Monday, January 21, 2019

Two-Year Position - Afro-Latin America

Teaching Assistant Professor, Afro-Latin America (https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/153294)
The Department of African, African American, and Diaspora Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, seeks to hire a social scientist whose teaching expertise is in the area of Afro-Latin America. The successful candidate will teach three undergraduate courses per semester that deal broadly with historical and contemporary experiences of communities of African descent in Latin America. The department is particularly interested in scholars whose teaching interests focus on environment, development, Afro-Latin social movements, urban issues, and/or other topics that satisfy departmental needs. Applicants should ideally have at least 2 years of related teaching experience and a Ph.D. at the time of appointment. This position is a two-year appointment at the rank of teaching assistant professor with the possibility of reappointment. To ensure consideration for this position, candidates should electronically submit a CV, cover letter, statement of teaching philosophy, and the names of three recommenders by February 1, 2019. In their statement of teaching philosophy, applicants should include a list of relevant courses that they have taught, as well as classes that they could potentially offer at UNC-Chapel Hill. Please note this is a temporary appointment which does not include benefits, and the start date of employment for this appointment is July 1, 2019.

Stop the Moralzo! Update on last week's efforts by criminal networks to retake Guatemala

Dear Friends,
The crisis of the constitutional government in Guatemala, or technical coup, is moving at full steam.  President Jimmy Morales and the networks of political influence that support him are undertaking a series of actions to reverse decades of concerted efforts by Guatemalan human rights and justice advocates to promote a functional justice system in Guatemala.
While President Jimmy Morales' administrations' illegal expulsion of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) on January 7 grabbed international attention, it has become clear that the Constitutional Court, Guatemala’s highest court, is now the President’s target. The Executive branch’s direct disobedience of Constitutional Court rulings constitute a violation Guatemala’s constitution and the limits on the legitimate exercise of power according to the democratic principles enshrined in the Inter American Democratic Charter.
Constitutional Court decisions have become the principal obstacle for organized crime networks’ efforts to consolidate control over the upcoming elections, achieve impunity for war criminals, stop prosecution of corruption in government, ensure impunity for illegal operations of extractive industries and control the activities of non-governmental organizations.  These efforts move forward, keeping pace with efforts to remove key Constitutional Court magistrates. Below is a detailed update of this week’s events.
Also, thanks in part to your strong response, on Thursday, Representatives Norma Torres (D-CA) and Jim McGovern (D-MA) presented a letter to President Trump on behalf of 45 other members of US Congress urging for immediate action, including suspending assistance and applying the Magnitsky Act sanctions, in response to the Jimmy Morales’ Administration’s recent actions that have “undermined the rule of law.”
Many Thanks,
Annie Bird

Monitoring Guatemala's Constitutional Crisis: January 13-18
January 21, 2019
Jackie McVicar
Guatemala City
Last week, indigenous ancestral authorities, human rights, environmental, LGBTQ and campesino organizations presented legal challenges against the January 8 resolution of the plenary of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) to move forward with impeachment proceedings against three magistrates of the Constitutional Court, Guatemala’s highest court, in response an abuse of authority complaint by the Association of Dignitaries of the Nation.
On Thursday, January 17, ten members of the Association of Dignitaries of the Nation resigned from the organization, rejecting the “spurious and illegal” actions of attorney Guillermo Pellecer Robles who presented a legal complaint, purportedly on behalf of the organization, to strip immunity and charge Constitutional Court magistrates with abuse of authority in response to a ruling they made in May 2018 to strike down President Morales’ attempt to expel Swedish Ambassador Anders Kompass. Kompass was accused of meddling in the country’s affairs after he pledged continued economic support for the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG).  Kompass’ pledge followed a suspension of US contributions to CICIG enacted by Senator Marco Rubio through his position in the Foreign Affairs Committee.
In the public letter Association of Dignitaries members write that Pellecer Robles never consulted with the association and rejected that he represented them. The Association is largely made up constituents who drafted the 1985 constitution that was created through a National Constituent Assembly to re-establish constitutional order after a series of coup d’états that led to genocide in the early 1980s.
On Wednesday, January 16, Vice President Jafet Cabrera confirmed that the Executive would not obey orders of the Constitutional Court to reinstate CICIG.  CICIG’s mandate is not set to end until September 2019, but their offices have effectively shut down and their foreign personnel have left the country. For more than a year, the Constitutional Court has repeatedly struck down unilateral and illegal decisions of President Jimmy Morales who has tried to rid the country of the CICIG.  Justice advocates have urged the Attorney General to initiate proceedings against Executive branch officials who have openly defied Constitutional Court rulings.
On Thursday, January 17, the Guatemalan Congress approved the first reading of a proposed law that would make amendments to the National Reconciliation law, which formed part of the peace process in the early 1990s. The reforms would lead to the release of convicted war criminals from jail within 24 hours of passage of the law. Military officers would be judged by a military tribunal. Amnesty would be granted in all cases related to the internal armed conflict, regardless of who perpetrated the violence.
The reforms were promoted by Rep. Fernando Linares Beltranena, who, while a special prosecutor for the Nation’s Solicitor General (PGN), reportedly covered up and diverted the investigation into the case of Diana Ortiz, an American nun of the Ursuline Order who was kidnapped, raped and tortured in 1989 by the Guatemalan military. Beltranena represented military and economic interests as an attorney before becoming a congressman.  
After the law proposal passed first reading, with 83 votes in favor (61 absent, 14 against), ex-military officers and their supporters cheered from the public gallery, including Maria Elena (Nana) Winter de Lucas, wife of retired General Manuel Benedicto Lucas Garcia. Lucas Garcia was convicted in May 2018 for his involvement in crimes against humanity, including charges of illegal detention, torture, and rape as well a separate charge of aggravated sexual assault for his involvement in the Molina Theissen case. He is also awaiting trial for war crimes related to the Creompaz case of forced disappearance. Congresswoman Sandra Moran (Convergencia) was booed when she spoke against the proposal and Walter Felix (URNG-Mais) had his microphone cut when he tried to speak.  
If Congress approves the proposal in three readings, it will become law.  Only the Constitutional Court could bar its implementation. A group of UN experts warned the Guatemalan government that investigating, prosecuting and sanctioning those responsible for serious human rights violations and war crimes is an international legal obligation.
On Thursday, January 17, President Jimmy Morales’ son and brother, facing fraud and corruption charges, attended a preliminary hearing on the charges, which CICIG was co-prosecuting together with the Public Prosecutor’s Office. In view of the crisis, CICIG’s prosecutors could not attend, and presented a formal explanation to the judges.  Nonetheless, the judges found that CICIG prosecutors had abandoned the case, and removed them from participation in the prosecution. Notably, this is a key case that has been directly affected by the illegal expulsion of CICIG.  
On Friday, the Mack Foundation distributed a communique expressing concern that the Supreme Court had committed illegal actions favoring impunity in relation to its review of an impeachment of a congressman, and urged the Public Prosecutors office to open an investigation.  The communique explained that at least three of the Supreme Court judges, have been subject to criminal charges, and referred to Supreme Court corruption scandals, currently under prosection by CICIG. CICIG is currently prosecuting men they claim are members of criminal networks that bought off at least one commissioner in the 2014 Judicial Nominating Commissions. The 2014 Nominating Commission chose the judges now sitting on the Supreme Court.
On Friday, the Supreme Electoral Court officially called the general elections, scheduled for June 16, 2019, opening up the campaign season. President Morales reportedly did not participate in the official act that had over 400 people in attendance. These elections will be the first governed by the New Electoral  Law, and preliminary social media reports indicate as many as seventy nine sitting congress members will be barred from re-election according to provisions of the new law. This year will also see the election of magistrates to the Supreme Court of Justice and Supreme Electoral Court. The Constitutional Court will play a decisive role in these process, as they will review injunctions related to the process.

Mitos indígenas en relatos cortos/Indigenous animation

Mitos indígenas en relatos cortos de tres minutos para reencantarnos con las lenguas primigenias, es el vehículo del proyecto "Sesenta y ocho voces, sesenta y ocho corazones".

Friday, January 11, 2019

Call for Workshop Proposals (ARE 13th Annual Statewide Conference)

The Association of Raza Educators (Los Angeles) will be hosting the 13th Annual Statewide Conference at Augustus Hawkins HS on April 13, 2019 from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. This year's conference theme is "Building Power in Our Schools, Community and Institutions." We are looking for presenters who are members of organizations that are engaged in organized efforts to build power in our schools, our communities and our institutions. IF YOU, OR YOUR ORGANIZATION, ARE INTERESTED IN FACILITATING A WORKSHOP, PLEASE USE THE LINK BELOW. 
Every year A.R.E. organizes a FREE statewide conference where we bring together educators, professors, students, credential program students, education activists, parents, and community organizations. This year the conference is on how we can BUILD POWER in our schools, community and institutions. This year's Keynote Speaker is Gilda Ochoa, author of “Academic Profiling: Latinos, Asian Americans, and the Achievement Gap.” The workshops offered will be facilitated by leaders who are actively organizing and building power in our schools, community and institutions. The conference is FREE but we need to know how many participants to plan for. Thank you and looking forward to seeing you on April 13, 2019 at Augustus Hawkins High School in S. Central Los Angeles, California.

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

AERA Announces the 2019 Undergraduate Student Education Research Training Workshop

American Educational Research Association
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) invites applications for an Undergraduate Student Education Research Training Workshop to be held Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 7 during the 2019 Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada. Below is a brief description.
  
We are seeking your assistance in sharing this information and identifying potential candidates. The application deadline is Thursday, January 10, 2019.
  
You may contact me at fellowships@aera.net or 202-238-3200 if you have any questions or concerns. I thank you in advance for sharing information about this Fellowship.
  
Best regards,

George L. Wimberly
Director of Professional Development
Diversity Officer
  
  
AERA Undergraduate Student Education Research Training Workshop
  
Now accepting applications
  
Deadline: Thursday, January 10, 2019
  
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is pleased to announce the AERA Undergraduate Student Education Research Training Workshop. The workshop, led by junior and senior scholars, will give fellows an overview of how education research is designed across fields, how quantitative and qualitative research methods are used in studies, and how research is applied to education policy and practice. Senior researchers and faculty from both academic institutions and applied research organizations (i.e., The American Institutes for Research, Educational Testing Service, the College Board, and the Urban Institute) will introduce education research as a field and share their area of expertise and knowledge with the fellows. In addition to attending the workshop and participation in the poster session, fellows will attend pre-selected paper sessions and presentations during the 2019 Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada. Fellows are required to participate in all Workshop events and the invited poster session during the 2019 AERA Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada.
  
Dates: The Workshop activities will take place Friday, April 5 – Sunday, April 7, 2019 during the 2019 Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada.
  
Award: Fellows will participate in the Undergraduate Student Education Research Training Workshop during the AERA 2019 Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada. The award includes conference registration and two nights of lodging. The fellows and/or their home institutions are responsible for transportation costs to Toronto, Canada. Most meals are part of the Workshop activities.
  
Eligibility: Candidates may come from a broad range of fields across the arts and sciences. Underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities and women are encouraged to apply. Candidates must be:
  • Students in their sophomore, junior, or senior year of college in good academic standing.
  • Interested in pursuing a graduate or professional degree that can lend itself to education research areas such as children and youth, school and schooling issues, higher education, education policy, student achievement, curriculum and instruction, education psychology, or education leadership.
  • Have current or ongoing research that can be presented in a poster session.
  • U.S. citizens or permanent residents; non-U.S. citizens attending a school in the U.S.
  
Where to Apply: AERA will accept applications via the AERA Undergraduate Student Education Research Training Workshop online application system.
  
All materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. (PST) on Thursday, January 10, 2019.
  
Direct any questions about the fellowship program, eligibility requirements, or submission process to George L. Wimberly, Director of Professional Development, at 202-238-3200 or fellowships@aera.net.
  
About AERA
  
AERA, founded in 1916, is concerned with improving the educational process by encouraging scholarly inquiry related to education and evaluation and by promoting the dissemination and practical application of research results. AERA shares the products of scholarly research with peers, future educational researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and the public through its annual meeting, publications, and professional development activities.
  
American Educational Research Association
1430 K Street, NW
Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 238-3200

The SELI 2019 Application Is Officially Open. Apply Now!

 
Southern Education Leadership Initiative Webinar
Tuesday, December 18th @ 1:00pm ET 
Passionate about improving our education system? 

Learn more about the Southern Education Leadership Initiative and the benefits of participation. Gain insight into this paid 
8-week summer fellowship for college juniors, seniors, and graduate students aspiring toward careers in education. Seize the opportunity to ask questions and hear directly from former SELI fellows. 
2019 Applications Are Now Available!
Follow the ongoing conversation about these young leaders!
#SELI2019
The Southern Education Leadership Initiative is designed to provide emerging leaders with hands-on experience supporting nonprofits and school districts as they address the South's most pressing education issues. Fellows may have the opportunity to work on research, advocacy, and policy analysis 
in key places in the South.
Learn how you or someone you know can participate in this leadership development experience today!
For questions regarding who should apply for the 2019 SELI cohort, 

Be sure to add info@southerneducation.org to your contact list to ensure our emails are delivered this time & every time to your inbox.