Surviving This World—and Building a Better World Together!
On Saturday, April 22, together with the Young Latino Networ, IRTF is holding our annual Liberation, our first in-person annual Social Justice Teach-In in three years. Come by for a day full of art, workshops, and community-building. We are collaborating with organizations, activists, and organizers from all over Ohio, Central America, and other parts of the U.S. to talk about community organizing, events that are impacting our people, ways to elevate our understanding of the world we are living in, and how we can overcome every day hardships inflicted on us by systems labeling humans as resources instead of living beings.
The Liberation Lab on Earth Day will include opportunities to create beautiful screen prints, a space for kids to play and have fun, a keynote by the Honduran water and land defender Reynaldo Domínguez Ramos, workshops, fair trade coffee, authentic tacos, and a give-away of 200 tree saplings!
Our workshops will cover a widespread selection of topics that affect us and our communities in everyday life, including: ecological justice, food justice, energy and economic justice, reproductive justice, health disparities, migrant justice, and the abolition of oppressive systems that perpetuate structural racism and extreme economic inequality.
WHEN: Saturday, April 22, 11am-5pm
WHERE: Pivot Center for Arts and Expression
2937 W 25th St, Cleveland 44109 (Clark-Fulton neighborhood; parking in lot and on side streets)
KEYNOTE:
Reynaldo Domínguez is a long-time water and land defender of the Aguán Valley in northern Honduras. Reynaldo was unjustly imprisoned for his activism against mining and agro-industrial agriculture. Despite the persecution, Reynaldo keeps speaking out against the repression endured by Hondurans by forces that support the interests of global capitalism.
Reynaldo is an active leader of the Guapinol Environmental Defense Committee. He was one of several water defenders arrested and imprisoned in early 2019. Fortunately, he was released, along with four other water defenders, just two months later. But then in August 2019, a court revoked their order of release, leaving the door open for the government to present more evidence against the environmental defenders over the next five years. This put Reynaldo and fellow water defenders at risk of being arrested and imprisoned again. In December 2022, the local government in Tocoa once again filed unjust criminal charges against Reynaldo and four others from Guapinol.
The event is completely free (at-will donations appreciated) and welcomes anyone interested in building a community of solidarity, peace, and fellowship.
We are looking forward to welcoming you at the Pivot Art Center on Saturday, April 22. Please share the Facebook event.
Please register now at: https://secure.everyaction.com/dDnuAau8n0qQepgxEPiVjA2
Volunteers needed: If you would like to support our event by volunteering, please sign up at: https://secure.everyaction.com/hY4qnTNDIEaSs1MzGENXLQ2
Volunteers are needed for set-up, giveaways, and children's activities.
Drinks and a light lunch will be provided for all volunteers.
Thanks to all sponsors supportting our Liberation Lab:
ARSP: Action Reconciliation Service for Peace
Cleveland Jobs with Justice
Cleveland Peace Action
Clevelanders for Public Transit
Code Pink - Cleveland
Community Peacemaker Teams
Community Shares of Greater Cleveland
Congregation of St. Joseph
Council on American-Islamic Relations - Ohio
Denver Justice & Peace Committee
Equal Exchange
Fellowship Of Reconciliation
lan Charnas
Latin America Working Group
Margaret W Wong & Associates
NEO Sierra Club
Nickie J. Antonio, State Senator 23rd District
Peter & Rachel DeGolia
Policy Matters Ohio
Repair the World
Rust Belt Riders
Sisters of the Humility of Mary
Ukraine Solidarity Network
Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland
The Vegan Fund
West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church
In solidarity, IRTF
