Hurricane Maria and Puerto Rico: Roots of the Crisis

How was the groundwork for the ongoing hurricane disaster in Puerto Rico laid by a legacy of U.S. intervention, colonialism, neo-liberal economic policy, unsustainable agricultural development, and the deepening climate crisis?

How are Puerto Rican activists promoting economic sustainability and social justice?

Join us for a discussion with

Jovanna Garcia-Soto, Grassroots International

Pedro Reina-Pérez, University of Puerto Rico

Jovanna Garcia SotoJovanna Garcia-Soto is the Program Coordinator for Latin America at Grassroots International. Grassroots International works in partnership with social movements to create a just and sustainable world by advancing the human rights to land, water, and food through global grantmaking, building solidarity across organizations and movements, and advocacy in the US. Prior to joining Grassroots’ Program team, Jovanna spent five years at the Chelsea Collaborative, where she directed their environmental justice program. She is originally from Puerto Rico and was involved there with the student movement for ending the US military occupation of Vieques. She has also spent some time working in Brazil with the riverine communities in the Amazonian region.

Pedro Reina-PérezPedro Reina-Pérez is  historian and writer who specializes in contemporary  Spanish Caribbean history.  The author of eleven books, he is a professor at the University of Puerto Rico and a visiting scholar at the David Rockefeller Center at Harvard.

Light Refreshments

Sponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action;  Cosponsored by Grassroots International, Biodiversity for a Livable Planet, and American Friends Service Committee

For more information contact Rosalie at rosalie.h.anders@gmail.com and John at John_Macdougall@uml.edu.