Report-Back:
One Year After The Popular
Uprising
Reversed The Coup
Saturday June 14, 2-5pm
Tabernacle Church, 37th & Chestnut St, Phila
Enter on 37th St w
Childcare w
Refreshments w
Spanish-language translation
Wheelchair
Entrance on Chestnut St w
Donation requested
Premiere of, Venezuela – A 21st Century Revolution, video featuring interviews with grassroots women and men on what this amazing revolution is winning, what we can do for it and what it can do for us.
Special Guests:
Dozthor Zurlent, a Venezuelan who founded the Bolivarian Circle in
Chicago, and author, with Valerie Busch-Zurlent, of History of
the Future that Belongs to Us*. Also featuring two women from
the Global Women's Strike (GWS) which has been supporting women in
Venezuela since July 2002: Margaret Prescod (from Women of Color
WinWages in LA who was invited by President Chavez to speak at the finale
of the international Encuentro) and Phoebe Jones Schellenberg (from
Philly who has now been invited twice to Venezuela). All the presenters
were in Caracas on the first anniversary of the uprising in April 2002
that reversed a coup organized by Venezuela's elite and the US government
against the elected government of President Hugo Chavez.
* under the pseudonyms Joherdi
Hernandez and Ottilia Robers
Sponsored by the Global Women’s Strike 215-848-1120
Endorsers
: ANSWER, Brandywine Peace Community, CATA (Comite de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agricolas), Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW)/Phila, Earth Charter Citizens, Enfoque Comunal (Community Focus), Every Mother is a Working Mother Network, Filadelfia con Vieques, Germantown Meeting Peace & Social Concerns Ctte, Green Party of Phila, Int’l Action Center, Minority Experience Network, Robin’s Bookstore, School of the Americas Watch/NE, Suburban Phila Greens, Veterans for Peace, Women of Color WinWages, Women’s Intl League for Peace & Freedom (Phila) (See over)___________________________________________________________________________________________
At this time of US invasions and wars for oil, come hear inspiring news of what Venezuelans, most of them poor, mostly people of color and women, have won, and how
In 1998 President Chavez was elected by a landslide to tackle poverty and corruption. The two parties in power for over 40 years had left 80% of Venezuelans, mostly people of color, in poverty despite a lucrative oil industry.
In 1999, a new constitution framed by the population was voted in, which:
> gives land and housing to rural and
homeless people
> promotes co-operatives, and water and food security
> recognizes Indigenous land and cultural rights
> promotes employment and social rights for all workers, and equity
between women and men
> recognizes housework as productive work
> entitles housewives to health care and a pension
> promotes unity among Third World people
It opposes the privatization of oil, enabling the population to reclaim its stolen oil revenue. Always the poorest everywhere, women have the most to gain from these reforms.
On a continent plagued by US-backed military dictatorships and disappearances, the Chavez government promotes a caring use of its military. Soldiers, as well as defending the revolutionary process, work with and for the community: building homes, schools, providing healthcare . . .
As laws implementing the constitution were about to come into force, the US government and Venezuela’s white racist elite organized a coup and kidnapped President Chavez. But the civilian-military unity paid off. Two days later, on 13 April 2002, millions took to the streets led by women from the poorest areas. With the support of loyal soldiers they won back their elected president and their constitution.
The grassroots took the revolution into its own hands. In January 2003, oil managers, the corporate media and corrupt union leaders tried to stop the revolution by stopping the oil industry. Again they were defeated by people determined to defend and extend their gains.
__________________________________________________________
You can visit the Global Women’s Strike website or contact us for information and/or to support the petition in support of the women of Venezuela and their "peaceful and democratic" revolution. Other GWS sponsored events re Venezuela to include an upcoming Video Café showing the film "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". Watch for date announcement.
For more info call
Global Women's Strike: 215-848-1120
Email philly@crossroadswomen.net
Crossroads Women’s Center, PO Box 11795, Philadelphia PA 19101
GWS website: http://womenstrike8m.server101.com
The Global Women’s Strike is coordinated by the Wages for Housework Campaign
Violent Anti-Chavez Elite Attack Peaceful Meeting Organized by Women in Philadelphia, June 2003
Appeal to US trade unionists on behalf of workers in Venezuela
Statement from Latin American and Caribbean women, 8 March 2002