Alliance4GlobalJustice. Register below to participate or watch live.

REGISTER NOW

Popular Education and a Salvadoran Perspective: An Alternate View of Migrant Caravans, Violence, and US Immigration Policy
2019-01-27 18:00 - 20:30 | University Church, 5655 S. University Ave., Chicago, IL, 60637
Alison Janus, a member of University Church in the Hyde Park nieghborhood of Chicago, spent 5 months teaching English in El Salvador at the Center for Exchange and Solidarity using a popular education methodology. She brings back to her community the perspectives of her Salvadoran students and their alternate views of migrant caravans, violence and the dialogue surrounding US immigration policy. Join us for a dialogue centering the Salvadoran perspective, working toward global solidarity.
RSVP on EventBrite–eventbrite.com/…/reflection-from-el-salvador-by-alison-janus-tickets-54737046981 Food will be available. Event is free and open to the public.
This event is co-sponsored by Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America, Stories Connect, and the Universtiy Chuch Social Justice Committee.

Dana Frank, “The Labor Struggles Behind the Caravans: Labor Activism, State Repression, and Poverty Creation in Honduras since the 2009 Coup”
2019-02-27 19:00 - 20:30 | Edgewater Presbyterian Church, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago, IL, 60660, United States
Place: Edgewater Presbyterian Church, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago 60660
Time: 7 – 8:30pm
Public transportation: 2 blocks east of CTA Red Line Bryn Mawr stop
Parking: St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church, 5649 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660. **You must write a note, “At Presbyterian Church,” and place it on your dashboard, or your car will be towed!
Dana Frank will discuss the role of the labor movement and labor politics in Honduras in the long aftermath of the 2009 military coup that deposed President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras. Honduran labor activists have been the backbone of the popular resistance that has been fighting the repressive coup regime ever since, especially agricultural workers, government employees, bottling-plant workers, and health care workers. They are struggling to retain basic labor rights that are rarely enforced, while joining the broad coalitions protesting the US-back post-coup regime and claiming labor rights guaranteed under the Central American Free Trade Agreement. This talk will explore labor activism in Honduras–while also analyzing the Honduran government’s destruction of the economy and livelihoods since the coup—that are helping produce the exodus of Honduran refugees at the US border.
Dana Frank is Professor of History Emerita at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she taught US labor history and other topics for 30 years. She most recently published The Long Honduran Night: Resistance, Terror and the United States in the Aftermath of the Coup. Her previous books include Bananeras: Women Transforming the Banana Unions of Latin America, which focuses on Honduras; Buy American: The Untold Story of Economic Nationalism; and, with Howard Zinn and Robin D.G. Kelly, Strikes: Miners, Musicians, Salesgirls and the Fighting Spirit of Labor’s Last Century. Her writings on human rights and U.S. policy in post-coup Honduras have appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Houston Chronicle, The Nation, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Politico Magazine, and many other publications, and she has been interviewed by the Washington Post, New Yorker, New York Times, National Public Radio, Univision, Latino USA, regularly on Democracy Now!, and on other outlets. Professor Frank has testified about Honduras before the US House of Representatives, the California Assembly, and the Canadian Parliament. She has worked closely with banana workers’ unions in Honduras for almost twenty years.
Co-sponsored by CRLN and La Voz de los de Abajo

Bowl to support scholarships for Cinquera, El Salvador students!
2019-03-16 14:00 - 17:00 | Timberlanes, 1851 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, IL
Come as an individual or as a team to support scholarships for University students in Cinquera, El Salvador, who will return to their community to share their new skills in agriculture, business, teaching and organizing. Children are welcome–there will be special lanes for kids. Free pizza, prizes, and fun for all! Sponsored by Chicago-Cinquera Sister Cities.
Cost: $25/individual, or bowl for free with $50 in donations from others.
Date and time: Saturday, March 16, 2:00-5:00pm
RSVP to shunter-smith@crln.org if you would like to be on a CRLN team to support this project of our partner organization, Chicago-Cinquera Sister Cities!

Meet Sister Magda, Coordinator of National Network of Migrant Shelters in Mexico
2019-04-03 16:00 - 17:00 | Institute for Cultural Affairs, 4750 N. Sheridan Rd., 1st Floor, Chicago, Illinois, 60640
Central Americans In Exile: What Can We Do To Help?

Since October of last year, when large caravans of mostly young people and families from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador began moving through Mexico, Maria Magdalena Silva Renteria, known as “Sister Magda,” began to organize humanitarian attention across Mexico for Central Americans and all who seek refuge. Sister Magda is the founder and director of the CAFEMIN shelter for women and children in Mexico City and Coordinator of a national network of frontline migrant defenders in Mexico. She rarely visits the U.S. due to her urgent and life-saving work on the ground. She will make just trhee stops in April–Chicago, Washington, DC and Detroit. Do not miss the chance to connect with this inspiring and thoughtful leader.
Co-sponsored by Alianza Americas, CAFEMIN, and CRLN.

Exhibit Reception: Immigration Advocacy, Past and Present
2019-04-04 18:00 - 19:30 | Damen Student Center,Loyola University, 6511 N. Sheridan Rd,, Chicago, Illinois, 60626
Stand on the Side of Righteousness: Immigration Advocacy, Past and Present
Time: 6-7:30 pm
Place: Room 214, Damen Student Center, Loyola University Chicago 6511 N. Sheridan Rd. Chicago, IL 60626
You are invited to attend the opening reception for an exhibit which draws from interviews with immigration advocates. Some of those interviewed worked with the Chicago Metropolitan Sanctuary Alliance, now a part of CRLN. The exhibit is now open until the end of April on the second floor of the Damen Center. An online version of the exhibit will be available in early April.
The Immigration Advocacy History Project is supported by a grant from the Student Innovation Fund of Loyola’s Plan 2020. The project is an effort of a Loyola graduate student group, Historians for a Just Society. Volunteers interviewed immigration advocates, whose stories will be preserved in the Loyola University Archives & Special Collections. The project also hosted a fall panel on immigrant identity and intersectionality.
For more information, see immigrationadvocacyhistoryproject.wordpress.com or email justhistoryloyola@gmail.com

2019 Ecumenical Advocacy Days
2019-04-05 - 2019-04-08 | Washington, DC, United States
Save the date! Consider going with CRLN this year to participate in the Latin America track of this conference and advocacy opportunity. More information to follow after the event is planned.

2019 El Pueblo Canta
2019-04-06 17:30 - 20:30 | Wellington Ave Church, 615 West Wellington Ave, Chicago, Wellington Ave Church, 615 West Wellington Ave, Chicago, United States
This year’s El Pueblo Canta features musician Alex Farha, a teacher at the Old Town School of Folk Music, who will play music on the oud, a Middle Eastern and North African instrument.
Advance tickets, sponsorships and information about public transportation, parking and childcare: waucc.org/2019ElPuebloCanta
Date: April 6, 2019
Time: 5:30pm doors open–traditional Middle Eastern and Latino food available for purchase
7:00-8:30pm–Concert
Place: Wellington Avenue UCC, 615 W. Wellington Ave.
Cost: $25–General admission; $15–students/limited income; Children under 12 FREE.
For more information, call 773-935-0642
All proceeds will go to benefit the immigrant justice work of Centro Romero, CRLN, and Wellington Ave. UCC.

Crisis in Guatemala: An Eyewitness Account
2019-04-10 18:30 - 20:00 | 4th Presbyterian Church, 126 E. Chestnut St., Chicago, IL, 60611, United States
Date: Wednesday, April 10
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Place: Fourth Presbyterian Church (Gratz Center), Room 4F 126 E. Chestnut St., Chicago, IL 60611
Parking: Parking passes available for garage at 900 N. Michigan Ave. building. Access the garage from Rush and Walton Streets. Discounted parking begins at 5:00 pm
In January, a CRLN delegation traveled to Guatemala, just as President Jimmy Morales ordered the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala to leave the country and as Congress was preparing a law granting amnesty to war criminals retroactively. They met with Mayan communities and organizations, human rights groups, and talked with people about the roots of migration, resistance to mining and other extractive projects, and the Constitutional crisis gripping the country.
Come with your questions and join us for an evening exploring these themes and ways to respond.
Light food available.

Join CRLN for the Good Friday Walk for Justice!
2019-04-19 12:00 - 15:00
April 19, 12:00-3:00pm
Gather at the Corner of Michigan & Ida B. Wells Drive
(formerly Congress Blvd)
8th Day Center for Justice organized this annual event before they closed their doors last year, but the tradition lives on! A committee of people have been meeting with former 8th Day staff to plan the 2019 Good Friday Walk for Justice around the theme of Justice: Truth in Action.
We live in a post-truth culture, where “alternative facts” replace actual facts and polarizing judgments have more weight than straightforward evidence. In our post-truth world, it is not that the truth, science and facts have ceased to exist but that they are so easily dismissed.
As Martin Luther King, Jr. once proclaimed, “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”
Please join us to boldly proclaim the truth, to call out the lies and to be a people that live the truth so that we can create a world of justice and peace. We are grateful to be joined in the Good Friday Walk for Justice by groups and organizations that are living the truth in action and awakening communities, creating change and transforming systems for the common good.
There is no cost to participate. To sponsor this year’s Walk, make checks payable to CRLN (memo GFWalk) and mail to CRLN, 4750 N. Sheridan Rd. #429, Chicago 60640 or Online: https://bit.ly/2DgARe8

Update on Honduras
2019-05-16 19:00
CRLN is co-sponsoring an educational event with Rabbi Brant Rosen to update our members on the current human rights conditions in Honduras. Rabbi Rosen was part of a religious leader delegation to Honduras sponsored by SHARE, organized to provide accompaniment to organizations and individuals under threat.
Date & Time: Thursday, May 16, 7pm
RSVP: Space is limited. Please contact wendy.ilene.carson@gmail.com if you would like to attend and for the address of the event.

Lunch Dialogue on Colombia with Rev. Milton Mejía and Rev. Atahualpa Hernández
2019-06-03 12:00 - 13:30 | 1100 E 55th St, Chicago, IL 60615, 1100 E. 55Th St., Chicago, IL, 60615, United States
Join Rev. Milton Mejía, President and General Secretary of the Latin America Counsel of Churches, and Rev. Atahualpa Hernández, President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia, for lunch and dialogue about the current situation in Colombia. What can churches do to promote peace and reconciliation in Colombia?

Date: Monday June 3rd, 2019
Time: 12 Noon
Location: Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago – 1100 E 55th St, Chicago, IL 60615.
Check at Main Desk for Room Number
RSVP to shunter-smith@crln.org
Co-sponsored by Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, McCormick Theological Seminary, and CRLN.
Rev. Atahualpa Hernández
Rev. Milton Mejía

Bowling Against Borders
2019-06-09 14:00 - 16:00 | Timberlanes, 1851 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, IL
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.

Summer of Love Kick Off Campaign Resolution Hands off Cuba
2019-06-20 18:00 | Centro Autonomo, 3460 W. Lawrence, Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Please come to the send off of the Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba and the kick off of a campaign to pass a resolution in the Chicago City Council to end the embargo and lift the travel ban!
BE PART OF THE CAMPAIGN TO PASS A RESOLUTION IN
THE CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL
• Attend the Caravan event and be part of the short training for visits to elected officials
• Sign up on the Google sheet linked below
• Get your friends to be part of this historic initiative!
In 2016, Obama admitted the US policy on Cuba was a failure and worked to take steps to restore relations.
Now, under Trump the bellicose rhetoric and threats have made the situation for people on the island increasingly difficult.
Read the Latin American Working Groups statement below
and join their CALL TO ACTION!
https://www.lawg.org/threats-to-cuba-policy-dont-sit-this…/…
If you would like to work on the campaign to get a Chicago city council resolution, please sign up using the Google Sheet Sign Up:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WaSFXhuMAtZhmlNMHgZPlj8A-QI6Xtlc6LrtXVpf15c/edit?fbclid=IwAR0vlfwF0i2xlgaYTT-gHdHm5WpCHT1Hh34mpE8UPSKjAsh2CE7bm-BvaCk#gid=0
{This sheet is a way for us to organize our campaign to meet with city officials, information will not be circulated or shared}
Can’t join us on June 20?😞
You can still support the Caravan by donating at our GoFundMe page 🙂:
https://www.gofundme.com/chicago-p4p-caravan-2019&rcid=r01-155820223439-309e886f63ab4c7f&pc=ot_co_campmgmt_w

PROTEST! Take Action to End Criminalization, Detention, & Deportations
2019-07-13 11:00 - 13:00 | Daley Plaza
Gather with CRLN at 10:30am on Saturday July 13 at the Joan Miro sculpture that’s immediately east of the Chicago Temple which is located at 77 W Washington. Here is the map: https://goo.gl/maps/QDXsHHiNBUcuzPQS7 . Please email Juan Carlos Hernández <JCHernandez@crln.org> if you can join!

We will join immigrant rights, social justice, and grassroots organizations to protest the administration’s destructive policies and actions, and take a stand to welcome immigrant communities in solidarity. Add your voice to those in the movement to end criminalization, detention and deportation of immigrant families in the United States.
On a daily basis, immigrant communities in Illinois live with the fear that imminent raids and escalated activity by ICE, as stated by Trump, will rip families apart. We see more information each day regarding deplorable situations at the border – where government officials deny there is a humanitarian crisis, where children are treated as less than human, and where more children have died in immigration custody in 2019 than in the past 10 years.
In Illinois, we are taking a stand.
We see the current criminalization of immigrants, those coming to our borders seeking asylum and those seeking a better life for themselves and their families, as a continuation of the United States’ deep history of exploiting and criminalizing immigrants.
We reject the framework of hate + profit. Instead we envision a movement that builds intersectional power among our vibrant communities and a nation that recognizes the incredible social and cultural value of immigrants in our society.
For more information see: https://www.facebook.com/events/693145914482339/

Cuba’s Javier Cabrera on the Impact of the US Blockade of Cuba’s Economic, Social and Environmental Programs
2019-07-14 14:00 | Chicago Public Library Sulzer Branch, 4455 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL
Javier Cabrera will discuss Cuba’s changing economic development program, its community health care program, and its programs to combat climate change.
He will explain how the US blockade of Cuba, begun in 1961, and condemned on a yearly basis by overwhelming UN vote, interferes in Cuba’s ability to carry out these programs. There will be ample time for extended Q&A with the audience.
Sunday July 14, 2pm
Chicago Public Library, Sulzer Branch
4455 N. Lincoln Ave

Professor, University of Havana, Center for Public Administration Studies (CEAP)
Independent Writer of the UNEAC (National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba)
Coordinator of the Public Administration Network of the University of Havana
Vice President of the International University Network of Studies and Research in Population, Environment and Sustainable Local Development (www.iunetwork.org),
Coordinator of Environment and Sustainability of the University Network Iberoamericana de Territorio y Movilidad (RUITEM).

Master in Teaching Methodology (1980) Pedagogical University for Technical and Professional Education
Ph.D. in Pedagogical Sciences, specializing in Environmental Education (1989), Pedagogical University, Moscow
Postgraduate Specialization in Ecological Economics (1994), United Nations University

Research stays and postdoctoral studies in topics related to public health, environmental management and community participation:

University of Havana
University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
University Autónoma de Madrid
Polytechnic University of Catalonia
University of Carlenton, Canada
Metropolitan University of London
University of California Los Angeles
University of Puerto Rico
University of Costa Rica.

Sponsors and endorsers: Chicago ALBA Solidarity, US Peace Council (Chicago), Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice, Chicago Antiwar Coalition (CAWC), Evanston Neighbors for Peace

For more info: Stan Smith 773-322-3168, stansfieldsmith100@gmail.com

Northside Gang Database Teach-In
2019-07-14 14:30 - 17:30 | 4427 N. Clark, Chicago
Find out what the Chicago gang database is and how Chicago police decide who gets labeled a gang member.
Learn why communities in Chicago argue that the gang database is a violation of our civil rights and are organizing to get rid of it.
Connect with people who are finding different strategies to protect and defend community members who are in the gang database and fighting to end it.

Ven a un taller acerca de la Base de Datos de Pandillas en Chicago, donde estaremos hablando de como el Departamento de Policia decide quien es parte de una pandilla.
También estaremos hablando de por que las comunidades en Chicago estan organizando en contra de esta base de datos para proteger los derechos civiles de todas las personas en la ciudad.

Cuba’s Javier Cabrera on the Impact of the US Blockade of Cuba’s Economic, Social and Environmental Programs
2019-07-16 19:00 | UE Hall, 37 S. Ashland, Chicago
Javier Cabrera will discuss Cuba’s changing economic development program, its community health care program, and its programs to combat climate change.
He will explain how the US blockade of Cuba, begun in 1961, and condemned on a yearly basis by overwhelming UN vote, interferes in Cuba’s ability to carry out these programs. There will be ample time for extended Q&A with the audience.
UE Hall
37 S. Ashland
Tuesday July 16, 7 pm

GILBERTO JAVIER CABRERA TRIMIÑO

Professor, University of Havana, Center for Public Administration Studies (CEAP)
Independent Writer of the UNEAC (National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba)
Coordinator of the Public Administration Network of the University of Havana
Vice President of the International University Network of Studies and Research in Population, Environment and Sustainable Local Development (www.iunetwork.org),
Coordinator of Environment and Sustainability of the University Network Iberoamericana de Territorio y Movilidad (RUITEM).

Master in Teaching Methodology (1980) Pedagogical University for Technical and Professional Education
Ph.D. in Pedagogical Sciences, specializing in Environmental Education (1989), Pedagogical University, Moscow
Postgraduate Specialization in Ecological Economics (1994), United Nations University

Research stays and postdoctoral studies in topics related to public health, environmental management and community participation:

University of Havana
University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
University Autónoma de Madrid
Polytechnic University of Catalonia
University of Carlenton, Canada
Metropolitan University of London
University of California Los Angeles
University of Puerto Rico
University of Costa Rica.

Sponsors and endorsers: Chicago ALBA Solidarity, US Peace Council (Chicago), Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice, Chicago Antiwar Coalition (CAWC), Evanston Neighbors for Peace

For more info: Stan Smith 773-322-3168, stansfieldsmith100@gmail.com

WOMEN-DIRECTED CUBAN FILMS TO SCREEN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CHICAGO
2019-07-19 19:00 | Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N Southport Ave, Chicago, Illinois, 60657
Our collaborators shared this Press Release on an exciting new event:
WOMEN-DIRECTED CUBAN FILMS TO SCREEN FOR THE
FIRST TIME IN CHICAGO
Screening at The Athenaeum Theatre on Friday, July 19 at 7PM
Full Spectrum Features (FSF), Americas Media Initiative (AMI), and Athenaeum Theatre Productions
are thrilled to present the Chicago premiere of the documentary Días de Diciembre (December Days)
and the short fiction Frágil (Fragile), as part of the Emerging Women Filmmakers program of the Cuban Visions film series.
The screening will be followed by a conversation, moderated by AMI Director, Alexandra Halkin,
featuring Cuban feminist film critics Danae Dieguez (El Ojo Sexuado) and Dr. Zaira Zarza. The
three will discuss the landscape of Cuban film production for emerging women filmmakers.
Specifically, they will touch on the progress and pitfalls faced by women directors in Cuba’s
male dominated film industry and the current state of independent filmmaking on the island.
Días de Diciembre (December Days) – Directed by Carla Valdés León
Between 1975 and 1991 more than 400,000 Cuban soldiers and civilians were sent to
Angola in support of the country’s left-wing government. Two thousand of them were
killed. December Days shows some of the ways in which the mission to Angola—a
massive solidarity effort from a small country—continues to touch the lives of ordinary Cubans.
Frágil (Fragile) – Directed by Sheyla Pool
A daughter, dedicated to the care of her mother with Alzheimer’s, wants to feel her love,
even if it’s just one last time. This need drives her down a dangerous path to discover
that sometimes love can be the most capricious and bewildering of feelings.
More information on AMI: http://americasmediainitiative.org/
More information on FSF: https://www.fullspectrumfeatures.com/
For more details, please contact:
Alexandra Halkin, Director – Americas Media Initiative
T: 312-282-0135 E: alex@americasmediainitiative.org

DIRECTORAS CUBANAS ESTRENAN SUS PELICULAS EN CHICAGO
2019-07-19 19:00 | Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N Southport Ave, Chicago, Illinois, 60657
¡Nuestros colaboradores compartieron información sobre este emocionante nuevo evento!
DIRECTORAS CUBANAS ESTRENAN SUS PELICULAS EN CHICAGO
Presentación en el Athenaeum Theatre Viernes, 19 de Julio a las 7:00PM
Full Spectrum Features (FSF), Americas Media Initiative (AMI) y Athenaeum Theatre
Productions se enorgullece en presentar el estreno en Chicago del documental Días de
Diciembre y el cortometraje Frágil, como parte del programa Emerging Women Filmmakers
(Mujeres Cineastas Emergentes) del la serie de películas Cuban Visions (Visiones Cubanas).
La proyección será seguida por una conversación moderada por la Directora de AMI, Alexandra
Halkin, con comentarios de dos feministas Cubanas críticas del cine, Danae Diéguez (El Ojo
Sexuado) y Dr. Zaira Zarza.
Las tres discutirán el panorama de la producción cinematográfica
Cubana para mujeres cineastas emergentes. Específicamente, abordarán temas como el
progreso y las dificultades que enfrentan las mujeres directoras en la industria cinematográfica
dominada por los hombres en Cuba y el estado actual del cine independiente en la isla.
Días de Diciembre – Dirigida por Carla Valdés León
Entre 1975 y 1991, más de 400,000 soldados y civiles cubanos fueron enviados a
Angola para apoyar al gobierno de el lado izquierdo del país. Dos mil de ellos fueron
asesinados. Los días de diciembre muestran algunas de las formas en que la misión a
Angola, un esfuerzo masivo de solidaridad de un país pequeño, continúa tocando las
vidas de los cubanos comunes.
Frágil – Dirigida por Sheyla Pool
Una hija, dedicada al cuidado de su madre con Alzheimer, quiere sentir su amor,
aunque solo sea una última vez. Esta necesidad la lleva por un camino peligroso para
descubrir que a veces el amor puede ser el sentimiento más caprichoso y
desconcertante.
Esta es la quarto instalación de Cuban Visions, una serie de presentaciones cinematográficas
que ofrecen una mirada única de la sociedad Cubana durante los principios de la revolución y
la actualidad. Boletas ya están a la venta: https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pe.c/10366739.
###
Más información sobre FSF: https://www.fullspectrumfeatures.com/
Más información sobre el AMI: http://americasmediainitiative.org/
Para más detalles, por favor contacte a:
Alexandra Halkin, Directora – Americas Media Initiative
T: 312-282-0135 E: alex@americasmediainitiative.org

CRLN 30th Anniversary Celebration
2019-08-28 18:30 - 2019-11-02 21:30 | Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, 1100 E 55th St, Chicago, IL, 60615
We are proud to celebrate 30 years of effective education, action, accompaniment and advocacy on Latin America and work on justice for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers with our members and partner organizations. We have accomplished a lot–and yet, there is still a long way to go to achieve our vision of peace, justice and well-being for all.
For CRLN’s 30th anniversary, we are planning a very special celebration! A buffet dinner will be served while selected photos from 30 years of our history are projected. The program will feature a video of short interviews with people about key events in our history and a speaker from Latin America. And, of course, come for great fellowship with our wonderful members!
Date: Saturday, November 2
Time: 6:30 – 9:00
Location: Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (use Greenwood Avenue door to get to the reception space for the JKM Library), 1100 E. 55th Street Chicago, IL 60615
Parking: Available in the underground lot for $5. Access lot from the driveway north of the building.
Tickets: $80 Regular
$72 Member discount
$50 Low-income (some donated tickets available on a first-come first-served basis–call us for availability at 773-293-2964)
Send a check to CRLN, 4750 N. Sheridan Rd., #429, Chicago, IL 60640-5078, or pay online at https://crln.org/?page=CiviCRM&q=civicrm%2Fcontribute%2Ftransact&reset=1&id=15

2019 Pedal for Peace Bike-a-thon
2019-09-22 13:00 - 17:00 | Waveland Clock Tower, 3600 Recreation Dr, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
Register online here
32nd Annual Pedal for Peace Bike-a-thon!
Supporting community health, education,
& organizing projects in
Latin America and Chicago
Sunday, September 22, 2019
1:00pm – 5:00pm
Click here for a description of the projects funded!
Sponsors and Beneficiaries:

Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN)
Chicago- Cinquera Sister Cities
Chicago-Guatemala Partnership
Concern America
La Voz de los de Abajo
Autonomous Tenants Union

To donate to a beneficiary group, click on it’s name above, or send a check made out to CRLN and with the name of the beneficiary group in the memo line to CRLN, 4750 N. Sheridan Rd., Suite 429, Chicago, IL 60640-5078.
If you are a biker and would like to collect checks rather than fundraise online, scroll down this page to print off and use the pledge form below. You will still need to register online, but you can use the “pay later” option and mail your check to CRLN. Put “Pedal for Peace registration” in the memo line.
Schedule and Route
1:00 Gather and Ride!
Meet at the table at the main event site in the field just south of the clocktower at Waveland Ave. and the lakefront or at the table at the Dog Water Station (55th Street and Lakefront Bike Path) to sign a waiver form. Choose the 12- or 24-mile loop and ride along the beautiful Chicago Lakefront Bikepath.
3:30 Fiesta & Program!
Relax, enjoy food and conversation at the main site (Grove 13) and stay for a short program.

Riders Receive: Refreshments on the ride, food at the post-pedal fiesta, and a free T-shirt!

Registration Fees: Please register online at this site and indicate the t-shirt size you’d like. Registration fee options:
$10 student/low income; $15 after September 6, 2019
$20 adult; $25 after September 6, 2019
Children 12 and under free
There is an option on the site to mail a check to CRLN. If you choose this option, please select your t-shirt size.

Bring with you: bike, helmet, cell phone, collected pledges
Parking: Parking is available in the Park District lot next to the field below the Waveland Clock Tower.
Please note that you will need to use the ParkMobile Pay by Phone service to pay for parking– no other phone payment app will work, including ParkChicago used for City street parking. For more information on how to Pay by Phone at this parking lot, click here.

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If you cannot ride but would like to support Pedal for Peace in other ways, please send an email by September 9, 2019, to shunter-smith@crln.org with your name, email address, phone number and which of the following ways you would like to volunteer:

prepare a dish of food to share at the fiesta
request a food donation from a restaurant for the fiesta
ask for a contribution to support the event from a business in your community
make a contribution to support a team or the event in general

Pledge Form

Tell your friends, relatives, neighbors and co-workers that you are riding in a bike-a-thon to raise money for health, education, and community organizing projects. Ask them to sign up below and pledge an amount for the miles you plan to ride. Course distances are 12 or 24 miles.
Ask your pledgers to make their checks payable to CRLN and write the name of your team on the memo line. All proceeds will be divided among the beneficiary groups in support of the projects. You may also click here for a description of the projects funded
Collect the donations before September 22, and turn them in at the event site table on Pedal for Peace day.

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Send any pledges collected after the event to: CRLN, 4750 N. Sheridan Road, Suite 429, Chicago, IL 60640 by October 9.

Justice Worship and March September 29!
2019-09-29 10:30 - 12:00 | Parish of the Holy Covenant, 925 W. Diversey Pkwy, Chicago, IL, 60614, United States
CRLN member Kathy Siegenthaler asked us to publicize this event, which will commemorate events of 50 years ago concerning the murder of a pastor and his wife who opened their church to house programs–a free daycare center, health clinic and breakfast program–sought by the Young Lords for their neighborhood. You can read more about these past events by clicking here for an article that quotes the Rev. Martin Deppe, another CRLN member, who knew Rev. Johnson personally. The current event will also call for an investigation into this and other unsolved murders.
WHO: The United Methodist Church, Young Lords and public remember the unsolved murders of Rev. Bruce Johnson and his wife Eugenia 50 years ago, and also remember Young Lords Manuel Ramos, shot by police, and Jose (Pancho) Lind, beaten and killed by a white mob.
WHAT and WHY: 50th Anniversary memorial service and protest march to call for further investigations.
WHEN: September 29, 2019 – 10:30 AM
WHERE: Parish of the Holy Covenant, 925 W. Diversey Pkwy, Chicago, IL 60614

Film screening, "Brightness of Noon"
2019-10-16 17:30 - 20:30 | DePaul Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield (corner of Belden & Sheffield, Chicago, IL
This film, according to its website, “illuminates the risks people of faith are willing to take to protect the human rights of those fleeing violence, and the struggles and triumphs of undocumented immigrants and refugees as they resettle in the United States.” Featured in the film are two Chicago-area refugees and one of CRLN’s Immigrant Welcoming Congregations, Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ, as well as Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church and the Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants.
Date: Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Time: 5:30pm Reception 6:00 pm Screening begins. Screening followed by panel discussion of DePaul faculty, staff and students and an open question and answer session with the audience.
Location: DePaul Student Center, Room 314AB, 2250 N. Sheffield, Chicago, IL (corner of Sheffield and Belden)
Writer and producer Debra Gonsher Vinik will attend.
Hosted by DePaul’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Film screening, "The U-Turn"
2019-10-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Guild Literary Complex – Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago, IL, 60642

An Evening with Marty Rosenbluth, Lawyer for Migrant Detainees in the Deep South
2019-10-29 18:00 - 20:00 | Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 25 East Pearson, Room 1040 Ceremonial Courtroom, Chicago, IL
To attend, you must register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bringing-hope-to-the-nearly-forgotten-migrant-detainees-in-the-deep-south-tickets-69904011781
CRLN invites you to a free program with noted immigration attorney Marty Rosenbluth, who will speak about his work providing legal counsel to undocumented migrants and asylum seekers held in one of the worst detention centers in the nation. Marty relocated to Lumpkin, Georgia to be near his clients at the Stewart Detention Facility, a private for-profit facility that has been criticized for its poor conditions, resulting in several detainee deaths. There are now more than 56,000 people in immigration detention in the US, many held in inhumane conditions and without legal help. Marty’s extraordinary work and dedication has been showcased in a number of recent articles in prominent publications including The Guardian and the Christian Science Monitor, and he wrote a recent op-ed in the Washington Post (links below).
He received his JD from the University of North Carolina School of Law and was also a Staff Attorney at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. In 2016 he was among lawyers who provided free legal services to Syrian refugees. Marty was previously a film maker who made the award-winning documentary “Jerusalem: An Occupation Set in Stone?” He was the Amnesty International USA country specialist for Israel/Palestine for seven years.
Co-sponsored by Amnesty International, the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, CRLN, Refugee One, and the Council on American Islamic Relations.
The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/14/lone-immigration-attorney-lumpkin-georgia-trump
The Christian Science Monitor https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2019/0422/Long-shot-lawyer-Defending-migrants-in-US-s-toughest-immigration-court
Ha’aretz https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/this-jewish-lawyer-represents-asylum-seekers-at-the-strictest-u-s-immigration-court-1.7307333
Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/my-immigrant-client-won-a-judges-compassion-ice-still-dumped-him-on-the-border/2019/01/24/7802a800-1e9c-11e9-8b59-0a28f2191131_story.html?utm_term=.75fca9768ded

Walk With Us! Camina Con Nosotros!
2019-11-02 18:30 - 21:30 | Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, 1100 E 55th St, Chicago, IL, 60615
EVENT SOLD OUT, BUT PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE PUT ON A WAITING LIST (773-293-2964) IF THERE ARE CANCELLATIONS.
SPONSORSHIPS STILL WELCOME–SEE LINK BELOW.
We are proud to celebrate 30 years of effective education, action, accompaniment and advocacy on Latin America and work on justice for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers with our members and partner organizations. We have accomplished a lot – and yet, there is still a long way to go to achieve our vision of peace, justice, and well-being for all.
For CRLN’s 30th anniversary, we are planning a very special celebration! Instead of our usual Annual Luncheon, we will have a dinner featuring photos from 30 years of our history, a video of short interviews with people about key events in our history, a speaker from Latin America – and of course, great fellowship with our wonderful members!
Estamos orgullosos de celebrar 30 años de educación efectiva, acción, acompañamiento y defensa en América Latina y trabajar en la justicia para inmigrantes, refugiados y solicitantes de asilo con nuestros miembros y organizaciones asociadas. Hemos logrado mucho, y sin embargo, aún queda mucho camino por recorrer para lograr nuestra visión de paz, justicia y bienestar para todos.
Para el 30 aniversario de CRLN, estamos planeando una celebración muy especial. En lugar de nuestro almuerzo anual habitual, tendremos una cena con fotos de 30 años de nuestra historia, un video de entrevistas cortas con personas sobre eventos clave en nuestra historia, una presentadora/o de América Latina y, por supuesto, una gran comunión con nuestros maravillosos miembros!
SPEAKER: Miriam Miranda, General Coordinator of the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH) Miriam Miranda, Coordinadora General de la Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña (OFRANEH) Click here for a brief bio.
DATE and TIME: November 2, 2019, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago/McCormick Theological Seminary, 1100 E. 55th St./ 5430 S. University Ave., Chicago, IL 60615 (use Greenwood Avenue door to get to the reception space for the JKM Library)
PARKING: Available in the underground lot for $5. Access lot from the driveway north of the building with entrances from University and Greenwood Avenues.
TICKETS: $80 Regular
$72 Member discount
$50 Students/Low-income
$640 Table of 8
Send a check to CRLN, 4750 N. Sheridan Rd., #429, Chicago, IL 60640-5078, or pay online at http://bit.ly/CRLNat30
SPONSORSHIP: Check out our sponsorship levels and benefits at http://bit.ly/CRLNbook
ADBOOK: Our Event Program Book this year will include ads. It’s an opportunity to share a memory, a photo from a CRLN activity you were part of, a wish for CRLN’s future and/or you can share info on an upcoming event you are planning. Deadline for submission: October 21.
Order your ad (or become a sponsor) online at http://bit.ly/CRLNbook or contact Sharon Hunter-Smith at 773-293-2964 or at shunter-smith@crln.org

Chicago-Cinquera Bowl-a-rama
2020-03-07 14:00 - 17:00 | Timberlanes, 1851 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, IL
Bowling to 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.
Children welcome! Special lanes for kids.
Register as an individual for $25 or bring $50 in pledges to bowl FREE!
More info at 773-561-4208 or jimmyishere@hotmail.com
