Archives for El Salvador

RadioActive 10/18/18

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Environmental and Social Justice: El Salvador Social Movement

Key Discussion Points:

a) We sat down with two members of the Salvadoran social movement, Bernardo Belloso of CRIPDES and Zulma Tobar of US El Salvador Sister Cities, to talk about some of the issues confronting the organized rural communities in El Salvador.

b) These include the growth of the sugar cane industry and the impacts on health from agrochemicals and excessive use of water, national efforts to privatize water and climate change. In 2016, El Salvador became the first country to ban metallic mining, a result of massive social movement efforts.

c) Since 1991, Bangor, through local organization PICA (www.pica.ws/) and US El Salvador Sister Cities, has had a sistering relationship with the Salvadoran community Carasque, one of the 300 rural communities organized through CRIPDES. MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association is sistered with the Salvadoran sustainable agricultural organization, CORDES. (www.mofga.org/Publications/The-Maine-Organic-Farmer-Gardener/Spring-2015/Sustainable-Agriculture-in-El-Salvador). WERU Community Radio is sistered with community radio station Radio Sumpul in the organized community Guarjilla. (www.radiosumpul.org/)

Guests:
Zulma Tobar, US El Salvador Sister Cities www.elsalvadorsolidarity.org/
Bernardo Belloso, CRIPDES www.cripdes.net/ www.elsalvadorsolidarity.org/cripdes/

Thanks to Andrea Mercardo for translation.

RadioActive 1/11/18 (rebroadcast 1/18/18)

Producer: Meredith DeFrancesco

Trump Administration’s Rescinding of TPS for El Salvador and other Immigration Policies

-Today we look at a number of the Trump Administration’s hostile immigration stances and policies.

-This week, the Trump Administration’s Department of Homeland Security announced it would end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 200,000 Salvadorans in the United States, adding to the list of countries already struck from the humanitarian program, including Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan.

-We look at the rescinding of TPS and the impacts it would have on Salvadorans in the US and in El Salvador. And we look at the realities of so-called “chain migration” and other programs the Trump administration has vilified.

Guests:
Rachel Reyes, Center for Migration Studies in New York City cmsny.org/
cmsny.org/publications/jmhs-tps-elsalvador-honduras-haiti/
Dennis Chinoy, US El Salvador Sister Cities and PICA (Power in Community Alliances), in Bangor, ME
www.elsalvadorsolidarity.org/
www.pica.ws/

Common Ground Radio 3/3/17

Producer/Host: C.J. Walke
Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Organic Food and Farming in Maine

Program Topic: MOFGA – El Salvador Sistering Committee

Key Discussion Points:
a) History of committee and work over past 20+ years
b) Changes in agricultural activities over the years
c) Environmental and social impacts of sugar cane production

Guests:
Jean English, MOFGA
Karen Volckhausen, Happy Town Farm, Orland, ME
Paul Volckhausen, Happy Town Farm, Orland, ME
Willie Marquart, WERU

Maine Currents 10/5/16

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Studio Engineer: John Greenman

Today we welcome visitors from El Salvador and local residents who are working together through US-El Salvador Sister Cities. The right wing death squads in El Salvador’s civil war (1980-1992) were funded and trained by the US government, so alliances between citizens of these two countries may seem unlikely – but our guests explain how they are strong and mutually beneficial. We also look at some of the issues facing El Salvador today, and hear what Salvadorans are saying about the US presidential elections.

Guests:
Zulma Tobar, US-El Salvador Sister Cities staff, based in El Salvador
Carly Roach, Volunteer with US-El Salvador Sister Cities, based in El Salvador
Dennis Chinoy, PICA and City of Bangor Sister City Committee (with Carasque, El Salvador)
Karen Volckhausen, Maine farmer and member of the MOFGA committee that has a sistering relationship with CCR, a rural communities organization in El Salvador
Willie Marquart, WERU Finance Manager and former Sister Cities staff member- has worked with MOFGA committee and the sister stations WERU and Radio Sumpul in El Salvador

Maine Currents is a weekly show featuring independent local news, views and culture. Catch us on WERU-FM every Wednesday at 4pm. Send story ideas, suggestions and comments to [email protected]

FMI:
www.elsalvadorsolidarity.org/
www.pica.ws/
www.mofga.org/Programs/MOFGAElSalvadorSisteringProject/tabid/371/Default.aspx
weru.org/radio-sumpul

Past WERU reporting on El Salvador may be found here: archives.weru.org/?s=el+salvador

RadioActive 12/4/14

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: Solidarity Rallies for Fast Food Workers Day of Action and Black Friday Protests at Walmart; Second El Salvador Municipality Bans Mining

Key Discussion Points:
a) The Community Union of Ellsworth and Hancock County talk about local rallies in support of national movements to raise the standar of living for low wage workers. Black Friday demonstrations focused on Walmart workers,and December 4th was a day of action with fast food workers.
b) The Community Union also speaks to the importance of supporting the striking Fairpoint workers, who have no financial safety net, and who continue their daily pickets.
c) Salvadoran activist speaks at the Penobscot Nation’s River Justice event on the importance of organizing to protect the environment.

Guests:
A) John Curtis, Community Union of Ellsworth and Hancock County, ph: 667-
B) Edith Portillo, CRIPDES, stopesmining,org
C) Cori Ring-Martinez, translator, US El Salvador Sister Cities elsalvadorsolidarity.org/

RadioActive 3/13/14

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: FMLN Candidate Declared Winner in El Salvador; Creating Local Economies in Maine; Action in Solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers

Key Discussion Points:
a) Today, FMLN candidate Salvador Sanchez-Cerran was declared the winner in El Salvador’s presidential elections. We speak with a social movement leader about the elections unprecedented transparency and the issues the Salvadoran social movement hopes will be the focus of the Sanchez Cerran.
b) We preview a conference titled “Creating and Sustaining Vibrant Local Economies”. This includes looking at definitions of economy and alternative models, including cooperatives.
c) The Community Union of Ellsworth speaks on their upcoming demonstration in solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. Demonstrators will call on Wendy’s to join the other top five fast food chains in signing onto the Fair Food Program, committing them to pay farmworkers a penny per pound more for Florida’s winter tomatoes and to buy from growers adhering to a fair labor code of conduct.

Guests:
A) Marcos Galvez, director of CRIPDES ( Association for the Development of El Salvador ) www.cripdes.com/
B) Cori Ring-Martinez, US El Salvador Sister Cities, election observer www.elsalvadorsolidarity.org
C)Larry Dansinger, Resources for Organizing and Social Change (ROSC) mainelocaleconomies.org/
D)Jane Livingston, Cooperative Maine, cooperativemaine.wordpress.com/
E) John Curtis, Community Union of Ellsworth, www.facebook.com/communityunionofellsworth?ref=stream

RadioActive 5/16/13

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: Two unsuccessful legislative attempts to block tar sands pipeline and metallic mining; developments in global retailers reaction to Bangladesh building collapse

Key Discussion Points:
a) This week, the Maine legislature’s Natural Resources Committee watered down a bill that would have set a two year moratorium on pumping of tar sands oil through the Montreal Portland Pipeline, 76% owned by Exxon Mobil. Changes were made to the bill after the Maine Attorney General’s office claimed such a moratorium would interfere with federal interstate commerce laws.
b) A bill (LD 1059) that would have reversed last year’s legislation that opens Maine to open pit metallic mining did not pass out of committee this week. Instead, LD 1302 was voted out of committee, a bill that only seeks to mitigate environmental damages. Though 350 Maine and others did not support this compromise, other environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Council of Maine did.
c) Over 30, primarily European, clothing companies have signed onto a legally binding building and fire safety agreement for their Bangladesh factories. It requires independent safety inspections with public reports, mandatory factory building renovations, an obligation that brands and retailers underwrite the cost of repairs, and a genuine role for workers and unions. Us companies, such as Walmart and Gap have not signed on, making them the continued target of labor rights campaigns.

Guests:
A) Bob Klotz, organizer with 350 Maine Team, www.350maine.org
FMI:
thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/05/02/1952171/exxon-spills-tar-sands-oil-again-in-missouri-cant-find-126000-gallons-spilled-in-arkansas/?mobile=nc
news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/05/130510-earth-co2-milestone-400-ppm/

B) Liana Foxvog, organizer with International Labor Rights Forum, Sweatfree Communities campaign
FMI:
www.ilrf.org
corporateactionnetwork.org/campaigns/human-rights-for-all-walmart-workers-the-bangladesh-fire/petitions/demand-that-walmart-ensure-basic-safety-and-human-rights-of-its-workers-2
Laborrights.org/safety
Gapdeathtraps.com

C)Update on Coal is Stupid blockade in Somerset, MA
FMI: www.heraldnews.com/news/x438180711/Activists-declaring-Coal-Is-Stupid-attempt-blockade-of-coal-delivery-at-Somersets-Brayton-Point?zc_p=1

RadioActive 3/28/13

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: Metallic Mining in Maine and El Salvador

Key Discussion Points:
a) Last legislative session, an effort spearheaded by Irving resulted in legislation directing Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection to over haul state mining laws to make it easier for the exploitation of gold, copper, silver and zinc. Though the impetus is a project at Bald Mountain in Arookstook County, the changes will open up mining at number of locations across the state with metallic metals.
b) The country of El Salvador, based on past experiences within their own borders and the experiences of communities in neighboring countries in Central America, has kept a resurgence of gold mining at bay, through government action, pushed by an unparallelled social movement. Around the globe the effects of mining include water over use, severe water pollution and it’s ensuing health impacts, and the human rights abuses and violence perpetrated against anti-mining activists by myriad factions in support of mining companies.
c) US El Salvador Sister Cities, and it’s local affiliate Power in Community Alliances (PICA), is hosting a speaking tour by Salvadoran anti mining activists. They will present along with Natural Resources Council of Maine staff scientist Nick Bennett, on the parallels between Maine and Salvadoran mining prospects and resistance.

Guest:
Jan Morrill, Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), past US El Salvador Sister Cities staff, and organizer with El Salvador’s National Table on Metallic Mining. She is originally from Maine.