Archive for November, 2011

On Thursday, November 24th, as people in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving, US citizens in El Salvador and Salvadorans gathered outside of the US Embassy to stand in solidarity with the global “Occupy” and “Indignados” movements.  Their demands include an end to neoliberal, capitalist free trade policies, the militarization of the Central American region, and environmental destruction that has led to climate change. Tedde Simon, SHARE staffer, (right) said of the morning: “This is a symbolic event to express our solidarity with the millions of people around the world that have stood up to say, BASTA!, enough.  We believe that a better world is possible, and we are working together to create it, every day.”

Read about How the Occupy Movement Came to El Salvador here!

The group published the following press release:

Capitalist globalization has forced governments all over the world to prioritize the economic interests of the richest 1% of the global population over basic needs such as education, health care and employment for the other 99% of humanity.

Faced with a corrupt democratic process, staggering social inequality and an ecological crisis which threatens life itself, the 99% has risen up against this injustice in over 1,500 cities all over the world, through the Occupy Movement in the United States and the Indignados Movement in Spain and other European countries, and through a wealth of local and national alternatives in Latin America and around the world. Read More »

The Detroit SHARE Committee and St John Fisher Chapel: A History

It is 1987. The civil war in El Salvador is at its height. Ground war, helicopter war, massacres, mayhem. In the midst of these horrific conditions, Salvadoran refugees housed in Honduras say, “Enough is enough.  We are going home!” And they do.  Refugees from Mesa Grande, Honduras are returning to their home country in spite of fear and displacement to begin new lives and new communities.  The atmosphere is threatening, and those witnessing this homecoming sense the deep profoundness of this courage.

Under the leadership of Bp. Tom Gumbleton and a group of three others, the Detroit Going Home Task Force began sending delegations to El Salvador to accompany these faithful refugees home.  In 1990, the committee accepted a covenant to support Ellacuria—a small, struggling community in rural Chalatenango— and have faithfully continued this relationship for 21 years.  Kudos to Bishop Gumbleton, Sue Sattler IHM, and Mary and Bill Carry who opened this journey to many others in the “Detroit SHARE Committee.” Read More »

In the context of the discussion surrounding the Public-Private Partnership Bill and the recent ratification of the Partners in Growth Agreement with the United States, the National Roundtable against Mining rejects these new efforts to privatize public services and states:

The proposals made in the Public-Private Partnership Bill and Partners in Growth Agreement with United States seem, clearly, to be the continuation of neoliberal policies that promote the privatization of public services and which would affect the economic, social, cultural and environmental rights of the Salvadoran population.

The participation of the private sector, as established by the bill, happen through concessions of goods and projects that are public domain or through concessions for the execution of an activity of public interest. The proposal also allows for the possibility that a company can use its own goods to sell a public service. As part of the organized social movement we ask ourselves: What is the difference then-if there is one-between public-private partnership contracts and the privatization of services? Or is this actually a disguise that attempts to hide the plans of institutions like the International Monetary Fund.
Read More »

The Salvadoran government published the results of their evaluation of damages and losses provoked by Tropical Depression 12E in October 2011.  This evaluation was done with the technical support of CEPAL (Economic Comission for Latin America and the Carribean).  Here, we share some of the most relevant findings and results of this study and a final reflection.

Climate Patterns are Changing and Becoming More Extreme in El Salvador
In just two years, El Salvador has been affected by five extreme climate events: Topical Storm Ida in 2009, Agatha, Alex and Matthew in 2010, and Tropical Depression 12E in 2011 (see chart below for more comparisons between these extreme climate events).

“Tropical Depression 12E is the largest event registered in the history of the country,” Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources Herman Rosa Chavez described.    
 
With Tropical Depression 12E, 747 mm (29.4 inches) of rain fell.  With Hurricane Mitch, the most devastating storm until now, 472mm (18.5 inches) of rain accumulated.  In 2011 in only 10 days, it rained the equivalent of what it rains on average in one year in the United States (735.5mm) and 15% more than the expected rainfall in Spain (636mm). Read More »

In the past two years, El Salvador has been hit by five extreme climate events: Tropical Storm Ida in 2009, Hurricanes Agatha, Alex and Matthew in 2010, and Tropical Depression 12E in 2011.  For communities and leaders in El Salvador, climate change is not up for debate – it is already taking a devastating toll on crops, infrastructure and human life. 

Watch a video about sustainable agriculture and climate change adaptability in San Simon here! 

As the effects of climate change become increasingly pronounced, it is the populations of countries like El Salvador that are being hit first and hit hardest. Unpredictable and increasingly extreme weather patterns are threatening the immediate food security and long-term struggle to overcome poverty of vulnerable communities throughout El Salvador. With this in mind, SHARE began to work with REDES in 2009, after Tropical Storm Ida, to work towards reducing risk in future disasters. Read More »