The Merida Initiative known as Plan Mexico is a $1.4 billion military package proposed by President Bush for Mexico. It is being debated in Congress now (even though they haven’t even seen the full ’security’ initiative.

Please read through the brief note (w/talking points on Plan Mexico) below and give Senator Schumer a call or email urging an end to impunity for Brad Will’s murder and the murder of innocent Mexicans in Atenco, Oaxaca and elsewhere in Mexico by Mexican security forces and that he oppose Plan Mexico.

Thanks,

Friends

CONTACT!:
* Senator Schumer (D-NY), Senator for New York State where Brad Will lived and did much environmental volunteer work:

easy click link here, and you can cut and paste the info from below…

http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/contact/webform.cfm

if you have time, call, it matters a lot more!:

212-486-4430

Talking Points for Opposing the Merida Initiative

Justice for the murder of Brad Will and an end to impunity in Mexico!

A. The initiative would not effectively combat drug-trafficking

The Merida Initiative would fail to have a lasting impact on drug
trafficking for three key reasons:

1. Military interdiction efforts have a “balloon” effect. As stated by the Centro Pro, a national human rights organization in
Mexico City, “History has proven time and time again that such law enforcement efforts merely divert trafficking routes, creating a
geographic shuffle of social and criminal problems.”

2. The Merida Initiative ignores a root cause of the problem: U.S. demand. Even the right-wing RAND Corporation has concluded that far-flung attempts to stop drugs at their source is 23 times less cost effective than domestic drug treatment at home.

3. The Merida Initiative model also fails to recognize poverty as another root cause of drug trafficking. So long as such poverty persists in Mexico, some Mexicans will continue to choose drug-running as a lucrative alternative to migration or unemployment. So long as the U.S. implements policies that perpetuate Mexico’s poverty, it will be working at odds with its own counter-narcotics initiatives.

B. The initiative further threatens human rights

Numerous Mexican and international human rights organizations have expressed concern that counter-narcotics aid for Mexico’s military and police constitutes a recipe for unchecked human rights violations. Espacio Civil, a civil society coalition comprised of 52 Oaxacan organizations, adds that in 2007 “the army committed severe human rights violations in their supposed counter-drug operations. We are concerned that the funding from the U.S. government will ultimately
make this situation worse.

C. The initiative could likely be used to suppress legitimate political expression

Many Mexican groups fear, with good reason, that the US military hardware and training in the Merida Initiative would be used directly against citizens participating in acts of legitimate political expression. Mexican military and public security forces have
consistently been deployed to stop and often brutally repress popular protest. Perhaps the most alarming example of late is the crackdown of the Oaxacan social movement that began with a teacher’s strike in 2006. Both federal and state security forces brought an iron fist down on the demonstrations, leaving a wake of human rights violations that include over 20 assassinations (including U.S. journalist Brad Will), hundreds of arbitrary detentions, and torture. The cases against the
security forces, which have been well documented by Amnesty International and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, remain unresolved in Mexico. A sizeable portion of the money from the Merida Initiative would support the very security forces responsible for these violations. Many in Oaxaca fear that with this support, legitimate protest in Mexico will continue to be answered with repression.

1/29/08 NYC……Protest the Chilean Consulate!!!
Tues. Jan. 28th, 2008 10am!

For 500 years, The Mapuche have resisted the colonial oppressors. Whether,
Spain or Argentina or Chile the history of this proud nation has been one
of resistance and struggle.

Under Pinochet, the Chilean government enacted terrorism laws against some
forms of dissent and protest.

Much like our incarcerated freedom fighters here in the United States, the
Mapuche have fallen victim to these laws, laws similar to the current
“Anti -Terror” initiatives being practiced and implemented here.

Political Prisoner Patricia Troncoso has been on a hunger strike for 105
days in protest of her incarceration and of these “anti-terror” laws.

REMEMBER MATIAS CATRILEO!!!
YOUNG MAPUCHE ACTIVIST MURDERED BY THE CHILEAN POLICE…
SUPPORT PATRICIA TRONCOSO AND FREE THE MAPUCHE POLITICAL PRISONERS!!!
JOIN US!
SUPPORT THE MAPUCHE STRUGGLE IN CHILE!!!

Tuesday, January 29th, 2007…10am

CHILEAN CONSULATE: PROTEST @ 10AM TUESDAY , JANUARY 29TH

866 UNITED NATIONS PLAZA, SUITE 601, NEW YORK, NY 10017.
Primera Avenida (1° Avenue) esquina East 48th. Street
(Hay una sucursal del Citibank en el primer piso del edificio).

We will assemble and have a press conference addressing the Chilean
government and the treatment of the Mapuche Nation.
We will deliver letters in support of the Mapuche Nation and in critique
of the Bachelet government.

NO!! TO THE CHARGES OF TERRORISM ON MAPUCHE FREEDOM FIGHTERS!!

FREEDOM FOR THE MAPUCHE POLITICAL PRISONERS!!

SUPPORTED BY: ( ADD YOUR NAME TO THE LIST AND FORWARD!)

Colectivo:Miguel Enriquez

Movimiento la Peña del Bronx

Rebel Diaz

Colectivo:Joaquin Murieta

Pueblo Afroamericano-Latino

Miristas chilenos y Latinoamericanos.

directions:

Estación de SUBWAY más cercanas:
- Estación Lexington/53° Street: Línea E (Azul), Línea 6 (Verde) y Línea V
(Naranja).
- Grand Central Station: Líneas 4, 5 y 6 (Verde); Línea 7 (Violeta) y
Línea S (Gris)

Benjamin here. I am helping coordinate the Saturday Roving Garden Party for the Community Gardens.
I wanted to find out if a member of your group would like to come and bring a puppet of Brad for the parade. Brad was a constant in the NYC garden movement. His writing on gardens was read around the world.

The event is Saturday. No prep is necessary. Please write me off list if you would like further details.

Best

Benjamin

Please post this far and wide!

Title:
ROVING GARDEN PARTY!
Date: Saturday, June 16th, 2007
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Center of Tompkins Square Park
Summary: Join us to loudly celebrate the gardens saved, lost and endangered in the Lower East Side. And party with us to save the Children’s Magical Garden!
Details: Join the…
***ROVING GARDEN PARTY ***
***FOLLOWED BY A RALLY/PARTY TO SAVE CHILDREN’S MAGICAL GARDEN***
One Part Ecology, Two Parts Mardi Gras! & Rambunctious fun for all!

Come dance down the streets to celebrate community, our public space, and the gardens! We’ll visit some gardens, throw some seeds balls, unleash some surprises, partake in ritual, stand up against some slimy developers and end with an after-party/ rally at Children’s Magical Garden

Special Guests
Rude Mechanical Orchestra!
The Stop Shopping Choir
Bike-Lane Liberation Clowns
Fairy Brigade
Jugglers, Puppets & Tap Dancers
More Gardens! Coalition
Time’s Up!
You & Your Crew
Supporters of Children’s Magical Garden
As well as a few friends from Gardens Past Present & Future.

Come downtown and dance to save the community gardens! So far this year, five gardens have been attacked by developers! Over 50 gardens still endangered –21 in Harlem alone!The Children’s Magical Garden de Carmen Rubio is in Danger!

Lets do what we have always done when faced with a threat: Dress up, Play music, Dance and make some noise as we call for support from the garden creatures!

We all need places to play, to dream, to connect with each other and theworld. For NYC, community gardens are some of those places. So are the streets. Unfortunately, the public commons are under attack. Let’s revel in the places and people that are still untamed.

The parade will finish with a rally and press conference at Children’s Magical Garden.
(For more information on the struggle to save the garden see http://www.thevillager.com/villager_182/stantonstkids.html and http://www.kidsmagicgarden.net/)

Bring drums and instruments! Bring the kids! Bring food, plants and seeds to share!
Dress as the garden creature of your dreams!

Come by Times Up! (49 East Houston) on Saturday morning starting at 11am on to decorate yourself and bike!

raindate June 17th

The Friends of Brad Will attended the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere Oversight Hearing Overview of U.S. Policy Toward Latin America on March 1st to press for the appropriate investigation of the murder of US journalist Brad Will in Oaxaca, Mexico in October of 2006. The Friends of Brad Will is a national network working with the Will family for justice and accountability in his murder, and for an end to the impunity of human rights
violations in Oaxaca, Mexico.

March 2nd, 2007

Photos at: http://www.flickr.com/groups/87705136@N00/

Contact: Robert Jereski mutualaid at earthlink dot net
www.friendsofbradwill.org

Advocates with FoBW met with all of the members of the influential Sub-Committee that guides American policy in Central and Latin America, and spoke directly to the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of State, Thomas A. Shannon, Jr..

The Sub Committee was a wide ranging question and answer session with a great deal of focus on US policy and financial leverage to end the impunity of human rights abuses throughout the region.

Congress Member Gregory Meeks, (Dem, Brooklyn) indicated the presence of Friends of Brad Will from New York City in the capacity crowd and used his limited time to ask the Assistant Secretary directly about the status of the investigation into the murder of Brad Will. Mr. Shannon indicated that he had just spoken with representatives from FoBW and unfortunatley did not
have current information, but committed to getting back to the Congress Member and the Sub Committee as well as FoBW.

This was an important watershed in the ongoing effort to hold accountable the responsible parties for the murder of US journalist and activist Brad Will, and to draw further attention to the ongoing situation in Oaxaca, Mexico that Mr. Will was reprting on.

Friends of Brad Will advocate, Robert Jereski stated, “We are encouraged by our reception on Capital Hill and the great interest in the Brad Will case, following the recent visit by the Will family here. It is imperative that we build on this momentum and continue to contact our Representatives in Washington DC, Congress members and Senators alike, from both sides of the
aisle.”

Another Friends of Brad Will advocate from New York City, Harry Bubbins noted, “Justice is sometimes not swift. Now we have a unique opening to shine the spotlight from Washington DC to Oaxaca, Mexico, which is what Brad was interested in.” Bubbins encouraged the national network to stay focused on Brad’s case and to reach out to their Washington DC elected officials.

Friends of Brad Will also met with human rights activists from a variety of organizations all involved in pressing for justice in the Oaxaca, Mexcio region.

_______________________
Background Weblink: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=19564

As Reporters without Borders has noted, two officials who had been arrested in relation to the murder were released, despite witness accounts and other evidence that they fired in Will’s direction.

“The findings of the autopsies carried out on Will were rigged by the authorities in order to blame his murder on activists … whose protests Will was covering,” Reporters Without Borders said.

with Alfonso,
Member of CIPO – RFM (a Magonista indigenous organization in Oaxaca)
& Eric Larson
IWW delegate, recently returned from Oaxaca

“This part of Santa Lucia is enemy territory. It is near Barricade Three, the Príista attack of last Friday, and the site of Brad Will’s murder. It’s also where the CIPO house is located…Now, less than a week after Brad Will’s murder, some of the same Príistas have agreed to “dislodge” CIPO from the neighborhood. If history, recent and distant, teaches us anything, their method will be violence. It is important that they know that acts of violence will not go unseen, even in this small neighborhood that they control. Please contact some or all of those listed below; tell them that if CIPO is attacked, that the Mexican state is responsible. And please also keep this in mind as solidarity actions are planned and carried out.”

Join us to learn more about this important struggle, and about what we can do.

Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2007, 6pm
DARE
340 Lockwood Street, Providence
Call 351-6960 for more information

MEXICO:
Community Radio Stations Under Fire
Diego Cevallos

MEXICO CITY, Feb 2 (IPS) – One of the 12 community radio stations operating legally in Mexico has literally come under fire, and its journalists have received death threats and been arrested; another has received warnings for covering the activities of social movements; and a third was closed down at gunpoint by supporters of the local government.

All three cases have been reported to the authorities. The first case, involving the Calenda station in the southern state of Oaxaca, reached the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Thursday, through a complaint filed by the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC).

Aleida Calleja, who represents AMARC in Mexico, told IPS that the three radio stations, which have limited broadcasting reach and do not respond to commercial interests, are in need of protection.

“Freedom of speech is at stake here,” she said.

In January, the mayor of the town of San Antonino Castillo de Velasco, who was overthrown by protests, “opened fire on one of my colleagues, although he missed; another almost lost an eye when stones were thrown at him; and I was arrested and received death threats, and was later forced to sign a document in which I promised not to support subversive activities,” Darío Campos, a volunteer reporter at the Calenda station, told IPS.

Since mid-2006, the station, which broadcasts in San Antonino, a town of 4,900 near Oaxaca, the state capital, has been the target of the rage of the town’s former mayor, who belongs to the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which has governed the state since 1929.

“For giving coverage to the social uprising and airspace to APPO (the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca), which here in our community toppled the mayor, our radio station and its staff (of 10) have been attacked,” Campos said by telephone from San Antonino.

In the capital of Oaxaca and several neighbouring towns like Antonino, APPO led a months-long uprising last year against Governor Ulises Ruiz, of the PRI, demanding that he resign or be removed for corruption and for violently squashing dissent.

Along with neighbouring states Chiapas and Guerrero, Oaxaca is one of the poorest states in this country of 104 million. In Oaxaca, 80 percent of the population lacks basic sanitation services, street lighting, piped water and paved streets, according to the Oaxacan Human Rights Network.

The conflict began in June, when APPO, an umbrella group made up of more than 300 social organisations, took shape and its members occupied the centre of the city of Oaxaca.

But thousands of federal police were deployed to the area to break up the protests and seize control of the city in late October, and dozens of activists were arrested. Human rights groups reported numerous human rights abuses.

During the months of protests, around 20 people, mainly demonstrators, were killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire on the protesters. One of those killed was a U.S. journalist.

“We merely give support to the community, which includes providing information and supporting efforts in health, community organisation and other areas,” said Campos, a 25-year-old economics student.

Neither Campos nor most of his colleagues receive any pay for their volunteer work at the radio station.

Community radio stations generally enjoy broad local support for the services they offer their communities, such as educational programming, coverage on human rights and health questions, or information and warnings on dangers like natural disasters. In addition, they often broadcast in local dialects, such as indigenous tongues in Mexico.

The AMARC complaint states that the Calenda station is facing threats aimed at “silencing it.”

The complaint filed with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is aimed at getting the regional body to order the Mexican state to take the necessary measures to safeguard the life and physical integrity of the radio station’s members, and to guarantee their right to freedom of expression.

Calleja said the Nandia indigenous radio station, which operated in a Mazateca community in the state of Oaxaca, had also suffered reprisals at the hands of PRI supporters during the APPO uprising.

“Nandia was shut down at gunpoint last year and remains closed despite the complaints that we have filed,” said Calleja.

Another community station that has had problems is the La Voladora station in Amecameca, a mountainous area in the state of Mexico, near the capital.

The station’s staff members have been the targets of death threats and verbal attacks because of their reporting on the indigenous Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) and other social movements.

Of the more than 130 radio stations in Mexico that describe themselves as community stations, only 12 — the ones that are backed by AMARC — have licences to operate. The rest, which include stations run by church groups or trade unions, face a permanent risk of being closed down.

Although the National Chamber of the Radio and Television Industry accuses community radio stations of fomenting piracy and encouraging guerrilla groups like the EZLN, the government of conservative former President Vicente Fox, whose six-year term ended in December, granted operating licences to 12 stations in 2004 and 2005.

The permits, which the local branch of AMARC had been demanding since the 1990s, were issued in a vaguely defined legal framework that gives the state enormous discretionary power over community stations.

AMARC is an international non-governmental organisation serving the community radio movement, with associates in 110 countries. Its goal is “to support and contribute to the development of community and participatory radio along the principles of solidarity and international cooperation.” (END/2007)

1) SAVE THE DATE!
Next NYC Oaxaca Solidarity Network General Meeting
Sunday, January 7th, 6pm – 8:pm
St. Marks Church, 10th St and 2nd Ave

*********

2) DEC 14 MTG — KEY DECISIONS RECAP

___We will organize NYC actions on December 22, in response to the
Zapatista call for global solidarity in support of Oaxaca that day.

December 22
4:30pm — Mexican Consulate, Rally then March to Rockefeller Plaza
27 E. 39th St btw Park and Avenue of the Americas

6:00pm — Rockefeller Plaza, Rally and Public Outreach/Education
W. 50th btw 5th and 6th Aves

___We’ll have a Dec 22nd Action Planning Meeting and Art/Props Making on
Saturday, December 16th (tomorrow)

2:00-3:00pm Action Planning Meeting
3:00-7:00pm Arts/Prop Making

Both at The Change You Want To See Gallery
84 Havemeyer St at Metropolitan Ave in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

___We’ll have another working meeting to make final plans and make more
visuals – signs, props, etc. on Thursday, December 21st at Hunter College

7:30-9:30pm — Dec 22 Planning and Art-making
Hunter College, 69th St btw Lexington and Park Avenues

___Next General Mtg is Sunday, January 7, 6pm at St. Marks Church on 2nd
Ave at 10th St

___We will establish a listserv for the NYC Oaxaca Solidarity Network, and
hold regular meetings.

___Folks interested in helping to do coalition-building with other
NYC-area groups are invited to contact rj@riseup.net

___Folks who can help distribute videos from Oaxaca collections that have
just been translated with subtitles (post to websites, etc) are invited to
contact mingamedia@gmail.com

___Education, Media, Actions, and Coalition-building Working Groups met
and will meet again at the general mtg on Jan 7. Other working groups,
including Fundraising and Grassroots Pressure will meet then too.

********

3) DECEMBER 14th MEETING AGENDA

I. Intros/Goals of Meeting and Network (5 min)

Meeting Goals: assemble those concerned about the situation in Oaxaca to
1) learn/share info, 2) coordinate efforts.

Desired Outcomes: listserv created, working groups established, next
meeting set, Dec 22nd plan?

Network Goals:
– Network should be as wide as possible and we should organize our work
and activities to incorporate people with many interests.
– We should try to balance most immediate/urgent needs and activities
with long term actions and organizing.
– Participants should be organized around concrete tasks/actions.

II. Oaxaca situation: background/context, current situation (15 min)

Oaxaca social-political context, background on the last 7 months, current
situation

III. Existing efforts in NYC: recap/overview (30 min)

–Grassroots pressure (emails, phone calls, sign-on letters)
–Actions (vigils, demos, etc)
–Education (screenings, panels, speaking tours, etc)
–Fundraising for Oaxaca (materials, support, events, etc)
–Coalition work (connect with other groups, statements, etc)
–Media (outreach, accountability, letters to the editor, editorial board
mtgs)
–Online Communication (listservs, website)

IV. Dec 22nd Call to Action (20 min)

Goals:
– Decide if we want to coordinate something together
– If yes, determine flavor
– Set follow-up meeting time/place

V. Working Group Break-Outs (25 min)

Divide into working groups to make concrete plans, get sign-up sheet for
working group, set time/place for working group meeting (public space,
central to subway).

VI. Report-backs and Announcements (10 min)

–Announce time/place for working group meetings, hear key highlights from
break-outs.
–Set next general network meeting time/place.

Please join us tomorrow, Saturday -

WHAT:
ACTION MTG FOR DEC 22 and ART/PROP MAKING IN SUPPORT OF OAXACA

WHEN:
2:00-3:00pm Dec 22 Action Meeting
3:00-7:00pm Art/Prop Making (see needs below)

WHERE:
The Change You Want To See Gallery and Convergence Stage
84 Havemeyer St at Metropolitan Ave, Williamsburg
(Directions at http://www.hopstop.com)
http://www.thechangeyouwanttosee.org
917-202-5479 or 646-221-7845

WHO:
Anyone! But it’d be great to have some folks with experience with stencil
making, prop making, etc to be on hand to help folks without experience.

We’ll be making visuals that can be used in the Dec 22 actions and the
ongoing vigils at the U.N.

NEEDS:
If you can get any of the following, please bring

cardboard (1, 2 and 3 ply – the bigger the better, and ideally with as
few creases as possible – refridgerator boxes are the best)

tape (duct, masking, packing.. anything with durability and strength)

box cutters and scissors

markers and sharpies (the larger the better and in multiple colours)

string and rope

fabric (by the roll ideally – there are many places in the city (canal st.
for example) where rolls of fabric can be purchased at a reasonable price

paint (spray paint, house paint, artist paint – primary colors + black and
white are best but everything helps)

glue ( white glue, glue stick, hot glue)

staplers w/ staples

paper (large sheets and by the roll)

mylar (the best possible material for making stencils can be purchase at
art supply stores)

wood (1 inch x 2 inch x 8 foot pieces come in bundles of 12 can be
purchased at any wood supply store

cardboard tubes (often times these can be found in dumpsters outside of
clothing manufactures)

screws (1 inch, 1.5 inch 2 inch, 2.5 inch coarse threaded drywall screws)

Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center
1680 Lexington Avenue
(corner of 106th Street)
(esquina de la Calle 106)

$5 -$10
Suggested Donation (no one turned away)
Coperacion Voluntaria (ninguno rechazado)

more info check out:

www.elenemigocomun.net

All proceeds go to sending media resources and medical supplies to some of Oaxaca’s most remote indigenous communities, in order to contribute to their ability to document their own histories of collective organizing and resistance.

Todas las donaciones van para mandar equipo de medios y medicinas para algunas de las comunidades mas remotas de oaxaca, para poder contribuir a su abilidad de documentar sus propias historias de resistencia y organizacion colectiva.

Barucha Calamity Peller, who has participated in anti-authoritarian collectives in Mexico for the past 4 years, has just returned from Oaxaca where there has been a widely defended popular uprising and where dozens of people have died and disappeared in this past week alone. She will give a presentation on the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO), the life at the barricades, international solidarity and the brutal repression and assassinations at the hands of paramilitaries and police throughout last month and specifically on November 25th. Her presentation and first hand accounts will also include a slideshow and recent videos from Oaxaca. Representatives from the Friends of Brad Will network will join in the discussion about local solidarity efforts.

Brutal force continues to be exerted by the Mexican state upon the people of Oaxaca. What more can we learn about the situation? And how can this knowledge inform our actions or activities here? How can individuals living in this context contribute to the rebellion that is taking place in
Oaxaca? What forms can solidarity take in this instance?

This event is hosted by the 16Beaver Group and Not An Alternative. http://www.16beavergroup.org
http://www.notanalternative.net
_________________________________________

Oaxaca: Un Retrato de Rebelion

Barucha Calamity Peller, quien en los ultimos 4 años ha participado en varios grupos antiautoritarios en Mexico, recien volvio de Oaxaca donde ha habido un levantamiento popular y en donde, solo en las ultimas semanas, decenas de personas han muerto o desaparecido. Ella va a dar una charla sobre la Asamblea Popular de los Pueblos de Oaxaca (APPO), la vida en las barricadas, solidaridad internacional y la brutal represion y asesinatos en las manos de los paramilitares y la policia en el ultimo mes y especialmente el pasado 25 de Noviembre. Su presentacion e historias de primera mano tambien van a incluir una muestra de imagenes y videos recien filmados en Oaxaca.