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The Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad (CIS) was founded in 1993 after the signing of the Peace Accords, ending El Salvador’s 13 year civil war. The mission of the CIS is to promote solidarity and cultural exchange across borders between the Salvadoran people and others in the search for development and dignity. We work to promote and strengthen a culture of solidarity that implies accompaniment, respect for equality of different cultures, and mutual support between people. We focus on using different strategies to promote a solidarity that creates the space for grassroots organization for justice and dignity. The CIS has supported organizing in the past, but in April 2001, we launched a long-term Grassroots Organizing Project in areas affected by the earthquakes of January and February earlier that year.
Since it’s inception, the CIS has been funding community organizers in 8 municipalities; however, organizers in one department are sharing their $300 stipend to support organizing in a 9th municipality. The work of these organizers has had a tremendous impact in community participation, reconstruction and leadership development. With community organizing it is possible to access development projects - and the grassroots organizer plays a key role in facilitating these contacts.
Many grassroots organizers are women and young adults, allowing for the participation of groups that have traditionally been left out of community development. Given the level of poverty and scarcity of living-wage employment, it is virtually impossible to rebuild without community participation. Therefore, the objectives of the program are to facilitate community participation to work together for reconstruction. Community organizing is focused on fomenting participation and critical thinking so that communities can work toward long-term solutions to the perpetual economic crisis in El Salvador.
Mayra de Pilar Romero 25 years old, grassroots organizer in Tamanique, La Libertad
Mayra comes from a family with 9 children from the department of San Vicente. Her family disintegrated during the war when 3 brothers were killed fighting with the FMLN. Her father fled persecution and emigrated to the U.S., leaving her mother to care for the children and without a home. The family migrated to Tamanique, where Mayra completed only the 9th grade because of difficult conditions the family was living in. She was able to complete Junior High School while working at the same time to support her mother and siblings.
Mayra at a town hall meeting in Tamanique Mayra, along with another organizer in Tamanique, has organized 18 committees for Reconstruction and Development in all of Tamanique’s 18 villages - drastically increasing community participation. She has helped to raise funds for the rebuilding of 150 homes destroyed in the earthquake, compared to the 2 the current Mayor has rebuilt. Other advancements include: helping to create workshop for clay roof tiles to raise funds to expand organizing efforts, getting trees donated for reforestation, and giving workshops on rebuilding with improved adobe. Mayra also helped to organize a benefit soccer tournament so that a young woman from Tamanique could get a life-saving operation, in which over 1,000 people turned out, raising the $500 necessary for the operation. At age 25, Mayra has been proposed unanimously to be the FMLNs mayoral candidate in Tamanique in elections scheduled for March 2003.
Jaime Coreas-Jimenez 29 years old, grassroots organizer in San Jose Villanueva, La Libertad Jaime is one of seven children born in San Jose Villanueva. He and his family immigrated to Canada in 1989 because of the war - he was just 16 years old. Jaime finished 9th grade in El Salvador and was able to finish high school an get a university degree in social work while in Canada. Currently, Jaime has returned to his hometown of San Jose Villanueva. San Jose was added on to the organizer project in August 2002 because of the need for a coordinator to ensure community participation and follow up for the reconstruction of 96 houses damaged by the earthquake. Jaime works with youth, small businesses and the church to coordinate social projects for reconstruction. He has also formed 8 grassroots political committees and coordinated the opening of an office for political participation in the town center.
Dora Alicia Alas (Iris) 36 years old, grassroots organizer in San Rafael Cedros, Cuscatlan Iris, know by her war name, is one of 6 children and is a single mother of two daughters. Iris’s family is originally from Suchitoto but migrated because of the war. Her father and one brother were killed in the war. Because of the war, Iris and her siblings were unable to study. After the signing of the Peace Accords, she was able to get through the 9th grade in accelerated courses. Iris is an ex-combatant of the FMLN and was a radio operator and health promoter during the war. Political organizing in San Rafael Cedros had been weak or non-existent prior to the elections but Iris organized community organizations and base committees throughout the municipality, guaranteeing strong community democratic participation.
San Rafael Cedros - Brick Making Machine
Her other achievements include: organizing women’s committees, reconstruction committees and preventative health committees. She has helped form 13 communal associations, coordinated and got funding for 458 permanent houses, coordinated with NGOs and other involved in reconstruction, and has registered 365 people to vote. Iris has done all this while being a single mother and studying high school on weekends.
Carlos Alberto Martinez 28 years old, grassroots organizer in San Pedro Masahuat, La Paz Carlos is orgininally from San Francisco Chinameca in La Paz and continues to live there, but commutes to support community organizing in San Pedro Masahuat. Carlos comes from an agricultural family and currently has a wife and daughter. He has studied 2 years at the university level in Professor of Mathematics. Carlos was active in high school and was a founding member of the Cultural Association of San Francisco Chinameca in 1994.
Carlos speaking with community members Carlos’ work has been with rural communities in San Pedro Masahuat that were affected by Hurricane Mitch and later in the 2001 earthquakes. The zone is sugar cane producing and suffers from extreme poverty because of the poor wages paid. The area was occupied by the National Guard during the war and has had difficulty organizing community members. Carlos has helped form a coordination of communities in the area and a series of workshops in community participation, reconstruction, and emergency response committees.
Lorenza Pinchinte (Rubia) 42 years old, grassroots organizer in Suchitoto, Cuscatlan Rubia is a single mother with six children. She is originally from Tenancingo, Cuscatlan, and lived there until she was 15 years old. She then joined the FMLN and was a health worker in the war fronts. She has completed the 9th grade. Suchitoto was added onto the organizing project in August 2002. Rubia is working with the City Hall to form women’s and youth groups and committees around water and electrification projects, to guarantee community participation. Rubia is also working to register people to vote and mobilize people for the upcoming elections in March 2003.
Pedro Mendez Valencia 50 years old, grassroots organizer in Jicalapa, La Libertad Pedro lives with his wife and nine children. They live off of working the land. Pedro only has a 2nd grade level of education. Pedro’s organizing work has included coordinating construction of 25 permanent houses destroyed by the earthquake and organizing and getting a donation of seeds and fertilizer for 90 families affected by the earthquake.
Rafael Vasquez Martinez (Lito) 35 years old, grassroots organizer in Comasagua, La Libertad Lito and his life partner were born in Comasagua and live there with their four children. They are farmers, growing corn and beans for subsistence, and for the first time after the earthquake own their own plot of land. The land was bought as a donation from the Rainbow of Hope for Children Foundation in Canada.
Lito on the donated land from Rainbow of Hope for Children Lito’s work in Comasagua includes organizing the different villages in Comasagua for the first time. He along with the Reconstruction Committees formed in Comasagua defended the Venezuelan Brigades that helped rebuild Comasagua after being one of the most devastated towns after the January 2001 earthquake. The government of El Salvador and the local ARENA Mayor of Comasagua actually tried to expel the Venezuelans after the US government communicated to President Flores that they did not like the presence of the Venezuelan government in El Salvador. Lito has done fundraising, logistics, and legal work for the relocating of 44 families to the community of Santa Patricia and 22 families to the community of Arcoiris-Espana, all devasted and left homeless by the earthquake.
Roxanna Patricia Mendoza 25 years old, grassroots organizer in San Pedro Perulapan (SPP) Roxanna lives with her three children and life partner. She was born and raised in the village of San Francisco in SPP. Roxanna’s family lived in a war zone and was directly affected by the war and poverty. Roxanna has completed the 9th grade and worked in the maquilas factories before she got the job as a grassroots organizer.
San Pedro Perulupan after earthquake Roxanna has worked with communities in social and political aspects. She has been organizing sports teams and youth groups in the communities. She has also worked to register new people to vote and has increased the political participation of community members. Over 1,500 people showed up at the rally she organized to celebrate the primary elections for the Mayoral candidate.
Manuel Batres 40 years old, grassroots organizer in Zaragoza, La Libertad Manuel was born in Cojutepeque. He studied at universities in Nicaragua and Guatemala and moved to Zaragoza in 1984 when he got a job as a teacher at the COAR orphanage for children who had lost their parents due to the war. Manuel has a long history of activism including working with indigenous communities in Guatemala, Christian Base Communities in El Salvador, student movements, social organizer in the cooperative movement, human rights work in rural areas, coordinated the Culture and Recreation Commission as a member of the City Council of Santa Tecla (1997-2000), and long time member and activist of ANDES 21 DE JUNIO, a teacher’s association.
Center for Infant Development in Zaragoza Manuel is a school teacher in the morning and community organizer in the afternoon supporting the Zaragoza City Hall in its projects for community participation and the development of six Centers for Infant Development (CDI). He has been working to develop and fundraise for reconstruction after the earthquake, community organization and participation, and mobilizing communities to participate in various protest marches for peoples’ basic rights.
How you can help... The CIS needs your support to continue and strengthen the Grassroots Organizing Project. A brief glimpse into the work of the grassroots organizers demonstrates how crucial and monumental community organizing can be to long-term, sustainable community development and reconstruction.
Grassroots Organizers' Meeting at the CIS It is difficult to raise funds for organizing because many foundations like to see immediate results such as construction or other projects - projects that will likely fail without community participation and organization. Grassroots organizing creates a foundation of community participation for long-term sustainable change. Your commitment of financial support to the Grassroots Organizing Project will allow the CIS to continue providing a stipend to 8 grassroots organizers in various municipalities and broaden the project to other municipalities by adding more grassroots organizers to the project. If you or your organization want to support our work building people to people solidarity and grassroots efforts, below are the various ways to help: · $3,600 will support an organizer for a year · $300 will support an organizer for a month · Any amount of financial support will allow organizers to hold more meetings, mobilize more community members, attend out-of-town marches, and other activites. Donations can be made payable to the Center for Exchange and Solidarity (CIS).
Annual Budget - Grassroots Organizing Project Funds needed for 2003 & 2004 (in US$)
1 Organizer $3,534.00 per year $ 295.25 per month 8 Organizers $28,344.00 per year +$ 4,656.00* per year $33,000.00 per year $66,000.00 for 2 years
*To provide organizer support, meetings, mobile phones, etc. We would like to thank all of you who have made this project possible through your donations in the past and encourage new supporters to help us continue and strengthen the project in the coming years. Your support truly makes a difference in rebuiling for a new El Salvador!
Click the link below to read the first report for the Grassroots Organizing Project:
Six Month Report: April - September 2001, and Projections Back to top |
