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Afro-Colombian Communities Face Displacement
GUEST: Luz Marina Becerra, Secretary General of AFRODES (Organization of Displaced Afro-Colombians), Angela Thielen-Martin, Spanish-English interpreter

Last Friday, indigenous activists in Colombia seized control of 18 large farms and vowed to organize protests across the country this week in order to put pressure on Colombian President Uribe. Indigenous activists want the Colombian government to begin a program of land reform and have become impatient with the slow pace of negotiations. The issue of land is not solely affecting the indigenous peoples of Colombia, but also Afro-Colombians. Afro-Colombians continue to face rampant land displacement by paramilitary groups. Labeled as rebel-sympathizers, they are forced off their land and struggle to survive in the cities. I spoke yesterday with Luz Marina Becerra, Secretary General of AFRODES, a National Association of Displaced Afro-Colombians. Luz herself was displaced in 1998 and fled to Bogota. Angela Thielen-Martin is our interpreter.

Luz Marina Becerra’s Speaking engagements:

• CSULA Tues. Nov, 22nd. 6:30 pm at the cross cultural center in the basement of king hall room D140.
• Sat. Nov. 26th 6 pm at Tia Chucha’s Café Cultural 12737 Glenoaks Blvd. #22 Sylmar
• Mon. Nov. 28th at the Downtown Labor Center. 675 S. Parkview Street (between 7th and Wilshire across the street from Macarthur park)
• Tues. Nov 29th UCLA 5 pm African-American Studies Department at Haines Hall 135.
• Wed. Nov 30th 7 PM at the Southern California Library for Social Studies. 6120 S. Vermont Ave.

For further information, please call (818)755-4680 or email wfpsw@aol.com, or visit www.witnessforpeace.org.

LA-Area Taxi Workers Continue Organizing Efforts
GUESTS: Various taxi workers, Betty Hung, attorney

Last month on Uprising we introduced the organizing efforts of LA area taxi workers as part of the Los Angeles Taxi Workers Alliance. Today we bring you the sounds of a recent town hall meeting of taxi workers, advocates, and attorneys who raised the issues crucial to the well being of the workers, and how the taxi company management is denying their rights. Taxi workers pay hefty fees to companies like Yellow Cab and Checker Cab in order to get customer requests for taxis. In return taxi workers get no workers compensation, little to no health insurance, face police brutality and harassment, customer harassment, and have to adhere to a strict dress code – which is not required of their counter parts outside LA. As a result, taxi workers suffer from ill-health and poverty. In the following audio clips, you’ll hear taxi workers in their own voices articulating their issues, and getting organized. You’ll also hear Betty Hung, an attorney, following the dollars paid to the cab companies by taxi workers. The town hall meeting was recorded for Uprising by Mansoor Sabbagh of Global Voices for Justice.

The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), along with the South Asian Network and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, is working with Los Angeles taxi workers to improve working conditions, stand up for workers’ rights and call for corporate and governmental accountability in the taxi cab industry.

The Los Angeles Taxi Workers Alliance can be reached at 562-403-0488.

A Night in Solidarity with the South Central Farmers
GUESTS: Quetzal Flores, song writer and lead-guitarist for Quetzal.

We end the show with the on-going struggle of the South Central Farmers who are facing possible eviction any day now. The South Central Farmers are an autonomous grouping of about 350 mostly immigrant families who have created a unique and sustainable farm on 14 acres of land. The land is being claimed by Ralph Horowitz who bought the land from the city of Los Angeles. After a long-drawn out legal battle, the South Central Farmers expect bulldozers any day and tonight there will be a concert at the farm in solidarity with them. Zack De la Rocha, former lead singer of Rage Against the Machine will be joined by members of Ozomatli, and Quetzal as well as Los Cojolites, the son Jarocho band that we featured on Uprising last week, and Son De Madera.

Concert to save the community farm @ 41st & Alameda.
When: Tuesday, Nov. 22nd , 8:30 p.m.
Where: 41st St. and Long Beach Ave.

Download the event flyer here.

For more information visit www.southcentralfarmers.com.

Sonali’s Subversive Thought for the Day:
“Tear Down the Fences” by Daniel Vigletti, translated from Spanish:

I ask you people,
Did you ever stop to think
That this land is ours,
And not his who “owns” so much of it?