Letter from ALBA: A Busy Year

March 13, 2016

Dear Friends and Comrades:

The New Year has barely started and ALBA is already at work on an exciting number of programs and activities.

2016 marks the 80th anniversary of several seminal moments in the history of the Spanish Civil War: from the electoral victory of the Popular Front coalition and the military uprising against the legally elected government, to the baptism of fire of the first members of the International Brigades in the successful defense of Madrid and, finally, the first organized departure of volunteers from the United States en route to Spain.

We’ll be focusing on these events in all our educational and public programs. At the end of January and early February, ALBA—with the support of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council—will conduct a three-day institute for 20 high school teachers in New York followed by two institutes in Boston and Seattle.

Our annual commemoration is also falling into place. The New York reunion will be held at the Japan Society on Saturday May 7. The Bay Area program, featuring a special theatrical presentation by ALBA Board member Peter Glazer, will be on October 23. Along with a program of songs and commemoration, both events will recognize the recipients of the ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism.

This year, the honor will be split between journalists Lydia Cacho and Jeremy Scahill. Working on opposite sides of the Mexico-U.S. border, Cacho and Scahill have not only relentlessly exposed patterns of corruption, violence, and human rights violations but their work has also prompted investigations into the United States’ shadow wars in the Middle East and Africa as well as Mexican authorities’ use of torture and reliance on censorship.

We hope you can join us as we honor these two brave investigative journalists who at great personal risk have consistently advocated for the some of the continent’s most vulnerable people.

As ALBA engages in new activities with continued enthusiasm we are always mindful that we could not do what we do without the support of our Lincoln Brigade “family.” For this we thank you and wish you a New Year of peace, activism, and unity.