nicaragua, the popular economynicaraguasc.org.uk/resources/nicaragua now 8 .pdf · 7 sex workers,...

Issue 8Summer 2017

Nicaragua, the popular economyThe US threatens Nicaragua

Fairtrade protects the environment

Street sellers & sex workers unionised

2 NICARAGUA NOW 6 SUMMER 2017

On 27 April, a bill was introduced into the US Senate that could, if enacted, cut off international loans to Nicaragua for education,

social programmes, electrification, roads and other infrastructure initiatives. On introducing the Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act (NICA Act) Republican Senator Ted Cruz stated: “Nicaragua and all freedom-loving people in Central America depend on the US for leadership.” Roll back thirty years and Henry Kissinger, US Secretary of State 1973–1977, expressed similar sentiments, justifying US intervention in Chile by claiming that the country needed rescuing from its irresponsible voters.

Looked at rationally, it is counterproductive for the US to take action that could profoundly destabilise its ‘backyard.’ Since 2007, Nicaragua has become one of the most politically and economically stable countries in Central America with an average growth of 4%, and highly successful poverty reduction programmes. Cutting off international finance would not only destabilise Nicaragua but would also have a knock-on effect across the region and add to the flow of migrants to the US. From a US viewpoint, particularly given President Trump’s obsession with keeping people out, this would appear irrational. However, as Chuck Kaufman, from the US-based Nicaragua Network points out “the US is going through a period of even greater than normal irrationality.”

The age of irrationality

Contents

3 What is the popular economy? Liz Light finds out from presidential advisor Orlando Nuñez.

4 Protecting the environment through Fairtrade, Santiago Dolmus from CECOCAFEN, Matagalpa, explains

6 Mitigating climate change, Juana Antonia Mendez describes the role of Fairtrade producers.

7 Sex workers, trade unionists and court advisers, Nicaragua Now reports.

8 Deaf children in Nicaragua, Kathy Owston describes her work.

9 What difference does a decent road make? Ludi Simpson revisits Bradford’s twin town of Tisma.

10 Solidarity news, internationalism in the 1980s, campaigning against the NICA Act, news from Bristol, training programmes for Nicaraguan trade unions funded by UK counterparts.

12 TUC funds training programme for women street sellers, Louise Richards describes the impact.

The NICA Act is part of a wider US agenda to isolate left parties and governments across the region, particularly Venezuela. Nicaraguan trade unionist and National Assembly deputy Jose Antonio Zepeda explains: “The US believes that because it has neglected its backyard, the Latin America left has advanced and it is now time to put things in order. Rather than sending in troops, the US now focuses on ‘soft coups’ such as the one that removed Mel Zelaya in Honduras, and those that deposed Dilma Rouseff in Brazil and Fernando Lugo in Paraguay.”

The NICA Act has met with unanimous condemnation in Nicaragua: by the government, the National Assembly, the private sector, and all political parties and religious leaders. Luis Almagro, the General Secretary of the Organisation of American States also issued a statement urging US legislators to reconsider, pointing out that the Act would not be a productive contribution to democracy. The IMF expressed concern that Nicaragua’s economic growth would be undermined.

Over the past ten years, Nicaraguans have consistently voted in governments they believe will deliver on stability, peace, dignity, jobs and improve their wellbeing and standard of living.

NICA, if enacted, would profoundly undermine these advances and impact most severely on the most vulnerable people, with consequences not just for Nicaragua but for the whole region, including the US itself.

Published by Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign 86 Durham Rd London N7 7DT

www.nicaraguasc.org.uk 020 7561 4836

Editorial and contributors: Daphne Davis Liz Light Kathy Owston Ludi Simpson Louise Richards Helen Yuill

Cover photo: Picking shade grown coffee, Matagalpa. Nicaraguan Fairtrade coffee is sold in the UK by Cafedirect. www.cafedirect.co.ukDesign: Tom Lynton

The Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign has taken all reasonable care to ensure that the information contained in this edition of Nicaragua Now is accurate on the stated date of publication. The views expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign, unless otherwise stated

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The Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign (NSC) and NSCAG work with Nicaraguan organisations and social movements fighting for social and economic justice by promoting and seeking support for their activities. We carry this out through speaker tours of the UK by representatives of our partner organisations facilitating

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NICARAGUA NOW 6 SUMMER 2017 3

“Nicaragua’s wealth is created by three economic blocks – foreign capital, national capital, and the popular

economy, a sector which produces most of the country’s food and generates 70% of the country’s employment.”

“Nicaragua’s popular economy is the strongest in Latin America: it owns a higher percentage of the land, has most access to credit and is the most organised. Although the country is still impoverished this new type of economy is creating a slow, silent rev-olution by gradually taking economic control. For example, nearly 100% of sesame seed is produced, processed and exported by small producers, who because they are involved in the whole value chain are much better off.”

“Co-operatives are an important sector of the popular economy. During the 80s it proved very difficult for them to consolidate because they were military targets in the US-backed contra war. During the years of neo-liberal governments, they almost dis-appeared because of lack of access to credit. But since the FSLN returned to power in 2007, co-ops are again being developed and there are now more than 5,000, particularly in agriculture, fishing, craft and transport.”

“Co-ops are provided with training in administra-

Socialism from below: the popular economy*

tion, co-operativism, economics, organic production, water harvesting etc... With ro-bots and computerisation big capital needs fewer workers, so the only way forward is for the poor to take charge of the economy. It is a transformation that implies a long, hard struggle; the results will not be seen in 10 or 20 years as advances in this type of economy take between 50 to 100 years to be seen.”

“Production by small and medium producers guarantees Nicaragua’s food security, so government policies support them with credit and co-operative organisation and by improving services such as access to electricity, water and roads.

Liz Light talks to Presidential Adviser on Social Affairs Orlando Núñez Soto about the importance of the popular economy, a sector that generates 50% of the country’s wealth but receives little recognition.

Uber out!This January the government refused Uber permission to operate in Nicaragua in order to protect the local taxi sector which largely consists of drivers working in co-operatives and small family businesses.

“With robots and computerisation big capital needs fewer workers so the only way forward is for

the poor to take charge of the economy. It is a transformation that implies a long, hard

struggle.”

Programmes such as Zero Hunger provide capital, not food handouts, enabling farmers to produce food and compete in the market. Without farmers and fishermen we would have to import food and poverty would increase.”

“The principle problem small produc-ers face is market prices. There are always problems with credit and those related to poverty, but fundamentally the principle problem is price. Inflation hits them hard as the cordoba devalues but the prices stay the same. Other problems include access to capital to invest in adding value to their products, and competition from large for-eign companies.”

“It’s important that people, not big capital, own the land, the businesses, the credit market and transport. It’s good news that the small producers are beginning to appropriate the economy. This is a different approach from the socialist culture where the state owns the economy, which we’ve seen didn’t work from either an economic or a political viewpoint. This is what we call ‘socialism from below,’ the associative route to socialism, co-operativism.”

Orlando Núñez Soto, adviser on social affairs to the Nicaraguan presidency The popular economy consists of all workers who are not bosses or

salary earners, but who earn a living from their own work. This includes small and medium farmers, informal sector and

self-employed workers, co-operatives, and associations.

Liz

Ligh

t

See pages 4, 5, 6, 7 and 12 for articles about

co-operatives and self-employed workers


the coffee both provides more shade and is another income-generating crop. In addi-tion, we are growing bananas for our own consumption and to sell locally, which helps compensate for the reduction in coffee. At lower levels where it is becoming impossible to grow coffee because of rising tempera-tures due to climate change, cocoa is being substituted for coffee.

While the risk of better educated young people leaving the co-operatives exists, this has only happened on a small scale. We discuss this with the fam-ilies, the co-operatives and with the young people, and try to encourage them to stay in their community. Of course, some young people have studied for careers which are not linked to the rural economy and have moved to the cities, but there have been few such cases. Even when this has happened, having a son or daughter who works as a nurse in a hospital or a teacher in a school

can help the family improve their standard of living. The majority of those we help study agronomy, accountancy or administra-tion and they are back working in their own co-operatives or managing co-operatives. Many of our teachers are the children of co-operative members, who have come back to teach in their own communities.

Our governing documents state that 50% of representatives to our Gener-al Meeting must be women. We always promote the greatest possible participation

Fairtrade contributes to raising producers’ living standards. The families are dependent on coffee, it’s how they make a living, it’s their

way of life. CECOCAFEN ensures that the profit from the sale of coffee is invested in the families to meet their basic needs, so families can improve their homes and invest in their health and education.

With the social premium from Fairtrade we have provided study grants for our mem-bers’ children. They have studied agriculture and agronomy so they are better equipped to take on more advanced roles in the production process and have also pursued other careers in the wider economy, such as administration and accountancy. Everyone benefits: the families, their farms and their communities.

We no longer have to provide health care and education because the current govern-ment has greatly improved state provision. People just need to pay for clothing, fares, books and equipment for research, so now we help to finance that.

CECOCAFEN aims to improve the living standards of producers and their families by enabling them to play a more dynamic role in the production system and in their co-operatives. Helping them deal with all eventualities has strengthened the organi-sation.

Under the Fairtrade system, co-op-eratives play a crucial role in bringing together a large number of small coffee growers. This makes it easier to train people to comply with Fairtrade criteria and ensure a safe, good quality product. For the co-operatives, Fairtrade is also an excellent opportunity to sell the fruits of their labour to consumers.

Climate change is not our fault but we have to deal with the impact.

The Fairtrade chain: producers and consumers uniteSantiago Dolmus visited the UK during Fairtrade Fortnight (27 February – 12 March). Santiago is from CECOCAFEN, an umbrella organisation of 11 co-op unions with over 2,000 members. During the visit he met hundreds of Fairtrade and environmental activists, students, farmers, allotment holders and workers in Fairtrade shops to highlight what the Fairtrade model means for farmers and how it contributes to mitigating the impact of climate change.

It means greater extremes of weather and more erratic seasons. Now it often rains when it shouldn’t, and is dry when we need water. The coffee bushes come into flower more often and that brings the risk that the harvest period could change. The extremes of weather bring cold, then wind, then rain, then heat, and after rain the wind dries out the soil. The unpredictability makes it more difficult to protect the environment, and to plan and this brings greater expense.

We mitigate the impact of climate change through growing coffee under the forest canopy and reducing the use of agrochemicals to a minimum. This helps to reduce the strength of the wind and the rays of the sun and improves the condition of the coffee bushes. We are very aware that the excessive use of chemicals contributes to climate change, so we use organic methods to fertilise the soil and control pests.

Planting some cocoa bushes among

Santiago Dolmus, CECOCAFEN with staff of the Wild Thyme Wholefood Co-op, Southsea and members of the Portsmouth Fairtrade Group

Sue Jam

es


by women. In 2013 we developed a gender policy and strategy to ensure the participa-tion of women in different decision-making bodies. The strategy also states that young people - men and women -need to be incor-porated into the co-operative as the next generation of leaders. Our 2013 General Meeting approved changes to our govern-ing document so that at least 50% of the delegates to the General Meeting must be women. There are more and more women in executive positions and a significant number of women have managerial posts in the co-operatives, and in CECOCAFEN itself.

Transnational companies pose a potential threat to the environment, to small scale producers, and to Nicara-gua’s reputation for producing high grade Arabica coffee. Nicaragua has a free trade policy and therefore it’s not possible for the country to impede transnational companies. Nevertheless, the government should make sure that these companies at least comply with Nicaraguan labour and en-vironmental laws so they don’t put people’s lives or the environment at risk.

Nicaragua has a reputation for producing high-grade Arabica coffee, while transnation-als plant a low-grade variety called Robusta. This destroys the environment because it is grown in full sun with no shade, which

requires more agrochemicals that cause con-tamination and needs excessive quantities of water. It also concerns us that the country will lose its international image as a country that produces high-quality coffee and could mean that certain price advantages which exist are eliminated. People may say, “No, now Nicaragua is producing any old coffee”.

As a co-operative of small producers this leaves us at a disadvantage, especially now that there are three transnational com-panies involved in coffee. This becomes the war of three titans, and we are so small in comparison that we struggle to compete.

We invite consumers, social organ-isations and grass roots movements to fight alongside us to strengthen the Fairtrade model: it benefits us all so we must find ways to sustain and strength-en it. The Fairtrade model has been well thought through and over the years has brought large numbers of people together and raised their awareness. But Fairtrade needs more people who understand the huge social and economic problems that exist everywhere.

Above all in the Fairtrade chain we need consumers’ organisations, producers’ organisations, and social organisations so that we can continue to develop a marketing model that is modern and of mutual benefit.

The commitments of Fairtrade are social and environmental and address the undeniable reality of climate change. We have to make Fairtrade a more active model to address the consequences of climate change and mitigate its impact.

Although we, as CECOCAFEN, are Fairtrade-certified and monitored annually, we only sell 30-50% of our crop through Fairtrade markets: the rest is sold on the commercial market where the price is lower because we don’t receive the Fairtrade pre-mium. This means we are selling coffee on the open market that doesn’t recognise its environmental, social and community value.

We have a large number of small producers who live from the land, dream of a better life and look after their farms. We need more people everywhere to consume Fairtrade coffee. In this way, they will contribute to a system of production in the hands of small producers who cultivate all their coffee under the shade of the forest. It is environmentally friendly, healthy, it is coffee for life.

Further information: www.nicaraguasc.org.uk

CECOCAFEN coffee is sold in the UK by Cafedirect

www.cafedirect.co.ukSee also page 6

Preparing an ingredient for liquid fertilizer made from grain, cane syrup and micro-organisms. CECOCAFEN uses bio-organic fertilizers to combat plant diseases as part of a mitigation and adaptation to climate change programme.

CEC

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AFEN


additional income and coffee prices are very low. We also grow mangoes, bananas, man-darins, oranges which we will sell to the local market. An additional project is eco-tourism initiatives such as Matagalpa Tours. They send us tourists and we organise food, ac-commodation, hikes, coffee plantation tours and we sell our produce to visitors. This is an additional income and also an opportunity to share our culture.”

“I’ve been a member of the co-op and CECOCAFEN for the last ten years. Before that I produced coffee but sold it on the local market. My parents,

my husband and now my children are all coffee producers too. Before I had the farm I used to work as a coffee picker on other people’s farms. It is a great achievement that we now have our own farm and our own shade-grown coffee.”

“The benefit for us of having access to the Fairtrade market is that we receive a higher price for our coffee and an additional Fairtrade premium that gives us extra in-come on top of the coffee market price. The market price this year is US$134 per quintal (100lbs) and the Fairtrade premium means we receive an extra $20 for each quintal.”

“Before we had access to the Fairtrade

How Fairtrade contributes to mitigating climate changeCoffee grower Juana Antonia Mendez Herrera is a member of the Co-Apante Co-operative, one of the co-operative unions that make up CECOCAFEN. Along with her husband and six children she owns a 15 hectare farm in San Ramon, Matagalpa. Her oldest daughter, Aura Valle, is president of the 120 member co-operative. The family sells their coffee to Fairtrade markets in the US and Europe through CECOCAFEN which processes the beans and then exports them.

market things were often difficult and the price we received for our coffee was not enough to cover our production costs and liv-ing expenses. Whereas now that we are able to advance more with the extra we receive, things have definitely improved for us.”

“The main impact of climate change is the increase in temperatures which means we need to protect the soil and the envi-ronment. For example, we make organic fertiliser from animal and vegetable waste. In this way, we retain moisture in the soil to prevent it from deteriorating. Our coffee is shade-grown so the leaves provide natural compost; we are also using other preventa-tive methods such as live fencing.”

“…in the future we are planning to pro-duce cocoa as well as coffee: this is because of climate change but also because we need

Eco tourism contributes to mitigating climate change Each farm has areas of trees for shade and a source of water. Our programme is mutually beneficial: visitors get a low-cost opportunity to live close to nature with local families, and learn about coffee cultivation; the families diversify their income and exchange experiences with their guests. The host families use their own vegetables, fruit, milk and meat to provide food for their guests, which means the producers receive a better price for their produce.

Further information: www.tourism.ucasanramon.com

Coffee grower Ana Auxiliadora Mairena making organic fertilizer from coffee pulp to use on her crops. Ana Auxiliadora is a member of the Cooperative La Hermandad, a grass roots co-operative and member of CECOCAFEN

CEC

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Set up nine years ago, the Nicaraguan Women’s Association of Sex Workers Girasoles (Sunflowers) began organising

against discrimination and violence in order to gain trust and build support for their demands: integration into the judicial system and unionisation of sex workers across the country. This strategy has proved very successful and the Association has recruited 2,300 of the country’s estimated 14,000 sex workers. They became formally unionised in 2016 and joined the self-employed sector union CTCP. (see page 12)

One key role that the Association plays is to provide support on legal issues - and not only to sex workers - in its first year the Association took on 412 cases, only 102 of which involved sex workers. Film maker Florence Jaugey of Camila Films explains that the programme is intended to “reduce the weight on the police and the judicial system while integrating sex workers into Nicaragua’s judicial system.”

One successful example of the Asso-ciation’s work was a pregnant sex worker sacked from a nightclub who was reinstated as a result of a ruling by the Nicaragua Min-istry of Labour (MITRAB) that recognised her employment rights.

The historic ruling, thought to be the first of its kind, means that the sex worker concerned resumed her work after giving birth and completing her maternity leave. The Association applauded this outcome not only for the worker concerned but also because the case sets a precedent in upholding the fundamental right of pregnant women in the workplace not to the discriminated against.

Eighteen of the Association’s mem-bers have become volunteer legal advisers accredited by the Supreme Court to support members in legal cases, including acting as legal facilitators to the Supreme Court of Justice. Association member Maria Elena

Unionised sex workers who act as court advisersNicaragua Now reports on a group of sex workers who are not only organised into a trade union but also accredited by the Supreme Court to act as judicial facilitators and advisers.

Davila comments: ‘We are capable women, we defend our rights, and we are also con-tributing to justice in our country.’

In January this year, a Nicaraguan film col-lective called Camila films released a documen-tary about the work of the Association. The film, Girasoles de Nicaragua, has been praised across Latin America, one of the most danger-ous regions in the world for sex workers.

As Florence Jaugey points out: “It’s

a unique case in the world for the justice authorities to have given this responsibility to sex workers.” Jaugey went on to com-ment that the success of the film is due to a combination of the goodwill and levels of organisation of the women and the state of the law in Nicaragua.

For information on Camila films and a trailer of the documentary: www.camilafilms.com

Yessenia, sex worker, and regional leader of Los Girasoles in Masaya, explains the benefits of unionising to her colleagues.

Cam

ila Films


In March, when I met Laura Dogu, the US Ambassador to Nicaragua, I was tempted to ask her about 50 years of US intervention in Nicaragua. But we

discussed Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL) instead! She was in Estelí to inaugurate the new school year for an arts and media project for the deaf. The founder, Famnuel Ubeda, welcomed us to his mother’s house where two small dark rooms are used to run Nicaraguan Sign Language(NSL) classes at weekends for deaf people and hearing students (teachers, parents and medics).

Sign Language is important because Nicaragua cannot afford to provide hearing aids to children. In the UK any deaf child can be provided with a hearing aid or a cochlear implant on the NHS. In Nicaragua basic health care is free, but does not include audiological assessments or hearing aids. This means that deaf people are not able to hear speech, so are not able to learn an oral language.

Much to do in Nicaragua for deaf children

Lack of resources in state schools means that most deaf children attend mainstream classes with no extra support. Julio is a rural primary school teacher who teaches a deaf child. “She doesn’t speak and I have no idea if she understands the curriculum. She copies down what I write on the board, but I have no way of assessing if she knows what it is about”. The truth is that she doesn’t understand; however she enjoys the social interaction of being in school. So, although Julio says he is not too worried about her, I am because she will go through school having learned very little and will have almost no communication skills at all.

Nicaragua puts its resources entirely into fostering sign language. The deaf community is remarkably developed considering the level of poverty; this is largely due to the emergence of NSL following the 1979 Sandinista revolution. (see box)

Deaf people in towns are far less isolated and have a recognised language if they

manage to access NSL. However, in rural areas deaf children are very isolated. The story of Gerald, who came to live in Estelí with a cousin at the age of fifteen, is a typical one. He had spent all his life doing manual farm work in the countryside with no access to schooling or means of communication. He is now attending a class for deaf students where he is growing in confidence and beginning to use NSL with his deaf peers.

Despite major advances in recent years Nicaragua remains one of the poorest countries in Latin America and therefore faces major challenges in finding resources to expand provision for the deaf. I would dearly love to help start an Early Identification programme, to take advantage of those magical early years when children can learn so quickly.

Teacher of the deaf, Kathy Owston, describes her work supporting the deaf community in Esteli and Jinotega for the past year. Kathy is taking a career break from St Thomas’ Hospital Hearing Implant Centre.

Further information: Arts and Media Project for the deaf

www.etavs.org Café de las Sonrisas, Granada, restaurant staffed by deaf people

www.facebook.com/cafe.de.las.sonrisas For longer version of this article:

www.stevenicaragua.wordpress.com

Steve Lew

is

Alma Castillo is a student of Nicaraguan Sign Language (NSL) run by ETAVS, a school of art, communication and television for deaf and visually impaired people. Until the 1970s, there were no facilities for deaf children but with the Sandinista revolution came a new impetus to provide special needs education. Two schools were set up in Managua for 400 deaf children. Each child had their own signs, used within their families, which they began to share. This impromptu communication turned into what became rec-ognised as NSL.


es are undoubtedly due to the construction of roads into Tisma from Masaya and Ma-nagua, one of the infrastructure projects of the Sandinista government, in power again nationally since 2007 and in Tisma since 2001. Five miles of dust in the summer and mud in the winter have been replaced by paved roads and there are half-hourly buses.

Easy access has created commerce of every type so that the couple of shops are now a couple of dozen. The roads give people the chance to travel daily to work in the cities and in the Free Trade Zone factories. They also attract people to Tisma to work, marry or to retire. The whole of Nicaragua has advanced in the past twenty years but there can’t be much doubt that the roads have accelerated Tisma’s development.

What hasn’t changed in Tisma? The commitment of its community activists is undimmed. When I first visited thirty years ago I was shown round by eight year old Sheyla Aburto. Sheyla now has four children and as a qualified solicitor helps individuals

and organisations to claim their rights. Sheyla spent most of 2016 as an organ-

iser for a government low interest credit programme for groups of women to start their own small businesses in return for a commitment to support each other and to make regular repayments.

Sheyla and the head teacher of the sec-ondary school, unrefurbished but now with pupils up to age 18, are Tisma’s new link to Bradford. They are supported by a formal letter from Tisma’s Council and by two Sandinistas from 30 years ago, who are still working and active. One of them, Nidia, has offered her house for visitors from Bradford, so readers please start saving for the flight.

Bradford’s Latin America solidarity group Viva! is interested in the renewed link together with some of those involved in the 1980s. We will make it happen by finding ways in which it can be mutually benefi-cial, learning from Tisma and Nicaragua’s solutions to community organisation and development, and making links of friend-ship which are so much easier now than in those pre-internet days.

In the 1980s and early 1990s we highlighted Nicaragua as an example to the world of a country that prioritised its poorest sectors while fighting invasions

organised by then US president Reagan. In Bradford we raised funds for a pre-school, for carpenters, for a scheme that provided hens to poor families to rear for food, and a campaign to get young people legally registered to gain their full rights.

Those links fell apart after the Sandin-istas lost the elections in both Tisma and nationally. Without that official support the projects proposed from Tisma became more about addressing individual survival. The lack of personal visits and communi-cations in those pre email times meant we couldn’t sustain the link. But after my visit in February, the first contact for 17 years, Tisma would like to restart those links and there is an appetite in Bradford to find a way of responding in ways that will be mutually beneficial.

What’s new in Tisma? The biggest chang-

Revolutionary roads: Tisma then and now

From 1986 until the mid 1990s Bradford had a twinning link with the town of Tisma. Thirty years on Ludi Simpson returns to discuss renewing the link and to find out how Tisma has changed.

A full report is available at https://tinyurl.com/VivaTisma

Tisma secondary school children responding to letters from a school in Bradford.

Ludi Sim

pson


Trade union leaders, UK organisations and individuals condemn the NICA Act In response to the serious threat to Nicaragua’s stability posed by the NICA Act (see editorial), NSC and NSCAG circulated a statement condemning the Act, and calling for the US to refrain from interfering in Nicaragua’s internal affairs.

The statement was endorsed by the General Secretary of Public Services International, and the General Secretaries of seven major UK and Irish trade unions. In addition seven national and local organisations along with 130 individuals added their voice. Our thanks to everyone who supported the statement.

In the US, our sister organisation, the Nicaragua Network, has been lobbying Congress members and Senators calling on them to oppose the bill.

For updates: www.nscag.org www.nicaraguasc.org.uk

Fairtrade coffee farmer visits BristolMaura Jarquin from the co-operative union SOPPEXCCA visited Bristol during Fairtrade Fortnight 27 February – 12 March. During her busy and productive stay she spoke to hundreds of school children across the region. One teacher commented: “The students considered what the idea of fairly traded products means, and took away a clear awareness of life in a small Nicaraguan community, and of the huge advances in education, health and local infrastructure.” Maura also spoke to a packed audience at a Fairtrade event in the city centre and at an International Women’s Day event that featured coffee cocktails!

UK trade unions’ project support for Nicaraguan counterpartsUK trade unions continue to lend their support to their Nicaraguan counterparts’ capacity building initiatives. Through its International Development Fund, UNISON has supported the establishment of a trade union training school for public sector union UNE and workshops aimed at women and young people for the health union FETSALUD. More recently, UNISON has agreed to support work to stamp out workplace bullying being carried out by higher education union FESITUN. The National Union of Teachers, NUT, has also funded the National Workers’ Front FNT to enable them to ensure the maintenance of computers previously provided. The NUT is also working with the Nicaraguan teachers’ union ANDEN on a proposed teacher exchange with Nicaragua, due to take place from 29 July – 19 August this year.

Further information: www.nscag.org/solidarity/projects/

Bristol support for pre-schools and sanitation projects

Bristol Link with Nicaragua’s (BLINC’s) development worker in their twin town of Puerto Morazán has reviewed pre-school education and sanitation projects which BLINC has supported in recent years, and has found they are all sustainable and well run. BLINC is crowdfunding to raise £10K to build another Montessori pre-school in Puerto Morazán. Kalise Powell from the University of Bristol (UoB) is on a year-long placement in Puerto Morazán, the first such placement BLINC has organised in collaboration with UoB. Kalise is working in pre-schools and supporting a basketball-coaching project in the community. BLINC’s annual fundraiser football tournaments Copa Sandino and Copa Lucrecia Lindo take place on 21 May.

Further information: bristolnicaragua

UK-Nicaragua Solidarity

Maura at the Ralph Allen School, Bristol


Thirtieth anniversary of the murder of US volunteer Ben Linder by the US-backed contraBen Linder, an engineer and a clown, who went to Nicaragua in 1983 to work on hydroelectric projects to provide energy to the community, schools, clinics and campesinos in the EL Cua war zone of northern Nicaragua, was murdered along with his two co-workers on 28 April, 1987. Ben epitomized the spirit of tens of thousands of international volunteers who visited Nicaragua in the 1980s to witness and contribute to the rebuilding of Nicaragua and to condemn the brutal military and economic war inflicted on the country by the Reagan administration.

Bryan Moore from Oregon visited Nicaragua with Ben in the 1980s and paid this tribute to him on the anniversary of his death. “in this painful time of renewed violence and frightening uncertainty, we can look to Ben Linder as an inspiration not only to stand up in resistance but also to work to transform horrific violence into peace, prosperity and justice.”

Performers Without Borders: much more than just a circusEvery year since 2013 Performers Without Borders has brought an artist troupe to Nicaragua for three months to work with disadvantaged kids in Leon, San Marcos, Granada and Managua. On this, their fifth tour, they performed for over 6,000 people and taught more than 60 workshops to hundreds of kids.

Team member Sam Goodburn is Brit-ain’s Freestyle Unicycle Champion. After seeing first-hand how circus can help kids

BOOK REVIEW At the Foot of the Volcano Maarten Roest 2015This is a travelogue with a difference; it provides a wonderful insight into Nicaragua’s recent history and is an enticing glimpse of a country with so much to offer. Having lived in Nicaragua from 1996 to 1998 and still a regular visitor, Roest’s unique style and personal stories pull you into the book, which also provides a fantastic guide to Nicaragua’s must-see sites. Available in paperback and on kindle. Stella Embliss

NSC turns 40 in 2018!Our thanks to everyone who so generously responded to our appeal to ensure that we reach and celebrate our 40th year. A UK-Nicaragua solidarity group was set up in September 1978 following a speaker tour by an FSLN representative the previous October. By May 1979, when the group became the Nicaragua Coordinating Committee, hundreds of people of ‘many different nationalities’ were involved. Join us to celebrate our birthday next year!

who lack confidence, he wanted to use his skills to have a positive impact on people’s lives. Sam says “I hope to have a long career in circus and want to make sure I continue my journey with the right approach”.

Eli March, director of Circus Lumi-nescence in the US said of their time in San Marcos with Los Quinchos, “Near the end of our stay, the kids do their very own performance. The creative process is both fun and challenging. Kids have great ideas if you just give them a platform to express themselves. By doing so, it empowers

them, boosting confidence and creativity.”

The six-person troupe performed at schools with UK twinning links – namely Los Pollitos linked with the Islington Mana-gua Friendship Association and the Colegio Santa Rosa, supported by the Tavistock-based Santa Rosa Fund.

Eli conclud-ed, “This was a life-changing trip for me, and I am so happy to have impacted the lives of so many, to have made life-long friends, and learned lessons to carry with me forever.”

Further information: www.pwb.ngo

Ben Linder, engineer, clown, internationalist, 7 July, 1959 – 28 April, 1987

Performing at the Santa Rosa School, Managua which has a twinning link with the Santa Rosa Fund in Tavistock, Devon. www.santarosafund.org

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“ He did not come with a planeload of guns, he came with a planeload of dreams.”

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, April 1987


The aim was to recruit and support more women members while reforming CTCP structures to ensure that women could

take senior roles in its male-dominated federations and regional branches.

In a country where employed workers have the best workers’ rights in the region, self-employed work-ers on the streets of Managua face different challenges, particularly women. Many of them are single mothers and face a triple burden of running a business alongside child care and domestic chores. Although the union has been able to affect government policy in many areas, most self-employed workers do not have access to social security and their earnings are often insufficient to meet their basic needs. This leaves little time for union activism.

The CTCP rec-ognised that these problems could only be addressed if women were properly represented at all levels in the union. The project focussed on strengthening union structures, in particular expand-ing the network of women’s committees, providing training on

trade union issues, and leadership. Also included was skills training to help women become more efficient and thus free up more time for community and union activities.

The union took the opportunity to ad-dress one of the most serious consequences of their members’ work. With almost half of children aged 7-14 engaged in some sort of

Supporting women trade unionists in NicaraguaThroughout 2016, self-employed workers’ union CTCP was engaged in a project to promote women’s leadership and participation. Louise Richards describes what was achieved through this project that was supported and funded through TUC Aid, with additional support provided by NSCAG.

See also: www.tuc.org.uk/international-is-sues/international-development/tuc-aid/countries/tuc-aid-project-report-supporting Further information: www.nscag.org

employment, it was natural for them to start helping out their mothers. Throughout the project, the union raised this issue, encour-aging members to send their children to school. CTCP government contacts helped to facilitate this and to deal with any serious problems. The union also used its network of members to provide crèches in order to remove one of the barriers preventing wom-en from attending courses. At the end of the project, the CTCP reported that child labour had already dropped, and they are working to reduce it still further.

The project has had a powerful effect on the union’s structures and external relation-ships: the effect of greater representation of women has been felt swiftly on the streets of Managua. The new women leaders have quickly gained a reputation as ambitious and fearless negotiators, as shown by an agreement that the Managua authorities provide kiosks for all their members that need them for shelter. When a construction project threatened the livelihoods of 200 CTCP members, they secured new pitches in other parts of the city. And they are now fighting, with some success, to secure social protection for all workers.

The CTCP is particularly keen to build on the project’s transformative effect on the lives of members and their families, for instance by continuing the work to reduce child labour. The learning materials will be used to benefit women members and to support and encourage new women leaders, with those already trained being asked to promote the courses to colleagues or to pass on key skills.

At the start of the project, CTCP had around 60,000 members, of whom only 48% were women, despite their dominance of the sector, and only one of CTCP’s nine sectoral federations was led by a woman. Today, that has almost been reversed, with only two led by a man. And the CTCP is one of the fastest growing federations in the National Workers’ Front FNT, its membership having risen to 85,000.

See also page 7

Blanca Luz Canda Velasquez selling bananas and guayaba at the Villa Fontana traffic lights in Managua.

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nicaragua, the popular economynicaraguasc.org.uk/resources/nicaragua now 8 .pdf · 7 sex workers,...

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