News from UMAVIDA

by Bob Dunsmore

Joining Hands in Bolivia has just elected a new Board of Directors, inaugurated a downtown La Paz office, connected computers to high speed internet, and is now accepting resumes for staffing its office, a first in five years of mission.

Facilitator Bob Dunsmore will be visiting the Presbytery of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington states as it considers joining in partnership with the Joining Hands network of Bolivia. From March 3rd until the 11th he will be visiting churches, speaking and conducting workshops at the Presbytery meeting.

Newark Presbytery will be hosting the Honorary President of Joining Hands of Bolivia, the Reverend Luis Perez, a member of the International Coordinating Committee of Joining Hands. He will be in Newark for three months promoting Joining Hands and learning English and then will travel to San Francisco Presbytery to continue his studies and promotional work for three more months.

Both Presbyteries are actively working for a more just and life-sustaining world by responding to the Bolivian network's requests that the Church advocate for responsible mining, stopping global warming, non-intervention in Bolivia's democratic "Evo-lution," extradiction of fugitive ex-President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada now in exile in the US, and fair trade.

The Joining Hands network in Bolivia has become more and more active in national efforts to educate and involve citizens in the refounding of the country through participation in the debates and resolutions of the Constitutional Assembly. The Joining Hands for Life (UMAVIDA) network is one of the leading institutions nationally to promote ecumenism and inter-religious understanding. It is taking the primary role in educating the country of the disastrous consequences to the glaciers, sources of water, aquifers, forests and agriculture as a result of the global warming caused by the "developed" world. In Oruro and Potosi, UMAVIDA is directly involved in supporting responsible mining practices so far rejected by Newmont Mining Corporation in which the Presbyterian Church (USA) has over 50,000 shares. In direct contradiction to Bolivian law, Newmont is refusing to carry out comprehensive environmental audits of its mines and surrounding communities.

JH activities in the Presbytery

by Joan Huff

Anore Shaw convened the January meeting of Joining Hands – San Francisco in her new role as coordinator. JH-SF is exploring two possible trips to Bolivia in 2007, as well as possible sponsorship of a trip for one youth from Bolivia to attend the PC (USA) Youth Triennium this summer. February 1 six of us visited two staff members in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office in San Francisco. We presented our concerns about the extradition of former Bolivian President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada and about obtaining visas for visitors from Bolivia, as well as general concerns about trade agreements and the deployment of the US military in Latin America. Dan Bernal and Harriet M.K. Ishimoto spent over 30 minutes with us, took notes and were quite cordial. We were able to schedule this time because the Rev. Norman Fong, a long time friend of Ms. Ishimoto, is chair of the SF Presbytery Justice, Advocacy and Caring Committee and also went to Bolivia in 2005. His deep concerns for justice in Chinatown were broadened significantly by that trip. Another of our number was a former senator from Bolivia, now a US citizen, Enrique Bachinelo, who spoke most eloquently about the plight of his country of origin. Currently, JH-SF has agreed to gather signatures on letters to various congressional representatives in the Bay Area to encourage the extradition of former President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada to Bolivia to face appropriate justice there.

Read the full report on this visit by Enrique Bachinelo :

Original version in Spanish >>>

English translation >>>

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