March for Peace: Latino Voices of Opposition to Iraq War!
Gracias Isela ~ Si Se Puede! Ya Basta! March Forward!
We should all openly support the March for Peace explained below in memory of Companero Jesús Suárez del Solar Navarro, USMC and so many others who fall in unjust wars waged by evil governments.
I pray all our voices together become thunders of opposition to the insane Iraq War! Let us boldly Demand an End to the Amerikan Occupation of Iraq!
At the same time, let us not forget the critical need for a sound resolution of the Border Conflict between the U.S. and Mexican Governments! Let us build bridges of unity, not border walls of division!
We must combine our Resistance to the insane Iraq War with the struggles to help meet the urgent survival needs of poor and oppressed people suffering in the misery of poverty here now inside the United States, all across the Americas and throughout Mother Earth!
Combat Amerikan Fascism!
Stand Up for Humane Rights For All!
Peter S. Lopez ~aka Peta
Email: sacranative@yahoo.com
Sacramento, California
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Isela Diaz <alsela25@yahoo.com> wrote:
please forward
From: Fernando Suarez del Solar [mailto:fvsuarez2000@yahoo.com.mx]
Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2006 10:48 AM
To all of you my dear friends, I beseech you to unite and lend your gracious efforts in the:
A todos ustedes mis amigos, los invito a unirse y a colaborar en la:
MARCH FOR PEACE!
In memory of Jesús Suárez del Solar Navarro, USMC and so many others.
A tax-deductible receipt will be mailed to you. Thank you.
Websource:
http://www.guerreroazteca.org/marcha/ppp_ingles.htm
MARCH FOR PEACE!
OBJECTIVE: A 241 mile march that aims at ensuring that the Latino voice of opposition to the War is heard loud and clear across the Americas.
WHY: Latinos represent nearly 15% of the US population and 11% of the US military, with many serving in combat or hazardous duty occupations. In addition, an estimated 20% of the fallen service members are Latino. With the continued growth of the Latino population and its vital importance to the future of this country, it is time the Latino community become an active and vocal part of the 60%+ of US citizens that oppose this War. It is also time to show the Latino community that they have a voice and a right to fight for peace and stability. Fernando Suarez Del Solar is committed to self-sacrifice. At 50 years of age he cares more about ending this war than even his own health. We make this call not only to the Latino population but to all those who agree with our message “No more bloodshed in Iraq”.
WHAT/ WHEN: Fernando Suarez del Solar, Pablo Paredes, Camilo Mejia and Aidan Delgado will lead a coalition of the willing across this 241 mile quest for peace starting in Tijuana, Mexico, going through Marine Corps Depot Camp Pendleton to the Cesar Chavez burial site in La Paz, CA, culminating in The Mission district of San Francisco with a memorial ceremony and blood drive.
The March will begin on 12 March 2006. The coalition of the willing will arrive at La Paz, CA on 22 March 2006 and culminate in San Francisco from 26 March 2006 to 27 March 2006.
ABOUT THE ROUTE AND STRUCTURE:
Why 241 miles?
Last Year was the 75th anniversary of Gandhi’s Salt March one of the most impactful non-violent acts of protest and civil disobedience in pursuit of social justice in history. Gandhi marched 241 miles to free India from British imperialism. This legacy has been vibrant in all Latino Social Justice movements. Cesar Chavez was a disciple of Gandhi. We wish to rekindle this tradition and one year after the 75th , we wish to put Gandhi’s spirit into practice rather than wait for the next milestone to honor his memory.
ABOUT THE MARCH LEADERS:
* Fernando Suarez Del Solar = Is the father of one of the first Latinos to die in Iraq. He was lied to about his son’s death, found the truth in Iraq with the help of a well know recent victim of the war, (co-anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight) Bob Woodruff. His son Jesus stepped on an illegal US cluster bomb. Since then Fernando is a tireless advocate for peace.
* Pablo Paredes = Navy war resister who refused boarding an Iraq bound ship on Dec. 6th 2004. He was court martialed, sentenced and now speaks out for Peace.
* Camilo Mejia = Served one tour in Iraq and then became a National Guard war resister. He was jailed for nine months for his opposition to the war and is now a prominent anti-war speaker and member of:
Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW)
http://www.ivaw.net/index.php?id=1
* Aidan Delgado = Is a Conscientious Objector of the Iraq war. He served at Abu Gharib and now tours the country with slide shows of the prison abuses.
* Jesus Suarez Del Solar = Fernando’s son Jesus was born in Tijuana, Mexico in November of 1982. He was educated at PS 44 and in 1995 came to the United States, with dreams of joining the Marines. He realized his dream in 2001 well before 911. Jesus deployed to Iraq from MCD Camp Pendleton in February of 2003, with dreams of liberating the children of Iraq. Seven days into the invasion of Iraq, on the 27th of March 2003, Jesus stepped on an illegal US cluster bomb. Jesus died shortly after.
ABOUT THE MARCH ROUTE:
> Tijuana The march from Tijuana across the US-Mexico Border is a symbolic gesture of Peace without borders. Jesus Suarez del Solar was born and educated in this beautiful city, our march will also be born in Tijuana and we also wish that our gesture served to educate around border issues and peace.
> Escondido Escondido is the city in which Jesus was recruited and today is buried. We wish to trace Jesus’ steps and then continue his fight for the children of Iraq and America in the name of peace rather than war.
> Pendleton Marine Corps Depot Camp Pendleton is the place where Jesus and many of our youth are trained for war. Jesus deployed from Pendleton to Iraq. We wish to rewrite history with our march and deploy our soldiers from MCD Camp Pendleton to La Paz.
> La Paz La Paz translates to The Peace, and is the burial site of Cesar Chavez. We wish to evoke his legacy and lead our coalition to peace.
> San Francisco San Francisco’s Mission district is predominantly Latino. We will hold a service in the mission to commemorate Jesus. We will also stage a blood drive. The blood donated will be equally distributed to cope with Iraqi as well as coalition needs.
The March will arrive in all the following cities Tijuana, San Diego, Escondido, Camp Pendleton, Santa Ana, Los Angeles, San Fernando, Palmdale, Rosamond, Keene (La Paz), Fresno, San José, Watsonville and San Francisco.
OUR REQUESTS: We need help in many areas.
Funding: We are going to fly in Camilo Mejia and Aiden Delgado; this will consist of 4 roundtrip tickets as they have an engagement in the middle of our march in Mobile Alabama. We have estimated the travel fees at $1800. We will drive a caravan along with our march. Gas and meals will be a considerable expense; we want to reserve $1000 for this. The service will come with a fee as well. The blood drive will consist of volunteers but will still incur some costs. For these and other unimaginable expenses we seek economic support of groups who support our march. We have estimated our costs at $5000.00
Personnel: We need volunteers to help with the march. We seek EMS qualified folks to ride in the trailer/caravan and provide first aid where necessary. We seek local organizing at all levels to complement our march. Drivers. We have some volunteers already but no one to drive the whole way.
Media: We seek every means of spreading the word available local and national, English speaking and Latino aimed, student and civilian, church and secular etc.
We will provide press releases and materials to ensure that communication about the event is focused, unified and clear.
Logistics: Local contacts for permits or liaisons with local police. Points of contacts for already existing events in localities we may cross, so as to be complimentary and not seen as competition.
For Information please contact:
Fernando Suárez del Solar
760-233-0630 or at l-858-774-0172
Email: fernando@guerreroazteca.org
and Pablo Paredes
Email: pablopare@gmail.com
In the event we have a surplus our proceeds will be equally divided between the Guerrero Azteca Scholarship program and the Common Ground Relief Collective to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims.
Fernando Suarez del Solar, Founder & Director
Guerrero Azteca Peace Project
(760)233-0630 Direct telephone
(760)746-4568 Main telephone
(760)737-2334 Fax
PO Box 300221,Escondido,CA 92030-0221
fernando@guerreroazteca.org
www.guerreroazteca.org
POR UNA GENERACION LLENA DE PAZ Y AMOR
FOR A GENERATION FILLED WITH PEACE AND LOVE
RELATED LINK:
The Spirit of Gandhi, the Passion of Jesus
Thoughts on the plight of Fernando Suarez Del Solar
By Pablo Paredes, February 2006
http://www.guerreroazteca.org/marcha/thespiritofgandhi.htm
“I can’t sit here and do nothing while this war keeps claiming kids and stealing souls.” This was the response I received from Fernando Suarez Del Solar when I questioned his newest and boldest idea for bringing an end to the bloodshed in Iraq.
Many would find it a sad irony to know that the first Mexican to die in this war was of the name Jesús. Fernando’s son Jesús Suarez Del Solar was a charismatic young soul who above all placed a premium on helping children. Jesús joined the Marines believing he would free the children of Iraq. This was his mission, and when he died, Fernando made it his.
Fernando learned his son fell to enemy fire and was devastated but his heart was yet to be further shattered. He soon learned by his own merit on a humanitarian mission to Iraq that the military had lied to him. His son was the victim of the only weapons of mass destruction so far encountered in Iraq. Jesús stepped on an illegal US mine. Since learning the truth Fernando has made it his mission to shed light on the multitude of lies that surround the invasion and occupation of Iraq and to help in every way possible the children in Iraq as well as his son’s fellow troops.
After countless visits to high schools to shed light on the reality of war and two trips to Iraq bringing clothes and medicines for Iraqi children, the bloodshed continues. Countless peace demonstrations and local marches and the number of fallen soldiers continue to rise. This year on the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, Fernando cannot be satisfied by a local protest or a rally with some interviews calling for an end to the madness. So he seeks to evoke a tradition long established in Chicano History, the spirit of Gandhi. Cesar Chavez was a disciple of the late Mahatma, once quoted as saying; “There is no such thing as defeat in non-violence.” And the words of Benito Juarez were antecedents to the marriage of the Gandhi and Chicano struggles when he proclaimed “Entre los individuos, como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz.”
Fernando recalls last years seventy fifth anniversary of “The Salt March”, but he isn’t content to conmemorate such a milestone every 25 years. Instead he seeks to put in practice the spirit of Ghandi that has marched with Cesar Chavez, and to reclaim our Latino Legacy of men like Benito Juarez. This nation undoubtedly opposes this war but it will take action and sacrifice, and Fernando is twice willing. On March 12, the seventy-sixth anniversary of “The Salt March,” Fernando Suarez Del Solar Will begin a 241 mile march that will trace the life and passion of his son Jesús from Tijuana to Camp Pendleton. From here Fernando will continue where his son left off and walk in the footsteps of sections of the great Cesar Chavez-led march from Delano to Sacramento. The march will end on the anniversary of the death of Jesús, March 27 in San Francisco, where Fernando plans to lead a large scale blood drive for those in need in Iraq, by being the first to give his blood. In hopes of emphasizing the equal value of every human life, the blood will be equally divided to help Iraqi civilians and coalition forces.
I will not allow, 50 year old, Fernando to walk alone on March 12th, and I call on anyone who agrees that the violence in Iraq must end and that the will of this country must be upheld, to join us in demanding an end to the Bloodshed. Let’s not sit around anymore.
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http://humane-rights-agenda.blogspot.com/2006/03/march-for-peace-latino-voices-of.html
c/s
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