IF LATIN AMERICA VIRTUAL APPETIZERS

UPCOMING EVENT!
IF LATIN AMERICA VIRTUAL APPETIZERS!
THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 7PM

Dear friends,
We hope you are staying well in these most challenging times.
Due to the pandemic, we can’t do our annual Latin America dinner this year. But the need to support the work of Pietro Ameglio* and his co-workers in Mexico is as great as ever. The impact of the pandemic is stretching the finances of many. This may not be a good time for you to donate. But if you are able, it will be greatly appreciated. And in any case, we invite you to join us online for a first-ever IF Latin America Appetizers. Not nearly as scrumptious as our famous, multi-course Latin America dinners, and you’ll have to make the appetizers yourselves. :) But we will supply some recipes and offer a very special opportunity to hear from and converse with Pietro, live from Mexico via Zoom.
One thing he would like to share with us and reflect on together is a social media campaign they are doing in Mexico on the theme “Viralize Solidarity”.** They are collecting and sharing actions of solidarity that are emerging in the context of the pandemic and that are addressing human needs and at the same time nurturing relationships and a sense of hope for a better future.
He will also talk about the extent of the pandemic in Mexico, how the Lopez Obrador administration is managing it, and its political repercussions, as well as other initiatives that he and Serpaj Morelos and the youth-led Peace and Nonviolence Collective are involved in. There will also be ample time for your comments and questions.
When you sign up for the call, we will send you login information. (If you are unfamiliar with Zoom, let us know and we will help you get set up beforehand.) We will also send you a couple of Pietro’s favorite appetizer recipes in case you would like to try them. There is no charge to register for the call.
See the attached flyer for details on sending contributions to support this vital work in Mexico. Let us know if you have any questions.
Many thanks,
Phil McManus
IF Board member
* Pietro Ameglio, winner of the 2014 El-Hibri Peace Education Prize, has worked for decades promoting social change through active nonviolence. An activist, popular educator, university lecturer, and author, Pietro is a co-founder of the Mexican branch of Servicio Paz y Justicia (Peace and Justice Service/SERPAJ) which was the winner of the 2008 Pfeffer International Peace Award. He is also co-founder of the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity (MPJD) that emerged in 2011 to challenge drug-war violence, increasing militarization, and official corruption in Mexico. He has helped organize and lead numerous nonviolent direct action campaigns, his nonviolence education programs are in constant demand across Mexico and abroad, and he has nurtured a new generation of nonviolent activists who are now undertaking their own initiatives.** I’m not sure if “viralize” is a word in English (or Spanish). My spell check does not like it. But it did come up in one dictionary when I searched online. We may have to get used to it.


“Viralize Solidarity”
We can’t do the IF Latin America Dinner this year, so please join us online for IF Latin America Appetizers
Thursday, June 4, 7PMA live conversation with leading Mexican nonviolence educator and activist Pietro Ameglio. Bring your own Mexican appetizers (recipes provided) and your questions/comments for Pietro. Relatives of the disappeared during the IV National Search Brigade On the Zoom call, Pietro will give an update on Mexicoin the time of corona virus and on their work, including their “ViralizeSolidarity” social media campaign. And he looks forward to your questions and comments.Whether or not you can join us for the free online conference, please donate generously to support the visionary nonviolent social change work in Mexico of Pietro Ameglio and his co-workers, including the youth-led Peace and Nonviolence Collective.
Checks may be made payable to IF and sent to:
160 Sunflower Lane, Watsonville,CA  95076
To donate online:  www.integrities.orgPlease indicate donations are for"Mexico Nonviolence" To register for Latin America Appetizers, please send an email to: [email protected]. We will send you send you login information along with a couple of Pietro’s favorite Mexican appetizer recipes.  For more about Pietro’s work:www.integrities.org/nonviolence-in-mexico.html