santacruz coalition

A fascinating account of an organization dedicated to promoting peace and justice and ending gang warfare.
This is the compelling story of Barrios Unidos, the Santa Cruz-based organization founded to prevent gang violence amongst inner-city ethnic youth. An evolving grass-roots organization that grew out of the Mexican-American civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s and 1970s, Barrios Unidos harnessed the power of culture and spirituality to rescue at-risk young people, provide avenues to quell gang warfare, and offer a promising model for building healthy and vibrant multicultural communities.
Co-founder Daniel “Nane” Alejándrez spent his childhood following the crops from state to state with his family. His earliest recollection of “home” was a tent in a labor camp. Later, he was drafted in to the Army and sent to Vietnam. “Flying bullets, cries of anguish and being surrounded by death have a way of giving fuel to epiphany. This war made as little sense to me as the war raging on the streets of the barrios back home.” He decided that when he returned home, he would dedicate himself to peace. Nane Alejándrez’s story of personal transformation, from heroin-addicted gang banger to social activist and youth advocate, is closely tied to that of Barrios Unidos.
Through interviews, written testimonies, and documents, Frank de Jesús Acosta re-constructs the development of Barrios Unidos—or literally, united neighborhoods—from its early influences and guiding principles to its larger connection to the on-going struggle to achieve civil rights in America. Today, Barrios Unidos chapters exist in several cities around the country, including San Francisco; Venice-Los Angeles; Salinas; San Diego; Washington, DC; Yakima; San Antonio; Phoenix; and Chicago.
With a foreword by Luis Rodríguez, former gang member and author of La Vida Loca: Always Running, the book also includes historical photos and commentaries by leading civil rights activists Harry Belafonte, Dolores Huerta, Tom Hayden, Manuel Pastor, and Constance Rice. Mandatory reading for anyone interested in peace and social justice, The History of Barrios Unidos gives voice to contemporary inter-generational leaders of color and will lead to the continuation of necessary public dialogue about racism, poverty, and violence.
“Barrios Unidos follows in the positive spiritual traditions of Gandhi, Dr. King, César, and Malcolm following his pilgrimage to Mecca. The story and example of Barrios Unidos is an inspiration to everyone in the movement.”—Harry Belafonte
FRANK DE JESUS ACOSTA was born and raised in East Los Angeles. He has worked with a number of non-profit organizations in California, including the United Methodist Social Service Center, Downtown Immigrant Advocates, the Coalition for Humane Immigrants’ Rights of Los Angeles, and the Center for Community Change in Washington, DC. Most recently, he served a five-year tenure as Senior Program Officer directing a California Wellness Foundation grant-making program, the Violence Prevention Initiative. He lives and works in Whittier, California.

Two Iraqi labor leaders are featured speakers at a program offering local residents the chance to hear from workers who are struggling to end the occupation, sectarian violence, and the repression of women and working people in Iraq. Hashmeya Muhsin Hussein, the first woman to head a national Iraqi labor union, is President of the Electrical Utility Workers Union, and Faleh Abood Umara is General Secretary of the Southern Oil Company Union.
They will explain why unions oppose the proposed privatization law favored by the Bush administration and oil corporations. They will also address the role of unions in rebuilding Iraq, and the prospects for a stable, democratic, non-sectarian future.
The event is part of a national tour sponsored by U.S. Labor Against the War, United for Peace and Justice, and the American Friends Service Committee. Local sponsors include Central Coast Workers Against War, Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, Resource Center for Nonviolence, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Santa Cruz Peace Coalition, Families Against War, UC-AFT 2199, UPTE CWA-9119, and the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers. The event is endorsed by the Santa Cruz Green Party.
A sliding scale donation is requested—no one turned away.

SALINAS, Calif. – On Wednesday night, key leaders in our Central Coast community will be having a public meeting, discussing how to the stop the violence and keep peace on the streets of Salinas.

They’re all a part of CASP. It stands for the Community Alliance for Safety and Peace. The coalition is made up of 50 leaders have been meeting every other Wednesday to talk about the ongoing gang problem.

Member Scott Faust says, they formed it, so they could coordinate their efforts and in turn, get more funding.

“These are people and players, stakeholders who are heavy weights who can attract state, federal funding and help plan for the use of that funding, so it’s the most effective possible,” says Faust.

Recently, they helped put together a summer youth sports festival for families. They also helped provide library cards to Salinas kids and the alliance helped provide new jobs for teens.

But, Faust stresses, it’s not just what they can do, but what the community can do together.

“This is a deep-seated problem,” says Faust. “It didn’t emerge overnight. It’s not going to go away overnight. It’s going to require multiple prong strategies, but I think if the community can come and join CASP and join the people who are there, share their views, put their own involvement out there, we can make a difference together.”

For the future, Faust says, this alliance is planning to try and outreach to influential gang members and give them the reality that either they stop the violence or they’ll be continuously targeted by law enforcement.

If you’d like to attend, hear what they have to say or get involved, the meeting is at  6 p.m. at the St. Mary of the Nativity Church in Salinas.

SANTA CRUZ, CA – May 3 – The vigil for peace in Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq and Israel was disrupted for over ten minutes last Friday by two large-framed men shouting their identity as Marines and accusing participants of being unpatriotic. The 5:00 PM vigil has been a regular weekly event since the bombing of Afghanistan began in October of 2001.

On Friday, April 26th, 2002 at approximately 6:00 PM, a vehicle pulled into the gas station on the corner, behind where most of the participants usually gather to display their signs and placards. Two large individuals exited the vehicle and came towards the group of demonstrators in an aggressive manner. With loud voices, they exclaimed, “We’re the Marines!”, “Take those signs down!”, “You’re the terrorists!” and “Traitors!”

The vigils are attended by a diversity of people, ranging from seniors to children. The 10-12 vigil participants present maintained their commitment to nonviolence and responded only with words.

The “Marines” proceeded to kick over signs that were mounted on sticks and placed in the grass. The two individuals then physically assaulted at least two of the men present, pushing one out of the way and grabbing another one by his shirt. While attempting to take a participant’s sign, the mounting stick was broken in half.

Two female attendees confronted these aggressive individuals, suggesting, among other things, that they study the history of US foreign policy more thoroughly before aggressively defending it. Their response was to cease further physical assaults and engage instead in verbal abuse. After about ten minutes they apparently became aware of an attendee in close proximity using a telephone and responded by returning to their vehicle and driving away.

Demonstrators, the people in nearby automobiles, and patrons at the gas station, witnessed the episode. The vehicle license plate was provided to the Santa Cruz Police Department’s dispatch operator by telephone during the event. While participants during previous weeks have typically noticed patrol vehicles passing through the intersection every few minutes, there was no evidence that an officer was dispatched to the scene in response to the emergency call. The participants declined to wait for an officer beyond 30 minutes after the incident.

The Santa Cruz Peace Coalition condemns the behavior of these individuals and calls on all citizens who value free speech to stand in solidarity with us. We will not be deterred by violence or threats of violence and ask that you join us this Friday and every Friday from 5-6pm at the intersection of Ocean and Water to help us maintain an area for peaceful dissent.