More on the Bolivarian Revolution:

Hugo Chávez is a controversial figure and has been vilified by many. For this discussion would like to focus on his efforts in Venezuela to address poverty and wealth imbalance.

In the “Bolivarian Revolution” Chávez went directly to communities in poverty to assess their needs.  He increased educational access to the poor so that UNESCO declared it an ‘illiteracy-free territory’, redistributed land back to the country’s aboriginal population, brought down infant mortality, decreased child malnutrition, increased pensions for the elderly, increased food production and consumption, reduced unemployment, provided low cost housing to millions of homeless people, increased minimum wage, provided aid to the unemployed, decreased public debt and increased the GDP.

“It was as if the former paratrooper grabbed a continent by the lapels and shouted ‘You must fight against poverty!’  And the continent listened.”  Frida Ghitis, Journalist CNN

Chávez played a pivotal role in bringing the plight of Latin America’s impoverished people to the top of the political agenda.

More on German Reparations:

We survivors and the Germans of today are together united.  Both of us do not want our past to be our children’s future.  Roman Kent, 83, a survivor of Auschwitz

The Holocaust and the murder of six million Jewish people was part of Hitler’s racist agenda. In Germany, there has been a concerted effort around acknowledging and addressing the damages of the Holocaust.  The Germans created a postwar reparations program and have paid close to $90 billion to Jewish families and survivors. On television and social media, there are frequent shows on the Holocaust and its repercussions.  In German schools, it is mandatory to teach about the Holocaust and Nazi Germany.  Most students have either visited a concentration camp or a Holocaust memorial or museum.  In the heart of government buildings in Berlin, there are memorials honoring Jewish, Gay and Roma victims of the Holocaust.

Antisemitism has not been erased in Germany, however the German government and people, have made strides in addressing the horrors of the Holocaust.

At Language Transactions, we are contributing to an organization called Unnamed that invest in black inner-city youth in Boston.  Michael Klinger has been participating in the donor circle for the Unnamed for the past few years and has seen close-up the wonderful work they do.

Unnamed is a collective of five youth organizations in Boston, predominantly led by and for youth of color. They focus on empowerment, training, and education for inner city youth.

You can give to Unnamed by mailing a check made out to ‘The City School’ with Unnamed in the memo line c/o Mike Klinger, 239 Arlington Street, Acton, MA 01720.  If you would rather send your payment online, you can Venmo Michael’s daughter, who he is fundraising with, @Rachel-Klinger with the text “Unnamed.”

It is time for us in the US to address our racist history and gaping wealth imbalance.  Hope you will join us to donate any amount towards this effort.  Language Transactions will match donations up to $5000.