Saturday, March 28 – Salvadoran Peace, Justice, and Environmental Activist Jose Chencho Alas @ Traditions
Chencho is director of Mesoamerica Peace Project (Guatemala to Panama). They sponsor workshops for peacemakers focusing on values and principles that encourage change bottom-up and training for economic self sufficiency and empowerment. They have projects in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama that include alternatives to youth gangs, defending rights of women, environmental restoration and organic agriculture. Chencho is a historic figure in the history of El Salvador, a close friend of slain Archbishop Oscar Romero and worked in Base Communities in Suchitoto, El Salvador in the 1970’s before being forced into exile by El Salvador military. Chencho Alas has been working on bottom-up peace, justice and environmental restoration efforts in El Salvador for 50 years.

Chencho will explain his Mesoamerica Peace Project and approach he uses moving from a situation that seems hopeless to empowerment that focuses on the positive and builds on small successes. There may be opportunities for this method of empowerment and healing in other war zones and areas of conflict. His talk is part of a Northwest fundraising tour and a basket will be passed for free will offerings.  For info:  Bob at ZeiglerBob@msn.com or (360) 570-0848.

Saturday, March 28 @ Traditions, 7 – 8:30pm