Immigration Issues

There are countless things to read on immigration because it is a very contested topic in society today. Here are a few articles though on the lack of enforcement of the law that should be disciplining the employers of illegal immigrants as well as information on the decline in jobs for day laborers.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89953759

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89388156

Evo Morales on The Daily Show w/Jon Stewart

Hey, here's the link.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=103275&title=president-evo-morales

:)

Enjoy!

Madison

Brazil President Defends Biofuels

By Emilio San Pedro
BBC Americas editor

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has rejected allegations that biofuels are responsible for the recent rise in global food prices.

He said food had become more expensive because people in developing countries were gaining greater access to it.

Mr Lula was speaking at a conference of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Brasilia.

A chorus of opposition to bio-fuels has been growing in different parts of the world in recent months.

Environmental groups, government ministers and even world leaders like President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela have all voiced their concerns that the use of crops like sugar-cane and corn to make fuel for cars could lead to a serious food crisis.

'Crime against humanity'

Critics claim biofuels are also partly responsible for the recent rise in global food prices.

And Jean Ziegler, the UN's Special Rapporteur for Food Rights and a Swiss national, has described biofuel production of bio-fuels as a crime against humanity.

President Lula, whose country is the world's largest exporter of biofuels such as ethanol, said it was easy for someone sitting in Switzerland to preach to Brazil.

He said allegations that global food prices were rising because of biofuels were baseless.

"Biofuels aren't the villain that threatens food security," said President Lula.

"On the contrary... they can pull countries out of energy dependency without affecting foods."

Food prices were going up, he said, because people in developing countries like China, India and Brazil itself were simply eating more as their economic conditions improved.

The president has signed several important cooperation deals with the US, another leading biofuels producer, as well as with several African countries, to work together to improve production.

The battle against biofuels has united a dichotomous group ranging from environmental activists to the leaders of some of the world's largest oil producing countries.

Posted by April Griffith

Brazil's New Oil Find

A new oil field has been discovered off the coast of Brazil. Heraldo Lima, the head of the country’s National Petroleum Agency has announced that it may be the third biggest oil field in the world, but the agency itself has since distanced itself from his claims. More drilling and studies need to be conducted to determine the number of barrels that can be extracted from the region, but in any case, it should turn out be a superfield of at least 5 billion barrels. This would boost Brazil up to the 7th largest oil producer in the world. Traditionally Brazil has been overlooked as a major oil producer because of larger energy providers in the region such as Mexico and Venezuela. Brazil is also at the center of the bio-fuel revolution, currently exporting corn-based ethanol. The new find will therefore bring a lot of political and economic changes to the country.

You can read more about it here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/16/oil.brazil

http://www.forbes.com/energy/2008/04/15/oil-brazil-carioca-biz-energy-cx_pm_0415notes.html

The Brazilian MST and some of its developments

Hello class,
Posted below are links to online articles I found regarding the MST Brazilian Landless Workers Movement. Two of the first two link articles are interviews with João Pedro Stédile, one of the leaders of the MST. The third article link describes a brief overview of some of the violence which has resulted from opponents of the MST. The last article link describes a current development of the MST, the "Red April" protest in Brazilia (a push for more farm land). Feel free to comment on these articles or address discussion questions regarding the topic.

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=48&ItemID=7036

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=48&ItemID=4003

http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/brazil/mst1.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080415/bs_afp/brazilsocialfarmprotest_080415071614

Chilean Hunger Strike for Indigenous Rights

I think that there are a few interesting articles about the hunger strike in Chile over indigenous Mapuche rights. The 111-day hunger strike ended in January, but the effects and reactions are very interesting. Hope everyone enjoys


http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=40992

http://www.mapuche-nation.org/english/html/news/n-118.htm

Event: Current political situation in Oaxaca and the role of women in the movement for social justice in Oaxaca

Please see attach information: bio, tour schedule

The Binational Struggle of the Mexican Indigenous Migrant communities: A Oaxacan Perspective Tour.”
Two prominent grassroots indigenous Oaxacan leaders, from the Indigenous Organizations Binational Front will give a talk on:

Current political situation in Oaxaca and the role of women in the movement for social justice in Oaxaca

Centolia Maldonado Vásquez Bernardo Ramírez Bautista


Sunday April 13, 2008
4:00- 7:00 PM
Pico Shalom Ministries community center
1320 South New Hampshire
Los Angeles California
213-447-6248

Come and support our fundraising efforts there will be food, raffles
There will be sale of Handicrafts & Organic Spices by the Triqui Communities.
“For respect to the rights of indigenous peoples”

**********************************************************************************************************


Frente Indígena de Organizaciones Binacionales

Presenta su gira:
Presenta su gira: LA lucha binacional de Indígenas migrantes mexicanos desde la perspectiva oaxaqueña
Dos prominentes líderes indigena darán un informe sobre:
La situación política actual de Oaxaca y el rol de la mujer en el movimiento social de Oaxaca.

Centolia Maldonado Vásquez Bernardo Ramírez Bautista
Domingo Abril 13, 2008
4:00- 7:00 PM
Pico Shalom Ministries community center
1320 South New Hampshire
Los Ángeles California
213-447-6248

Venga a apoya nuestra evento comunitario y recaudación de fondos
Venta de comida, rifas


Abra ventas de artesanía y especies orgánicos producido por las comunidades
“Por los derechos de los pueblos indígenas.”


"Por el respeto a los derechos de los pueblos indígenas"
Odilia Romero Hernández
Coordinadora de la Mujer-Consejo Central Binacional
Frente Indígena de Organizaciones Binacionales (FIOB)
www.fiob.org
Oficina Los Ángeles
2936 West 8th Street Suite 303
Los Angeles, Ca 90005
213-251-8481
213-251-8444 FAX
323-806-2198

Social Movements in Oaxaca: Event in Los Angeles

The Tribal Learning Community & Education Exchange (TLCEE), the César E. Chávez Department of Chicana/o Studies, Critical Race Studies and the Raza Grad Student Association welcome....

Centolia Maldonado Vásquez and Bernardo Ramírez Bautista

Two prominent grassroots indigenous Oaxacan leaders from the
Indigenous Organization Binational Front
(Frente Indígena de Organizaciones Binacionales-FIOB)
who will speak on:

Monday, April 14, 2008
2:00-3:30 pm
Law 1347 UCLA


Centolia Maldonado Vásquez is currently the District Coordinator and Director of Economic Development Projects of the FIOB in Juxtlahuaca, Oaxaca. Centolia is also member of the outreach committee of ECOMIX (Espacio de Economías Solidarias) a state-wide NGO that provides technical assistance to grassroots organizations in Oaxaca. Centolia's organizational experiences, particularly with women, have been documented in Sueños Binacionales and Mujeres que se Organizan Avanzan.

Bernardo Ramírez Bautista, an indigenous lawyer, is the Regional Coordinator of the FIOB in the Mixteca region. He is also the Director of the Justice Advocacy Program (Procuración de Justicia) for indigenous communities in Oaxaca and coordinates the program- Leadership Development for Traditional Indigenous- for elected officials at the municipal and local levels.


For more information regarding this event, please contact professor Maylei Blackwell at maylei@chavez.ucla.edu



Eleuteria Hernández G.
Student Affairs Officer
UCLA César E. Chávez Department of Chicana/o Studies
Spring Office Hours: Every day from 11-1:00 & 2-5:00 pm

310.206.7696
fax: 310.825.2449
7351 Bunche Hall
lute@chavez.ucla.edu
http://www.chavez.ucla.edu

Late notice, but...

I know it's late notice, but in case anyone is interested....

Hugo Chavez and the "Bolivarian Revolution" in Venezuela.

Challenges, Contradictions, and Prospects for Liberation: Two Contending
Views.

Presentations by:

George Ciccariello-Maher, author of Monthly Review article: "Dual Power in
the Venezuelan Revolution"

- and -

Raymond Lotta, author of "America in Decline", Maoist political economist,
and contributor to "Revolution" newspaper.

Friday, April 4 at 3pm
Barrows Hall, Room 554

Best, Andrea G.

Cuba puts unused land to work for farming

HAVANA, Cuba (AP) -- Cuba is lending unused land to private farmers and cooperatives as part of a sweeping effort to revitalize a floundering agricultural sector and step up food production.

Government television said Tuesday that 51 percent of arable land is underused or fallow, a problem officials hope to rectify by temporarily transferring some of it to private farmers and associations representing small, private producers.

The president of Cuba's national farmers association, Orlando Lugo, said "everyone who wants to produce tobacco will be given land to produce tobacco," and it will be the same for coffee or anything else.

The government began dolling out land last year, but announced the program this week.

It was not clear how much land had been transferred and under what terms.