A coalition of community groups including the Mir Centre for Peace, Amnesty International’s Nelson chapter, the West Kootenay Global Awareness Network and Nelson United Church are working together to host a solidarity fundraiser on Saturday at the Nelson United Church.
The fundraiser is for the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras that face extreme suffering and repression in their peaceful resistance to mega-development projects by transnational corporations that are destroying their ancestral lands and ways of life.
Recently, one of their leaders, Berta Cáceras, was assassinated in her home as a result of her opposition to these projects. Cáceras also won the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize, an award for grassroots activism.
This coalition, which shares the fundamental goals of upholding the principles of human rights, social justice, environmental sustainability and peace, is inviting the community to celebrate our capacity as a town to help make the world a better place and stand in solidarity with Honduras.
However, the coalition also upholds the concrete goal of raising funds for the Civic Council to enable them to continue their very important work for peace and justice in an extremely unjust and volatile environment.
With a theme of “Nelson Loves Honduras,” organizers will serve the Glory Bowl from Shelley Adams’ Whitewater cookbook, host a silent auction made up of donations from local artists, showcase local musical talent, and provide a presentation of the current situation in Honduras by Selkirk College instructor Pablo Pastor.
All proceeds go to the Civic Council.
This special evening of solidarity and celebration of human capacity takes place at the Nelson United Church, 602 Silica St. Doors open tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. and dinner is at 6 p.m.