COLUMBIA, EL BUEN AMIGO, LATIN AMERICAN SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE

Community, Peace /

COLUMBIA, EL BUEN AMIGO, LATIN AMERICAN – SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE Hola! Pasan mucho cosas, y cada mes unas es del Comité de Solidaridad Latinoamericana! The Latin American Solidarity Committee of the WNY Peace Center is a stalwart part of our history and a steadfast and key part of our current work. The Latin American Solidarity Committee of the WNY Peace Center (LASC) was started during the 1980s when US interference in Latin America was reaching a fever pitch. Concerned citizens of WNY banded together at the WNY Peace Center (WNYPC) to collaborate to assist refugees from South and especially Central America and formed affinity groups for solidarity as people risked arrest through their efforts. LASC has monthly Peace Coffeehouses on current topics with a special focus on Latin American and related justice issues. November’s session at 7-9 pm Monday, Nov. 28, is on Colombia’s Future: Optimism & Realism. The speaker, Camilo Romero, is co-founder of ReGeneracion, a peace-building initiative launched in Colombia and working globally. Camilo organized student and consumer campaigns as a union organizer for Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores. He also leads Story-Healing Workshops, including a recent one in Buffalo co-organized by local activist Esperanza Altazar. The Coffeehouses are held every 4th Monday of the month, in the Lounge of the Canisius College Science Hall, near Main and Delavan Station/ intersection of Jefferson @ Main. (While the adjacent parking lot is closed during construction, you can use street parking along Main Street or in the parking lot at the M&T bank.). Light refreshments (yes, including coffee!) are on hand, and the event is free.  Many previous speakers are well known to Latino Village readers – e.g., Alberto Cappas and Christian Parra re Puerto Rico’s justice struggles; José and Nadia Pizarro re efforts to support climate disaster refugees/family/friends in Buffalo; Talia Rodriquez re Herstory and Latina/youth leadership; Rev. Nancy Rosas, re immigration and sanctuary – as well as speakers from farther away, including Luz Rivera, Consejo Nacional Urbano y Campesino, Mexico; Grahame Russell, director of Rights Action working in Guatemala; and Karen Spring, Honduras Solidarity Network. While the Coffeehouses are usually at Canisius College, in December we have the special treat of meeting at El Buen Amigo. The collaboration between the two groups is longstanding, and it’s always great to be in that wonderful space before the holidays, so beautiful gifts at the fair exchange are readily available! Family members benefit (and so do we!). Join us on December 19, 7 pm, at El Buen Amigo (144 Elmwood) for a (potluck) holiday celebration, and an opportunity to hear from LASC members about the activities of the past year. These include the group’s support and involvement in a dental clinic in Chiapas, Mexico; in a Mayan Weaving Collective; Pastors for Peace Friendshipment Caravans to Cuba; and so much more. We’ll also talk about prospects for the upcoming year. Please come share your own perspectives! If you’re interested in helping with planning, please contact Terry Bisson at bisson@canisius.edu or 716-838-2962. Feliz Dia del Acción de Gracias!! Solidaridad, Victory, Healing for #PeopleAndPlanet, and Peace and Love!! Si, se puede!! Juntos!! Read More From This Writer All Post Food Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development Peace People COLUMBIA, EL BUEN AMIGO, LATIN AMERICAN SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE December 16, 2022/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More ECONOMICS, JUSTICE, LABOR, AND DEMOCRACY! September 16, 2022/No Comments ECONOMICS, JUSTICE, LABOR, AND DEMOCRACY! This country’s economic prosperity was – and still is – built on the backs of Read More EMBRACING BUFFALO August 16, 2022/No Comments EMBRACING BUFFALO Embracing Buffalo is a collaborative effort between two trios of women healers – three who live in Buffalo, Read More Load More End of Content.

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“PADRINO — GODFATHER”

People /

“PADRINO — GODFATHER” I struggled to connect with the intended Community Spotlight. And that’s ok. It’s a busy time of year. I go online to seek inspiration as I do every month. I noticed a constant – not ONLY in my News Feed on FB but in my DM, email & text messages. This constant is Alberto O. Cappas, and I have wanted to write about him, especially after finding out about his connection to UB’s PODER student organization when I wrote about Brother Kamau (August issue 2022). But as he is the founder of the Buffalo Latino Village, I thought he might reject it. So, if you’re reading this on my Facebook wall and it doesn’t make it to print, you know why. Alberto O. Cappas is like a Padrino – You know the one that is not quite an uncle to you – because your uncle is still part of your biological family so he can say some things – but NOT EVERYTHING. A Godfather is a person chosen to tell you WHAT IT IS because they’re invested in that TITLE. It requires that they encourage you to live Upright and in Your Purpose. The Purpose inscribed in the deepest part of your being as the Creator was weaving us in our mother’s womb. I had come to know Alberto from the political scene when I moved to Buffalo, NY. I met him formally at the Contract Compliance Review Committee (2015) to make sure that the former Solar City, now Tesla, did right by the agreed-upon condition of hiring a percentage of people of color. Still not sure if that number has been reached – but that’s for another article.  Since meeting him, I have admired the way he plants seeds; waters them; checks in when they might not be growing; adds fertilizer; checks again until the plant has taken root and is growing.  I’m an example of this tending too. It’s the reason I started writing this column. Alberto would see my post on FB that were well thought out, and maybe controversial. One day he told me I should write for the Latino Village (seed). Then he sent me the FB Page (water), then he made me a moderator (fertilizer). In November 2021, he saw me with Aminah Johnson (February 2022) at the Towne Restaurant. He encouraged me to write Aminah’s Story.  Now I’ve “taken root.” I’m sure many others can testify to a similar situation. He has a gift for recognizing talent and passion in individuals. What better way to channel these passions than to write intelligently about them?  Thinking of all he contributes to, this is, truly, only a very short list compared to what he (actually) contributes. He buys tickets to events and invites us to represent. If he can’t attend an event, he reaches out to us. In this way, he’s making strides in getting us a seat at the table. He’s a strong advocate for breaking the invisible barriers that exist amongst the so-called ‘Black & Hispanic Communities.’ He KNOWS if WE combined our Collective Powers, we wouldn’t be collectively suffering to the extent we do at the hands of those in power. Election Year In/Out he Challenges us to EDUCATE, THINK and VOTE FOR OURSELVES.  I Trust, One Day, we’ll bear witness to Alberto’s vision of the Greatness of a Buffalo that Represents ALL. —— RESPECTFULLY! Read More From This Writer All Post Food Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development People “PADRINO — GODFATHER” December 13, 2022/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More “I Will Have What She’s Having this Holiday Season” November 13, 2022/No Comments “I Will Have What She’s Having this Holiday Season” I’m not a fan of saying goodbye to the brief summers Read More “AGAINST ALL ODDS” October 13, 2022/No Comments “AGAINST ALL ODDS” As the Fall/Winter Sports Season gets underway in Buffalo, NY, there is a rush of energy that Read More Load More End of Content.

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RISH TAKING AND CAPITAL

Business /

You may have heard recently how Elon Musk has been firing, at times illegally depending on region and contract, people by the hundreds from Twitter. This naturally has been praised by the “I am not poor, just temporarily not rich” crowd who believe that if they kiss up to the rich enough maybe that fortune would rub off on them. This brings us to not as recent news of railroad strikes and the atrocious response of the board of directors. The board has said the quiet part out loud and revealed what they always believed. That it is not the work that generates value but the owners by their incredible “Risk taking and capital” are the ones generating profit. That was how they were justifying their multi-million-dollar paychecks. I strongly recommend readers investigate it. The situation is not much better in the tech sector either. The software engineers who get 100k+ salaries etc. generally must move to higher cost-of-living areas such as Boston, San Francisco, etc. where that hefty paycheck mostly goes to the landlord. While few enjoy the benefits of owning property in those places even better yet, their trust funds can make cash offers on assets to avoid the rising interest rates entirely. When asked why the only answer we get is that these people took this beautiful and magical “Risk” and are now enjoying the benefits. What is this nebulous risk that they are taking when the legal structure protects their fortunes and if they are big enough, they get bailed out of their irresponsible risk-taking? While the employee can lose their entire livelihood if their boss decides to fire a few people that day for any reason. I say we ought to end this charade and face the music. The only reason extreme rich exists is not that they do something that contributes to society but because the hype is the main currency that props up the value, they got from already being rich. I urge all the readers to look deeper into the actual contributions of all the people in the Forbes 100 list and find if they added any value besides the money, they either convinced their rich friends to put in or the money they had by the virtue of being born into the rich class. Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Community Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics Sports RISH TAKING AND CAPITAL December 13, 2022/No Comments RISH TAKING AND CAPITAL You may have heard recently how Elon Musk has been firing, at times illegally depending on Read More HOW TO CONSUME MEDIA WHILE AVOIDING PROPAGANDA October 13, 2022/No Comments HOW TO CONSUME MEDIA WHILE AVOIDING PROPAGANDA Let’s start by stating the obvious, corporate media not only lies but also Read More EMBRACE STREAMING September 13, 2022/No Comments EMBRACE STREAMING “Change your perspective and reality changes” — Aristoteles Last month we talked about one of the biggest questions Read More Load More End of Content.

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