Latin American/USA Hopes & Realities

* * * PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY AT YOUR DISCRETION * * *

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If it's convenient, anyone, who would like to, might like to bring some light food/snacks/drinks to share -- or disposable cups/forks/napkins -- at the event below. (There are no kitchen facilities there, so don't count on that.)

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From: lwlaura [at] yahoo.com
To: lwlaura [at] yahoo.com
Subject: HOLA - Latin American/USA hopes & realities - Sat May 2
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:27:46 -0700

HOLA everybody -

May is almost here!. And Saturday I hope you can join a bunch of folks in Berkeley for an afternoon finding out about Latin America and the Caribbean, and how it's going with the U.S. There's hope - here and there - and realities!!!

Here are details - Sat, May 2, 1-6pm, UC Berkeley [room 110] Barrows Hall.

Laura

lwlaura [at] yahoo.com
(510) 986-0879

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U.S. Trade Policy & its Impacts on Food, Land, and Immigration

- Panel Discussion, Workshops with leading experts on these issues

Saturday, May 2, 1 PM - 6 PM


110 Barrows Hall (highrise building northeast of Sproul Hall and visible from Telegraph & Bancroft)
UC Berkeley Campus

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE
Contact: info [at] nacla.org or 510-525-5497


Grassroots groups working in solidarity with Latin America and the Caribbean will come together to assess the recent history of U.S. trade policy toward the region, and to construct an agenda for the future that places the rights of people above profit.


A joint conference by:

LASC: Latin America Solidarity Coalition (http://www.lasolidarity.org)

NACLA: North American Congress on Latin America; Report on the Americas (http://nacla.org/justicecampaign, https://nacla.org/donate)

Not Just Change but Justice!

U.S. Trade Policy & its Impacts on Food, Land, and Immigration

As we approach the end of Obama's first 100 days, grassroots groups working
in solidarity with Latin America and the Caribbean will come together to
assess the recent history of U.S. trade policy toward the region, and to
construct an agenda for the future that places the rights of people above
profit. This half-day program will examine how U.S. trade policy has
impacted issues of food, land, and immigration throughout the region, from
questions of food security in Haiti and Cuba, to biofuels and GMOs in
Brazil; from NAFTA and migration, to indigenous land rights in Bolivia.
Experts and movement leaders from throughout the country will participate in
this day of learning and action, and work together to create not just
change, but justice in the Americas.

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1pm – 3pm: Panel discussion (each speaker is 10-12min)

- Introduction: Christy Thornton, NACLA

- CAFTA: Kathy Hoyt, Nicaragua Network

- NAFTA: David Bacon, photojournalist, author of Illegal People

- US Trade Policy and Immigration: Colin Raja, National Network on Immigrant and Refugee Rights

- Agrarian and Land Reform: Angus Wright

- Biofuels and agrobusiness: Eric Holt Giménez, Food First

- Indigenous issues/mega projects: Maria Ramos, NISGUA

- U.S. trade and relations with Venezuela: MARTIN SANCHEZ, Consular General, Consulate of Venezuela, San Francisco

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3:30 – 5pm: Workshops

- Constructing alternatives in food, land, and trade: Bolivia, Venezuela, and Ecuador

• Roger Burbach, Center for the Study of the Americas (CENSA)

• MARTIN SANCHEZ, Consulate of Venezuela



- Militarization & Counterinsurgency: How Plan Colombia and "Plan Mexico" support the neoliberal agenda

• Mary Ann Tenuto, Chiapas Support Committee

• John Lindsay Poland, Fellowship of Reconciliation



- Immigration, food security, and US relations: a comparison of Cuba and Haiti

• Delvis Fernandez, Cuban American Alliance Education Fund

• PIERRE LABOISSIERE, Co-Founder, Haiti Action Committee



- Big soy and ethanol agribusiness in the Southern Cone: /Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay

• Eric Holt Giménez, Food First

• EricaOmena Erickson, Friends of the MST

• Theresa Cameranesi, SOA Watch San Francisco


5 - 6pm: Wrap up and moving forward


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Laura Wells
(510) 986-0879 - http://www.laurawells.org