Thank You: Juarez Fast and Letters

A Citizen Fast and Reflection:  Stop the War...No More Blood! A Journey to Justice. 
By Julie Slowik, IHM

  
We are deeply grateful to you who joined in fast and prayer for justice and peace in Juarez. Your presence in spirit along with so many others was deeply felt. We received 1,800 letters of solidarity from around the world.

Overcoming fear, some fifty groups and organizations among whom were national and international representatives gathered in downtown Juarez on January 29 and 30, 2011. During the event at the Monument some of the group journeyed in caravans to the U.S./Mexico fenced border, joining with a large group from El Paso, Texas. Though divided physically, all were united in one voice in the demand for justice. In a beautiful gesture, hands from both sides linked together through the fence in solidarity.

Late Saturday afternoon groups journeyed to the site of last year's youth massacre, where families and friends had placed pictures of their beloved children on posters. There the Bishop of Juarez celebrated the liturgy. Saturday night at the Monument in a moving ceremony we, with lighted luminaries, formed the word "justicia" along the monument steps. The night was filled with cultural expressions of song, poetry readings, theater, and music. On Sunday morning, small groups listened and gave comfort to mothers who begged for justice for the disappearance or death by violence of their sons and daughters. An ecumenical service closed the fast.

We left interiorly strengthened with a deep sense of harmony among the many organizations who coordinated the week-end. A political statement had been declared by our united presence. We go forth with courage to continue the struggle.

Juarez Fast: Heartening Solidarity (Photos from Juarez)

The fast organized by the community of Juarez (and solidarity actions around the world) were a wonderful success this past weekend.  Friends of MPT in Juarez shared these photos of the event.

Participants in the fast 'vigil' stayed out all night in Juarez, braving the after-dark dangers of the city together, and very cold weather (especially cold for Mexico).  Friends report that the turn out was very satisfying.

Best of all, participants say the event brought real hope to those in the city.  Both the local turnout, and the solidarity actions by those around the world gave people a feeling that not only do people near and far know and care about the conflict in and violence in the city, but there could be real change in the future.

Thanks for reading, and thank you to the MPT members and friends who participated in the Solidarity Fast this past weekend (January 29/30, 2011).  

Composed from eye-witness participation reports by MPT Friends 

by Nicole Rohrkemper.

International Peace Teams Coordinator

Michigan Peace Team

www.michiganpeaceteam.org

 

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Call to Action: Fast and Letters Support Juarez

All of us at Michigan Peace Team would like to share with our blog readers this invitation from the community in Juarez, Mexico (with a short introductory note from MPT's good friend and Team Contact in the area):

Dear Friends

I send you this letter (translated) of  invitation from the Human Rights Center Paso del Norte, which is convoking a public fast and reflection on January 29 and 30, 2011 seeking truth, justice and the common good for Juarez. On these dates we commemorate the first anniversary of the massacre of 18 youth in the colonia Villas de Salvacar, and the world day of non-violence (which is the date Ghandi was assassinated).

Could we ask you in whatever way you can, to be in solidarity with us in spirit this day and a half? 

Thanks so much. 

Julie

   

From the Center for Human Rights Paso del Norte A.C.

Re:  CITIZEN FAST AND REFLECTION 

       From Saturday January 29 at 9:00 a.m. to Sunday Jan. 30 at Noon

Place: Juarez Monument

Juarez City, Chihuahua, Mexico

                            STOP THE WAR.....NO MORE BLOOD

"Do you not know the fast acceptable to me? This is the fasting that I wish: breaking the chains of injustice, untying the thongs of the yoke, setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke" (Is. 58,6)

In Juarez City, Chihuahua, Mexico we are living in one of the greatest crisis in our history. From the perspective of human rights we are a city profoundly wounded, pained, and, and offended. For three years we have not been without blood. We are living a Way of the Cross which seems interminable. During this last year we have suffered more than 3000 painful assssination. They have assassinated children, youth, and adults. En 2010 more than 300 women have been assassinated.

From this profound pain and in the context of war, which the Mexican government declared, not in our name, against organized crime; and conscious that violence generates violence, we want to celebrate in fasting and reflection, the first anniversary of the massacre of 18 youth in the colonia Villas of Salvarcar.

Let us realize a day and a half of fasting as a non-violent and political action, of personal sacrifice and collective pressure, which seeks to build a space for  reflection within each person and in society, in order to seek together truth, justice and the common good, thus in this way, to denounce and confront the authorities for the constant violation of human rights, for the climate of violence and insecurity, and for the lack of responsibility in procuring justice.

We want to offer our city, wounded by violence and injustice, a sign of solidarity and hope in order to rebuild our society with human values. We also want to pressure the three levels of governmental authorities to stop this war which continues profoundly hurting our city, and to denounce publicly that we do not have a Right of State (State of Justice) due to the high rate of impunity.

At this moment of anniversary and on the world day of non-violence (remembering the assassination of Ghandhi) we are inviting people and groups, of high human and moral quality - local, national, and international - to be in solidarity with us in participating on this day of fast and reflection, or of uniting together from different places and communities to this action on these same days.

We ask you also to send us letters of solidarity to the following email that they may be read during the days of fast. cdhpasodelnorte@hotmail.com

We are grateful to you beforehand for your generous response of solidarity.

                                    CONVENERS

                  Centro de Derechos Humanos Paso del Norte, A.C.

                  Centro de Derechos Humanos del Migrante

                  Centro de Pastoral Obrera 

                  Comite Medico Ciudadano

                  (Nine parishes also listed as conveners.)

P.S. We are also grateful if you could send letters of solidarity to national and international media as well as to the following addresses:

Lic. Felipe de Jesus Calderon Hinojosa

Presidente Constitucional de la Republica Mexicana

Residencia Official de los Pinos,

Casa Miguel Aleman,

Col. San Miguel Chapultepec, C.P. 11850, Mexico DF

felipe.calderon@presidencia.gob.mx

Lic. Cesar Horacio Duarte Jaquez

Gobernador del Estadode Chihuahua

E-mail: despachodelejecutivo@hotmail.com

Team Safe in Michigan

The Fall 2010 MPT Peace Team arrived home in Mochigan moments ago, after their months of service in Juarez.

We at MPT want to thank the team and everyone who worked on this project for their invaluable contributions.

Please watch for updates and information about Juarez and the program here in coming months.

Happy Holidays,

Nicole Rohrkemper
International Teams Coordinator
Michigan Peace Team

Pain and Joy

Maryann is a young educated woman who speaks fluent english and spanish. She lives in Juarez but is working in El-Paso. Maryann up until last May felt like life had given her everything she ever dreamed of; a good family, a good education, a wonderful husband, and after several doctors visits yes it was true she was going to be a mother. The doctor had told her that she could not conceive because she had a tumor, but miracle of miracles! She and her husband were elated and were going to break the news to the grandparents.

Robert, Maryann’s husband loved pizza and had some friends over to share the good news and some good food. Robert stepped out on an errand with two of his buddies. They passed a check point and were not signaled to stop when suddenly all hell broke loose. The federales (government soldiers) fired forty-five shots. Robert received 3 fatal shots. Tom in the back seat received 35 fatal shots, and the young man in the passenger seat was unharmed. When Maryann arrived on the scene she was told by the Federals that they failed to stop and that they were hit-men, Maryann asked them to show her the arms they were carrying, because it was her car that they were driving, and she knew there were no arms. They had no answers.

Maryann's heart was filled with so much hate, she swore she would never listen or obey a Federale. After the funeral and life getting back to some normalcy while she was driving to work she was stopped by a Federale, he demanded she step out of the car and she refused. He put a gun to her head and demanded her again to step out. Maryann asked him if he had children, then told him she was pregnant and that her baby would never see the face of her daddy because of Federales like him who had shot her husband. The Federale lowered his head, and put his gun away and told her he was sorry and to please leave.

The baby will be born soon; hopefully before MPT leaves Juarez. Maryann and a group of 23 persons have lived this course on mourning together. Now with the birth of Maryann’s baby comes the opportunity for new life and hope. Sharing advent with the people of Juarez has been a time of grace, especially for Maryann and her baby.



*names have been changed to protect identities*

Juarez continues mourning

The family is a very jovial family that enjoys a good joke. They all work as mechanics using their own garage to put in long hours of work. Their oldest son was missing for several days. The family was worried. Someone found his body in a dumpster showing signs of assassination.
A humble, humble family had two young men assassinated outside of their side entrance where a group of young people liked to hang out. The sidedoor was always open. The young men were friends of the family. A few days later shots were heard and Mrs. wittnessed her husband and eldest son assassinated but this time inside the court-yard. The pain and fear of the rest of the family has caused them to put chains on their doors and live a very secluded life.

A young man named Hugo ran down to the shopping center to purchase a bag of chips before going to work. He was gunned down, right in front of the busy store. Hugo's eldery parents were notified and his mother, Arceli proclaimed in shock, "I don't know how I was able to move so fast!"
She arrived at the crime scene only to find her son dead in a pool of blood.

The funeral mass was over and many went to the cemetary to accompany the family. As they were leaving they met up with armend men who had the people that were accompaning another funeral down on the ground in rows!! They were filled with fear and tried to look for an alternative exit. They feared being part of a cross fire because the federales (goverment soldiers) came on the scene.
Many cannot even bury their dead in peace.
These are families that MPT continues to accompany.

*Names in this document have been changed in order to protect the families*