Launch of US / México Peace Caravan

June 15, 2012

Mexican Poet Javier Sicilia Leads US Peace Caravan to Expose Drug

Growing Bi-National Coalition of U.S. and Mexican Organizations to Trek Across U.S. to Give Visibility to Victims of Failed Drug War on Both Sides of the Border

Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity, Mexican Poet Javier Sicilia, To Lead 6,000-Mile Peace Caravan Against Drug War in U.S. This Fall

Live Press Conference and International Teleconference to Announce “#CaravanaUSA” on Monday, June 18 in Mexico City

Mexico City, D.F.—As the number of innocent people who continue to die in Mexico because of the failed war on drugs rises to 71,000 , the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity (MPJD) has announced that it will lead a month-long “Caravan for Peace” across the United States to draw attention to the misguided drug war policies that have caused a crisis of violence and impunity. The MPJD and dozens of organizations from both countries are joining together to coordinate the Caravan, a more than 6,000-mile journey, leaving San Diego, CA, on August 12^th and arriving in Washington, D.C., on September 10^th.

Led by victims of the drug war on both sides of the border, the Caravan aims to inspire U.S. civil society to stem the flow of weapons into Mexico, to support humane and health-oriented alternatives to drug prohibition, and to demand more effective, non-violent security strategies. Bi-national respect for justice and human dignity lies at the heart of this initiative, making humane immigration policy another central concern of the Caravan.

On Monday June 18^th, organizers will hold a live press conference in Mexico City (and subsequent international teleconference) to formally announce “#CaravanaUSA”. The conferences will feature speakers from Mexico and the U.S., including renowned mexican poet Javier Sicilia, other family members of victims of the violence, and a diverse group of supporters from across the U.S. that includes the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities (NALACC), Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), Border Angels, Latin America Working Group (LAWG), Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Presente.org, Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) and Global Exchange.