2007 CALA Annual Report

Summary of activities of Community Action on Latin America in 2007

January

• Held Board meeting, added Susan Frisbie to the Board.
• 1/23, “The Future of Mexico’s Oil” with Larry Walker
• 1/30, “24 Hours on Fair Trade”, a program in partnership with Madiison Fair Trade Action Alliance. Presentations byy Mary Bottari and Nino Amato. Education on trade agreements and US policy. Info table on the campus.

February

• 2/13 “What is Fair Trade University?” program to discuss a delegation to Guatemala.
• Throughout the Spring, CALA participated in the planning of the Fair Trade University delegation to Guatemala, along with other local groups. CALA provided logistical support and experience, as well as providing some scholarship money.
• 2/27 “Venezuela’s Approach to Trade” with Sergio Sanchez, advisor to Venezuela’s National Institute of Educational Cooperation.

March

• 3/13 “Student Activism for Trade Justice” report back from national student conference on trade.
• 3/27 “There is No Mexico Without Corn” with internationally known author John Ross. Part of a speaking tour with other programs in Madison.

April

• 4/10 “Farmer to Farmer Solidarity” program with John Kinsman of Family Farm Defenders talking about cross-border solidarity and organizing efforts as a response to global trade policy on agriculture.
• 4/24 “US Immigration Policies, Sending Country Realities: A View from Mexico” talk by Jessa and Brent Valentine about their research on Oaxacan villages that send immigrants to the US and why.
• Organizing with other Madison groups for Eva Golinger’s visit to Madison in May. Coordinating room reservation, interviews, and promotion.

May

• 5/8 “National Endowment for Democracy in Venezuela” program by internationally known author Eva Golinger, at the Memorial Union.
• CALA created a job description for Outreach Coordinator and began advertising the quarter time position.
• CALA supported the Fair Trade University delegation which took place May 23 – June 3.

June

• 6/12 “Observing Hope in Colombia” program co-sponsored by CALA, by Kelly Lundeen, human rights observer in Colombia.
• CALA networked with local activists to advertise the Outreach Coordinator position and create ideas for fall programs.

July

• Board met and continued advertising for the Outreach Coordinator position.
• We networked on a local Venezuela conference, but it was superseded by a Chicago conference.

August

• CALA interviewed 2 candidates for Outreach Coordinator, and the Board hired Martin Alvarado. Martin was provided some background and orientation on CALA process and program and started a weekly report of his work and a weekly email calendar of activities.
• 8/29 CALA co-sponsored a program on Venezuela hosting the consular general of Chicago’s consulate.
• CALA began the process of organizing the 11th Annual Fair Trade Holiday Festival set for December 1.

September

• 9/13 CALA co-sponsored talk by Venezuela’s Ambassador to the US.
• CALA continued organizational activities for the Fair Trade Holiday Festival
• 9/30 Board Meeting. Charity Schmidt was added to the board. Luis Carlos Arenas stepped down from the board.

October

• 10/2 “Politics of Immigration” book tour by Jane Guskin.
• 10/6 CALA co-sponsored “Rock for Rights” – featuring local bands and Salvadoran Economist Pedro Juan Hernandez
• 10/8 CALA co-sponsored a film about Posada-Carriles, a man accused of terrorist acts in Latin America.
• 10/9 “Citizens, Not Terrorists” program with Salvadoran economist on citizens getting arrested for civil protests in El Salvador and charged as terrorists
• Networked with UW LACIS department for coordinated calendar.
• 10/23 “Sipakapa No Se Vende” film on grassroots resistence to mining in indigenous communities in Guatemala.
• 10/31 CALA co-sponsored “A Field of One's Own: Feminism in Rural Nicaragua” talk with Nicaraguan feminist Juana Villareyna
• CALA continued organizational activities for the Fair Trade Holiday Festival

November

• 11/2 CALA arranged meeting between Lydia Lopez of the National Colombian Flower Workers’ Union and South Central Federation of Labor president Jim Cavanaugh and staff.
• 11/2 CALA co-sponsored event “Women, Coffee and Flowers - Organizing for Social Justice in Nicaragua and Colombia” Lydia Lopez and Juana Villareyna
• 11/3 “Sowing Seeds of Resistance - Colombia Flower Unions, US Policy and the Struggle for Dignity. Community meeting with Lydia Lopez
• Networked with Witness for Peace in Minneapolis to coordinate solidarity and policy advocacy in the future.
• 11/13 Immokalee workers and the struggle for justice with Burger King. Screening of “Y ahora que?” film and meeting to support Immokalee workers
• Coordination with UW-Madison’s Student Labor Action Coalition to support their efforts for labor justice in El Salvador.
• 11/25 CALA board meeting

December

• 12/1 Fair Trade Holiday Festival at MATC Downtown Educational Center. 35 vendors. The usual bad weather!
• Work with local musicians to organize an evening of Latin American social movement songs in 2008.
• Preliminary work to prepare a local delegation to attend the Americas Social Forum to be held in Guatemala City in October 2008
• 12/17 CALA co-sponsored action “Caroling for Justice’ to demand better treatment of workers who manufacture UW apparel
• 12/17 CALA board meeting
• 12/18 Screening of film ‘May I Speak’ on the Venezuela’s 2006 presidential election, followed by discussion.