from the Sisters of Mercy
Hear first-hand about the critical human rights situation in Honduras and how this is resulting in the unprecedented numbers of unaccompanied minors fleeing that country to the U.S.
- Who: Mercy Associate Aida Gonzalez Melana from Honduras
- What: Aida will share via conference call how extreme violence in Honduras is impacting herself, her fellow Hondurans, and how this is leading to the unprecedented influx of unaccompanied minor crossing the U.S.-Mexico border
- When: Tuesday, July 1 at 10 a.m. (Eastern Time)
- How: Call 1-800-977-8002 and input participant code 43195722#
Please RSVP here. It is important that we know the number of people participating in each call so that we can have enough phone lines open.
Note: Presentation will be spoken in Spanish and simultaneously translated into English.
*This presentation will be recorded for those unable to participate in the original airing. A link to this recording will be shared following the presentation.*
Background:
The current crisis on the border involving a huge influx of unaccompanied minors is highlighting the situation of extreme violence that is engulfing several Central American countries, especially Honduras. Since a coup in June 2009 that removed a democratically elected president, Honduras has seen an upsurge in politically motivated killings and a militarization of Honduran society.
Aída is the Administrative Director of Misericordia Tejedoras de Sueños (Mercy Dreamweavers) ministry in San Pedro Sula, the second largest city in Honduras which has become known as “the murder capital of the world.” Dreamweavers works with impoverished women throughout the region and has sponsored the formation of a credit union and cooperative store.
Aida is on a speaking tour in the United States, sponsored by the Quakers’ Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP), for which she is a facilitator. She will be at the Sisters of Mercy Institute offices June 30 and July 1, as well as visiting with Mercy communities in Chicago, Omaha and Belmont.
Our conversation with Aida will help us to better understand the conditions that force people to leave their home countries to escape violence and oppression. Our work on immigration reform is directly related to the realities facing the people of Honduras and other Central American countries.