rosa dubon r2d2  the evil empire

rosa dubon, r2d2, & the "evil empire"

my friends in the bangor, maine area are involved with a sister-city project with radio activists from the chalatenango region of el salvador.

the problems that led to civil war in el salvador that raged throughout the 1980s have certainly not gone away. on my 2nd day in maine (wednesday, june 20th), there was a demonstration at the federal building in bangor protesting the efforts of the vancouver-based tribune resources corporation to begin gold-mining operations that threaten chalatenango’s environment & its entire rural culture.

the theme of this demonstration – ya basta! enough!

participants also mailed back mining tags left behind by tribune resources corp. surveyors along the salvadoran hillside -- hence the slogan, “return to sender.”

pictured here is rosa dubon (part of weru-fm’s sister station, radio sumpul, in the town of guarjila) and dan lawson, a leader in the united steelworkers union in bangor.

speeches also addressed fast-track trade treaties that are consistently undermining local political efforts to protect the health and human rights of communities throughout the americas. these are labelled “unfair trade barriers” by entities like the world trade organization.

activists are seeking to create fair-trade policies, not so-called “free-trade” treaties that sell out innate political rights to international capital.

what is more, since my visit, and this protest, social-justice organizers associated with activists like dubon & ayala have been rounded up by the right-wing government of el salvador & charged under post-9/11 “anti-terrorism” laws in that country. this sort of political maneuver has become an issue more & more too, here in the states. recent bush administration executive orders make martial law all the more possible.

certainly, we’re all in this together, in the end. & even though a new crisis has emerged since this particular protest action, i still feel inspired, both by the international grassroots-media movement, and also by sister-city projects like i found in bangor.

when i look at this photograph, i keep thinking of the line, "help me obi-wan kenobi, you’re my only hope" -- from the 1st star wars movie. of course, it wasn’t that simple. even in george lucas’s world.

i also keep thinking of who’s now the real-life equivalent of the evil empire, from that movie.

(for more on all of these matters, go to elsalvadorsolidarity.org. & for a better account of what’s @ stake than i can manage, you might also listen to the work of my friends, weru-fm radio-producers amy browne & meredith defrancesco, on the weru programs “RadioActive,” “weekend voices,” & “indigenous voices.”)
anouketal: 07/31/2007 7:27 AM
I'm going to read more on this. Thanks tedders!
freakpowertix: 07/31/2007 8:06 AM
thank U, nouk. :)
cephallus: 07/31/2007 8:17 AM
i really think we're seeing the emergence of a new age of global activism. too many people have had enough, and the world gets smaller and smaller every day.
freakpowertix: 07/31/2007 8:21 AM
i agree. it was definitely even had the powers-that-be on the run between '99 and 2001, when they could start using 9/11 fears to try to crack down on all that people power.
skintight: 07/31/2007 10:07 AM
honestly, all i see is R2-D2.
antidis: 07/31/2007 10:42 AM
my friend and you now have two things in common, both of you have freak in your buzznet name, and you both posted an image of the same mailbox
check it out
XRIS: 07/31/2007 11:18 AM
Long Live King George
I want that box que chinge su madre el presidente
tomdog: 07/31/2007 12:11 PM
US out of El Salvador
Shazzi: 07/31/2007 12:36 PM
I'm more amused by the truck in the background and how it works with the mailbox.
storytime: 07/31/2007 10:52 PM
The Evil Empire by Joe Jackson...
Couldn't find the video, too bad...
Total: 11 1 2
Add Comment
This person only allows registered users to leave comments. You must sign up or sign in to comment.
freakpowertix
43 Male Santa Barbara CA, US
Displaying 1-5 of 23
freakpowertix

freakpowertix

stop the war ow now

(stop the war) ow (now)

worldinferno friendship society

world/inferno friendship society

kpcn-lpfm pineros y campesinos unidos del noroeste pcun  prometheus radio project woodburn oregon ra...

kpcn-lpfm pineros y campesinos unidos del noroeste (pcun) & prometheus radio project woodburn, oregon radio barnraising -- august 2006

la posie est dans la rue.

la poésie est dans la rue.

Buzz Feed