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NewmarketAurora Wednesday Artist witnesses Nicaraguan plight A few days before Christmas Howard Breen of Sharon arrived home from Nicaragua The 29yearold artist had spent the last three months in the troubled Central American country During that time he fell in love with the land of sun lakes and but was also moved by the plight of the people which he feels is sadly misrepresented in North America Last week Mr Breen stopped by The Era to lay witness to what he saw What you have is a revolutionary government that has incredible popular support said Mr Breen He said he arrived in the country with no precon ceptions but rather drew his own conclusions from observing what he saw while travelling in the outlying areas and living in the capital city of Managua The son of Don and Thelma who was once student council president at Newmarket High School said the picture he saw of the Nicaraguan way of life was much improved since the Somoza regime was overthrown by the Sandinista National Liberation Front in July 1979 Although the recent trip was his first visit to Nicaragua Mr Breen who will be teaching art for the next two years in downtown Managua a graduate of the Ontario College of Art he will be teaching the technique of painting said through talking to the people journalists and foreigners he came away with no doubt that the revolutionary government is ap plauded by the people Mr decision to go to Nicaragua was a result of his membership in the Torontobased solidarity group Art The group of Canadian artists writers and poets is committed to lending its cultural expertise to Nicaragua Mr Breen explained his personal involvement in the group is his contribution as an artist to com menting on social issues that face the world I had come to a creative stalemate where I felt that I could no longer make a distinction between art and politics That is how I found my way to Art Nica he said the For the first month the Canadian one of about in the country travelled in the northwestern regions of Nicaragua to the provinces of Madriz Nurua Segovia Jinotega and However after that period he stayed away from the areas of heavy guerilla fighting Once you see what is happening on the borders it is quite memorable You dont have to experience too much bang bang he said In the next couple months Mr Breen sought to experience the Nicaraguan lifestyle in other wavs and was amazed at what he discovered compared to the picture of the country painted by the United States Reagan administration I found no justification at all for the image the Reagan administration is trying to create Mr Breen told The Era He said the picture of no support for the government the denial of human rights and the description of the revolution as a threat to the United States as an element in the eastwest struggle just is not true Reagan is playing world cop said Mr Breen He is totally blind to the reality he Mr Breen said from his observation the people are without question in support of the government If nothing else he said the often spon taneous demonstrations and rallies of over people in Manuagua which has a population of just in support of the government has convinced him of their loyalty He also noted that although the whole country is armed The leaders of the revolution mingle freely with crowds with only a couple body guards He said such support is given in response to a government that has improved social and economic conditions despite the daily disruption created by the two counter revolutionary forces backed by the United States For example he said the mortality rate in Central America was per births but since the Sandinista takeover the Nicaraguan rate has dropped drastically to 16 per compared to per in the United States And economically he quoted the per capita in come in Central America as being previously but now average annual earnings in Nicaragua have reached He also pointed to the governments literacy campaign which is aiming at literacy for a greater part of the population As far as accusations that the Sandinista are violating human rights Mr Breen said he found no evidence of such treatment He said he has spoken with human rights commission workers in the country who have investigated claims against the government but said they havt not been sub stantiated He also pointed out that the country has no capital punishment He said since the first month after the start of the revolution when murders did take place uncontrolled no evidence of such atrocities have surfaced In contrast to violating human rights Mr Breen suggested that the Nicaraguan government has an extremely progressive judicial system with the youngest supreme court judge and the only woman supreme court judge in Central America He also said he saw no evidence of religious persecution with as many posters of the Pope as the Sandinistas plastered on the walls He said the suggestion that it is an eastwest struggle is very far from the truth Rather Mr Breen said it is the same northsouth struggle which has existed for decades The background of this country is one of domination and oppression said Mr He pointed out that the country has been occupied by Spain Great Britain as well as the United States Long before the Russian and Cuba revolutions Nicaragua was occupied he said Mr Breen said the revolution which overthrew the US backed Somoza regime sought to improve conditions for the Nicaragua people and was not part of a communist plot People want peace in Nicaragua said Mr Breen He said the suggestion that the security of the United States and Canada is threatened by this country is just not true He pointed out that Nicaragua owns about two helicopters and the countrys airforce could pass over a house in three minutes He because of threats the country is naturally defensive but not offensive as the Reagan administration claims However Mr Breen did agree that the success of the revolution could be setting a dangerous precedent for othei Central American countries equally oppressed to Nicaragua was a model of the American system of control in Centra America under Somoza and as it is being erradicated it is a threat to many Americans said Mr Breen It is not a question of Russian or Cuban invention It is a question of losing an image of political control in this hemisphere he concluded He questioned the morality of American decision makers who encourage pain and suffering by financing the i counterrevolutionaries Two groups of contras roam the northern and southern borders of the country both backed by the United States government according to Mr Breen who pointed out that no effort is made to deny that there is American intervention He said the raids and economic sabbotage by the contras are having a sting effect on the struggling country The northern force of is largely made up of ex national guards of Somoza who are for the most part mercenaries according to Mr Breen They have no strong will for victory It is a job they have done all their he said A second force to the south is led by a former Sandinista Eden And although the two contra bodies are ideologically distant from one another Mr Breen said recent rumors suggest that the two are joining forces Mr Breen said Nicaragua live in the fear of an invasion one which would be very bloody It would be like being in Britain waiting for the Luft waffe said Mr Breen He said it is a daily to have ambushes and n Nicaragua who to the As of last week Mr Breen said that the contra forces did not occupy any land in Nicaragua but pointed out that the tension is mounting He said a few months ago he and other Canadians were offered an evacuation plan by the Americans which they turned down Mr Breen said in the event of an he would be risking his life to be seen in an American jeep The Americans are the aggressors he said But as the American forces and the Reagan administration are seen as agressors Mr Breen said Nicaragua is grateful to the aid it receives from other countries and especially of foreign groups which Even as the country and its people struggle to of counter revolutionaries Mr Breen said Nicaragua are much happier thrn before the takeover The people have faith said Mr Breen I find the revcution attractive in its minimum wage and participation by peasants in operating their villages said Mr Breen Throughout the holidays Mr Breen said he has been telling and retelling his experiences in Nicaragua and found many more people interested than he could ever imagine He suggested that it is through world awareness of the true picture of the plight of the Nicaraguans which could stave off a bloody invasion of a country struggling to rule itself At NINO PARA Im innocent I Roger M Harasym unjustably of a criminal act in which I had no therefore feel I am owed a public apology I wish to have complete clarification in your next three issues of my alleged possession of stolen articles And from this point on be deemed as innocent until proven guilty and not proven Sincere ROGER HARAS VM guilty Article was firstclass Big Brothers Dear All As comes to a close it occurs to me that a letter of thanks and recognition is long overdue Firstly thank you to Barbara Taylor for magnificent work on the December article Hopeful Little Boys Wait to be Matched a first class presentation Secondly thank you to Tom for his ongoing support of Big Brothers and his involvement in our special events Thirdly thank you to- John Cole for his continued willingness to assist our boys and provide the news coverage so important to our recruitment drive And finally to all the Banner Era staff involved in keeping the cause and needs of Big Brothers of York in the public eye thank you I feel you should all know that we are winning The number of waiting boys in the Newmarket Aurora areas is dwindling at a very encouraging rate There is still much to do but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel None of this would have been as successful without your help- Thank you all very much Sincerely MICHAEL HARDING Recruitment Officer Im holding Christmas on New Years To the editor Today I had the privilege of attending the Boxing Day Sales at Upper Canada Mall It was the most enlightening ex perience I have had Prices were FAN TASTIC REAL savings which makes me wonder about pricing policy BEFORE If the merchants can sell at that low price why not before families can enjoy the extras goodies a little more Im sure the merchants dont lose the money and wouldnt business be better I know what Im doing next year going shopping on Boxing Day and Ill hold Xmas on New Year s Day Yours sincerely GORDON COURSES Beginning January 2784 BY AURORA PUBLIC AND COMPUTER LEARNING CENTRE HOME PRESCHOOL COMPUTER AWARENESS COMPUTER LITERACY PROGRAMMING HOME BUSINESS APPLICATIONS BUSINESS WORD PROCESSING BUSINESS ACCOUNTING SPREADSHEET APPLICATION PR0C0R Programming in English FEES 3500 TO 20000 FOR BROCHURE ON TIMES FEES LOCATION AND COURSE OUTLINE CALL AURORA PUBLIC 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