San Salvador Office Robbed (UPDATE)

UPDATE: Due to an overwhelming outpour of support we have raised enough to replace the work computer. To all those who donated and/or shared: MUCHAS GRACIAS.

We have raised enoughWe are sad to report the theft of our Voices work laptop from the office we share in El Salvador with the SHARE Foundation. On September 21st, a thief gained access to the office and stole our Executive Director’s laptop as well as two cameras from SHARE employees.

We have set up an online fundraiser to replace our computer ASAP so that we can get back to work. SEE LINK.

Updated security measures have been taken, i.e. installing cameras, changing locks and changing all our account passwords and asking our Salvadoran partners to do the same. Theft is not uncommon in El Salvador; still we are not naive to the fact that this could have been a targeted attack to intimidate us because of the work we do or a deliberate attempt to obtain our information.

We will keep you informed of any updates and ask our supporters to help us fund the cost of a new laptop for Jose, and/or share the information if possible.

–  Copy of Police Report Denuncia a la Policía

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MOVIAC Proposes to Create a Vice Ministry of Water

August 29, 2017

The Movement of Victims Affected by Climate Change and Corporations (MOVIAC) was present yesterday at the Legislative Assembly to submit an application to expedite the passage of the water law.

The letter proposes the creation of a national entity run by civil society organizations,  the academic and private business sectors and state actors that work together to ensure the right to water is constitutional and upheld.

Below you can read the letter presented to the Legislative Assembly.

Honoring our Youth Groups

Youth around the world were celebrated this month as the United Nations commemorated their second annual International Youth Day.

We’ve been blown away by the youth groups we support in El Salvador and praise the extensive peace-work they’ve done and continue do with their peers, parents, politicians, professors and elders.

We laud the efforts of OSMIJ, OSCA, AJUDEM, and the young leaders of communities Octavio Ortiz, Amando Lopez and Nueva Esperanza as well as the graduating class of Community La Tirana. We continue to be inspired by your commitment to creating a nonviolent world.

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The March for Water / La Marcha por el Agua

“Great March for the Defense of Water. To denounce the threat of water privatization by national and transnational businesses.”

Versión Español

Tomorrow on July 24th, 2017, myriads of people from communities throughout the country will gather in San Salvador to denounce the right-wing private business association law that would see them having control over water in El Salvador.

This action is just one amidst an ocean of resistance happening in big cities and small towns across the country to fight to protect natural resources and human life.

The Movement of Victims Affected by Climate Change and Corporations (MOVIAC) will hand out the following flyers to all who attend. (Haga clic derecho para descargar).

~Right-click to download~

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La Marcha por el Agua

Mañana, el 24 de julio de 2017, cientos de personas de comunidades de todo el país se reunirán en San Salvador para denunciar la ley del aqua presentada por la derecha y la asociación de negocios privados que les permitiría tener control sobre el agua en El Salvador.

Esta acción es sólo una en medio de un mar de resistencia que ha estado ocurriendo en las grandes ciudades y pequeños pueblos de todo el país para luchar por proteger los recursos naturales y la vida humana.

El Movimiento de las Víctimas Afectadas por el Cambio Climático y las Corporaciones (MOVIAC) entregará los siguientes folletos a todos los que asistan.

~Haga clic derecho para descargar~

The Human Right to Water in El Salvador (excerpt)

Versión Español

In El Salvador, environmental activists, natural resource protectors and lawmakers are still celebrating the historical victory of the Anti-Mining law which bans “prospection, exploration, exploitation, extraction or processing of metallic minerals in El Salvador.”1

Parallel to this victory, a new old fight continues.

El Salvador has, in fact, enough water for its people, however a water crisis is rising from unethical and incompetent management of resources. This is evident in the distribution when we see exclusive residential areas, resorts, mono-cropping farms receive water while mountain towns situated along flowing clean rivers do not.2

Though the organized fight for the right to water began over a decade ago, civil society with the support of international solidarity and major religions have come together to intensify the demand to pass the bill, originally drafted in 2005, which has been since updated and since challenged by right-wing parties and the private business sector.

These affected communities themselves are developing their own water committees and receiving specialized training in the collection, storage and distribution of their own communal and household systems. As a proud member of MOVIAC, the Movement of Victims Affected by Climate Change and Corporations, we support strengthening these leaders capacities and promote healthy, just and sustainable social changes.

Voices have been tasked to investigate an important topic facing the communities we serve and we have chosen the life and death subject on the right to water in order to spread awareness and forge solidarity. This report is close to completion however we are releasing this excerpt due to the current climate of popular movements and political decisions.

The Human Right to Water in El Salvador   (excerpt) :
VIEW | DOWNLOAD

Únete a la Marcha! + Join the March!

El Derecho Humano al Agua en El Salvador   (extracto)

En El Salvador, activistas ambientales, protectores del agua y legisladores siguen celebrando el histórico triunfo de la ley antiminas que prohíbe “la prospección, exploración, explotación, extracción o procesamiento de minerales metálicos en El Salvador.”1

Paralelamente a esta victoria, una nueva / antigua pelea continúa.

El Salvador tiene, de hecho, suficiente agua para su gente, sin embargo una crisis del agua está levantando de la administración antiética e incompetente de recursos. Esto es evidente en la distribución cuando vemos zonas residenciales exclusivas, complejos, granjas monoculturales reciben agua mientras que los pueblos de montaña situados a lo largo de ríos que fluyen limpios no lo hacen.2

Aunque la lucha organizada por el derecho al agua comenzó hace más de una década, la sociedad civil con el apoyo de la solidaridad internacional y de las principales religiones se han unido para intensificar la demanda de aprobar el proyecto, redactado originalmente en 2005, desafiado por los partidos de derecha y el sector empresarial privado desde el inicio.

Estas mismas comunidades afectadas están desarrollando sus propios comités de agua y recibiendo capacitación especializada en la recolección, almacenamiento y distribución de sus propios sistemas comunitarios y domésticos. Como miembro orgulloso de MOVIAC, el Movimiento de las Víctimas Afectadas por el Cambio Climático y las Corporaciones, nosotros como Voces apoyamos el fortalecimiento de estas capacidades de líderes y promover cambios sociales saludables, justos y sostenibles.

Voces ha sido encargado de investigar un tema importante que enfrentan las comunidades a las que servimos y hemos elegido el tema del agua porque es un asunto de vida y muerte también para difundir la conciencia y forjar la solidaridad. Este informe está a punto de finalizar, sin embargo estamos publicando este fragmento debido al clima actual de movimientos populares y decisiones políticas.

El Derecho Humano al Agua en El Salvador   (extracto):
VIEW | DOWNLOAD

The Board Speaks

Voices has two full-time staff in country which means we regularly rely on the strength and direction of our Board of Directors to ensure we’re doing what’s right and doing it right. Our current Board of Directors is full of amazing folks, many whom have been with Voices since the 1980’s, and others who have watched it grow.  What’s clear is that these histories have created strong connections and bonds with our communities and partners making our jobs on the ground easier and more impactful.  This June, our Board and field staff met in Maryland’s beautiful lakeside to reconnect, to share, to learn, to inspire and be inspired, and recommit to the work at hand.

Below is a collection of short interviews taken at the close of this year’s meeting. 

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MEET AJUDEM; THE YOUTH MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN MORAZÁN

VOICES is excited to announce that we have begun to support the work of the Youth Association for the Development of Morazán (AJUDEM) of Ciudad Segundo Montes. This our third youth group after OSCA in CSM and OSMIJ in Cacaopera.

We were really impressed by their leadership skills, their diverse initiatives, willingness to go beyond their borders and ability to coordinate massive events all on a volunteer basis and fully autonomously. Voices is committed to supporting AJUDEM’s own agenda of activities for the children, teens and senior citizens of Segundo Montes and their their bi-annual Medical Brigades to the remote Municipality of Nahuaterique in the mountains of northern Morazán.

Asociación Juvenil para el Desarrollo de Morazán

VOICES se complace en anunciar que hemos comenzado a apoyar el trabajo de la Asociación Juvenil para el Desarrollo de Morazán (AJUDEM) de Ciudad Segundo Montes. Este es nuestro tercer grupo de jóvenes después de OSCA en CSM y OSMIJ en Cacaopera.

Estábamos realmente impresionados por sus habilidades de liderazgo, sus diversas iniciativas, la voluntad de ir más allá de sus fronteras y la capacidad de coordinar eventos masivos todos en forma voluntaria y de manera totalmente autónoma. Voices se compromete a apoyar la propia agenda de actividades de AJUDEM para los niños, adolescentes y ancianos de Segundo Montes y sus Brigadas Médicas bianuales al remoto Municipio de Nahuaterique en las montañas del norte de Morazán.