SHARE Celebrates 25 Years of Solidarity

After 25 years of struggling for justice, the SHARE Foundation: Building a New El Salvador Today had much to celebrate. We did so in a series of four celebrations throughout the U.S. and in El Salvador that reflected the multidimensional laughter, lucha, and love that have characterized SHARE for two and a half decades.

In Washington D.C. nearly 100 supporters gathered in Oct. 2006 to remember the past 25 years and to be reminded of the work that lies in the future. Celebration events included a fiesta with music, food and dance, an informational panel and discussion of current issues in El Salvador with a keynote speech by then Human Rights Ombudswoman of El Salvador, and also congressional office visits where SHARE supporters talked to their representatives about important advocacy matters.

In June 2007, the party moved to El Salvador, where 100 people from communities or organizations that have directly benefited from physical, advocacy, and financial accompaniment of SHARE were joined by leading clergy from the Lutheran, Baptist, and Catholic Churches, union leaders, and members of the administration of the first woman mayor of San Salvador. This event focused on remembering the many challenges that, together, we have managed to overcome and celebrating the victory of surviving and thriving despite the obstacles we face. Artistic expressions such as dance and theater enriched the experience.

In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, SHARE hosted an early fall 2007 conference in honor of the Anniversary. The event was kicked off with a celebratory fish fry dinner in Milwaukee tradition. The next day, a symposium featured keynote speaker Lutheran Bishop Medardo Gomez. The symposium also included a panel of Salvadoran and North American speakers representing community organizations from El Salvador and the U.S. who discussed topics such as: Solidarity in Today’s Context, Issues Facing Youth in El Salvador, U.S. Border and Immigration Policy, The State of Peace and Democracy in El Salvador. The day’s celebrations were capped off with a fiesta featuring Salvadoran food, live music, and a photography exhibit. Having reflected on the past and celebrated what cross border relationships have meant to our lives, the weekend concluded with an ecumenical service to celebrate and re-commit to solidarity. This event provided ample opportunities to contemplate, celebrate, and meditate on the future of our accompaniment.

San Francisco was the site of SHARE’s fourth and final 25 th Anniversary Celebration in December of 2007. Here we had the opportunity to commemorate the lives of Maria Julia Hernandez, founder of the Human Rights Office of the San Salvador Archdiocese; Rufina Amaya, sole survivor of the massacre at El Mozote; and Gus Schultz, SHARE founding member and unforgettable activist for justice throughout the world. SHARE welcomed first female mayor of San Salvador, Violeta Menjivar, as our featured guest at the celebration. A small group of dedicated SHARE supporters gathered at an interfaith worship service that drew together the vibrant traditions and inspirations that motivate our work. This small gathering was complemented by an outpouring of support a few nights later, when many gathered for a party featuring a rousing speech by the mayor and a lively choral performance. This capstone to our Anniversary celebrations reminded us all of the commitment to another 25 years of accompaniment that lie before us, and of the unsurpassable company that we have on this journey.

¡Que vivan los 25 años de SHARE! – ¡Que vivan!

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