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Resist Newsletter, Oct. 1986

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Recommended Citation Resist, "Resist Newsletter, Oct. 1986" (1986). Resist Newsletters. 195. https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/resistnewsletter/195 Newsletter #189 A call to resist illegitimate authority October 1986 The Chilean Left

ERIC CHESTER

hile does not fit the north­ C american stereotype of a Latin American society. Its population is overwhelmingly European in descent and it is urbanized, so the peasantry does not constitute the social base of society. Santiago is the center of vir­ tually every activity in the country with a population of over 3.5 million, out of 11.5 million total in Chile. The country is poor by U.S. standards, but it does have a basic infrastructure of roads and telecommunications, and it has an elaborate educational system with a highly literate populace. There is con­ siderable industry, as well as copper mining, and the industrial working class plays a key role in the economy and in politics. Chile is therefore not a typical Third World country, but, nevertheless, the economy is in terrible shape. Chile Santiago, May 1986 depends heavily on the extraction and export of copper, and copper, like the crisis has been compounded by the the only means of waste disposal. most other raw materials, is selling at free market policies of the government. The poverty is so extreme that in very low prices due to the prolonged The junta's economic advisors were downtown Chile the main streets are slump in the world economy. One result trained at the University of Chicago, lined with people selling chiclets and of the slump has been the inability of and their commitment to private enter­ candy, usually without a permit and Chile to pay its huge foreign debt, most prise is religious. Thus, despite the col­ therefore subject to police sweeps. A of it borrowed when copper prices were lapse in copper prices, the state has bag of garbage dumped by a restaurant considerably higher and the multina­ made no effort to stimulate the will immediately attract several people tional banks were recycling economy. As a result, at least 400/o of who carefully sift through the debris petrodollars. The burden of the the Chilean workforce is without for scraps of food. Mothers with Chilean debt is comparable, on a per meaningful employment. Poverty has young children squat on the sidewalks person basis, to that of Mexico, and of become the norm, as hundreds of begging for a few pesos, the children so course the situation only gets worse. thousands live in barrios of plywood undernourished that they barely move. The slump in copper prices and the shacks, without running water, heat, All this in a country with a long foreign debt would be bad enough, but or electricity and with open ditches as Continued on page Two Chile Continu«I from pa1~ On~ tradition of working class militancy The Left and political activism. Even before the . Even though the Christian SPANISH LANGUAGE Allende government, Chile had a Democrats are the largest single TAPES FOR WOMEN considerable set of welfare programs, political party, the Left, taken as a and under Allende virtually the entire whole, is at least as large, although far : SHOUTING ANOTHER workforce found employment. For the more divided. Since 1983, when the 1 TRUTH mass of the people, the dictatorship government started to ease the severity I has not only led to the brutal suppres­ of the repression, organized opposition We are pleased to announce a sion of every oppositional activity, but has burgeoned. What follows is a first women's introductory language course also it has created abysmal poverty. effort to understand a complex and on cassette tape, "Gritando Otra Ver­ fluid situation. It is primarily based on dad: Shouting Another Truth." This The Christian Democrats my discussions with IC and MAPU course is especially designed for US Big business and its political allies militants and leaders (see below), but it women who share their Central Ameri­ have acknowledged the total bankrupt­ is also derived from my own observa­ can sisters' yearning for peace and will­ cy of the current regime, and corporate tions and reading of the Chilean press. ingness to struggle for freedom. executives are busy distancing them­ Most Chilean militants are young, Available in January 1986, the eight selves from the junta. Central to the between fifteen and twenty-five in age. lessons also include song and poetry by liberal opposition is the Catholic hier­ Radical politics in Chile is dangerous, Latin American women. Lessons are archy, an important force in Chile. For and it frequently requires surviving the read by native speakers. The two Span­ the last several years the bishops have rigors of underground life. Many of ish cassette tapes and the 75-page publicly condemned the repression, the activists are women, and women Study Booklet contain relevant dia­ and recently they have consistently ad­ are frequently in the forefront on street logues, vocabulary, oral exercises of vocated an immediate transition to demonstrations. Machismo continues increasing difficulty and informative democracy. to distort interpersonal relationships, sketches about women's groups in the The largest party in Chile, the Chris­ but alternative life styles are beginning region. tian Democrats, is closely tied to the to replace machismo as the cultural The cost of this unique resource is church hierarchy, and it also has links norm among young people. $20. It can be ordered from the Center to the United States. As part of its Most organizations on the Left have for Educational Design and Communi­ covert campaign to overthrow Allende, tried to open up their internal life so cation, 821 Varnum Street N.E., the CIA under the Nixon administra­ as to ·encourage the more active partici­ Washington, DC 20017. Payment tion heavily funded the Christian pation of women. The Left has also (check or money order) must accom­ Democrats, and there is considerable become more responsive to feminist pany order. Please make check payable reason to believe that substantial sums concerns, although the Communist to: Center for Educational Design. are again being distributed through the party has lagged in this regard. Despite same channels. Nevertheless, the the progress, few women have been Christian Democrats have a significant permitted to become national leaders, working class base, and indeed the and support for controversial issues on largest trade union federation, the the feminist agenda is sometimes sacri­ CNT, is led by Christian Democratic ficed to the goal of building a broad activists. coalition which can encompass Christian Democrats have also been segments of the Christian Democratic the dominant force in the Democratic party and which will not encur the en­ Alliance (AD), a broad coalition of mity of the Catholic church. moderate and social democratic parties Political differences within the Left and movements. The AD demands im­ are pervasive and deeply felt. In San­ mediate elections and an end to the tiago, socialism is the hegemonic repression, but its program also calls ideological force. I was told by one for the protection of private property. activist that there are 25,000 militants, It has also decided to pursue a purely either socialist or Communist, just in non-violent strategy in toppling the Santiago, a truly staggering number, ILLEGIIIMATI AUIIIORITJ dictatorship. The Democratic Alliance and, from what I saw, a plausible one. ,_.,..,, foe,"./ u..., ~ ~ has been the organizational framework through which the Chilean opposition Armed Struggle The Resist Newsletter is published ten has engaged in a series of discussions The most important alternative op­ times a year by Resist, Inc., One with the U.S. government. State positional coalition to the AD is the Summer Street, Somerville, MA 02144. (617) 623-5110. Department officials have met with Movement for a Popular Democracy Resist staff: Nancy Wechsler AD leaders in an effort to structure a (MDP). Within the MDP, the Commu­ Nancy Moniz transitional process which would allow nist party is by far the strongest ten­ Ken Tangvik the U.S. to dump Pinochet while main­ dency. The immediate point of contro­ Typesetting: Vicki Gabriner taining "stability" and ultimately pre­ versy between the two coalitions is Gay Community News serving Chile as a "friendly" ally. their attitude toward guerrilla warfare. Printing: Red Sun Press . ... Continued on page Six

Page Two Resist Newsletter October 1986 The National Guard in Honduras

Several grassroots organizations across the country are working against )_/ the use of the National Guard units in Honduras. The following interview V with Peggy Moore, coordinator of the Clearing House for lnformation on the National Guard, is reprinted with per­ mission from the Honduras Update, Vol. 4 No. 12, Sept. 1986.

Q. Why is the Guard being used in Centnl America 't A. The Administration is using what they are calling a "low intensity" stra­ tegy in Central America. This term is being used to reassure the U.S. public that our military presence in the region is non-menacing and not dangerous for U.S. troops. In reality this is just a new word for counter-insurgency, the ''winning the hearts and minds'' ap­ proach that failed in Vietnam. It is the integration of diverse elements of policy-security assistance, economic assistance, "humanitarian" and devel­ opment aid-into a comprehensive states in the last year have been flying involve 4,000 Missouri Guardspeople program to advance U.S. interests, regular flights to P~nama, the home of and Guardspeople from five other playing down "military solutions," the U.S. Southern Command, and states. We mounted a demonstration at and stressing bipartisanship as the from there they make embassy runs in­ the Guard Armory in St. Louis and principle of U.S. intervention in Cen­ to every country in Central America proceeded to send the information tral America. It is a strategy based on (including Nicaragua) with supplies, about the project to the other five the belief that winning "low intensity" including military supplies. California states. warfare means changing the way peo­ found out in the last few months that We were told by Guard officials in ple view the world at the grassroots the California Air National Guard has Missouri that this project was a ''good­ level both in Central America and here been flying as many as three flights a will'' mission to provide a road in a in the U.S. week out of Van Nuys Air Force Base part of Honduras that had never had a It is clear that the National Guard is since 1978. The Air Guard has taken permanent road. It would make it an integral part of the administration's over the transport role that 1O years easier for people to get to market and strategy in the region. They are par­ ago would have been the job of the to schools and that we should be ticipating in military construction and regular Air Force. supporting so noble and American an maintenance, , building roads to con­ effort. While doing research on this nect military bases, in medical pro­ Q. How did the St. Louis Pledge of project we found in the 1984 General grams, civic action programs, and Resistance become aware of National Accounting Office Report a long list of military maneuvers created to train the Guard involvement in Central charges of the illegal funding of Honduran military as well as the Na­ America? military exercises in Honduras by the tional Guard itself. This provides a A. Last fall the St. Louis Pledge was Department of Defense that involved "goodwill" P.R. cover for extensive tipped off by a reporter who had talked military construction, medical and militarization. It also provides a to a local National Guardsman. He civic action programs, training backdoor policy for the placement of was told that Missouri Guard units maneuvers. These projects were being troops in Central America since they were going to help build a road in funded out of monies earmarked for are being sent under the auspices of northern Honduras. Aware of the U.S. operations and maintenance to get "training" and do not need Congres­ buildup in Honduras, we decided to around the need for Congressional sional approval for deployment. look into Guard involvement in the authorization. This report said that region and quickly became aware that large projects were being broken down Q. Is the Air Guard involved? the Missouri Guard was coordinating into smaller parts so they could be A. Yes, Air Guards from up to 15 this road building project that would Continued on next page

#189 Resist Newsletter Page Three National Guard Continued from page Three

U.S. Guard at Oso Grande Military Base, Yoro, Honduras. funded this way. It gave as an example opportunity to legally challenge a brief him on the real situation in Hon­ two separate road building projects, misguided foreign policy through the duras. In Iowa, a delegation of people one from Olanchito to San Lorenzo Governor and state legislature of each including farmers and legislators and the other from San Lorenzo to state. Activists in each state must traveled to Honduras and Nicaragua. Jocon. Missouri was building a road develop their own strategy because dif­ After meeting with many people in from J ocon to Yoro. It became ap­ ferent kinds of Guard units are being those countries including President Az­ parent that Missouri was putting in the used in each state and at different cona and President Ortega these third piece of this longer road and that times. Each Governor has to be dealt Iowans asked their Governor to refuse its main purpose was to connect U.S. with individually. to allow the National Guard to train in military bases. The momentum started when Honduras. In California, people pro- Requests for information on the Massachusetts and Maine were able in tested their Governor's decision to pro­ Guard issue began to come in every early 1986 to get their Governors to say · vide a contingent of 30 mainly Chicano week and we developed a packet ex­ no to Guard deployment in Central and Latino soldiers to act as military plaining the Missouri experience and America. Shortly after that, Vermont, 1 police and translators. In Massachu- began mailing it out to different states. New Mexico, Washington, and Ohio setts, representatives of solidarity It took off from there and we now have refused to permit Guard training in groups pressured Governor Dukakis to 250 organizers from all over the coun­ Honduras. New York and Arizona not allow the use of National Guard try on our mailing list which continues reserved the right to say no on a case­ 1 units in Honduras and to stop the to grow. We see our role as a clearing­ by-case basis. Minnesota and Wiscon­ : training of Green Berets at the Na­ house on information about the Guard sin have privately told activists in their tional Guard base on Cape Cod, Mass­ issue. We try to keep an updated pic­ states that they would make the same achusetts. In Arizona, the Peace in ture of Guard involvement in Central qualifications. Central America Coalition America and about the grassroots This has been a very empowering demonstrated in front of the National resistance here in the U.S. process for all of us on the grassroots Guard Armory to express their opposi­ level, even in states where there is no tion to the participation of their Na­ Q. What is the national picture? chance that the Governor will say no. tional Guard in the building of a A. The resistance around Guard Through demonstrations (some involv­ Vietnam-like military infrastructure in deployment in Central America has ing civil disobedience), petitions, Honduras. In Arkansas, activists come out of the grassroots state by educational events, letter-writing cam­ printed a "travel brochure" that state and involves Pledge, solidarity paigns, phone-ins, vigils and lawsuits, welcomes guardspeople to a and human rights groups. The Guard the grassroots is having an incredible "stimulating two-week military vaca­ issue provides a local handle for peace impact in making this into a national tion" in "enchanting, mysterious groups to make the U.S. war in Central issue. In Maine, a group of state Mocoron, Honduras ... land of con­ America visible and also provides an legislators met with their Governor to tras. ,, Two hundred people in Phila-

Page Four Resist Newsletter October 1986 delphia marched to the U.S. Naval Air Station and stated that "Naval task The following responses were collected from 39 U.S. Gover­ forces off shore and a continuous nors between May 30 and August 6, 1986. series of military maneuvers in Hon­ duras have given direct support to the Q. Does the Governor of this State approve of sending Na­ air war in El Salvador. . . . '' Given tional Guard personnel to take some part in military exercises in Honduras? . that this is an election year many states Montana, not yet decided have made this a campaign issue. We Alabama, yes Nebraska, yes consistently hear from around the Alaska, no response Nevada, non-committal country that this issue is generating Arizona, no response New Hampshire, no response more media coverage than anything Arkansas, yes New Jersey, non-committal else we have done to date around Cen­ California, yes New Mexico, no tral America. This is the perfect vehicle Colorado, yes New York, no for building statewide networks in Connecticut, yes North Carolina, yes order to mount statewide campaigns Delaware, no North Dakota, yes and through our national work we are Florida, yes Ohio, no able to put people in different parts of Georgia, yes Oklahoma, yes the country in touch with each other. Hawaii, non-committal Oregon, yes The issue has taken on a national Idaho, no response Pennsylvania, no response momentum at the grassroots level that Illinois, yes Rhode Island, non-committal has been extremely empowering by br­ Indiana, yes South Carolina, non-committal inging the militarization process, in a Iowa, yes South Dakota, no response very sensible way, into the center of Kansas, no response but no Tennessee, yes our local communities. National Kentucky, yes Texas, yes Guardspeople are our neighbors and Louisiana, non-committal Utah, yes relatives living in our own com- Maine, no Vermont, no response but no munities. Maryland, yes Virginia, yes Q. What are the chances that the Massachusetts, no Washington, yes legislation to federalize the Guard will Michigan, yes West Virginia, no response pass the Senate? Minnesota, no response Wisconsin, no A. Right after the House vote, since it Mississippi, non-committal Wyoming, no response was passed by such a large margin, the Missouri, yes Puerto Rico, incomplete prospects looked bleak. But since then response we have received feedback from Governors' offices all around the the demise of the National Guard our own communities and encourage country that they are determined to issue? more states to mount campaigns. In challenge this legislation. We are op­ A. Absolutely not. It is naive to think the longer term, we must take on as a timistic that this will have impact on that creating grassroots momentum major strategy focus for 1987 the local the Senate vote. We have put out a call around this issue would be ignored by manifestations of the war. This will in­ for the grassroots to continue putting the administration. As the anti-war clude Air and Army National Guard pressure on their Governors, state movement builds in this country, they deployment, local regular Reserve legislators and congresspeople. We will continually throw road blocks in deployment, and local training and have asked the National Pledge of our way and we must be prepared to deployment of Special Forces Resistance to call a national action deal with them. In reality, this is an in­ anywhere in Central America. We also right before the Senate vote, defining it credible measure of the impact that we must be a}Vare of the training of as an escalation in the militarization are having. We have taken the offen­ foreign military in our local areas and process and restating what we have sive and this is a clear message that we National Guard, Reserve, and regular said all along: that it is proof that the have put the administration on the military recruitment and P.R. cam­ National Guard is being used by the defensive. The intent from the begin­ paigns, including the placement of administration as an integral part of ning was to blow the cover on their ROTC programs in inner city high the militarization of Central America. ''low intensity'' strategy and force schools and the Boy Scout programs We feel that this legislation is design­ them to wage their war openly, and I affiliated with the military. And we ed to signal to Governors that objec­ believe we have taken the first big step must research and develop our under­ ting to Guard deployment on the basis in doing that. standing of the links between this of the foreign policy issue means play­ militarization and U.S. intervention ing hard ball with the administration. Q. Where do we go from here? in El Salvador, Panama, Guatemala, There is a decent chance that this A. We cannot afford to let the momen­ and Costa Rica. amendment will be scrapped in con­ tum falter. In the short term we must ference committee if we can continue continue to pressure our Governors, For more information on the Guard to make the issue hot enough. state legislators, and congresspeople. issue, contact the St. Louis Pledge of We must find every available opportu­ Resistance, 438 N. Skinker, St. Louis, Q. If the legislation passes, will it mean nity to raise this to d~bate publicly in MO 63130 or call (314) 725-2393.

#189 Resist Newsletter Page Five Chile Continued from page Three All of the groupings inside of the MDP represented the left-wing of the Popu­ limited to the banking system, much of are actively engaged in armed struggle. lar Unity coalition, while MIR remain­ which is already in the state sector after Although the guerrilla units are small ed on the outside. having gone bankrupt. On the foreign and do not pose a direct military Since then, MAPU has moved con­ debt, MAPU would seek to renegotiate threat, they are an unsettling factor. siderably to the right. Its dominant ten­ the terms of payment by organizing a While I was in Chile, the former head dency seeks to develop a program coordinated response to the multina­ of the secret police had his house shot which can include the progressive wing tional banks by all of the Latin up, even though he succeeded in escap­ of Christian Democracy. As a result, American countries. ing unharmed. MAPU is reluctant to organize for By U.S. standards this is a fairly The Communist party.is itself deeply abortion rights, an important issue in radical program, but within the divided. Much of its strength lies in its Chile where contraceptives are not Chilean context it is tame indeed. youth group, but these young people readily available and unsafe, illegal Underlying the adoption of this pro­ have been recruited on the basis of an abortions are numerous. Instead, gram is the belief that its implementa­ aggressive policy of hostility toward MAPU wants to focus on stimulating tion, with the support of Christian the regime. Now, as Chile approaches the economy toward full employment Democratic progressives, would not a return to democracy, the CP leader­ and reviving the health and educational trigger U.S. intervention. Given that ship is reverting to its traditional systems. Nationalizations would be the CP is certain to play an influential Popular Front program. Behind the scenes a dialogue has been initiated with the Christian Democrats, with the aim of developing a common approach 1 to the transitional period. 11 Gay Community News is The other significant organization within the MDP is the MIR (Left Revo­ now in its fourteenth year of lutionary Movement). Even though the publication. Have you sub­ MIR is small, it has a certain influence because of its long record of armed scribed yet? You save big struggle. Still deeply underground and off the newsstand price when \5ecretive, there are nonetheless persis­ tent reports of deep divisions within you purchase a one-year sub­ MIR, in particular in regard to the scription. (So do it today and essential characteristics of a socialist society. Some elements within MIR, and a minority of the Communist party, have concluded that the counterrevolution ·

can only be defeated through a one­ ~ l~-l~-· 1 1 party dictatorship. Cuba has a great ii deal of legitimacy throughout the Chilean Left as a symbol of resistance to U.S. aggression, but some within the Send me Gay Community News! MIR also look to Cuba as a model for Name ______Address ______the socialist transformation. I was told that there is also a significant section of ~fy ~~---~---­ the MIR which has a more par­ New Subscription • Renewal • ticipatory view of socialism, and which; works closely with the left-wing 1 year $33.00 $ tendency of the Christian Left (IC), a group discussed below. 25 weeks $20.00 $ f-/-----i 25 weeks/low income $12.00 $ 1-/------1 The Moderate Left I would like to contribute towards a free / While the MDP has rejected the subscription for a lesbian or gay prisoner. $ 1------1 Democratic Alliance as the organiza­ tional focal point for the broad opposi­ Enclosed is my check or money order for $.__/ _____ ---1 tion to the junta, there are several left­ wing organizations which operate within, or close to, the AD. The most These rates are tor subscriptions within the USA. Add 50% for foreign , important of these is MAPU (Move­ including Canada . Amounts received in excess will be considered donations , ment for United Popular Action), which are greatly appreciated. which split from the Christian Mail to: GCN Subscriptions, 167 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02111 Democrats in 1969, just before Allende GCN is published by a non-profit educational foundation . was elected. Under Allende, MAPU

Page Six Resist Newsletter October 1986 role in any potential coalition govern­ continuing series of discussions. (This feminists in the U.S., can learn a ment of the Left, as well as the record informal grouping is called the Social­ tremendous amount from the Chilean of U.S. sensitivity to any manifestation ist Bloc.) While I was in Chile, one of experience. We can also be of vital ser­ of Latin American resistance, this is a these meetings took place in Argentina, vice to the Chilean Left by agitating highly questionable strategy. just across the Chilean border. Most and organizing against U.S. interven­ socialists agree on the vital necessity of tion, and in this way limiting the op­ The Christian Left initiating a new and broadly based tions of the imperial power brokers. The largest group to reject this socialist party which could act as an ef­ Eric Chester is a long-time activist who cautious approach is the Christian Left fective counterweight to CP influence. presently lives in Somerville and (IC). IC is a 1971 split from MAPU, Still the process of bringing together teaches economics at UMass/Boston. and its politics have been greatly in­ the many socialist organizations has He is the author of Socialists and the fluenced by liberation theology, with been arduous, and remains unresolved. Ballot Box, Praeger: 1985. its emphasis on the priority of the The differences which have arisen within the socialist bloc have been the poor, although many of the IC Join Dr. Benjamin Spock, militants are also Marxists. IC is the focal point for controversy within IC. Holly Near, most rapidly growing group on the Both tendencies agree that IC should and other Chilean left, second only to the CP in continue to push for the formation of a special guests at: size. IC stands for a grass-roots broader socialist organization, one mobilization to overthrow the which will include the entire set of SP MOB/LIZA TION Pinochet regime, and its vision of splinter groups and IC. The differences FOR SURVIVAL socialism is pluralist and participatory. arise in determining which direction to Although IC opposes armed struggle at move from this core. 10TH this point, seeing it as involving a few One grouping within IC wants to in­ ANNIVERSARY rather than mobilizing the many, it clude MAPU within the future socialist also recognizes that a confrontation organization, while it seeks to keep the CONVENTION with the ruling class, and with the MIR at a distance. This tendency is United States, is probable once the dic­ skeptical of the MIR's commitment to tatorship has fallen. One key aspect of a socialist democracy, and wary of this confrontation will involve the MIR's emphasis on armed struggle. foreign debt, much of it owed to U.S. The other tendency proposes to ex­ banks. IC argues that Chile should clude MAPU from the socialist repudiate the debt, in conjunction with regroupment because of its moderate the other Latin American countries. program, but these IC activists work IC is strongly committed to women's closely with the MIR, and they are liberation. Despite its Catholic ideo­ eager to bring it into a future socialist logy, the organization supports the party. They feel certain that MIR can legalization of abortion. Patriarchal be moved from a vanguard perspective relations are the subject of internal to one which emphasizes the active par­ education, and women are actively en­ ticipation of working people in their couraged to assume leadership roles. own liberation. Indeed, women constitute one-third of the group's national leadership today. Conclusion As with every other tendency in For a northamerican, Chile represents Chile, IC has recently experienced a a challenging and energizing ex­ period of intense controversy. These perience. Politics are taken seriously, have centered on the proposal to create and the debate is lively and intense. a new and broadly based socialist par­ Those who advocate radical changes in Minneapolis, Minnesota the social and economic structure are ty. In 1970, the Socialist party, November Allende's party, was the single most influential, and their numbers are 7-9 growing. At the same time the important component of the Popular • Celebrate 10 years of women's movement is gaining in Unity coalition. Since then, the SP has Mobilizing for Peace and disintegrated as a cohesive force in a strength, and feminist demands are becoming important items on the agen­ Justice series of splits. There are somewhere • Plan MIS's National Program da for social change. Once the dictator­ between ten and twenty distinct and for 1987 and Beyond ship falls, which is bound to happen separate splinter organizations with • Meet and Exchange Ideas roots in the SP, each with its own set of and soon, Chile will enter a period of with other Local Activists leaders. Most are small, but taken acute tension, a period in which the decision to initiate a socialist transfor­ Mobilization for Survival is com­ together they would still represent a prised of over 150 local groups from significant force on the Left. mation could become an immediate around the nation, making us one of For the last several years the whole possibility. the largest grassroots peace and justice spectrum of socialist organizations, Chile's problems are enormous, but organizations in the U.S. today. Catholic and Marxist, have met for a so is its potential. We, as socialists and 853 Broadway, #418, NY, NY 10003 212-533-0008

#189 Resist Newsletter Page Seven The Carolina Interfaith Task Force on east Colorado. This is an extremely , and vital chronicler of the annual Central America, 1105 Sapling Place, politically conservative community and gatherings of gay men and lesbians in Raleigh, NC 27609. . support for peace activities is hard to celebration of Pride activities. Addi­ The Carolina Interfaith Task Force come by. In addition, this county has ' tionally, these few weeks of activities on Central America, CITCA, has gain­ been hit hard by the farm crisis and every year provides them with the best ed national recognition for its leader­ many people are unemployed and opportunity to reach thousands of peo-1 ship role in developing creative educa­ simply can't afford contributions or pie, particularly those who are more tion/action programs for the religious subscriptions to the group's newsletter. closeted or less visible, or who come community. During the next 12 The newsletter, Peace Call, which has trom geographically and socially isolated areas. A recent Resist grant of months, CITCA has many goals. They been published since 1984, has an went towards some of the par­ will increase the number of city-level average monthly circulation of around $_500 ticularly heavy expenses incurred in a interfaith task forces on Central Amer­ 80 people. It provides background in­ comprehensive wrap-up of Pride ica in the Salisbury, NC, Laurinburg, formation on peace issues, legislative Southern Pines region from one to up-dates, and information about local events, and to fund various promo­ three; develop interfaith groups in and state activities. They also have a tional activities centering around Les­ Anderson, SC and Aiken, SC region; legislative alert telephone tree to alert bian and Gay Pride week in Boston recruit 4 to 6 people from these areas to people to pending peace-related legisla­ and elsewhere. go on a Witness for Peace delegation to tion, so they can have the opportunity Nicaragua; train delegations from to contact their elected representatives these cities to visit their U.S. Repre­ and make their voices heard. For sentatives and educate the people in several years the group has also par­ pt Newsletter Editor these areas about the current situation ticipated in festivals with an informa­ in Central America and the role of tional and/or fundraising booth. They Resist, a Somerville-based foundation U.S. policy. CITCA believes that Con­ have sponsored speakers, slides and for the radical left & feminist mvts gress is the primary focus for achieving films, sometimes in cooperation with needs an editor for its 8pg monthly peace in Central America and that we local churches or other groups. They newsletter. Strong writing & editing must organize constituencies of south­ have also distributed books and other skills req. & knowledge of radical/pro­ ern Congressional districts to actively informational materials and have a gressive mvts. Some exp. w/ layout & educate their representatives for a con­ speaker's bureau which will supply pasteup a big plus. Resp inc: soliciting structive peaceful alternative to the speakers to local organizations inter­ articles/p~otos, editing, some writing, military solutions sought by the ested in learning about the arms race or proofreadmg, layout, pasteup, attend Reagan Administration if we intend to Central America. Resist's grant of staff & board mtgs. Reasonable hourly change U.S. policy. The 8th Congres­ $300 went towards their outreach rate for lOhrs/wk. Sched somewhat sional District of North Carolina is work. flexible. People of color, gays & les­ made up of 12 rural counties, stret­ bians especially encouraged to apply. ching from east of Charlotte across the Gay Community News, 167 Tremont For more info call Resist 617-623-5110 Piedmont to Laurinburg_, NC. The St., Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02111. by 10/20/86. economic mainstays of this area are Gay Community News is one of the agriculture and the textile mill, which most established and respected weekly means .the local economy is hurting. newspapers in the country for lesbians The 8th district is represented by Rep. and gay males. Throughout their 12 years of publication, they have main­ Bill Hefner, a key legislator around TIie Resist Pled1e System Central American issues, particularly tained a commitment to gay and les­ I bian liberation, to feminism, and to The most important source of Resist's because of his position on the House income is monthly pledges. Pledges Appropriations committee and as chair drawing the connections between the gay and lesbian movement and other help us plan ahead by guaranteeing us of the Military Construction Sub­ a minimum monthly income. In turn, committee which oversees military con­ progressive movements in which they also participate. The paper covers pledges receive a monthly reminder let­ struction in Honduras. A Resist grant ter (in addition to the newsletter) which of $400 went towards the costs of the politics, legal issues, and gay /lesbian culture, incorporating issues of sex, contains news of recent grants and Task Force's educational/lobbying other Resist activities. So take the campaign. race, and class into the articles. GCN has a reputation for being on the cut­ plunge and become a Resist pledge! Cheyenne Wheel for Peace, P.O. Box ting edge by raising delicate and diffi­ Yes, I would like to pledae S 1141, Ft. Morgan, CO 80701. cult issues-the politics of AIDS re­ monthly to the work of Resist. search and funding; lesbian battering; Cheyenne Wheel for Peace is a grass­ Name ______roots organization working on nuclear racism within the gay /lesbian commu­ disarmament, Central America, and nity; self-imposed and external censor­ Address ______other peace issues. They are located in ship, particularly as it relates to radical a rural, agricultural county in north- sex issues. GCN is an active partidpant Oty ___State __ 7Jp ____

Page Eight Resist Newsletter October 1986