New Haven/León Sister City Project
608 Whitney Avenue
New Haven, CT 06511
ph: 203-562-1607
fax: 203-624-1683
nh
About Us
The New Haven/León Sister City Project is a progressive, binational, grassroots organization that fosters a partnership between the communities of Greater New Haven, Connecticut and León, Nicaragua. Our mission is to promote social justice. We work to form fair and respectful relationships between the people of our two cities. Through delegations and other exchanges, we strive to understand and celebrate our respective cultures. In León, we engage in sustainable economic, human, and community development projects. In New Haven, we educate our neighbors about Nicaragua and about local and global effects of policies of the U.S. government and international economic institutions.
Our History
Threatened by a Central American nation that placed the interests of its people above the interests of global capitalism, the Reagan administration mined Nicaragua's harbors, ordered a trade embargo, and organized and funded the Contras, the counter-revolutionaries, who conducted a brutal war to defeat the revolution.
The New Haven/León Sister City Project formed in 1984. Inspired by the Nicaraguan revolution and appalled by the U.S. covert war against Nicaragua, we sought to implement an alternative foreign policy between the people of New Haven and the people of León, based on equality, respect, and mutual understanding.
In the 1990 elections, UNO, a U.S. supported and funded coalition of Nicaraguan political parties, defeated the Sandinistas. Under UNO the tremendous gains in health, education, and participatory democracy were soon reversed. Burdened by crushing international debt, natural disasters, including Hurricane Mitch and a prolonged drought, and governmental corruption, Nicaragua is still the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
After the defeat of the Sandinistas, many U.S.-Nicaragua sister city organizations struggled to continue, and some disbanded. However, the New Haven/León Sister City Project continues to be committed to the people of León no matter who holds power, and works with whoever shares our values and goals. We continue to work to improve mutual understanding through projects designed to contribute to sustainable economic, community, and human development.
608 Whitney Avenue
New Haven, CT 06511
ph: 203-562-1607
fax: 203-624-1683
nh
