Today was our last day and since I would be filming all day with Mauro’s group I had to trust that Michelle’s group would be fine editing on their own. Luckily Paulina had a friend, Brenda, come to help with editing if they needed it. Emmi and Nelgi spent the day taking interview footage of the students and mentors so I could make a short vide about the project to show at the premiere. The interview questions were:

• For you, what is the Revolutionary Filmmaking Project, Guatemala?

• How has the Project affected you?

• What have you discovered in the Project?

• What was your favorite part of the Project?

The shortened version of the Interview Video with English subtitles

Mauro, Vilma, Ester, Nereida, Flaviana, Karla and I had a great time filming the short scenes for their video, especially in the beginning when we kept having to change locations because there was super loud music all over the University. After we finished filming I checked on the interviews and made sure everyone got theirs done. Finally we returned to the room and I checked on the editing of the other group. Their video was much longer than I had asked for. Instead of being 3-5 minutes it was 15. I knew I would be helping to edit more than one of the films, but I expected to do that so it was fine. Once everyone was settled we stood in a circle and the mentors handed everyone a candle. I read a little speech I prepared that basically said how grateful and proud I was and how important it is that all the project participants keep in touch and keep trying to change the world. Then each of us had to make a compromiso of something we were going to do or change and once we said it the person next to us lit our candle with their candle.

After we all made our compromiso we went outside and took a bunch of group photographs in every combination imaginable. Finally I told them all to be at the auditorium at noon on thursday, September 29, 2011 for the presentation, I spoke to Mauro and Michelle about editing, and we left. I cannot believe that the presentation is only in five days!

On Thursday we held the graduation for the majority of the students. All of the students from all the classes that could attend came except for the Wednesday morning class with whom we would be holding a separate graduation. It was a really lovely day-many of the students shared what they planned to do to make change and some even said how they would help MIA in the future. Then Lucia facilitated a review of what the students learned each week and the students remembered and reflected upon the material from the past weeks. Lucia said some words thanking MIA’s volunteers David Inczauskis, Yohanna de Aguila, Daniel Velasquez, Chris Hill, and myself. Then, as each student graduated she told a short anecdote about each student and there were smiles and laughs all around. After I took photos of each graduate with Lucia and their diplomas I grabbed some of my students from the Saturday project and took their photos for the program. Later that night I went to Trova Jazz again with Yohanna and some of her friends.

The Saturday course didn’t meet this week because it was the National Primary Elections and many students had to travel home to vote so the mentors and I decided to have a small “mentor party” where we could spend quality time outside of the course. One of the mentors, Olga, offered her house and 3 out of 4 of the mentors and myself went and cooked and ate and drank and got to know each other. It was really great because we were all coming from different backgrounds and experiences so there was a lot of learning and teaching going on as well laughing and even some crying as people discussed personal problems.

The next day Paulina and I walked around and bought tissue paper, yarn, and poster board and made flowers out of tissue paper to put on the welcome sign we were going to make for the big event.

Finally after hurdle after hurdle with the Kickstarter people I have an Amazon account that is verified, a video, and a project description that they approve of!

We are attempting to raise $900 in 20 days so we need to start spreading the word to our networks ASAP. That means emails, facebook posts, website posts, text messages, whatever will get people to pledge. The link is below, please write back with any questions or concerns. Thanks!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marinawood/the-revolutionary-filmmaking-project-guatemala

Marina Wood

Coordinadora de Educación Preventiva

marina at miamericas dot info

MIA, Mujeres Iniciando en las Américas

909-242-3432

–

Cada vez que liberan a una mujer, que liberar a un hombre. – Margaret Mead

Estaran participando nuestras compañeras Ana Silvia Monzón, Walda Barrios, y también habra una ponencia de MIA. Apoyemos y eduquemonos juntos.

La cobertura en vivo al II Mesoamericano podrá seguirla los días 4, 5 y 6 de mayo, desde las 8.30 a.m. por medio de:

el sitio de Radio Internacional Feminista -FIRE o desde la web de Radio Internacional Feminista www.radiofeminista.net

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Talleres de capacitación para la reducción de la violencia contra las mujeres y niñas/os.

¡TODOS/AS SON BIENVENIDOS/AS!

Fecha de inicio: Jueves 10 de Marzo (duración de 10 sesiones)

Horarios: 10am a 12pm, 2 a 4 pm ó 5 a 7pm (escoger solo uno)

INSCRIPCIÓN GRATUITA  | CUPO LIMITADO

Se dará 1 crédito extracurricular al que

llene el 100% de participación.

lnformación: Lucía Muñoz, lucia@miamericas.info, tel: 4975-3310

Interesados enviar un email antes del 2 de marzo con los siguientes datos: Nombre, Unidad Académica, número de teléfono y la sesión a escoger.

Or here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/registry.html?ie=UTF8&type=wishlist&id=1OA5X0DWK2OD

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Asociación Guatemalteca Morazanecos Ausentes en USA (AGMAUSA), Red por La Paz y el Desarrollo de Guatemala (RPDG), Mujeres Iniciando en las Américas, Mujeres Abriendo Caminos, Alianza de Organizaciones Guatemaltecas de Houston, Texas: Consejo Comunitario Guatemalteco, Comité Guatemalteco, Posadas Guatemaltecas, Unity Soccer League, Voces Unidas por los Inmigrantes, Congarigua, Juventud Garifuna, La Nueva Juventud con Fé, the Bronx, NY, América Calderón, Washington, DC, Leonor Hurtado, San Francisco, Dora Pimentel, Denver, CO, Lic. Marvin Pinto, Los Angeles, CA, Oscar Sandoval, Chicago, IL, Casa de los Migrantes, Las Vegas, NV, Alas de Justicia, Los Angeles, Fundación Sobrevivientes, Guatemala, UDEFEGUA, Guatemala.

URGENT ACTION: SUPPORT REQUEST FOR TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS (TPS) FOR GUATEMALANS LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES

Dear Friends of the people of Guatemala, Guatemalan immigrants need your support to request Temporary Protection Status (TPS) due to the devastation and state of emergency declared in Guatemala in the aftermath of the passage of tropical storm Agatha. Guatemalan immigrant organizations sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to consider the current state of emergency and recommend granting TPS to Guatemalans living in the United States. The Government of Guatemala has officially requested a Temporary Protected Status for Guatemalans.

Granting TPS to Guatemalans does not correct the underlying injustice in economic and immigration policies, but is an acknowledgement of the enormous humanitarian crisis caused by tropical storm Agatha.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

• ENDORSE THE LETTER: You can sign online at: The Petition Site. If you or your organization would like to sing on to the letter please respond via e-mail to Erasmo Morales (631)786-7048 erasmo@agmausa.org with the following information:

NAME OF ORGANIZATION:__________________________

CONTACT PERSON:_______________________________

Address:________________________________________

Phone:____________ E-mail:________________________

This first letter will be sent on Monday, June 14th with copy to Attorney General Erick Holder. DEADLINE TO SUBMIT YOUR NAME TO SIGN INTO THE LETTER IS Sunday, June 13TH. If needed a second letter will be sent by Wednesday July 7th However if you or your organization do not want to sign into the letter, you can use the same format provided and send your own letter.

DONATIONS:

MUJERES INICIANDO EN LAS AMÉRICAS is collecting money donations. M.I.A. is a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation and all donations are tax deductible, where applicable.

You can mail your contribution to: MUJERES INICIANDO EN LAS AMÉRICAS, 1256 Conway Ave.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626 — U.S.A.

• CONTACT YOUR SENATOR/CONGRESS REPRESENTATIVE

Send them a letter requesting they support the petition of a Temporary Protected Status for Guatemalans.

Contacting the Congress in English? http://www.contactingthecongress.org/index.html

¿Quiere ponerse en contacto con miembros del Congreso en Español? http://www.contactingthecongress.org/index.es.html

Letter proposal to the Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano

July 7, 2010

Ms. Janet Napolitano

Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Washington, DC 20528

Dear Ms. Napolitano:

We are writing to you to fully support the request by Guatemala’s Foreign Ministry, presented to the United States Government on June 4, 2010, that in the wake of tropical storm Agatha, Guatemalans in the United States be granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS). We urge you to positively respond to this petition as early as possible.

As portrayed in the media, on the last week of past May, extremely heavy rainfall caused by tropical storm Agatha fell over Central America and southern Mexico. Guatemala was most affected by this disaster, with loss of life, widespread damage to infrastructure, and agricultural losses.

In Guatemala, there are more than one hundreds confirmed deaths, and many other persons are missing, with entire communities buried. We have been informed that more than 120,000 people have been displaced, and that some 700 communities have been affected. Thousands of homes have been destroyed, and tens of thousands have been damaged.

According to the Washington Post article on June 2, 2010, Guatemala suffered“… huge losses in the agriculture sector. The country’s association of exporters reported a 75 percent drop in production in the vegetable and shrimp industries, while the National Coffee Association forecast a loss of 122,000 bags this season.”

The government statistics so far of the damage caused by Agatha are: 88, 971 homeless people; 142,959 persons were evacuated, and 152,488 affected; 497 schools and 107 towns were damaged, and damage to 400 bridges has made communications difficult. The Pan American Health Organization has issued a health alert due to different illnesses that can affect the population from diarrhea to dengue. Last year, because of a drought 136,000 families were affected with malnourishment. The Pan American Health Organization reports that Agatha just increased the risk of this population due to the loss of crops, and that famine will affect the area.

As you are well aware, Guatemalan communities and citizens here in the United States send more than $4 billion a year in remittances that help maintain social stability and provide basic needs to relatives in Guatemala. These remittances take on added importance while Guatemala recovers from the storm. We recall that when TPS has been granted in the past to nationals of other countries, remittances immediately increased by not less than 25%. This would amount to the most significant aid to recovery and reconstruction, and it would be provided by our own nationals.

Therefore, until the country can get back on its feet, we believe that granting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Guatemalans in the United States will help to ameliorate the desperate situation of those victims that may benefit from funds sent by relatives in the United States. We also believe that it is in the interest of this country not to return people so soon after this natural disaster, because that action may generate further instability in a country where poverty was already very high before the storm. Such a grant would certainly not be without precedent, as Nicaraguans and Hondurans were granted Temporary Protected Status after suffering widespread destruction from Hurricane Mitch in 1998.

We believe that the conditions that justify this request for TPS –a significant calamity in a country, high risks for nationals of that country if they are forced to return, and an official appeal from the government of the affected country—have been satisfied. Therefore, we strongly support granting TPS to Guatemalans, and we ask that you give this request your most serious consideration.

Sincerely,

Signatures of sponsors and endorsers

CC: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,  Attorney General Erick Holder

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]]> http://miamericas.info/2010/06/09/mia-supports-tps-for-gua/feed/ 1 http://miamericas.info/2010/06/02/fundraiser-for-guatemala/ http://miamericas.info/2010/06/02/fundraiser-for-guatemala/#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:19:10 +0000 MIA http://miamericas.info/?p=888 Dear Friends of MIA,

Reports from my own family and friends In Guatemala City say that they are well (thank goodness) following the Pacaya volcano and quakes caused by the volcanic explosion four days ago. However, the down pours by tropical storm Agatha has made the clean up efforts almost impossible. News reports on independent networks say the devastation has hit those marginalized by poverty the most.

Also see: http://www.boingboing.net/2010/05/31/guatemala-first-volc.html

On my trip to Guatemala last December I saw thousands of makeshift homes on the side of cliffs just below the foothill of the Pacaya volcano. Most of these people are probably now homeless and/or unaccounted for.

I am writing to you in an effort to raise relief funds for the victims in Guatemala City. You are welcome to make a donation here or go directly to miamericas.info/contacts or our Causes page on Facebook.

Other places you can also go to donate are AmeriCares.

I truly hope you find it in your heart and wallets to send a few dollars to help those communities affected the most by these natural disasters.

In Solidarity,

Shirley Aldana-Schwarz

Representative for Mujeres Iniciando en las Americas

Please do not forget the women, the victims and survivors of the Feminicide still going on in our beloved Guatemala.

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