International Women’s Day UPDATE

SECOND IWD SPEAKER JUST ANNOUNCED!

Nathalie Vivas, Liaison of the Venezuelan Ambassador to the UK, is set to speak at BLINC’s Celebration of International Women’s Day. Ms Vivas, a native of Venezuela, earned a bachelor’s degree in Political and Administrative Studies at la Universidad Central de Venezuela before taking a job with the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum (MENPET). There, she worked as a planner at the International Affairs Department, managing Venezuela’s international partners, their relationships in the energy field, and business affairs relating to Latin America and Europe. Now, working at the Venezuelan Embassy, Ms Vivas serves as Head of the Energy Section where she is responsible for developing relationships between Venezuela’s and the UK’s private and public oil sectors. In the past, she has acted as a representative from the Venezuelan Embassy in many events related to politics, energy and Venezuelan women’s rights. 

Ms Nathalie Vivas

The International Women’s Day event takes place on 8th March at 6pm at La Ruca, 89 Glos Rd, Bishopston. Also speaking is Ms Jitzy Centeno, Fairtrade Coffee producer from Nicaragua. Tickets are £10 and include a hot Nicaraguan meal and are available now from La Ruca. All profits will go to a women’s project in Nicaragua.

Ffi email Jessica : jessica.randall@uwe.ac.uk

Copa Sandino 2011 Date Announced

BLINC has announced that the date for this year’s 25^th annual Copa Sandino will be Sunday 22 May. Nicaraguan charge d’affairs Guisell Morales from the Nica Embassy in London has kindly agreed to attend the tournament and present the trophies. She has also agreed to provide a bottle of Nicaraguan Rum for the quiz prize!

Building of the San Francisco Pre-School is Complete!

BLINC through funds raised by two supporters who ran the Kingston 10K, has finished the building of the new San Francisco pre-school in the municipality of Puerto Morazan. This week two new latrines were also finished for the 25 under fives who will use the pre-school. BLINC has agreed with the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education that the neighbouring primary school will also use the pre-school during the afternoons due to overcrowding. BLINC has received a project proposal to install drinking water using a tank and well system for the pre-school and we are looking at funding this.

La escuela San Francisco

The new latrines

The new latrine

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

BLINC CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Tuesday, 8^th March 2011 • 6-9PM

La Ruca • 89 Gloucester Road BS7 8AS

The Bristol Link with Nicaragua (BLINC) is hosting an International Women’s Day event with Latin flair. Join us between 6 and 7pm at La Ruca for a typical Nicaraguan meal and a sampling of music recorded by various Latina artists. Starting at 7pm, BLINC will host two guest speakers. One of our featured presenters, Jitzy Centeno, a Nicaraguan Fair Trade coffee producer, will speak about the lives of women in Nicaragua, her involvement with the Tierra Nuestra cooperative, and her mother’s role in serving as a community leader. We will also be screening the recently-produced short documentary, Con la memoria en el futuro (“With Our Memory on the Future”), provided by the Bristol Cuba Solidarity Campaign. This film examines the progress women in Cuba have made since the workers and farmers of the country took power in 1959 and through subsequent advances in Cuba’s socialist revolution. Through interviews with women and men, and with girls and boys on the streets, in the workplace, and in the schoolyards, the attitudes towards women’s equality on the job, sexual mores, divorce, child rearing, and other questions in Cuba today are frankly discussed.

Both men and women are welcome to attend. Tickets (available at La Ruca) are £10 per person and include a meal. This event will sell out quickly, so purchase your ticket in advance to avoid disappointment on the night!

Contact Jessica Randall for more information: jessica.randall@uwe.ac.uk