UER Activities in Latin America
Bogotá, Colombia — March 22-24, 2002
Hugo Rocha (Mexico City, Mexico) led a March weekend workshop in Bogotá, Colombia. He was assisted by Yolanda Provoste-Fuentes, with support from the leaders of the Colombian group: Maráa and Beatriz. The workshop brought together Afro-Colombian UER contacts with people who had been recently introduced to RC by Hugo. Participants were from different social classes and backgrounds and included a strong group of ex-guerilla fighters. Much work was done on racism, closeness, and community-building.
Esmeraldas, Ecuador — May 31 to June 2, 2002
Maráa Franco led a weekend introductory workshop in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, assisted by Hugo Rocha. José Luis Guevara, a Durban contact, organized the workshop. The workshop was attended by a group of Afro-Ecuadoreans (adults from Esmeraldas and young adults from Guayaquil), as well as Indigenous people from the Amazona (a border area with Peru). There were thirty people in all. The majority were involved with environmental racism organizations.
Lima, Peru — July 15-20, 2002
A week-long fundamentals class was held in Lima, Peru, followed by a day-long workshop. The fundamentals class met from 5:30 to 9:30 each evening. María Franco and Yolanda Provoste-Fuentes led, assisted by Hugo Rocha and Rita Jimenez (Arlington, Virginia, USA). Most of the more than thirty participants were from the Association of Black Peruvians and Human Rights (ASONETH) and from Rosa Blanca, an organization that works with people and families with AIDS. An Afro-Chilean who lives on the Peruvian border and a leader and Quechua speaker from Bolivia also attended. A ten-year-old girl attended three of the classes. The emphasis was on basic theory and how to build an RC Community that works well and grows.
The Bolivian man continues to Co-Counsel regularly, and we're organizing to have a workshop in Bolivia later in 2003.
Santiago, Chile — July 20-21, 2002
Immediately following the workshop in Lima, Peru, Yolanda Provoste-Fuentes and Hugo Rocha flew to Santiago, Chile, for an introductory workshop with a group of Mapuches (Chilean Indigenous people). María Franco and Rita Jimenez joined them after closing the Lima workshop. Yolanda led the Santiago workshop, and the others assisted her. Participants arrived little by little during the morning, and many parents brought their children.
Bogotá, Colombia — August 17-19, 2002
An August women's workshop in Bogotá, Colombia, was a follow-up to the March workshop there. Laura Aguilar (Mexico City, Mexico) led the women's workshop, and Lorena Cuellar Barandiaran (San Salvador, El Salvador) assisted. Fourteen women attended.
Several groups of people continue to Co-Counsel in Bogotá and Bucaramanga.
Esmeraldas, Ecuador — February 2003
Ayana and Micaela Morse led this workshop for young people and young adults (with some adults unexpectedly attending) (ages 7-50) in Esmeraldas as a follow up to the workshop in 2002. The organizers had requested a workshop for young people, and the focus of the workshop was on young people's oppression, racism, and the fundamentals of RC. The thirty people attending were primarily Ecuadorians of African heritage and the rest were Ecuadorians of indigenous and mestizo heritage. Only 5 people had been to the previous workshop, but all are eager for more RC.
Lima, Peru — April 11-13, 2003
Yolanda Provoste-Fuentes, Rita Jimenez, and Hugo Rocha did a follow-up workshop in Lima, Peru with the group of Afro-Latinos that attended the original UER workshop. UER's return for a second workshop led to the deepening of relationships and trust in RC, and people were able to discharge and use the process better and better throughout the weekend. Several people are beginning to learn RC well.
Bolivia — June 14-15, 2003
Yolanda Provoste-Fuentes and Ayana Morse led an introductory workshop in Bolivia for a group of young men who had heard of our work through a participant in the Lima, Peru workshop.
Santiago, Chile — August 9-10, 2003
Yolanda Provoste-Fuentes led a second workshop for the group of Mapuche Indians, who had initially learned about UER in Durban and in a follow-up workshop during the summer of 2002.
Bucaramanga, Colombia — November 2003
María Franco and Hugo Rocha, led a UER workshop for activists, many of whom were Afro-Colombian, the rest mestizos.
Esmeraldas, Ecuador — November 2003
María Franco and Rachel Noble (Portland, Oregon, USA) led a weekend UER workshop to follow-up from the one in February. Young adults from the last workshop in Esmeraldas invited more people their age, so there were even more young adults than before.
Esmeraldas, Ecuador — July 2004
María Franco and Maritza Mosquera (Pittsburg, PA, USA) led a weekend workshop to follow up the previous UER workshops. A group of young adults had continued to meet as a support group and used the workshop very well. En route, María met with a small group about UER and RC in Quito.
Lima, Peru — July 29-31, 2004
Yolanda Provoste-Fuentes and Maria Limon (Austin, TX, USA) led a weekend workshop for twenty-six people, five of whom had attended the previous UER workshops in Lima, nine of whom were Afro-Peruvians. Also attending was Amy Tai, an RC teacher from the US living in Cusco, and her husband and friend to whom she had taught RC.
After this series of workshops, we decided to consider future workshops with these groups in South America as RC rather than UER workshops, and will invite key leaders from each fledgling Community to the Pre-World Conference in Mexico in April 2005.