Press Release: Another Solid Victory for Pastors for Peace - Caravan Successfully Returns to US After Visiting Cuba

MEDIA ADVISORY
July 17, 2006 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Ellen Bernstein: 646/319-5902,
646/319-5904 in New York 212/926-5757

”If there is a law against loving our neighbor,
I want to break it.”

The 17th Pastors for Peace Friendshipment Caravan to Cuba crossed back into the United States via Hidalgo, Texas on Monday morning July 17, after delivering 60 tons of humanitarian aid to Cuba, followed by an informative and exciting eight-day educational visit to the island.

”The motto of our 17th caravan has been ‘Cuba is our neighbor: End the blockade now,’” said Rev. Lucius Walker, Jr., executive director of IFCO/Pastors for Peace. “We are called by our faith to resist any law which would keep us from fulfilling our biblical mandate to love our neighbor.”When the group arrived at the Hidalgo border at 7:15am, they were met by many familiar faces – some of the same Homeland Security agents who had interrogated and searched them in 2005 and in previous years. Apparently the caravan had not been expected so early at the border; agents were still making multiple copies of blank interrogation questionnaires when the caravanistas entered the immigration hall.

Members of the caravan remained highly disciplined and in excellent spirits as they faced interrogation and searches by more than 75 Homeland Security and Treasury officials. The caravanistas successfully resisted efforts to fingerprint them and isolate them for questioning. “We are not criminals. We are responding to an unjust law with a ministry of love and compassion,” said Rev. Thomas Smith, president of IFCO/Pastors for Peace. The caravanistas had solid legal support as they defended their Constitutional rights. The entire process took five hours, including attempts at interrogation and hand searches of their personal luggage.

International members of the caravan from Canada and Europe received the highest level of harassment. They were isolated and interrogated in a back room, and were threatened with denial of reentry into the US if they did not fully cooperate.A high-level official of the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which oversees enforcement of Cuba sanctions, observed the entire process with increasing frustration.

One aggressive Cuban-American plainclothes agent, who repeatedly refused to identify herself or the US agency for which she works, took photographs of caravanistas, asked harassing questions, and was finally reduced to spending 20 minutes rifling through the papers in Rev. Walker’s briefcase.

”Today’s ‘welcome home’ ceremony by our government is yet another desperate attempt by a failing empire to try to defend an indefensible policy,” said Rev. Walker. “It is shameful that they continue to cater to extremist interests in South Florida, in order just to win a few votes.”

”The US government recently released a new report which spells out Bush’s fantasy for annexation of Cuba – to install a puppet government which serves US interests, and to dismantle Cuba’s world-renowned health care and educational systems,” Rev. Walker said. “The report is based on lies and distortions. It claims to show concern for the very same Cuban people who have suffered so terribly for so many years precisely because of the US government’s relentless economic war against Cuba. Bush’s desperation only increases our resolve: we must not allow the Bush administration to destroy Cuba,” said Rev. Walker.

Last year, more than 100 participants in recent Pastors for Peace caravans received letters from OFAC threatening them with fines for traveling to Cuba. “We don’t know what will await us this time,” said IFCO board member Rev. Luis Barrios, “but we refuse to be intimidated from fulfilling our mission of humanitarian aid and fellowship.”

Pastors for Peace is a project of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO), a national ecumenical agency which has been working for social justice since 1967.

Caravan to Cuba -- third dispatch

Sorry to those following Route B's journey. Things got very busy, the closer we got to McAllen and then it was really busy. I am sending some more articles that were published in Monday Magazine, a weekly based in Victoria, B.C., Canada

 

 

 

                            Caravanistas visit free speech mecca

                            by Tanya Lester

 

 

                "There comes a time when the operation of the

                 machine becomes so odious, makes you so

                 sick at heart, that you can't take part, you

                 can't even passively take part; and you've

                 got to put your bodies upon the gears and

                 upon the wheels, upon all the apparatus, and

                 you've got to make it stop. And you've got to 

                 indicate to the people who run it, the people

                 who own it, that unless you're free, the

                 machine will be prevented from working at all."

                                                    -- Mario Savio

                                                      

    In California, the caravanistas on our route take a couple of hours

off to visit the Free Speech Movement Cafe at University of California--

Berkeley Campus.

    This shrine to 1960's and 1970's student radicalism in opposition to the Vietnam War is dedicated to student leader named Mario Savio.

    On the walls and tables of the  tucked-away campus cafe, photographs and historical documents tell the story of mid-September, 1964  when the University administration banned "political expression including information and registration tables, from the only place where these were still tolerated" on a sidewalk in front of the institution.

   At the beginning of October of the same fall, an activist defied the ban, set up a table and was arrested. Three thousand students surrounded the police car holding him. They engaged in a 30 hour public dialogue with the police.

   By early December, 1964, 1200 students occupied Spoul Hall on campus. The sit-in spawned  mass arrests. Ten thousand students went  on strike.

    On December 8, the Academic Senate voted 824 - 115 to support student demands.

    In the cafe, students, plugged into their laptops, seem much more concerned with finishing papers than protesting the latest war, against Iraq.  By the campus gate, a photographer takes shots of a young couple in wedding tuxedo and gown.

    But on the street running into the campus, it is still Beserkley (as caravanista Carol Cross, who live nearby, lovingly calls the city). Among the counter-culture paraphanalia is a t-shirt: Nixon - (picture of) brain = Bush.

                                                  --END--                                        

---

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Havana Church Visit

Loading Aid in Tampico

Loading Aid in Tampico

Crossing the Border into Mexico on our way to Cuba

Cuba is our Neighbor

Images from the Caravan

Caravan at the US-Mexico Border!

MEDIA ADVISORY

July 15, 2006 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
at the Mexico/Texas border: Ellen Bernstein: 646/319-5902, 646/319-5904
in New York: Lucia Bruno: 347/423-4330, 212/926-5757


PASTORS FOR PEACE CARAVAN RETURNS TO US,
AWAITS CONFRONTATION FROM US AUTHORITIES:
ARRESTS POSSIBLE


The 17th Pastors for Peace Friendshipment Caravan to Cuba will return to the United States, crossing the border from Reynosa, Mexico into Hidalgo, Texas on the morning of Monday, July 17, after an eight-day educational visit to Cuba.

"Our caravan travels to Cuba as a collective challenge to a brutal US policy. We are conscientious objectors to our government's immoral and illegal economic war against Cuba, which has caused so much suffering for the Cuban people," said Rev. Thomas Smith, president of IFCO/Pastors for Peace.

Upon recent returns to the U.S. border, the caravan has been confronted by Homeland Security officers who have harassed and attempted to interrogate caravan members, searching their personal luggage and confiscating items in violation of their First Amendment rights.

This year, the tension has escalated. A new report from the Presidential Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba was approved by President Bush earlier this week. The 93-page report criminalizes unlicensed travel to Cuba and threatens "criminal investigation, including possible prosecution."

Rev. Lucius Walker, Jr., executive director of IFCO/Pastors for Peace, said, "We have to be prepared for the possibility of arrests at the border when the caravan returns to the US. The Bush administration must be feeling a sense of desperation that it has not yet been able to destroy Cuba. The new report signals the possibility of extreme measures by the US government against Pastors for Peace because of its humanitarian mission in solidarity with the people of Cuba."

Pastors for Peace is a project of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO), a national ecumenical agency which has been working for social justice since 1967.

Prensa Latina: Defiant Pastors Crusade to Cuba

Defiant Pastors Crusade to Cuba

Havana, Jul 8 (Prensa Latina) The 17th Pastors for Peace Caravan is arriving in Cuba Saturday with its message of solidarity, in the face of the new measures the US government has taken to try to wipe out the Cuba Revolution and its people.

The caravan members are arriving in Havana after having traveled throughout North America condemning the anti-Cuba US blockade and gathering humanitarian aid for Island.

The organization, grouping friends of Cuba from the US, Canada, and other countries, opposes the US economic war against the Cuban people, which has caused over 82 billion dollars in losses.

Led by Rev. Lucius Walter, the Pastors for Peace Caravan is arriving in Cuba at a time when the White House has announced the second report of the so called Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba, with new aggressive acts and the ratification the Helms-Burton and Torricelli Laws, the blockade, and other interference on the Island.

The new US regulations ban sending humanitarian articles to Cuban churches and allow for creation an 80 million-dollar fund to support aggressive anti-Cuban sectors.

Challenging all Cuba travel restrictions, the caravan members will be welcomed by the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples.

They plan to meet with relatives of the five Cubans unfairly imprisoned in the US for fighting terrorism, tour the country´s west to get acquainted with the national reality, visit the Latin American School of Medicine and get information on special education for blind, autistic and mentally-disabled children, among other activities.

Cuban News Report (ACN)

Pastors for Peace in Cuba for First Hand Look

Havana, July 10 (ACN)

Members of the 17th Pastors for Peace “Friendshipment” Caravan arrived in Havana over the weekend to take a first hand look at Cuba and meet with the island’s people.

The “caravanistas,”—who come from the US, Canada, Mexico, Denmark, Sweden, the U.K., Scotland and Germany— visited 127 US and Canadian cities in their effort to collect humanitarian aid for the Cuban people.

After their arrival on the island, Pastors for Peace members toured local museums and the Central Information Technologies center on Sunday. They also attended a performance by Cuba’s National Ballet.

As part of their agenda here, they will meet with students at the Havana-based Latin American School of Medicine – a university which offers free medical courses to thousands of poor youths from Third World nations.

The guests will later meet Cuban ophthalmologists and with patients from various nations who are receiving free eye treatment on the island as part of the Operation Miracle free eye surgery program sponsored by Cuba and Venezuela.

The organized effort by friends of Cuba has been bringing humanitarian aid to the island since 1992 in open defiance of the more than 45-year economic, financial and commercial blockade of Cuba by the United States. This burden has caused the island loses calculated at more than 82 billion dollars.

UPDATE FROM HAVANA July 10

From Ellen Bernstein in Havana:

The day from Reynosa to Tampico was LONG; our folk worked beautifully with the longshoremen in Tampico, and the loading of the containers was finished at about 3:00am...

We were welcomed by many friends at the airport when we arrived here.

Sunday morning we visited seven different churches; Rev. Lucius Walker was at the William Carey Baptist church, Father Luis Barrios at the Episcopal Cathedral and Rev. Tom Smith at a Methodist church in Marianao -- all preached beautifully about "faith in action"; others in our group visited Ebenezer Baptist Church, and a Catholic and Pentecostal church.

Our people have been weary after a long journey, but inspired and excited by what we've seen here; there's been lots of time to meet and dialogue with young folk here. More soon.

The Power of Love

At the Border

Unprecedented Victory for Pastors for Peace!

MEDIA ADVISORY
JULY 6, 2006 -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS: Ellen Bernstein: 646/319-5902, 646/319-5904 (in Texas) Lucia Bruno: 212/926-5757, 347/423-4330 (in New York)

ANOTHER UNPRECEDENTED VICTORY FOR PASTORS FOR PEACE!

AID CARAVAN CROSSES US BORDER WITHOUT INCIDENT

PASTORS FOR PEACE CALLS FOR TRANSITION GOVERNMENT IN US

We are writing this press release from the Customs dock in Reynosa,Mexico, having successfully passed across the US border this morningwithout incident.Our caravan of nine brightly painted vehicles arrived at theinternational border at 6:15am escorted by local police, and continuedon into Mexico. One of the toll collectors flashed a "V" sign - for victory and for peace - at the passing caravanistas as we passed through the tollbooth and headed across the Pharr International Bridge, carrying more than 100 tons of humanitarian aid for Cuba.

The aid was collected in 127 communities around the US and Canada. We were briefed by local police on the day prior to our crossing. We understand that there were high level meetings involving US attorneys,Customs officials and local police to determine how they would handlethe challenge from Pastors for Peace this year.

Their refusal to meetour challenge is especially significant in light of last year's action,in which US Customs, under orders from the US Commerce Department,selectively inspected and confiscated items of humanitarian aidincluding computers destined for disabled Cuban children.

Rev. Lucius Walker, executive director of IFCO/Pastors for Peace, said,"The US is calling for regime change in Cuba; but we are here todaycalling for regime change in the US. It's time that our governmentturned toward peace, toward reconciliation, toward respect for thesovereignty of Cuba and of all our neighbors. We are here today to show it can be done."

Pastors for Peace is a project of the Interreligious Foundation forCommunity Organization (IFCO), a national ecumenical agency which hasbeen working for social justice since 1967.Downloadable photos and more information are available at www.pastorsforpeace.org.

Una Nueva Victoria Para Los Pastores por la Paz!

NOTA DE PRENSA 6 DE JULIO DEL 2006 - NOTA IMEDIATA

CONTACTOS: Ellen Bernstein: (646)319-5902, 646-319-5904 (en Texas) Lucia Bruno: 212/926-5757, 347/423-4330(en Nueva York)

UNA NUEVA VICTORIA PARA IFCO/ LOS PASTORES POR LA PAZ!

CARAVANA DE AYUDA CRUZA LA FRONTERA DE LOS EEUU SIN INCIDENTE

PASTORES POR LA PAZ RECLAMA UN GOBIERNO DE TRANSICION EN LOS EEUU

Estamos escribiendo esta nota de prensa desde las Aduanas en Reynosa, Mexico, despues de haber cruzado la frontera de los EEUU esta mañana sin incidentes. Nuestra caravana de nueve vehiculos pintados de colores brillantes llego a la frontera internacional a las 6:15 am con escolta de la policia local y entro a Mexico. Uno de los empleados del peaje nos dio el simbolo “V” de la victoria y de la paz al ver pasar los caravanistas.

Cruzamos el Puente Internacional Pharr llevando mas de 100 toneladas de ayuda humanitaria para Cuba. La ayuda fue recigida en 127 comunidades a traves de los EEUU y Canada. El dia anterior, al hablar con la policia local, entendimos que se habian llevado a cabo reuniones de alto nivel entre fiscales de los EEUU, oficiales de Aduana y la policia local para determiner como enfrentar el desafio de los Pastores por la Paz. El que ellos no se atrevieron a enfrentar nuestro desafio tiene un significado particular este ano. El ano pasado, bajo ordenes del Departamento de Comercio de los EEUU, la Aduana EEUU confisco ayuda humanitaria que incluia computadoras destinadas para niños y ñinas discapacitados en Cuba.

El Reverendo Lucius Walker, director ejecutivo de IFCO/Pastores Por la Paz, se declaro, “Los EEUU reclama un cambio de regimen en Cuba, pero hoy estamos aqui para reclamar un cambio de regimen en los EEUU. Ha llegado la hora que nuestra gobierno se encamine hacia la paz, hacia la reconcilacion y hacia el respeto por la soberania de Cuba y de todos nuestros vecinos. Estamos aqui hoy en dia para demostrar que es possible.”

Los Pastores por la Paz es un proyecto de la Fundacion Interreligiosa para la Organizacion Comunitaria (IFCO), una agencia ecumenica nacional que ha trabajado a favor de la justicia social desde el 1967.Se pueden bajar fotos y mas informacion por internet en www.pastorsforpeace.org.

In McAllen

On the Road

On the Road

on the road

Austin TX News8 TV

NEWS8 Austin, Texas

http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/?SecID=278&ArID=165732

Bikes Across Borders sends supplies to Cuba
7/2/2006 5:26 PM
By: News 8 Austin Staff

A school bus painted green and running on biodiesel rolled into town on Saturday night packed with supplies headed to Cuba.

It's part of the 17th annual Caravan to Cuba, a relief effort by Pastors for Peace. The bus is one of several taking different routes through America. They will meet up in McAllen, Texas, and cross the border into Mexico.

From there the donated medical supplies and sports equipment are flown to Cuba. The United States has embargoed Cuban goods since 1962. It officially became law during the Clinton administration.

Since 2003, the United Nations has overwhelmingly voted to end the embargo twice, but the United States has resisted both times.

Organizers say this trip is more than just a relief effort.

"We go as an act of protest against the blockade. We don't agree with our country's foreign policy on Cuba that deprives the Cuban people of food and medicine and also says that we can't legally travel to Cuba. We don't agree with that law. We don't believe our government should be able to tell us where we can and can't travel," Briana Harris of Pastors for Peace said.

The stop in Austin netted 21 bicycles from Bikes Across Borders. The bus also carries ultrasound machines, wheelchairs, crutches, prosthetic limbs, school supplies and Little League equipment.

KFAI radio interview

NOTE: the first 5 and a half minutes of this link is music.
so please fast forward to hear Antonio Rosell, Rev. Tom Smith and other activists.

A live interview from McAllen Texas on KFAI's (Minneapolis) "Conversations with Al McFarlane":
http://helix.kfai.org/ramgen/replay/converse-1.rm

Further Advemtures of Route D

June 28th Route D had the most enviable place to stop on the friendshipment, Las Vegas, New Mexico. Sited on a plateau 6,400 feet above sea level, Las Vegas is above the oppressive heat and remains lush and green despite the draught.
But the reason to go is the people. Many families have been in the town for 5 generations to forever. Community spirit defines Las Vegas as much as the unique family owned businesses and the colorful history of the Sante Fe Trail. They have extended their community spirit to their sister city, Banes, and to recruiting students for the Latin America School of Medicine.
Our host, Miguel Angel, a retired professor of ethnic studies who lives in the adobe house his grandfather built, is exactly the man to introduce you to Las Vegas and to the hospitality that makes you sorry to leave. Our event with the sister city project was as much about entertaining us as hearing us. After the event, our hosts drove us to the hot springs just east of town.
With another wonderful meal under our belts we left early next morning to make our press conference in Amarillo, Texas, then on to converge with other routes.

Caravanista Faces - July 3rd - San Juan