CSUN STUDENTS TO AID MEXICO'S POOR; DONATIONS SOUGHT FOR TROUBLED CHIAPAS.Byline: Yvette Cabrera Daily News Staff Writer CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge graduate student David Garcia David Garcia (b. ? - died August 28, 2007) was a broadcast journalist for ABC News. Gracia had the distinction of becoming one of the first Hispanic news correspondents for a major American television network in the early 1970s. has papers to research and essays to write, but this week his energies are focused on helping peasants living thousands of miles away in Chiapas, Mexico. On Monday, an Emergency Caravan For Peace made up of 25 vehicles is scheduled to arrive in San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. to collect money, medical supplies and other goods destined des·tine tr.v. des·tined, des·tin·ing, des·tines 1. To determine beforehand; preordain: a foolish scheme destined to fail; a film destined to become a classic. 2. for the impoverished indigenous communities of Chiapas. Garcia and a group of California State University, Northridge CSUN offers a variety of programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 61 fields and master's degrees in 42 fields. The university has over 150,000 alumni. It's also home to a summer musical theater/theater program known as TADW (TeenAge Drama Workshop) that leads teenagers through an , students who formed the Chiapas Solidarity Committee have raised $300 by selling medical bonds that go directly to buy sorely needed medical supplies, he said. ``It's a very human issue,'' said Garcia, who went to Chiapas last August with a group of fellow students to meet with the residents. ``If things get worse, people in the United States will be affected either by immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. or the economic instability of Mexico,'' said Garcia. More than four years have passed since masked rebels demanded Indian autonomy and seized four cities in a bloody clash with the Mexican military. Talks since then have proven fruitless. Meanwhile, farmers are not planting crops because of intimidation from government troops - resulting in high malnutrition and death rates, said Garcia. Roberto Flores Flores, town, Guatemala Flores (flōrəs), town (1990 est. pop. 2,200), capital of Petén department, N Guatemala. Flores was built on an island in the southern part of Lake Petén Itzá and on the site of the , another caravan organizer, spent a year in Chiapas and said he watched children die daily from malnutrition. He estimates there are 17,000 displaced, homeless people in that southern state. ``There are days when children eat just one tortilla,'' said Flores, a board member of Pastors For Peace, a nonprofit humanitarian agency that organized the caravan. ``It's a dangerous situation which deserves things like the caravan and humanitarian acts that aren't for war or to support armies, but to feed people.'' Organizers are asking for donations such as medical supplies, kitchen utensils, garden supplies such as shovels, picks or hoes, and money to buy food in Mexico. Donations will be accepted at La Trinidad Church at 1128 O'Melveny Ave. in San Fernando this Saturday and Sunday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. |
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