Traduccion Philly Mexico Solidarity; [CALL FOR SUPPORT]

 

FORUM FOR RESISTANCE AND FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE LAND IN GRANJAS LOMAS DEL POLEO

To the civil society organizations of Mexico and of the world
To the free citizens of Mexico and of the world
To the national and international free press

Granjas Lomas del Poleo is a colonia in northwest Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua Mexico that was settled in the National Lands in order to establish economic support projects for the families of the community through animal rearing.

This settlement dates back more than thirty years. After having little wooden houses, raising chickens, rabbits, goats, pigs, working in the maquiladoras and in construction, opening the streets and bringing electricity to the colonia, bring water through the pipes and managing transportation; then came an economic project with significant scope, named San Jeronimo, and the lands acquiered a high purchasing value. Five years ago, this phenomenon generated a climate of constant insecurity, harsh and
aggressive actions such as the removal of electric light, the destruction of more than 40 houses, the murder of one of the colonia's residents, and the house fire that resulted in the death of two infants. These enumerate only some of the acts of aggression that they have committed against the residents of Granjas de Lomas del Poleo in which Jorge and Pedro Zaragoza
have been involved.

Currently the colonia finds itself surrounded and surveilled by white guards 24 hours a day who permit and prohibit access into and out of the colonia as they see fit. The last act of aggression against the colonia is the negotiation being carried out by city educational officials, other city officials, and the two aforementioned individuals, to relocate the elementary school.

The residents of Granjas Lomas del Poleo are carrying out a process in the Agrarian Board along with multiple other denuncations and grievances about the violation of their human rights, including physical attacks, and they haven't even been guaranteed their fundamental rights.


In view of this situation, the organizations who have signed below, along with the residents of Lomas del Poleo:

CALL FOR A COALITION OF INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS TO BUILD AN URGENT ACTION PLAN FROM BELOW AND WITH AND ACCORDING TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE COLONIA THROUGH

THE FORUM FOR RESISTANCE AND THE DEFENSE OF THE LAND OF LOMAS DEL POLEO"ROMPAMOS EL CERCO" ["WE BREAK THE SEIGE"]

THAT WILL TAKE PLACE ON OCTOBER 19 & 20, 2007 ON THE LAND OF THE COLONIA GRANJAS DE LOMAS DEL POLEO


Goals:
To widely publicize on the national and international level the human rights violations that are being committed against the residents of Lomas del Poleo.

Support the resistance, the defense of the land, and the public denunciation of the violatation of human rights in the colonia.

Generate and define committments to solidarity actions of monitoring and observing the situation.

SCHEDULE:

Friday October 19 2007 5:30pm

Introduction to the forum through the presentation of the documentary"Granjas Lomas del Poleo" that will take place in the facilities at the Alta Vista highschool

Saturday October 20 2007

Presentation of testimonies and a brief summary of what has been taking place in the colonia

Analysis, definition of actions and commitments through working groups based on the following themes:

Granjas Lomas del Poleo-Globalization-Neoliberalism-Eviction
Granjas Lomas del Poleo-Human Rights-Justice
Granjas Lomas del Poleo-Women
Granjas Lomas del Poleo-Education-Cultural Resistance-Childhood

Plenary

Final Statement
Closing Remarks

SIGNERS:

Residents of Granjas Lomas del Poleo
Centro de Derechos Humanos Paso del Norte A.C.
La Otra Campaña
ALDEA
Alianza Internacional Ecologista del Bravo
Liga De Unidad Socialista
Comunidad en Desarrollo 'Las ormigas' A. C
Centro Mujeres Tonantzin A. C.
Organización Popular Independiente A. C.
Mexico Solidarity Network
Mesa de Mujeres de Juárez
Colectivo Avante
Colectivo José Revueltas

All those companer@s and organizations interested in participating in this forum can RSVP at the following e-mail address:
foro.lomasdelpoleo@yahoo.com.mx The participation "gafetes" will be handed out in the Alta Vista highschool, Friday October 19.

BASICS FOR PARTICIPATING IN FORUM

To all companer@s:

The Coordinating Committee for the Lomas del Poleo Rompamos el Cerco Forum, that will be celebrated on October 29th and 20th on the lands of the colonia, would like to inform that because of the aggression and harrassment carried out by the Zaragoza-paid white guards against the residents of Lomas, it is required that all forum participants are present on Friday October 19 at 5:30pm in the Alta Vista highschool so that after the presentation we can move that same day to the colonia Lomas del Poleo so everyone can help raise the tents under which the forum will be held. This measure is due to the fact that if the residents raise the tents a day before they run the risk of having the white guards take them down.

We ask everyone to bring a camping tent because we want everyone to get a good night's rest on Friday so we're ready at 9am on Saturday morning to formally begin the work of the forum.

We will move from the Alta Vista highschool to Lomas del Poleo in a truck that the Coordinating Commision has pre-arranged.

Food will be provided to all participants. However, please bring water, blankets, toilet paper, and your camping tent(s).

If you have any questions, please contact us at foro.lomasdelpoleo@yahoo.com.mx

Security Committee
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