November 30th 2016
Dear DJPC Supporters,
As we near the end of 2016, DJPC is more important than ever. When the US engaged in interventionist support to dictators in 1980s Central America, DJPC was here. When the US pushed neoliberal economic restructuring on 1990s Latin America, DJPC was here. When the US engaged in neo-imperial extraction of natural resources across the globe in the 2000s, DJPC was here. And, as the US ratcheted up its deportations and roll-back of Left governments in the 2010s in Latin America, DJPC was here. Now, with the election of a president who makes racist, xenophobic, and misogynist appeals, DJPC will continue to be here. We are committed to standing with the people who fight marginalization and oppression and those who defend our planet.
This year, we have concentrated our monthly educational salons on issues of equity, environment, and solidarity. One of our most powerful salons brought fifth grade children of immigrants, their teacher, and their parents to a storytelling podcast. In a session that was both moving and informative, the students interviewed their parents, many of whom were undocumented, to learn the reasons that led them to migrate, the trials of immigration journeys, and their lives in the US.
Through our Minewatch Committee, we have also accelerated our work in solidarity with those who struggle against extractive industries. Our research and networks have taught us that extraction often disproportionately affects indigenous communities, displacing them from their lands and polluting their waters. We take action on the streets of Denver, engage in solidarity with movements from Standing Rock to Peru, and we will lead a delegation of students and community members to Chiapas to learn from and accompany the front lines of struggle.
We undertake these efforts with a single paid employee, a team of volunteers, and an annual budget of $35,000. We do a lot with very little, but this year our funding is falling short . At this most crucial of moments, we cannot afford to lose DJPC. Your contributions can keep us afloat, sustain our struggle, and contribute an alternative vision of peace, justice, and equity.
We are strong because of you, and we depend on your financial support to make all this work possible. Consider becoming a monthly sustainer by filling in the form enclosed or by going to our Donation page on www.denjustpeace.org. Send us a check to “DJPC Education Fund” in the enclosed return envelope. Your donation is tax deductible. Thank you for your generosity.
Yours in struggle
Rebeca Zuniga-Hamlin
Director
