US SOCIAL FORUM 2010 DETROIT, MI

By Edward Mercado
Detroit - June 22 - 26 2010

Near the border with Canada and in a City devastated by the destructive forces of Capitalism and outsourcing over ten thousand progressive activist gather in the Motor City of Detroit. Once an iconic city for the Automobile industry now has lost almost one third of the population due to the economic crisis the capitalist system is facing.

Leftist organizations and individuals gather from all over the US and some from other countries to participate and exchange in hundreds of workshops.

There were dozens of panels on Latin American issues which included ALBA, Venezuela, Colombia, Haiti among others, climate change, militarization, socialism, anti war, and pro Palestine talks. The forum was well organized and attended.

Near the end of the forum the film South of the Border by Oliver Stone was presented, the location of the showing was over capacity. (a must see!)

INTERCULTURAL MEDICINE

By Edward Mercado

Boston - April 26 2010

Very representative of the Venezuelan Bicentennial in less than a month an Afro Venezuelan consul general and  now a Dr. Noly Fernandez a Wayuu woman and Director of the Inter cultural Health program in Venezuela visited  Boston, and Vermont for a series of lectures about the achievements and lessons learned in the Inter Cultural Medicine Program in effect in Venezuela in the 4 regions were most of the 40 Native Indian tribes (people) are inhabitants.

Dr. Fernandez spoke of the political right earned on the new Bolivarian Constitution which recognizes their rights as people, culture and over their territory.

Her lectures captivated the audiences in Hospitals, Schools of medicine, Universities and even local activist.

AFRO VENEZUELA IN THE BICENTENNIAL

By Edward Mercado
Boston, April 3 2010

 Venezuelan Consul in  New Orleans Jorge Guerrero,  long time activist and member of the Afro Venezuelan network of organizations visited the city of Boston for a series of lectures in various prestigious universities of the area, the talks were circled by the Venezuelan Bicentennial, Afro Venezuelan issues, social struggles, and consequences of colonialism and capitalism, given with great context of Latin American History and present.

The talks were organized by the Consulate of Venezuela in Boston in collaboration with the National Lawyers Guild Massachusetts chapter. The lectures concluded with a public presentation and open panel with Bill Fletcher, Jorge Guerrero and Venezuelan Consul General in Boston Omar Sierra.

The visit to Boston was follow by a series of talks in the City of Chicago organized by the respective diplomatic body in the windy city. The Illinois lectures were highlighted by a presentation about the African Diaspora in South Side Chicago attended by Rev. Jeremiah Wright.