Calendar

• Thursday, February 16 Solidarity Action Group: Fair Trade

  7-9pm
  Held at IRTF office, 3606 Bridge Ave.

  Campaign Topics Include: Fair Trade Your Supermarket
  Chocolate, Ice Cream, Bananas

  IRTF envisions a world where people work for themselves and do not have to be dependent on the dominant economic model that perpetuates inequality and exploitation of people and the environment. Instead, selfdetermination, gender equality, transparency, and democratic organization are the norm.

  All are welcome to attend our monthly meetings.

  Support for Cooperatives
  Goals:
  • to support the growth of Fair Trade cooperatives as an alternative economic model.
  • to promote community-to-cooperative relationships between northeast Ohio and Central America and Colombia.
  • to educate northeast Ohio on policy questions that impact local economies in Central America and Colombia.

  Consumer Advocacy
  Goals:
  • to strengthen popular support for fair trade.
  • to institute more fair trade products into local businesses.
  • to get corporations to use more fair trade sources in their products.

  Flyer for Solidarity Action Group: Fair Trade

• Monday, February 20 Solidarity Action Group: Exploited Labor

  7-9pm
  IRTF Office - 3606 Bridge Ave.

  Topics: Killer Bananas, Criminal Cocoa

  IRTF envisions a world where the economic system has been transformed to allow workers better housing, healthcare, nutrition, education and other basic needs for their families. Workers control the conditions under which they work, maintaining a value of labor that upholds the human dignity of the worker.

  All are welcome to attend our monthly meetings.

  Global Economic Policy
  Goals:
  • to create international and domestic legally enforceable workplace and environmental standards and trade policies through legislative advocacy and consumer campaigns.
  • to build union-to-union relationships among US and Central American/Colombian unions for solidarity as resistance to the race to the bottom.

  Worker Rights
  Goals:
  • to support workers in organizing larger numbers of independent unions and democratizing workplaces.
  • to support workers who want to start alternative, democratic models of production and economic relationships.

  Flyer for Solidarity Action Group: Exploited Labor

• Tuesday, February 21 Solidarity Action Group: Anti-Militarism

  7-9pm
  IRTF Office - 3606 Bridge Ave.

  IRTF envisions a world where US relations with Central America and Colombia have moved beyond mostly military-to-military ties toward relationships that develop and uphold self-determination, freedom, democracy, and social and economic justice. By shifting money and human resources away from militarism—both in the US and in Central America and Colombia—more resources are devoted to meeting human needs.

  All are welcome to attend our monthly meetings.

  Democratization
  Goals: • to support people's pro-democratic, nonviolent movements.
  • to support people's sovereignty and democracy instead of military and coupimposed governments
  • to advocate for public policy and US accountability to people's prodemocratic movements.

  US Training of Central American & Colombian Militaries
  Goals: • to end US training of Latin American military and other security forces in Central America and Colombia and on US soil.
  • to end the US militarization of humanitarian, economic, environmental and other foreign assistance to Central America & Colombia.

  US Military Presence in Latin America
  Goal: • to eliminate long-term US military presence in Central America and Colombia, including personnel and bases.

  Flyer for Solidarity Action Group: Anti-Militarism

• Saturday, February 25 IRTF Social Justice Teach-In

  9am-4:30pm
  Magnificat High School (20770 Hilliard Blvd, Rocky River, OH 44116)

  IRTF's 12th annual Social Justice Teach-in is a great opportunity for people of all ages to learn about critical human rights issues and practice hands-on skills to organize for peace, economic justice, and human rights with 15 workshops by local and national experts!

  This annual event attracts 150-200 participants, many from area high schools and college. The Teach-In will provide participants with information, practical skills, and resources to support their own human rights programming at their schools, congregations, or other groups – or to organize for change with IRTF.

  Registration is available by filling out the registration form/brochure or by going to 2012TeachIn.eventbrite.com.

  Pre-registration cost is $10 for individuals and $50 for students groups of 6-20. At-the-door cost is $15 for individuals and $60 for student groups.

  Sponsorships are also available. Please contact Sarah@irtfcleveland.org or 216.961.0003 for more information. Download the sponsorship form here.

  Flyer for 2012 IRTF Social Justice Teach-In
  2012 IRTF Social Justice Teach-In Brochure & Registration Form
  2012 IRTF Social Justice Teach-In Co-Sponsorship Form

• Monday, February 27 Solidarity Action Group: Environmental Human Rights

  7-9pm
  IRTF Office - 3606 Bridge Ave.

  "THE BUSINESS OF GOLD IN GUATEMALA"
  This one-hour film documents the harm inflicted by Goldcorp on the population and the environment of San Miguel Ixtahuacán, the development of disease, infraction of human rights, and overall poor social welfare resulting from corporate mining. The film examines the rise of collective resistance by indigenous communities against the mines, and the state initiated military violence intended to silence the uprisings.

  IRTF envisions a world where local communities (particularly indigenous and Afrodescendant) are able to assert their right to communal lands and self-determination, especially when outsiders try to impose infrastructure or development projects. Communities are able to define the kind of development they want: economically and environmentally sustainable while maintaining cultural integrity. Their autonomy is respected by governments and corporations. The modern economic view of natural resources as something to be exploited for the sake of development or profit has been replaced with an ethic of people over profit.

  All are welcome to attend our monthly meetings.

  Industrial Degradation
  Goals: • to stop the forcible exploitation of lands and resources for profit.
  • to stand with communities (particularly indigenous and Afro-descendant) as they resist exploitation to preserve their lands and resources.

  Cultural Preservation
  Goals:
  • to stand with communities (particularly indigenous and Afro-descendant) to secure safe space to thrive and carry forward their cultures from generation to generation.
  • to stop the repression of communities (particularly indigenous and Afrodescendant) as they organize their lives according to traditional values and ways.
  • To support economic ventures that preserve traditional cultures, promote environmental sustainability, and meet local human needs

  Flyer for Solidarity Action Group: Environmental Human Rights