Firsthand observations of human rights in Nicaragua, review submitted by Friends of Latin America: Friends of Latin America (FoLA), guided by Scott Hagaman, has just submitted a review to the UN, in follow-up to Nicaragua’s report on its own efforts to strengthen and protect human rights in the country. A number of Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition participants joined FoLA and contributed firsthand in-country testimonies to this review, covering many areas like these examples: victory for peace after failed coup d’etat, right to health and social security, right to education, women’s rights, and right to vote and to run for election. Please take a few minutes to read this positive review of human rights in Nicaragua.
Action Alert, Reminder and Update: Sign a Letter Protesting a 2024 Report to the UN on Human Rights Experts in Nicaragua Español: bit.ly/NicaONU2024
Please sign a letter from Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), protesting a recent UN report by the mis-named Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (GHREN). Collection of signatures is continuing until the deadline Wednesday, April 17, in an effort to show massive resistance to the UN report. An earlier letter was sent on March 31 by Alfred de Zayas and other human rights experts, as well as other original signers. But we are now continuing that effort, adding many names.
Date change for the next Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition meeting: The next monthly meeting has been moved to April 15, one week later than the usual second Tuesday of the month. Email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com for more information.
Article: Germany next up to face Gaza genocide charges in The Hague. This is an interesting and detailed article on the case at the Hague which will be heard on April 8. “On April 8 and 9, the International Court of Justice will once again hold hearings on the Israeli genocide in Gaza. This time the judges in The Hague will be listening to arguments in the case brought by Nicaragua against Germany. The Central American nation accuses Berlin of violating its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention and other ‘intransgressible principles of international humanitarian law,’ including the Fourth Geneva Convention….”
Johnny Hodgson to speak at the next Nicaragua Webinar on April 21. Register: bit.ly/NicaApril21 . The April 21 webinar will focus on the recent elections in the Caribbean Coast Autonomous Regions on Nicaragua. Our speaker, Johnny Hodgson, is the ideal person to address this topic, given his life history which is summarized below.
He was born in Bluefields, and in 1984, after university and postgraduate study, he became “provisional mayor” of Bluefields and then was chosen as Coordinator of the Regional Autonomy Commission by the FSLN volunteers of that movement. He coordinated this mission until they achieved the approval of the Autonomy Statute in the National Assembly in 1987.
During Hurricane Joan of 1988 he was in charge of 3190 people in shelters. Although he had to move all the people in the middle of the hurricane, not a single person died. In 1990 he was elected for four years as member of the First Autonomous Regional Council. When universities were founded on the Caribbean Coast, he taught history, natural resources and autonomy of the Caribbean to teach the students where they come from, what they have and what they can do.
In 1996, he was chosen to preside over the Supreme Electoral Council in his region where he directed the process for the election of the President of the Republic, national assembly deputies, deputies to PARLACEN, mayors and municipal councilors. Then he worked for ActionAid until 2006.
In 2008 he was appointed Political Secretary of the FSLN in the Southern Autonomous Region and Delegate to the Presidency, a position he still holds today. He is recognized as one of the Fathers of Autonomy of the Caribbean Coast, for having led the movement for the restitution of the rights of indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants.
New material available from March 24 webinar, “Brave Women, Strong Women: Power & Protagonism in Nicaragua.” Last week’s newsletter shared the video recording from the March webinar, and links to slideshows presented by two speakers, Virginia Pratt and Krista Chan. Now, Becca Renk’s slideshow and a video segment featuring Adrienne Ayers are also available.
New one-page coalition leaflet about Nicaragua’s accomplishments: This leaflet is informative and useful for tabling at meetings and conferences. It provides an up-to-date listing of Nicaragua’s accomplishments. Here are some excerpts.
Did you know that NICARAGUA…
· provides universal and free health care throughout the country, with 24 new hospitals, 182 maternity wait homes, over 3,000 health centers, and dramatic decreases in maternal and child mortality?
- had the lowest rate of excess deaths in Latin America during the pandemic?
- has universal and free education from preschool through trade school, university, and professional school?
- is a pioneer in defending the rights of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples, who have communal title to a third of the national territory?
- is a world leader in gender equality, ranking first for women in parliament, women’s educational achievement, and women in cabinet positions?
Other Interesting Media:
India-UN Fund: Building Futures – South-South Cooperation Paves the Way for Inclusive Education in Nicaragua
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Events and Delegations:
UNAC Conference, April 5-7, St. Paul: “Decolonization and the fight against Imperialism” Nicaragua’s Charge d’Affaires in Washington DC, Lautaro Sandino, will be a keynote speaker.
Webinar – Sunday, April 21, 3pm ET: “Recent Elections on Nicaragua’s Autonomous Caribbean Coast.” Register: bit.ly/NicaApril21. What does “autonomy” mean for people living in the Caribbean Coast Autonomous Regions of Nicaragua? How and why did these two regions (North and South) hold their own elections on March 3 of this year? Who ran for election, from which parties, for what offices? Our webinar speaker, Johnny Hodgson, will address these questions and more during a 60-minute webinar. He is a Representative to Nicaragua’s National Assembly, and political secretary of the Sandinista Front (FSLN), from the South Caribbean Autonomous Region.
End all Unilateral Measures in the Americas: Endorse the Americas without Sanctions Campaign Find more information and send a letter to your Congressperson here: https://linktr.ee/americas_without_sanctions.
Upcoming Delegations to Nicaragua Casa Ben Linder 2024 delegations:
June 8-16: Global Health Intensive
July 9-21: Solidarity in Action: Celebrating 45 Years of Revolution in Nicaragua
November 8-17: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua