LASC Directory

Chicagoans for a Peaceful Colombia
Chicagoans for a Peaceful Colombia informs, educates and organizes to promote human rights, democracy, economic justice and a just negotiated solution to the conflict in Colombia, in the context of globalization.

Chicagoans for a Peaceful Colombia is an independent, not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization, working primarily trough and with existing grassroots organizations and networks.

Chicagoans for a Peaceful Colombia is not associated with any armed actor in the Colombia conflict and strongly condems the use of terror and the targeting of civilian populations by these actors.

Contact: (773) 454-0820, colombia@chicagoans.net

COCAMTROP (Coordinating Committee of Women Peasants of the Tropics - Chapare - of Cochabamba, Bolivia) and the Bolivian National Peasant Women's Movement Bartolina Sisa
The Bartolina Sisa and COCAMTROP represent the national and its Chapare regional women's peasant movements of Bolivia. They are both members of the CSUTCB (national peasant movement) and the COB (Bolivian labor Confederation). In addition to defending and promoting peasant women's rights, the Bartolina Sisas and COCAMTROP are dedicated to global economic justice and national sovereignty issues and campaigns such as opposing FTAA, land rights for those who work the land, protection of natural resources and the environment, etc.

Contact: gapotter@albatros.cnb.net

Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES)
CISPES has been working since 1980 in solidarity with the Salvadoran social justice movement to promote an alternative to the oppressive US-backed policies of the Salvadoran right. Today, a decade after the signing of the Salvadoran Peace Accords, the struggle for a more just society continues on many socio-economic fronts. CISPES currently works within the solidarity and anti-corporate globalization movements, to build a movement that confronts the injustices of the neoliberal economic model that is ravaging El Salvador and much of the globe. In particular, CISPES has helped to launch a cross border campaign against CAFTA, a proposed free trade agreement between the United States and Central America.
contact: phone (212) 465-8115, fax 212 465-8998, cispes@cispes.org

Committee to Free Lori Berenson, en español:
The Committee to Free Lori Berenson, a project of the Committee for Inter-American Human Rights, was formed in order to defend the basic human rights that Lori has been wrongfully denied while she was defending the rights of others. Our goal is to pressure the United States, and Peruvian governments to act to secure Lori's release from her wrongful incarceration, and to spread the word about the human rights abuses that still occur in Perú.
With this in mind, we are:
• Working to coordinate the efforts of thousands of friends and supporters
• Publicizing the facts and news about her case
• Striving to educate others on the inadequate state of human rights in Perú
• Reaching out to the education, labor, human rights, and religious communities for support
Contact: phone (202) 548-8480, fax (202) 544- 9613, info@freelori.org

Enough Is Enough
Zapatista strategies of organization and outreach provide an inspiring example of radical social empowerment and movement building for grassroots organizers, community leaders, and activists worldwide. The Enough Is Enough project aims to spread the Zapatista approach in North-American activist circles. Be active in the creation of alternatives to a world where so many are exploited for the lifestyle of a few. The future is unwritten… still!
Contact: ZapatistaBlock@RiseUp.net

Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA
GHRC/USA has been on the forefront of the struggle for peace and human rights in Guatemala since its founding in 1982. GHRC/USA is committed to monitoring, documenting and reporting on the human rights situation in Guatemala while advocating for victims of human rights violations through our two main programs.

The Information and Documentation Program monitors and documents the human rights situation in Guatemala through our bi-weekly human rights UPDATE, and special reports. The Info-Doc program works on political asylum cases by providing legal research and expert testimony.
Puentes de Paz women’s community mental health project empowers indigenous women by training lay health workers in mental healthcare techniques.

Through the Puentes training, women develop the leadership skills necessary to develop women’s support groups, thus multiplying the reach of mental health services.
Contact: phone 202.529.6599, fax 202.526.4611, ghrc-usa@ghrc-usa.org

Marin Interfaith Task Force on the Americas (MITF)
The Marin Interfaith Task Force on the Americas (MITF) is a grassroots organization that has achieved recognition for its positive contribution to ending human rights abuses in Central America. Founded in 1985 in response to the U.S. role in El Salvador, MITF has since expanded its focus to include all of the Americas.

"Proceeding from our hope for and commitment to world peace, our mission is to educate North American citizens about realities in the Americas and the role the U.S. plays there; and provide humanitarian aid and support for projects in those regions."
Contact: phone/fax (415) 924 3227, mitf@igc.org

Mexico Solidarity Network
The Mexico Solidarity Network is a coalition of organizations struggling for democracy, economic justice and human rights on both sides of the US-Mexico border.

The program of the Network also reflects our commitment to developing effective bi-national strategies within civil society to confront common problems. Our program increases links between Mexican and US-based civil society; increases educational opportunities so that people on both sides of the border can better understand their common problems and can develop effective strategies; and increases opportunities for strategic, effective activism that will impact bi-national policies.
Contact: Chicago: (773) 583 7728, DC: (202) 544 9355, San Francisco: (415) 621 8100, msn@mexicosolidarity.org

Nicaragua Network
The Nicaragua Network is a 25 year-old grassroots network of local committees working to defend the gains of the Sandinista Revolution and to change US policy. Nicaragua Network operates under the injunction given by the Sandinistas in the 1980s that we can help them by "changing your own government." Therefore Nicaragua Network takes leadership roles in the anti corporate globalization movement, the anti-war movement, and the Latin America solidarity movement. Our monthly Nicaragua Monitor and weekly hotline provide news and organizing campaigns for activists and our $60/year weekly New Service provides summaries of the news for activists, academics, journalists and foreign diplomats. Our primary program areas are indigenous rights, labor rights, environmental justice, and alternatives to neo-liberal economics. Intern opportunities available.
Contact: phone (202) 544-9355, fax (202) 544-9359, nicanet@afgj.org

Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA)
In 1981, at the height of Guatemala’s 36-year civil war, solidarity committees in the U.S. sought to end U.S. support for Guatemala’s brutal military regime and further Guatemalan efforts to create a democratic society based on socioeconomic justice and human rights. The Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA) was formed to coordinate the actions of these committees and has, since 1981, benefited from a strong and active grassroots base of thousands. Today NISGUA spearheads grassroots advocacy and lobbying campaigns, distributes two publications and ongoing reports, organizes annual fall tours of Guatemalan speakers to the U.S., and leads delegations to Guatemala. As one of the only U.S.-based organizations currently providing international accompaniment, NISGUA maintains anywhere from 10-14 human rights monitors in-country at all times.
Contact: phone (202) 518-7638, fax: (202) 223-8221, nisgua@igc.org

Rights Action
Rights Action supports and collaborates with popular organizations and community associations in Southern Mexico, Central America and Peru. We work to raise awareness in the international community about the issues our partner organizations confront and as well as raise funds for community-initiated development, human rights & emergency relief projects. Our aim is to foster north-south alliances of people and organizations working together to actively challenge endemic impoverishment, repression and racism.
With offices in the United States, Canada and Guatemala, Rights Action:
- Provides funds and technical support for the development, relief and human rights projects initiated by our partner organizations.
- Brings key leaders and activists on speaking/fund-raising tours in the US and Canada.
- Organizes and leads educational delegations and activist seminars in Latin America.
- Publishes investigative reports and articles exposing human rights violations in the regions in which we work.
- Does activism and advocacy work on related issues.
Contact: phone (416) 654-2074, email: info@rightsaction.org

School of the Americas Watch (SOA Watch)
SOA Watch is a grassroots movement that works to stand in solidarity with the people of Latin America, to close the notorious School of the Americas (SOA, renamed "Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation") and to change oppressive U.S. foreign policy that the SOA/WHISC represents.

As part of an uncompromising nonviolent direct action campaign, over 210 SOA Watch activists have been found guilty in federal court for actions to close the SOA. Over 170 people served or are currently serving federal prison sentences. Several dozen were sentenced to, and some are now serving, terms of federal probation. We are grateful to our sisters and brothers throughout Latin America for their inspiration and the invitation to accompany them in their struggle for economic and social justice.
Contact: phone (202) 234 3440, fax (202) 636 4505, info@soaw.org