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Victoria Support Committee: Thirty Years Solidarity
Theresa Wolfwood, Victoria
Volume 33 Issue 10, 11 & 12 | Posted: December 20, 2019
The Victoria Central America Support Committee (CASC) is a local organization which supports the struggles for social justice and sustainable peaceful life in Central America and globally. All CASC work is done by dedicated volunteers, giving their time, skills, materials as well as hospitality and food. We meet the first Wednesdays of them month in the Fernwood Community Association (FCA) boardroom at 7:30 pm. CASC supporters who would like to organize and work at our activities are always welcome to join. For more than thirty years CASC has organized meetings, speakers, films, art exhibitions and public demonstrations to create awareness leading to action and to raise funds for our companions in the struggle. Our main outreach is Café Simpatico, on the third Friday of eight months a year at FCA, 1923 Fernwood Road.
The Victoria Central America Support Committee (CASC) is a local organization which supports the struggles for social justice and sustainable peaceful life in Central America and globally. All CASC work is done by dedicated volunteers, giving their time, skills, materials as well as hospitality and food. We meet the first Wednesdays of them month in the Fernwood Community Association (FCA) boardroom at 7:30 pm. CASC supporters who would like to organize and work at our activities are always welcome to join. For more than thirty years CASC has organized meetings, speakers, films, art exhibitions and public demonstrations to create awareness leading to action and to raise funds for our companions in the struggle. Our main outreach is Café Simpatico, on the third Friday of eight months a year at FCA, 1923 Fernwood Road.
Recently CASC co-hosted meetings for Xinka people of Guatemala who are trying to protect their land and environment from the ravages of the Escobal silver mine, owned by Pan American Silver Corp., registered in Vancouver BC. The Xinka have not given their consent to this intrusion into their land and lives. Their action to protect their nation has resulted in death, injury, threats and harassment.
In 2018 on the anniversary of the assassination of Oscar Romero, the Salvadorian martyr, CASC was privileged to present retired Bishop Remi De Roo speaking on the Prophetic Legacy of Oscar Romero, just before Romero was canonized by the Vatican. See:
Going further afield because CASC recognizes that social justice and solidarity are indivisible and globally connected, we have had presentations on Peru including speakers from that country on the effects of oil pipelines on indigenous communities. We have presented two premiers of BC films on Western Sahara; a little known country and cause, once a Spanish colony, now a colonized by Morocco. Our solidarity with those everywhere seeking justice has also led us to present on the Site-C dam and a play set in Palestine: Stories form the Walled-off Hotel.
CASC is an important part of the social movement life in Victoria, working with other groups and making the vital connections between political oppression, poverty, environmental degradation, our government and society, militarization and climate change and the growing global resistance calling for social justice, a culture of peace and climate justice. We continue our work as we dream of a better world for all.
“Action is the mother of hope.”
~ Pablo Neruda
For more information see: https://www.victoriacasc.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/vcasc/
Theresa Wolfwood, Victoria