!Haga que pase! Information on the struggle of Afrocolombians for the land and against militarism
2 October 2010, 19.00pm
Housmans Bookshop
5 Caledonian Road
London N1 9DX
!Haga que pase! - ‘Make it happen!’
Jota Ramos from Villa Rica, hip hop singer and organiser from Villa Rica in Colombia, will present the documentary Mi FinK and talk about the situation and struggle of Afrodescendants in Colombia, which arose in the face of vulnerability to losing the land: one of the few things that keep the community united and free.
Since the abolition of slavery in Colombia, the land has sustained the food supply and the economy of the Afrodescendants in Villa Rica. Today the sugar companies are dominating the area, planting sugar cane as a monoculture, thereby forcing out the traditional small farms of the region. Some families are resisting this eviction and the loss of their livelihoods.
As a result, the life of Jota, one of the community leaders, is being threatened. Persons as yet unidentified have accused him of subversion, a very dangerous accusation in Colombia, and warned him against working for his community.
‘As a way of protecting ourselves and to highlight these problems, we have made the documentary Mi Fink, and the music CD. We have also organized a tour of Latin America and Europe, to let the world know what is going on, so that we will not be alone on the path that we have chosen, towards freedom for our community.’
Jota Ramos, London, 2010
Some more information is also available in this interview of the BBC World Service with Jota Ramos
The event will be in Spanish with translation into English
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