Unión del Barrio –an organization that for over 30 years has struggled for the self-determination and liberation of La Raza, and other oppressed poor and working class people– held a community forum on Thursday January 19, 2012, at the Memorial Senior Center. The Center is located in Memorial Park, found within a mostly Mexican and African American community in San Diego. The objective of the forum was to address the critical issues facing our community and the importance of the participation of women in these particular struggles.

TOWARDS A NATIONAL MOVEMENT
The forum was also part of Unión del Barrio’s ongoing work to build a liberation movement that can challenge the oppressive and violent system known as capitalism that controls most of the world today.

The forum, organized under the theme of “La Mujer: Al Frente de la Lucha por la Liberacion de la Raza”, brought together more than fifty participants, which included men and women, teachers, mothers, students, and community organizers. Also, the Save Our Barrio Committee (SOBC), Association of Raza Educators (ARE), Lindsay Community School, and the Chicano Mexicano Prison Project (CMPP) displayed information and art, and sold their group’s material (pamphlets, calendar, pins, etc.)

The program began with a welcome and review of the day’s agenda by Compañera Isabell Peña, a leading member of Unión del Barrio. Compañera Isabell explained to the audience the importance of participating in events like the forum, which provides a space for ideas to be exchanged and to have a dialogue with different sectors of our community. She stressed that forums help us develop the knowledge and creates the unity that will move our struggle forward. Compañera Isabell specifically referred to the forum as part of the work to build a mujer national liberation conference that will be organized by Unión del Barrio on March 10, 2012, in Los Angeles, California.

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Towards the Building of International Working Women’s Day Conference 2012

Breaking Through Colonization with Women’s Liberation: Women’s Conference

Saturday March 10, 2012 | 10am-1pm
Central Region High School #16
The Social Justice Schools
300 E. 53rd Street | Los Angeles, CA 90011

In commemoration of International Working Women’s Day, Unión del Barrio reaches out to progressive and revolutionary forces to join us to discuss the crucial importance of Women’s participation in Political Struggle and the pivotal role we play in advancing Raza Liberation Struggle for Socialism!

Keynote Speaker:
Adriana Jasso, member of Union del Barrio’s
Central Committee

Rompiendo la Colonización a través de la Liberación de la Mujer

Sábado 10 de marzo, 2012 | 10am-1pm
Central Region High School #16
The Social Justice Schools
300 E. 53rd Street | Los Angeles, CA 90011

¡En conmemoración del Día Internacional de la Mujer Trabajadora, Unión del Barrio hace un llamado a las fuerzas progresistas y revolucionarias para unirse a nosotros y hablar sobre la importancia de la participación femenina en la lucha política y tomar parte de un rol fundamental hacia el avance de la lucha por el socialismo y la liberación de la Raza!

Oradora Principal:
Adriana Jasso, miembro del Comité Central
de Unión del Barrio

More information | Mas información

The objective of the forum was to present the struggle for social justice from the perspective of working class mujeres from a wide array of sectors from within our community. Speaking at the forum to talk on this topic were: Karen Barragán on behalf of Unión del Barrio; Karen Salazar, member of the Association of Raza Educators (ARE) in Los Angeles; Cathy Espitia, Coordinator of the Chicano Mexicano Prison Project (CMPP); Jenny Astudillo, on behalf of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlán (MEChA) de Lincoln High School; Adriana Jasso, Coordinator of the Raza Rights Coalition (RRC); Helena Rodriguez, on behalf of the Comité de Mujeres Patricia Marín (CMPM). All members of Unión del Barrio.

Each speaker came from a distinct perspective and spoke to the specific conditions from which mujeres must struggle to build a society which recognizes their fundamental rights to social, political and economic justice; all of this in the context of a capitalist system which systematically denigrates women, especially women from working class backgrounds and their contributions to society and denies working poor access to adequate healthcare, a relevant education, affordable and dignified housing, as well as a living wage.

The event was able to bring together a wide array of people that work with Unión del Barrio, its membership, and workers to advance our understanding on the struggle for the equality between women and men. The need for joining an organization was highlighted as the only way to advance the struggle against capitalism and the need to build a socialist alternative.

There was a commitment to continue the discussion and those present were invited to participate. Comité de Mujeres Patricia Marín at their monthly meetings every 2^nd Wednesday of the month held at the AFSC office, 3275 Market Street, SD, 92102. Next meeting will be held on Wednesday March 9^th, 2011 at 6:30 p.m.

More informatión please e-mail: cmpm1996@yahoo.com

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El 5 de marzo el Comité de Mujeres Patricia Marín (CMPM) realizó un foro comunitario para discutir el papel de la mujer en la “Lucha por la Justicia Social y la Liberación del la Raza”, como contribución  la conmemoración del Día Internacional de la Mujer Trabajadora. El foro se realizó en el Centro por la Justicia Social en la escuela preparatoria de Lincoln High School, ubicada en el área del Sur Este de San Diego en una comunidad Mexicana y Africana de la clase obrera.

El objetivo del foro fue de presentar cómo se manifiesta la lucha por la Justicia Social desde la perspectiva de mujeres en la lucha, provenientes varios sectores de nuestra comunidad. Presentando sobre este tema fueron; Karen Barragán a nombre de Unión del Barrio; Karen Salazar, Coordinadora de la Asociación de Educadores de la Raza (ARE) en Los Angeles; Cathy Espitia, Coordinadora del Comité de Presos Chicanos Mexicanos (CMPP); Jenny Astudillo, del Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlán (MEChA) de Lincoln High School; Adriana Jasso, Coordinadora de la Coalición Pro-Derechos de la Raza (CPDR); y Helena Rodríguez, a nombre del Comité de Mujeres Patricia Marín (CMPM). Todas militantes de Unión del Barrio.

Cada ponencia represento un sector de nuestra comunidad. Desde el sector magisterial, obraras, estudiantes, trabajadoras de la salud, y trabajadoras migrantes. Cada quien presentó que la actual sociedad capitalista no se reconoce el derecho a la igualdad de la mujer, y que las mujeres tienen el deber de luchar, con la participación de los hombres, a crear una lucha por una nueva sociedad donde sus derechos fundamentales sean reconocidas en el ámbito económico, político y social. Se reconoció que dentro de el actual sistema capitalista se niega y mercantiliza el derecho a la salud, educación y acceso a una vivienda decente. De igual forma se explicó como existe un sistema de súper explotación en el trabajo donde no se remunera el trabajo de manera que permite solventar los gastos básicos para una familia.

El evento logró juntar una amplia perspectiva de militantes de Unión del Barrio, aliados y trabajadoras que contribuyeron en profundizar sobre el tema de la lucha por la igualdad entre mujeres y hombres. Se invitó al publico a que se organice y se subrayo que solo organizadas y unidas contra el sistema capitalistas y por la construcción del socialismo se pudiera acabar con las desigualdades y sistemas de opresión y explotación que actualmente afecta a las mujeres en esta sociedad.

Hubo un compromiso en continuar la discusión con los presentes y se invitó al publico a participar en la próxima reunión del Comité de Mujeres Patricia Marín que se realizan cada 2o miércoles del mes en las oficinas del Comité de Amigos (3275 Market Street, San Diego, 92102). La próxima reunión se realizará el miércoles 9 de marzo de 2011 a partir de las 6:30pm.

Para mayores informes contacte: cmpm1996@yahoo.com

JULY 24, 2007 @ 9pm

TUNE IN AND LISTEN TO WHAT THE COMPANERAS HAVE TO SAY…

THE COMITE DE MUJERES PATRICIA MARIN (CMPM) is a project of Union del Barrio. We are a group of active and progressive Raza women from the local communities of Los Angeles, San Diego, and Oxnard committed to the struggle for self determination of our people. As activists, we come together every second Sunday of each month in order to develop our political education and participation as revolutionary women.

As daughters, mothers, sisters, students, teachers and career women we believe women are the nucleus of the family and of society as a whole; therefore, it is our duty to be leaders in our community.

Radio Insurgencia Femenina Airs Every other Tuesday
9-9:30pm KPFK 90.7FM Los Angeles
Tune in via the world wide web at: www.kpfk.org

This Tuesday July 24, 2007 we will be talking about:

1) Union del Barrio and it’s objectives
2) Migrant Issues, how we as CMPM are responding
3) Our work in the community…
4) Why we believe we are in “Occupied Mexico”???
5) Who was Patricia Marin
6) How we as women are active in the struggle without diving the issues into “Male” & “Female” struggles…
7) How more women can join the CMPM and the struggle…

El Comite de Mujeres Patricia Marin meets every 2nd Sunday of the Month…Due to circumstances out of our control our next meeting has been scheduled for the first week of the month:

Date: Sunday – August 5, 2007
TIME: 3:00 P.M.
LOCATION: KIWA
3465 West 8th Street (2nd Floor)
Los Angeles, CA 90005