The School of the Americas (renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation in 2001) has trained some of the worst human rights abusers in Latin America.

Join ICPJ as we take a delegation to the annual vigil to say no to militarism in Latin America and Yes to human rights and justice. On November 16 to 19, ICPJ will join with School of the Americas Watch at the annual vigil to close the SOA/WHINSEC. We will be taking a bus, and we have scholarships available. Download the registration form (Word or PDF).

UPDATE: The bus will depart at 5:00 sharp from the parking lot of the Meijer on Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. (map) on Friday, November 16. We will return to the same lot early early Monday morning on November 19.

If you have questions, call 734-663-1870 or email chuck@icpj.net

A talk and discussion led by Mary Anne Perrone, local activist and member of the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice Latin America Task Force and Dr. Sharon Lean, WSU Department of Political Science

Tuesday October 30, 2007
12:00 - 1:30pm
3339 F/AB, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI Continue Reading »

On June 14^th, 2007, intruders broke into the Bogota office of the Christian Center for Justice, Peace, and Non-Violent Action, or “Justapaz.” They stole two computers that contained sensitive information on victims and witnesses of human rights abuses and  those who are actively promoting peace. The Justapaz break-in was at least the sixth in a series of recent political robberies in Colombia. The theft of human rights information represents a new  technique to frighten and silence human rights and peace advocates, and is a grave threat to those named in the documents.

Mary Ann Perrone is a local activist and member of the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice’s Latin American Task Force. She attended a nine-day delegation to Colombia in September organized by Justapaz and Witness for Peace. The delegation traveled throughout Colombia to stand  in solidarity with those affected by the recent crimes and to speak with members of the local community. Mary Anne will recount her experiences there, and  call attention to the urgent need for protection of those who promote critical human rights and peace-building work.

To find out more, call 734-663-1870 or email info@icpj.net

Inspired by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture Week of Action, we focus on the terrifying physical and psychological effects of torture in Latin America. Our two short films are about Sister Dianna Ortiz, an American nun who taught Mayan children in Guatemala in the 1980s and who was abducted and brutally tortured by armed men, the leader of whom appeared to be American. We will begin with an ABC PrimeTime special that aired shortly after her experiences. We will then show a video of a recent speech by Sister Ortiz where she reveals there are more than a half-million survivors of torture living in the US and that more than 150 governments worldwide currently engage in torture. Sister Ortiz reminds us that we must not wear blindfolds to this reality, and that we can take positive action to ensure our government does not participate or condone torture.

Sponsored by the Latin America Task Force of the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice. Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m., movie at 7:00. Memorial Christian Church Fellowship Hall, 730 Tappan, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Free and Open to the Public. Food will be provided, and we welcome people to bring an additional dish to share. Details: 734-663-1870 info@icpj.net

You can help publicize the event by downloading and printing the event poster.

 Come to learn about a global justice issue, to write letters to our elected officials and/or other leaders on that topic, and, of course, to eat breakfast. This month’s breakfast focuses on the international campaign to close the U.S. military’s School of the Americas/WHINSEC, a military training facility for Latin American officers that has trained some of the worst human rights abusers in Latin America. The School of the Americas provides the military muscle that helps to enforce unfair and unpopular economic policies.

When: Join us anytime between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.

Where: The Broken Egg, 221 N. Main St., Ann Arbor.

For more information e-mail info@icpj.net or call 734-663-1870.

On Thursday, September 27, concerned UM students and faculty, working with community members concerned with human rights and worker rights, will show two films about Oaxaca, Mexico:  Granito de Arena (about the movement for a democratic teachers’ union in Oaxaca from the early 1980s to the present) and Un poquito de tanta verdad (about the uprising in Oaxaca in 2006).   Both films are open to the public. Continue Reading »