Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization

Caravan 2006

Caravan 2005: visit their blog (scroll down once you get to this link). Has up to date info on how the US government is stopping computers for medicine as well as medications and supplies from crossing the border to Mexico to reach Cuba. They have the numbers to call of the officials directing the harrassment.

Visit IFCO site for background on this year's Caravan, undertaken at one of the lowest points in US - Cuba relations.

Delegation on Afro-Cuban religion, 4/00

Contacting IFCO

luciuswalker.jpg (6302 bytes)
Rev. Lucius Walker

IFCO
Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization

The folks who have brought you the Caravans along with the Pastors for Peace. Headed by the Rev Lucius Walker.

"In January, 1996, Rev. Walker was arrested by the U.S. authorities because he dared to take computers to hospitals in Cuba. When the computers were seized, Rev. Walker and four others engaged in a "Fast for Life" until the computers were released. The fast lasted 94 days and resulted in the release of of the computers. The computers were delivered to Cuba on September 13, 1996."
-- from http://www.ifconews.org

Update from Caravan 2005 blog (scroll down the page):

Update from Rev. Walker 3:20 PM EDT, 7/21/05

The Commerce Dept. has seized a number of computers and other electronic items such as calculators from one of the Pastors for Peace busses.

They have also rummaged through all of the other boxes, disrupting all of the manifesting that has taken place for the aid. We are not certain if this will disallow the aid to pass through Mexican customs because of their tampering.

This one bus has entered the gateway to Mexico at Reynosa. We are waiting to see how the Mexican customs will react to the disruptions caused by US officials. We are evaluating how we will proceed. We are determined to get all of our humanitarian aid to Cuba. Stay tuned...

(note: all aid going into Mexico must be carefully manifested in minute detail. This is what the caravan has been doing during the orientation in McAllen.)

Caravan 2006

Support the Caravan to Cuba End the Blockade, 2/06

The US blockade of Cuba causes shortages of food, medicine and other important supplies for eleven million people. The blockade is an immoral policy that uses hunger and disease as political weapons In November 2005 the countries in the United Nations General Assembly once again voted overwhelmingly (182-4) to call for the end of the blockade. A month later Condoleza Rice responded by stating that the Bush administration intends to intensify the blockade still further and is working on a package of new measure to be announced in May 2006. US policy towards Cuba is totally isolated internationally, increasingly discredited domestically and subject to many challenges from within Congress.

IFCO/Pastors for Peace intends to respond to whatever new measures Bush devises with our 17th US-Cuba Friendshipment Caravan. In late June we will be visiting more than 120 US and Canadian cities to talk in meetings and to the media about the impact of the US blockade on the health and welfare of the Cuban people. We will be collecting medical and educational aid to take to Cuba in defiance of an immoral policy that says we can't assist our Cuban brothers and sisters. And in early July we will travel to Cuba, without a US government license, as ambassadors for a people-to-people foreign policy.

In Cuba we will learn about its economic problems and shortages, but also about its many social achievements and the ways it is providing medical training and skilled assistance to people from many other Latin American, Caribbean and African countries - the very things that George W does not want the US people to see or hear about. In Cuba with us will be another travel challenge undertaken by the Venceremos Brigade. On July 17th, by different routes, we will both return proudly and openly to US soil.

That's the intentions - but it needs our supporters, our network, to make it happen. It needs people like you

To come on the caravan as a caravanista either within the US and/or to Cuba we want people to come to Cuba with us, but if thats not possible we also want supporters to be there with us at the border crossing.

To spread the word to your friends, neighbors, colleagues or congregation we can provide flyers to circulate.

To host a caravan event in your community and to get the media involved if you are interested in this we can put you in contact with other interested people in your community

Contact
p4p@igc.org for application forms and/or information on being a caravanista

cucaravan@igc.org if you want to get involved in hosting or contributing material aid

Our website at www.pastorsforpeace.org has information and flyers that you can download.

The full program is

June 17-July 1: Caravan routes with educational presentations and aid collections throughout the US and Canada

July 2-7: Participant orientation in Texas. Border crossing into Mexico. Travel to Tampico and load material aid onto cargo ship

July 8-15: Fly to Havana for Caravan educational program in Cuba.

July 16: Return to Tampico, Mexico and travel to Mexico/US border

July 17: Reverse challenge; cross the Mexican border into the US, delivering aid from the Cuban people to the people of the US

$$$$$$$$$$ Of course cash is always needed to finance this ambitious project

To make a financial donation - checks or money orders should be made out to IFCO and mailed to our New York office, or you can phone the office (212-926-5757) to make a credit card donation.

IFCO has 501(c)3 status so donations are tax-deductible and a receipt can be mailed to you for use in preparing your income tax.

Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization
418 W. 145th St., New York, NY 10031
Ph: 212-926-5757 Fax: 212-926-5842

Contacting IFCO

Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization
IFCO/Pastors for Peace
402 W 145th St., NYC, NY 10031
212-926-5757; fax: 212-926-5842
web: http://www.ifconews.org

IFCO
Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization

Update from Rev. Walker 3:20 PM EDT, 7/21/05

Caravan 2006

Contacting IFCO

Contacting AfroCubaWeb

Copyright © 1997 AfroCubaWeb, sa
Last modified: February 24, 2007

	AfroCubaWeb

IFCO Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization

Update from Rev. Walker 3:20 PM EDT, 7/21/05

Caravan 2006

Contacting IFCO

Contacting AfroCubaWeb

Copyright © 1997 AfroCubaWeb, sa Last modified: February 24, 2007

IFCO
Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization

Copyright © 1997 AfroCubaWeb, sa
Last modified: February 24, 2007