Fingerlakespermaculture mailing list

["Michael G. Burns" <michael AT fingerlakespermaculture.org>]

From: Beth Harris <beth55harris AT gmail.com>

Dear friends,

I would like to invite you to an inspirational event, where Ithaca College Politics professor Patricia Rodriguez will talk about one of the most hopeful and important social movements of small farmers in Colombia, which the U.S. press has completely ignored.  Are you surprised? 

Please help us break this silence!

 

The Central New York Cajibío-Sister Partnership and

Tompkins County Latino Civic Association are sponsoring:

Cultivating Seeds of Grassroots Democracy:

Alternative Models for Peace from Colombia

Tuesday, May 28, 7:30pm

Ecovillage in Ithaca, FROG Common House, 100 Rachel Carson Way

Speaker: Patricia Rodriquez, IC Politics Professor

Music: Colleen Kattau and Some Guys

Wine and appetizers

Suggested donation:  $5-25 to support Movimiento Campesino de Cajíbío (Small Farmers’ Movement of Cajibío, Colombia), which is a sister community to Ithaca, Cortland and Syracuse

 

This April 20,000 grassroots activists converged in Bogotá, Colombia as part of an ongoing movement to construct alternative models of peace with economic justice based on community values such as vida digna (dignified life) and collective rights.

Fortunately for us, Patricia attended this National Congress for Peace in Bogotá. So often governments and other armed actors participate in “peace” negotiations and settlements as way of trying to reposition themselves in relationship to each other without addressing the demands of popular movements and civil society.  In this case, the indigenous, Afro-Colombian, campesino, labor and student movements came to Bogotá determined that their voices be heard and demands addressed as part of the national dialogue. The Bogotá meeting provided the opportunity to consolidate a national agenda and strategy that builds on the local and regional processes that have been facilitated by the Congreso de los Pueblos. 

You will find that the Congreso de los Pueblos is led by indigenous, Afro-Colombian and Colombians who are small farmers with deep ties to the land and concerns about the multi-nationals' theft of their land for mono-crops, mining and destruction of the environment.  We hope that this event will open up opportunities for interchange between our sister community and small farmers and environmental activists is Ithaca. 

After our discussion with Patricia, Colleen Kattau and Some Guys will treat us to a concert.  Their CD In My Name,  (2012) is described as “power and beauty of steeping a fine tea of superb vocals, to the bone saxophone and cool cats on guitar and bass.”  Colleen’s music, which has been featured on Democracy Now and at the SOAWatch vigils, combines the rhythms of Latin American artists with roots rock and folk.

Please post and share the attached flyer. 

For directions: Take 79 W. 2 miles from Pete's gas station in downtown Ithaca, NY, then turn left on Rachel Carson Way.  Go .5 miles to the visitor's parking lot, and there will be signs to get to the Common House. For information or RSVP, contact me: Beth Harris, beth55harris AT gmail.com, 607-266-7587. To support those with allergies, the Frog Neighborhood Common House is a fragrance-free environment-so no perfumes, please.

Con gracias al a vida (with thanks to life),

Beth Harris

Attachment: CultivatingSeeds.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document

For those on Facebook, please join our event,https://www.facebook.com/events/139343036254557/.