Created the core of studies of the Afro-Latin American and African diaspora at UMET with Danny Glover | Chronic

As part of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and in the presence of the Danny Glover, official goodwill ambbadador for the United Nations International Decade for African Descendants and, James Early, a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Political Studies, the Real News Network and the Executive Secretariat of the Regional Association of Afro-descendants of Latin America and the Caribbean, was established on Thursday at the Metropolitan University of New York. Education and Work (UMET) Core of Afro-Latin American Studies and the African Diaspora.

Glover, who visited Argentina for the first time, was unanimously recognized by the Legislature as the guest of honor of Buenos Aires, thus highlighting his career and his commitment. The Hollywood actor said that to understand the situation of people of African descent in this hemisphere, he traveled to Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela and seeks to make the needs of these citizens and to improve their quality of life.

The actor commented that although the political and economic situation of Venezuela affects all its inhabitants, he called for non-interference from other countries. He said that during his visits he had observed wonderful things such as the elimination of illiteracy and access to health.

For its part, Early felt that it is not true that there is no African descent in Argentina. He therefore committed himself to policies that help to improve the lives of these citizens and congratulated UMET for setting up study programs that favor the working clbad. "We must put the racial issue at the center of the speech", he said.

He also noted that in the case of the Bolivarian revolution that Chávez had undertaken, "This opened the door to self-identification" Recognizing the influence of various cultures, he recalled that the former president had introduced himself as a half-breed. From his point of view, in Venezuela, 40% of the inhabitants are of African origin, who, along with the indigenous populations, are the most affected by the economic war.

Nicolás Trotta, rector of UMET, said the initiative promoted by this university seeks to give visibility to tackle the deep inequalities that affect the 200 million people of African descent on the continent. He also pointed out that they would award full fellowships to members of the groups that join the project of the African-Latin American Studies and African Diaspora Project.

For its part Federico PitaOn behalf of the African diaspora in Argentina, he expressed his enthusiasm for establishing the core of Afro-Latin American studies and the African diaspora in UMET, which he described as historic. Lilia Saavedrawhose son Ramón Antonio Santillán, was killed by a gendarme in 1999, called to protect the safety and rights of all young people and was questioned about the fact that, in the Argentine culture, we think we belong to the European race and discriminate because we are poor and black.

The activities organized by the UMET ended with the screening of the film Zama, the director Lucrecia Martel.

As we know, Glover has collaborated with the United Nations in campaigns aimed at eradicating poverty, disease and economic development in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Since 2004, he has also been a Goodwill Ambbadador to UNICEF. He leads the Vanguard Public Foundation team in San Francisco, USA, and chairs the board of TransAfrica Forum, an African-American organization that seeks to influence US foreign policy. vis-à-vis the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and all other regions. groups of the African diaspora.