“Ancestral Movements: Indigenous Territory and Migration” with Silvia Raquec Cum
2020-04-16 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
Webinar, “Ancestral Movements: Indigenous Territory and Migration”
with Maya Kaqchikel presenter Silvia Raquec Cum, Migration Program Coordinator, Association Pop No’j
April 16, 2020, 6:00pm CST
While state forces threaten their safety and dignity, Indigenous peoples and migrants resist with courage and resilience. Join us for this webinar to learn about resource extraction, migration, and the work of Indigenous people in Guatemala to build a world beyond colonial borders. Register here for English translation webinar. Register here for Spanish language webinar.

This educational session will prepare you to participate in a wide coalition campaign, of which CRLN is a part, to end the Asylum Cooperation Agreements (ACAs) between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Presidents of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. The ACAs allow the U.S. to deport asylum seekers and require them to seek asylum in these three countries. None of these countries has a well-functioning process for applying for asylum nor the capacity to shelter and feed people deported while they wait. No Congress has approved these agreements.

Webinar: El Salvador's Water in the Time of COVID-19
2020-04-18 14:00 - 15:00
Register here
Date and time: Saturday, April 18, 2pm CST
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, how can you wash your hands with no access to clean water? You can’t. After decades of right-wing attacks on essential public services, like health care and water, many people in El Salvador do not have the access they need to protect their health in this critical time, much less easily carry on daily cooking and cleaning tasks.
Join CRLN ally CISPES (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador) for an online conversation with water defense activist and national labor union leader, Marielos de Leon, to learn how organizers in El Salvador are advancing the struggle for water rights for all–and the important role that international solidarity can play today.
You must register to participate in this webinar.

Virtual "Free Them All" Forum
2020-05-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Chicago Teachers Union Hall, 1901 W. Carroll Ave., Chicago, IL, 60612
CRLN and its predecessor organization, the Chicago Metropolitan Sanctuary Alliance, had its beginnings in the fight against U.S. funding for the adbuctions, disappearances and torture of non-combatant citizens in El Salvador and Guatemala. How can we remain silent when Chicago police have tortured our own citizens into confessing to crimes that they did not commit? While some have been released from prison, we must demand that all those who were tortured be released and pardoned.
We urge you to show up online and be present at this virtual educational rally and action around demanding the IMMEDIATE pardon for all survivors of police torture, organized by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and co-sponsored by CRLN.

The event will livestream HERE on the event page on Facebook Live.
Learn more about the Campaign to Free Incarcerated Survivors of Police Torture at: cfist.org
Be sure to sign the online petition for CFIST at: https://www.caarpr.org/cfistpetitiontogov
#FreeThemAll #FreeThemAllForum

Concert honoring Cuban Medical Brigades and calling for an end to U.S. Sanctions
2020-07-18 19:00 - 2020-07-19 22:00
A GLOBAL MUSICAL HOMAGE HONORING CUBAN MEDICAL BRIGADES AND CALLING FOR AN END TO U.S. SANCTIONS
The event will stream online on SATURDAY JULY 18 AND SUNDAY JULY 19 AT 7 pm
REGISTER HERE

Cultural organizers from the US and Canada have come together with the Instituto Cubano de la Musica (ICM) in Cuba to host a special tribute recognizing the distinct contributions to the world during the Covid-19 pandemic. The concert will salute Cuba’s heroic and outsized contributions to health care around the world as doctors have volunteered this year to serve in more than 26 countries.The two-day cultural event will feature the legendary talent nurtured on Cuban soil and recognized world-wide as virtuoso artists. Musicians located outside of Cuba influenced by numerous Afro-Cuban styles or who are playing in solidarity with the aims of the event are also participating. The roster of talent amassed for this historic event signifies the concert as one of music history’s most memorable gatherings.
Interspersed with the music, tributes by long-time friends of Cuba, other artists, politicians in the US, religious leaders, academics, and activists will join the program to make remarks and offer context to the program.
Click here for SATURDAY’S line-up
Click here for SUNDAY’S line-up
The program will broadcast LIVE from Havana’s Instituto Cubano de la Musica and from points around the globe while physical distancing is still observed.

Broadcast via the Twitch.tv/HotHouseGlobal channel.
The HotHouseGlobal Twitch Channel will also be simulcast on
• HotHouseGlobal on You Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fqiXc40zwA
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hothousechicago
• And on the HotHouse web site www.hothouse.net/HotHouseGlobal
Inside Cuba, the live stream will be broadcast across Cuba on national television. Co-presenters around the world will also create Watch parties on Facebook to expand the reach and audience for this legendary event. The archival version will be available on HotHouseGlobal’s You Tube channel after the live stream two-day event is concluded. The program will be presented for free without pay walls and all labor related to the program has been donated.

12th Annual El Pueblo Canta
2020-10-03 17:30 - 20:30 | Wellington Ave Church, 615 West Wellington Ave, Chicago, Wellington Ave Church, 615 West Wellington Ave, Chicago, United States
Advance tickets and sponsorship at waucc.org/2020ElPuebloCanta

FEATURING: El Wadi Ensemble

PLUS: special performances by VOICES, the Wellington Choir, and the “Dare to Dream” Centro Romero Youth Choir.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2020

TIME: Doors open at 5:30pm–Traditional Latino and Middle Eastern food for purchase
Concert: 7:00 – 8:30pm

LOCATION: Wellington Ave. UCC, 615 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago, IL. Located on the corner of Broadway and Wellington, a few blocks south of Belmont Ave. Close to the Halsted, Broadway and Clark St. buses, as well as the Red or Brown Line CTA trains

TICKETS: $25 general admission, $15 students/limited income, children under 12 free (childcare available, RSVP at 773-935-0642)

Advance tickets and sponsorship at waucc.org/2020ElPuebloCanta

Call 773-935-0642 for more details

PARKING: Complimentary parking passes generously provided by Advocate IL Masonic Hospital at garage at Halsted and Wellington.

All proceeds will go to support the immigrant justice work of Centro Romero, CRLN, and Wellington Ave. UCC

BUILDING COMMUNITY WHERE ALL ARE WELCOME!

2020 Pedal for Peace: Bike in Your Barrio
2020-10-18 16:00 - 17:00
In these times, we have dreamed up a new way to participate in this annual event! This will be a decentralized Pedal for Peace, and we also have opened it up to people who run or walk. It is more flexible–choose your date within the next month to participate! Finally, we will all gather online to celebrate the results of our collective action. Click here to participate (join) or donate.

September 12– October 11, you get to choose the day to bike, run, or walk the distance of your choice.

Alone or with family/friends
On a bike path, neighborhood streets, park, or exercise bike
Send a photo of yourself in your biking location holding a sign with the name of the location (neighborhood, bike path, etc.) appearing in the photo to shunter-smith@crln.org to share with other participants.

October 18, 4-5 pm: Online Zoom program to celebrate our united efforts to empower our communities in Illinois and Latin America. We will send out the link to you on the day of the event. While we cannot gather at this time, we can celebrate the way we remain connected by our global hearts and similar missions.

Your fundraising or donations help us support the following:

scholarships for rural Indigenous students in Guatemala and El Salvador
health promoter trainings in rural and Indigenous or Black communities in Colombia
educating high risk communities in El Salvador and Honduras about Coronavirus and critical steps they can take to protect themselves and their families
voter registration and issues education in immigrant communities in Lake County, IL
funding for those who must renew DACA work authorization at exorbitant new rates.

You can raise funds online using social media tools or you can use a paper pledge form to collect checks (contact shunter-smith@crln.org for a pledge form or if you have questions). Whichever method you choose, sign up to join one of the teams to raise funds or donate to one of the teams at charity.gofundme.com/pedal-for-peace-bike-in-your-barrio

"Building Bridges, Connecting Communities/Construyendo Puentes, Conectando Comunidades"
2020-11-14 17:30 - 19:30
English | Spanish

Thank-you to everyone who joined us for Building Bridges, Connecting Communities!

Watch Building Bridges, Connecting Communities
Don’t forget to click here for the Program Book to use as a guide for the event.
Read articles and reflections and see a list of our wonderful sponsors
and the activists they honored.
You can click here for the lyrics to the Rebel Diaz performance!

In difficult moments we are tempted to give in to despair. This year, we have faced profound challenges across the globe. From homes to hospitals to cities and towns, the current health crisis and calls for racial justice have touched us all, but they also made more apparent the flaws of our societies. However, it is now that we must remember that we are a people of justice united by a common thread of hope. It is hope that unites us in our calls and emails to elected officials, in our protests on the streets. It is hope that connects us to our brothers and sisters in their struggles thousands of miles away. It is hope that connects us to neighbors in solidarity when we struggle. Our keynote speaker Sr. Maria Magdalena embodies this hope and reflects what CRLN’s friends, members and allies strive to live out every day. It is this hope that brings us together to commemorate another year of work for justice and to push toward the next.

Responding to the Causes and Challenges of Forced Migration
Sister María Magdalena Silva Rentería – Originally from Zacatecas, she moved to Mexico City in 1982 to join the Josefina Sisters. During the earthquake in Mexico in 1985, she coordinated the shelters for affected people. She is a member of the national team of the Human Mobility Pastoral of the Mexican Episcopal Conference. Currently, she is the Director of CAFEMIN (House for Shelter, Training and Empowerment of Migrant and Refugee Women), as well as the Coordinator of REDODEM (Network of Organizations Documenting and Defending Migrants).

2020 Honorees
The Sanctuary Working Group/ Chicago & the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center/ Havana

Music by Rebel Diaz
We are Rebel Diaz. Somos hermanos- RodStarz and G1- who grew up in Chicago and came up in The South Bronx. Somos hijos de political refugees from Chile who fled a CIA-funded dictatorship in the 1970s. Revolution raised us, and the culture of Hip-Hop provided us our own Nueva Cancion. We’ve been doing rebel rap since the Clinton era, sharing our story and those of our people; el barrio, the hood, the poor, los inmigrantes. Our bilingual sound has been shaped by pieces of South American folk, house, and latin percussion gettin down with boom-bap breaks and 808s. Hip-Hop and a vision for liberation have taken us around the world. With DJ Illanoiz and our band, we’ve rocked stages in front of thousands at festivals, and in front of dozens in squat house living rooms. We learned about tomas in our international tours, then came back to The Bronx, took over an abandoned building and started a community center, The RDACBX. We’ve given lectures at Ivy League schools but are college dropouts. We went from rapping about being ‘periodistas de la esquina’ to actually hosting a television news program on the global network Telesur English. We’ve been blessed to open for the likes of Public Enemy, Calle 13, and Rage Against the Machine. The New York Times, Washington Post, and NPR among others, have featured our work and words. Educators across the world use our music and videos as learning tools. Today, we continue in la lucha with our families and in our community through our music and multimedia work.

Press conference for Senate bill on human rights and anti-corruption in Honduras
2021-03-02 16:00 - 17:00 | Federal Plaza, 230 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, 60604, United States
Join us for a press conference calling on Senator Duckworth to sign onto the Honduras Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Act of 2021. Senator Durbin is an original co-sponsor of the bill, introduced by Senator Merkley of Oregon.
Can’t join us? Click here to find a description of the bill and a sample script; call your Senators and ask them to sign on.

La Lucha Sigue Film & Panel with Bertha Zúniga Cáceres & Miriam Miranda
2021-03-20 - 2021-03-21
World Premiere of La Lucha Sigue a new film about Honduran land defenders followed by a panel discussion with Bertha Zúniga Cáceres and Miriam Miranda
In Honduras, the most dangerous place in the world to be a land defender, the Lenca and Garífuna people are not backing down. They are fighting to uphold their rights and Indigenous and Black cultures in the face of state backed megaprojects and narco-traffickers who seek to assassinate them, destroy their lands, and erase their existence. Register to watch the WORLD PREMIERE of La Lucha Sigue at 2:00 pm CT Saturday March 20 as part of the Building Movements in Defense of Life, a free bilingual film festival featuring true stories of resistance to industrial capitalism. Stay after the film for a panel featuring the protagonists of the film, Bertha Zúniga Cáceres and Miriam Miranda on Saturday at 3:30 PM CT.
On Sunday at 3:30 PM CT Bertha and Miriam will join a panel with all the women featured in the film festival. You will need to register for the Sunday panel separately and select large group discussion. See the whole schedule and register at: https://www.mutualaidmedia.com/schedule

Immigration Legislation & Executive Action Webinar
2021-03-22 17:00 - 18:00
Register at https://tinyurl.com/crlnwebinar1
Plan to join us for this informative zoom update on immigration legislation and executive actions.
You will receive an email from ICIRR after you register with the zoom link.

Indigenous Peoples' Human Rights in Migration Webinar
2021-03-24 18:00 - 20:00
Join us on March 24 at 4 PM PT // 6 PM CT // 7 PM ET for “Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights in Migration,” a webinar featuring Juanita Cabrera Lopez (Maya Mam), Luis Marcos (Q’anjob’al Maya), Giovanni Batz (K’iche’ Maya). Please share with your networks!
REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/IndigenousHumanRightsWebinar
TAKE ACTION: https://bit.ly/IndigenousHumanRightsAction
INTERPRETATION: Mam Maya, Spanish, English
CLOSED CAPTIONS: Spanish & English

Good Friday Walk for Justice
2021-04-02 12:00 - 14:00
Good Friday Walk for Justice: Rise Up and Roll Away the Stone! This event stems from the Christian tradition of the Stations of the Cross, where Jesus walked to his execution. Who is being crucified today and what “stones” block their pathway to new life? At each station, we will name a particular form of injustice and call for transformation. April 2 marks this event’s 41st year, and, like last year, we will participate in the event online. Register for this event here!
This Good Friday, our collective community remembers that we belong to each other. We believe we have the power to rise up together and lean into the strength of our foundational bonds of justice for all.
We have the power to roll away stones of white supremacy, greed, and state violenc e. As we roll the stones away, we commit to co-create systems in which resources are shared, allowing our imaginations to generate radically new ways of living and thriving in a more just society.
We believe that the stone of injustice will be rolled away in our rejection of the status quo. As Easter people we recommit ourselves to choose actions of trans- formation. Together we pledge our efforts to bring about greater justice for all peoples and Earth itself.
Join us as together we reﬂect, pray, proclaim and celebrate the many ways that together we are Rolling the Stones Away.
To learn more about the walk go to walkforjusticechicago.com.
To support this year’s Walk, make checks payable to CRLN (memo GFWalk) and mail to CRLN, 5655 S. University Ave, Chicago 60637 or online: http://bit.ly/3rHuesZ

If you can’t join us for the zoom worship service you can watch a video and download the prayer booklet at https://crln.org/gfwj/

TPS Webinar
2021-04-05 16:00 - 17:00
Register at http://tiny.cc/crlnwebinar2
Join us to learn more about advocacy campaigns to gain permanent residency for current TPS holders and to expand TPS to include people from more countries.
After you register you will receive an email from Alianza Americas with zoom information.

Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia
2021-04-09 - 2021-05-31
CRLN is seeking congregations to participate in the Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia in April and May of 2021. We will distribute educational resources on Colombia’s Peace Process, the need to implement it fully, and the ever-growing number of victims. We can work with you to help plan virtual worship and action opportunities for your congregation in April and May. For more information contact Marilyn McKenna at mmckenna@crln.org

Virtual Ecumenical Advocacy Days - Imagine! God’s Earth and People Restored
2021-04-18 - 2021-04-21
EAD 2021 is an opportunity to advocate for climate justice and support the global movement centered and led by people and communities most vulnerable to climate impacts due to historic racial and colonial inequalities. #EAD2021 hopes to passionately advocate and reimagine a world that lives out the values of justice, equity, and beloved community.
EAD will include opportunities for worship, advocacy training and workshops on Latin America (see list of workshops below). Visit the EAD website to learn more about the event.
Early bird registration ends April 7. You can register at https://attendify.co/ecumenical-advocacy-days-pbfNWPy. Registration fees range from $15.00 – $50.00. Please contact Marilyn McKenna at mmckenna@crln.orgif registration fees are a barrier to your participation.
Register for EAD before April 7, 2021 if you are interested in participating in the EAD organized lobby day. This gives the EAD staff time to schedule the meetings. If you register after April 7, you are not guaranteed to have a meeting set up for you.
Please contact Marilyn McKenna at mmckenna@crln.org for more information.

Latin America Workshops at Ecumenical Advocacy Days
Monday 4/19
10am CT — MCC, OXFAM, Bread for the World, CWS
Climate Change as a Driver of Forced Migration from Central America
Climate change is increasingly a driver of forced migration and displacement in Central America. As climate change worsens droughts, hurricanes, and crop diseases in the region, individuals are forced by hunger or lack of economic opportunities to leave their homes. Come hear from organizations supporting communities impacted by or facing risks from climate change in Central America. Learn how climate change intersects with other root causes of migration, what works in helping small farmers and communities adapt to a changing climate, and how you can support U.S. policies to address climate change in the region.
Speakers: Susana Lopez from Pastoral de la Tierra San Marcos, Dulce Gamboa, Barbara Ford Peace Center in El Quiché, or Guatemala cluster coordinator
1:30pm CT – Amazon Watch
What is President Biden’s Agenda in the Amazon Rainforest?
As part of his sweeping climate executive order, President Biden mandated the creation of a U.S. government plan to support protection of the Amazon rainforest and other ecosystems that are important for regulating the global climate. How is the plan shaping up? What proposals have Amazonian Indigenous peoples and other grassroots social movements presented to stop destruction of their rainforest territories? What is the U.S. government’s role in regulating the operations of asset managers and banks that finance destruction and human rights violations in the Amazon? How can Congress be helpful?
Speakers: Patricia Gualinga from Ecuador, Moira Birss from Amazon Watch, Peter Hughes from REPAM.
1:30pm CT — MCC [This is from the Eco-Justice track but we are hoping to cross-list it!]
The impact of border walls on endangered species and sacred lands
Since 2017, billions of dollars have been spent to construct new walls on the U.S.-Mexico border. Construction has caused irreparable harm to public lands from Texas to Arizona, extracting millions of gallons of precious groundwater in the desert, encroaching on indigenous lands, severing migration routes and otherwise imperiling protected and endangered species. Dozens of laws that protect the environment, public health, and sacred lands were waived to speed construction. Find out how you can urge the Biden administration and your members of Congress to respond.
Moderator: Tammy Alexander, Director of National Advocacy and Program, Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Panelists: Jennifer Johnson, Border Policy Advisor, Southern Border Communities Coalition, Tricia Cortez, Executive Director, Rio Grande International Study Center, Scott Nicol, Assistant Professor at South Texas College (McAllen) and co-author of two ACLU reports on the history and impacts of walls along the U.S.-Mexico border
Tuesday 4/20
1:30pm CT — LAWG/ELCA
Time for Progress: Advocacy for Just U.S. Foreign & Migration Policies towards Latin America
With a relentless focus on stopping migration, U.S. policy in the last few years has ignored many human rights challenges in the Western Hemisphere, including corruption, weak rule of law, and threats faced by environmental activists, indigenous peoples, women, and the LGBTQ+ community. Now we have the opportunity to restore asylum, protect migrants, and address the root causes of migration for those fleeing Central America and Mexico. There will also be time to ask questions about what we can do to fully reopen diplomatic relations with and travel to Cuba, protect peace in Colombia, and ask our government to prioritize protecting human rights and environmental defenders throughout the Americas. Come discuss with advocates how together we can build a more just immigration and foreign policy towards Latin America in this pivotal year.
Speakers: Lisa Haugaard & Daniella Burgi-Palomino (LAWG), Joaquin Mejia (Jesuit Center ERIC, Honduras), Melissa Vertiz Hernandez, Secretaria Tecnica, Grupo de Trabajo de Politicas Migratorias

Chicago Rally Calling for an End to the U.S. Blockade of Cuba!
2021-07-25 13:00 - 15:00 | Michigan Avenue and Ida B Wells Drive in downtown Chicago 60605
Chicago Rally for an End to the U.S. Blockade of Cuba!
Carlos Lazo, a Cuban-American school teacher and Iraq war veteran, has been on a 1,300 mile pilgrimage — with six other Cuban Americans—all the way from Miami! He will arrive in Washington, DC on July 25 to present the Biden Administration with a petition signed by over 25,000 calling for an end to the U.S. blockade and demanding:
• the end of all sanctions
• the restoration of remittances
• the resumption of flights from the U.S., not only to Havana but to all the regional centers of Cuba
• the reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Havana
• a restart to the program of family reunification
Chicagoans will rally on July 25 at 1 pm at Michigan Ave. and Ida B. Wells Drive in solidarity with these demands.
Let’s support building bridges of love between Cuba and the United States.
Join the call to end the U.S. sanctions now!

Events in DC: You can find out more about welcome events in DC at https://www.codepink.org/cuba07252021.
Car and Bike Caravan in Milwaukee: The car and bike caravan will take place on Sunday, July 25, with a send off rally at 1pm at the parking lot of the Mitchell Park Domes, 524 South Layton Blvd., Milwaukee 53215. In addition to Cuban-Americans, speakers will include Tony Baez who co-sponsored the unanimously adopted Milwaukee School Board resolution calling for normal relations, and a representative from Voces de la Frontera, the state’s leading immigrant rights organization.

2021 Pedal for Peace: Bike, Run or Walk in Your Barrio
2021-09-26 16:00 - 17:00
Every year, CRLN and partner organizations in Illinois host Pedal for Peace, which raises funds that connect us with communities in Latin America and immigrant communities in Illinois. People everywhere have their dreams and goals for receiving education, access to health care, and a chance to participate in meaningful ways as citizens. This year, Pedal for Peace raises funds for 6 different projects that help people realize these dreams. Click here for project descriptions, to donate online, or to sign up to bike, run or walk to help fundraise. Registration is free. You must sign up on line to register, but you may donate by check if you prefer. Make your check out to CRLN, put the name of the team you support in the memo line, and mail it to CRLN, 5655 S. University Ave., Rm. 23, Chicago, IL 60637.
If you sign up to bike, ride or walk:
August 20 – September 19: Choose the day for your activity:
**alone or with family/friends;
**On a path, neighborhood streets, in a park, or on an exercise bike;
**find people to donate to the projects in honor of your activity;
**Send a photo of yourself in your biking location to shunter-smith@crln.org. Photos will be shared at the celebration program.
September 26, 4-5pm: Virtual program to celebrate our united efforts to empower communities in Latin America and Illinois. An in person celebration may be possible. More information will be sent to you closer to the date.

Chicago Car Caravan for an end to sanctions against the Cuban people!
2021-10-31 12:00 - 15:00 | Cermak Plaza
Cuban families in the U.S. initiated a world-wide call for car and bike caravans to say: “End the U.S. sanctions that separate and hurt Cuban families.” On Sunday October 31 Chicago will join other U.S. cities and many more around the world to support them!
The Caravan will meet at 12 pm (noon) on Sunday, October 31
Assemble at Cermak Plaza
southeast corner of Cermak and Harlem, Southside of McDonalds in Berwyn
View and download route map here
Statements of solidarity at kick off. Bring signs to decorate your vehicle.
For more information: 630-915-0654

Colombia Hoy: ¡Defensores de la paz resisten!
2021-11-13 17:30 - 19:30
Inglés | Español
Unase a nosotros en el Evento Anual de CRLN con Danilo Rueda de la Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz
Sábado, 13 de Noviembre a las 5:30 pm en vivo por zoom
Acompáñenos para ver a Danilo Rueda, el secretario ejecutivo de la organización ecuménica colombiana, la Comisión Intereclesial de Justica y Paz. Hablará, sobre la huelga nacional y las protestas largas de este año. Las fuerzas de la seguridad en Colombia han atacado a manifestantes, matado a 43 individuos, desaparecido a decenas y ahora están criminalizando a centenares de activistas. Los que luchan por la paz exigen un país seguro con infraestructura para todos, apoyo socioeconómico para los pobres y un proceso de responsabilidad para los que cometieron crímenes contra los derechos humanos durante la larga guerra civil. El Sr. Rueda hablará sobre lo que detonó las protestas y cómo podemos apoyar a los activistas y su visión de la justicia social y la paz.
Danilo Rueda
Defensor de derechos humanos y de paz social y ambiental. Comunicador social. Realizó estudios de filosofía, teología, educación y de pos grado en Estudios políticos. Ha sido profesor de la Universidad Javeriana y Externado de Colombia. Redactor de Actualidad Colombiana. Columnista y colaborador en medios indepedientes. Fue integrante del Tribunal Permanente de los Pueblos. Ha sido secretario técnico de la iniciativa Colombianas y Colombianos por la Paz. En la actualidad es Secretario Ejecutivo de la Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz, J&P. Director del medio virtual Contagio Multimedia. Es integrante de Defendamos la Paz. Promotor del Pacto por la Vida y la Paz, y del Acuerdo Humanitario Global. Es representante de víctimas ante el Sistema Interamericanos de Derechos Humanos.
Nuestro evento es gratuito pero es necesario registrarse. Regístrese aquí y obtenga más información sobre cómo donar, patrocinar o colocar un anuncio en el libro del programa aquí.

Colombia Today: Peacemakers Resist!
2021-11-13 17:30 - 19:30
English | Spanish
Join us for the CRLN Annual Event with Danilo Rueda from the Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz
Saturday, November 13, 5:30 pm live on Zoom
Join us to see Danilo Rueda, Executive Secretary of the Colombian ecumenical organization Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz. He will talk about the national strike and this year’s long, largely peaceful protests. Colombian security forces have attacked protesters, killed at least 43, disappeared dozens, and are now criminalizing hundreds of activists. Peacemakers are demanding safety, basic infrastructure for all communities, social support for those in need, and a process of accountability for the human rights crimes committed during the long civil war. Mr. Rueda will speak about why the protests broke out and how we can support peacemakers and their vision of social justice and peace.
Danilo Rueda
Danilo Rueda is a defender of human rights and of social and environmental peace. He studied philosophy, theology, education, and did postgraduate work in political science. He has been a professor both at the Universidad Javeriana and at Externado de Colombia, editor of Actualidad Colombiana, and a columnist and contributor to independent media. He was a member of the Tribunal Permanente de los Pueblos and has been technical secretary of the Colombianas y Colombianos por la Paz initiative. He is currently Executive Secretary of the Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz and serves as Director of the online media group, Contagio Multimedia. He is a member of Defendamos la Paz and a promoter of the Pacto por la Vida y la Paz and of the Acuerdo Humanitario Global. He is the representative of victims before the Inter-American Human Rights System.
Our event is free but registration is required. Register and learn more about donating, sponsoring or placing an ad in the program book HERE.
Please share our event with others!
CRLN Annual Event Flier & Reply Form ENGLISH | CRLN Annual Event Flier & Reply Form SPANISH | Facebook post to share | Twitter post to share

¡Adelante CRLN! A Tribute to Sharon Hunter-Smith
2022-06-12 15:00 - 18:00 | University Church, 5655 S. University Ave., Chicago, IL, 60637
Please join us in person or virtually to honor Sharon Hunter-Smith as she retires from the staff of the Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN). Come enjoy music, food and drink, as we share stories and celebrate Sharon’s history of accompaniment for human rights in our hemisphere and CRLN’s continuing commitment to this vision.

In-Person: Please RSVP to let us know if you can join us in person at https://bit.ly/CRLNRSVP Please plan to wear a mask indoors to protect everyone. Socially distant seating will be available.
Virtually: To join the program virtually at 4:30 please register in advance at: https://bit.ly/TributeProgram. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Contribute: You can make a contribution in Sharon’s honor at: https://bit.ly/TributetoSharon or using the enclosed reply form and envelope.
Download Event Flier Here

Please send any videos, photos or greetings for Sharon to Marilyn McKenna at mmckenna@crln.org to be included in her keepsake album. Also feel free to add a greeting or photo to the album at the event.

Pedal for Peace: Bike in your Barrio
2022-09-17 09:00 - 15:00 | University Church, 5655 S. University Ave., Chicago, IL, 60637
This year’s celebration will be hybrid. We will have a live online broadcast and we will also gather in person on Saturday September 17, so please mark your calendars. Learn more

Weaving utopias, hopes and dreams / Tejiendo utopías, esperanzas y sueños
2022-11-06 15:00 - 18:00 | University Church, 5655 S. University Ave., Chicago, IL, 60637
More information / Más detalles del evento

Ecumenical Advocacy Days 2023 (Virtual)
2023-04-25 - 2023-04-27
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.

2023 El Pueblo Canta
2023-04-29 17:30 - 20:30 | North Shore Baptist Church, 5244 N. Lakewood Avenue, Chicago, IL 60640, 5244 N. Lakewood Avenue, Chicago, IL, IL, 60640, United States
The 14th Annual El Pueblo Canta Concert
April 29, 2023 at 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM CST

In Person & Live Streamed Concert

To purchase tickets, become a donor or sponsor, and more, click here.

Co-sponsored by American Muslims for Palestine Chicago, Centro Romero, CRLN, and Wellington UCC and in solidarity with Arab Jewish Partnership for Peace and Justice in the Middle East and Bright Stars of Bethlehem El Pueblo Canta: A Concert to Celebrate the Movement for Immigrant Justice, Un concierto para celebrar el Movimiento para la Justicia al inmigrante. For the fourteenth year El Pueblo Canta brings people together from across the city to celebrate our diversity, embolden the work for immigrant justice, and embrace the belief that who we are, is greater than any fear. All proceeds benefit the work of immigrant justice. El Pueblo Canta will be an In Person & Live Streamed Concert.

In Person:

Tickets can be purchased ahead of time through registration or at the door.
COVID protocol – masks optional
Doors open at 5:30 PM – Traditional Latino and Middle Eastern food for purchase.
Concert 7:00 PM – 8:30PM.
Event held at North Shore Baptist Church, 5244 N. Lakewood Avenue, Chicago, IL 60640 (click here for map).
Parking: Plenty of residential street parking available. No parking lot at the church.

Live Stream:

Tune in 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM CST
Tickets are appreciated in order to receive the link for the livestream.

2023 Concert Featuring Music by:
Alhurya Dabka (dance) group
Dare2Dream, Centro Romero Youth Choir & Donald Ortega
El Wadi Ensemble, featuring Anita Darwish and Hassan Salameh
Wanda I. Pabellón-García
Wellington Community Choir

HOLDING ON TO HOPE AND HUMANITY
WHERE ALL ARE WELCOME

More information / Más detalles del evento

Widening the Circle Breakfast
2023-05-03 09:00 - 11:00 | Old Saint Patrick’s Church, 700 WEST ADAMS ST, Chicago, IL, 60661, United States
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

Pedal for Peace 2023
2023-09-17 11:00 - 15:00
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.
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En solidaridad y resistencia permanente,
Jhonathan F. Gómez

Book Launch: I Surrender by Kathleen Osberger
2023-09-21 19:00 - 20:30
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

IRTF Human Rights Banquet - Fiesta de Derechos Humanxs
2023-11-12 16:00 - 20:00 | Julia de Burgos Center, 2800 Archwood Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44109, United States
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.
Register Here

ICPJ Latin America Caucus’ Honduras: Human Rights Crisis & Forced Migration
2023-11-14 19:00 - 20:00 | Church of the Good Shepherd, 2145 Independence Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104, United States
​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.
Register Here
