Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice - Newsletter -- Coordinating Committee Notes and Noticias

Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice 202 Harvard SE Albuquerque, NM 87106 505-268-9557		Updated: 27 July 2008
Newsletter August 2008

August 2008
Newsletter Contents

Council and Committee Notes and Noticias
Membership Application

Council and Committee Notes

PAJOLA MEETING

Forty-nine people attended the PAJOLA meeting on Tuesday, July 15, for a Town Hall type meeting to consider what we can do together concerning the issue of Nuclear Proliferation. There was lively participation in which various issues and passionate concerns were shared. PAJOLA means Peace And Justice Organizations Linking Arms.

Dick Harrison served as Master of Ceremonies, and Mary Nakigan took copious notes. Four people volunteered to serve on a steering committee to help fashion a PAJOLA project or two in which all the organizations could be involved. An additional four or five people are needed for the committee. If you are interested, call Dick (243-1884). The Raging Grannies got the meeting off to a good start with their exciting and thought-provoking songs. Marcus Page of Trinity House was the keynote speaker. He used a power point program to share about former nuclear protests at Los Alamos and the Nevada Test Site. His trial, following his arrest for criminal trespass, will he held on August 18. Twenty-three persons can attend. Interested persons should call Marcus at 842-5697 for information or check out www.lovarchy.org/LANS.

The meeting concluded with the entire group joining hands in a circle and singing "We Shall Overcome." It was obvious from the meeting that there was a lot of interest in the subject. Some groups are already actively invested. These will be promoted in our monthly newsletter so that others who are interested in their programs can join them. The task of the steering committee is to come up with a project or two that PAJOLA as a group can sponsor. It is hoped that as we "link arms" and face nuclear proliferation head on we will be able to make a difference in New Mexico. Watch for future information.

[Noticias]

New Charter School

Media arts education supporters have chartered the new Media Arts Foundation (MAF). MAF's principal function will be satisfying the unmet needs of the Media Arts Collaborative Charter School (MACCS).

MACCS is the first New Mexico state-chartered charter school and one of the very few media arts public high schools in the nation. It has now been authorized to commence active operations. The school will open its doors September 2 at Washington and Central NE.

Ironically, the $750 filing fee for a 501(c)3 application for tax-exempt certification must be raised by (probably) non-tax-exempt contributions. To cover this "seed money" need, we are soliciting small contributions.

Please mail any contributions to The MACCS Foundation, c/o Marvin Gladstone, 429 Montclaire Dr SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108. $10 would be fine; $25 better; $50 better yet; $100 most appreciated.

The Islamic Center of New Mexico

Since the tragedy of Sept 11, 2001, Muslims and Islam have beenthe limelight as never before.Islam is the religion of about 1.5people, but most know very little its beliefs, followers, and message.Often, the media botches information for several reasons, one of which is ignorance. Headlines highlight sensationalist news without qualifying the context, and Islam is always blamed for the actions of any individual who happens to be a Muslim. This is akin to blaming Christianity for Hitler's Holocaust or Timothy McVeigh's bombing in Oklahoma City.

Even less understood are the rights and position of women in Islam. Most Americans would be surprised to learn of the numerous rights and privileges afforded a Muslim woman, rights given to her 1400 years ago, rightst he Western world is just now starting to embrace.

On August 16, 2008, The Islamic Center of New Mexico (ICNM) is opening its doors to the Albuquerque community in hopes of, building bridges, and welcoming our fellow Americans to get to know us. Open House and Bazaar from 2 pm to 6 pm at 1100 Yale Blvd SE, with educational booths, mini-lectures, free Islamic literature, food, clothing, and much more.The public is welcome.For more information, please see our website at www.IslamNM.org or call 256-1450. Also, see August Calendar of Events.

Human Rights

This year marks the 60th Anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by member states of the United Nations. Human Rights Day is celebrated on December 10.

United Nations Association invites members of PAJOLA, along with other community groups, to join together to recognize the importance of human rights both in the U.S. and in the world. Each of our groups has its own focus, but the issue of human rights cuts across these boundaries. Everyone has the right to privacy, to access to medical care, to equal pay for equal work, to freedom of assembly, to freedom from arbitrary arrest, to a fair and public hearing before an independent and impartial tribunal, etc. Many of these rights are not being observed.

This is the time to call attention to human rights, and all ideas are welcome on how to observe Human Rights Day on Dec. 10. The time to start planning is August. If you or your group is interested in being a part of the planning for Dec. 10, please contact Sally (293-9693), Bill (869-4212) or Sally Alice (268-5073), and we will set a date to meet.

2008 marks 15 years of femicide in Ciudad Juarez: by amigosdemujeres.com

Murders
This year Cuidad Juarez has been engulfed in violence. Army troops patrol the streets, and over 450 men have been murdered so far this year in cartel violence. In the midst of this,Casa Amiga Centro de Crisis A.C. has recorded seventeen cases of femicide from January 1, 2008 until May 5, 2008.The victims have ranged in age from ten to forty-eight years old. Almost half of the victims left more than one child behind. Despite the high number of murders, the government's efforts to investigate and determine the perpetrators of these crimes remains very low.

Missing
Casa Amiga along with the Centro de Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres have also determined that at least two women have been reported missing this year already.Adriana Sarmiento Enriquez, fifteen years old, was last seen on Friday, January 18th. Hilda Gabriela Rivas Campos, another high school student who is sixteen years of age, was last seen on February 25th. The families of both of these two young women continue to search for their loved ones.

Threats to Activists
Several human rights and women's rights activists in Ciudad Juarez work diligently to continue supporting and aiding the victims' families in their quest to find justice for their daughters. Women activists have worked for years in a widespread effort to continue the efforts to seek justice for the murdered women of Juarez. Why are these women, after numerous years of involvement in efforts to end the femicide, now being targeted and by whom?

Recent events...
...in Ciudad Juarez may help explain the latest threat to female activists working in the city.According to recent reports from FronteraNorteSur.com, the Mexican government has implemented a military coalition known as "Operation Chihuahua Together." In a response to increased drug trafficking and increased drug cartel-related homicides, the government has brought the military into the city of Juarez in an effort to control the drug crisis taking place throughout the state of Chihuahua. Unfortunately, the military presence has been unable to curb the violence.Instead, the city's murder tally has already exceeded the total for the full year of 2007. Increased drug cartel activity, increasing murder rates, and military attempts to crack down on the violence make conditions exceptionally difficult and dangerous for femicide activists.

Editor´s note: This is an excerpt from a bigger article sent by amigosdemujeres.com. If you would like the whole document, please click here.

Art Project: August 1 to September 18.

The Art Project at the Peace Center features the paintings of Joan Marin. The title of the show is "Painting to Live." In her words, "I have been able to paint full-time for the past two years. Like a lot of artists, I worked in another field to support myself. I moved to Albuquerque from New York City in December of 2001. Living at Ground Zero, I witnessed it all and moved here to escape the nightmares and the scene of devastation in my daily life. Painting is my salvation. We who lived there want peace, not revenge."

Please send calendar items, comments, and questions concerning this Web document to Web@abqPeaceAndJustice.org .