NSCAG APRIL UPDATE
Webinar announcement
In this webinar, 12 students and faculty members of the University of Maryland in the USA will explain what they learned during a 2-week study abroad course with the Rural Workers Association, ATC. The webinar will take place on 23 April at 8pm UK time. They learned that Nicaragua emits less than one eighth as much greenhouse gas per capita as the US. And yet Nicaraguans produce 90% of their own food, have eliminated most hunger and illiteracy, have addressed income disparities, continue improving production efficiency, have democratic control of food production and have nearly achieved economic parity among women and men. How did Nicaragua do it? Join this webinar to hear what the students learned. To register go to this link.
See also the 45th anniversary statement of the Rural Workers Association, ATC – link here
Friends of the ATC internship
Friends of the ATC and the Latin American Institute of Agroecology will be hosting a short-term internship this July in Nicaragua. Applications are now open andpriority will be given to those who register by 1st May. Details here
Anniversary of Attempted Coup 2018
This month marks five years since the United States orchestrated and financed a violent coup attempt against the democratically elected FSLN government in Nicaragua. To mark the anniversary of the attempted coup, during which ordinary people were subject to terror attacks for sympathizing with their government and for supporting the Sandinista Revolution, the Monthly Review has agreed to publish a series of four articles by Dan Kovalik and John Perry which describe in detail what occurred during the coup attempt. The first in the series can be found here. The next in the series will be included in our May update.
See also article by Stephen Sefton – ‘Nicaragua 2018 – the Triumph of a Sovereign Future’ – link here and an article written by Francisco Dominguez in September 2021 – link here
Human Rights
While the US pays little regard to the human rights of many of its own citizens, it manifests intense interest in those of countries that it regards as its enemies. Nicaragua, designated by both Trump and Biden as a ‘strategic threat’ is seen as one of those enemies. The UN Human Rights Council recently released a new report focusing almost entirely on the human rights of the perpetrators of what became a violent coup attempt, rather than on the rights of the huge numbers of ordinary Nicaraguans who suffered the consequences of their violence. The report calls for additional sanctions in one of its recommendations. In doing so, it ignores the UN Human Rights Council’s own assessments of sanctions issued without its authority. John Perry has written on this subject in an article which explains how the UN is being used by the US in its propaganda war against Nicaragua – see link here
Trade Union Conferences
From 3-6 April, we attended the National Education Union Conference held in Harrogate. During the Conference, we held a successful fringe meeting on ‘Advancing the Education Revolution’ where speakers included invited guest Aleyda Cruz Flores, a Nicaraguan primary school teacher, Nicaraguan Ambassador Guisell Morales and two of the teachers - Heather Marcano and Anna Grainger – who participated in the NEU-sponsored Nicaraguan teacher exchange held in July/August last year. The meeting was chaired by Christine Blower, Labour Member of the House of Lords. Our thanks to the NEU for their hospitality and support.
We will be attending the GMB Congress taking place from 4-8 June in Brighton. We will have a stall at the Conference and hope that GMB members will come and say hello!
Nicaragua’s black community
In response to a book which claims an ‘authoritarian turn’ for Nicaragua’s black community, Margaret Kimberley, Executive Editor and Senior Columnist of Black Agenda Report has written an article – Black People Used to attack revolutionary governments – see link here European Solidarity Conference
From 24-26 March, NSCAG hosted a conference of the European Committee of Solidarity with the Sandinista People’s Revolution. The conference took place as a hybrid meeting, with 15 participants attending the meeting in London and online participation by an additional 77 people. A report of the meeting and the final declaration agreed at the meeting can be found here
Solidarity tours
A reminder that Casa Ben Linder are offering a highly recommended programme of ten day, reasonably priced solidarity visits including the following – June: Voltage & Volcanoes; August: Sustainable Development; October: Salud & Solidaridad. Further information and registration can be found here
Friends of the ATC (Rural Workers Association) are also organising a delegation to Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast in June. Although the official deadline for applications has passed, places may still be available. More details see here In solidarity
Louise Richards, Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign Action Group www.nscag.org Twitter:@NSCAG_UK