Nicaragua Solidarity Network of Greater New York Records
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Abstract
The Nicaragua Solidarity Network of Greater New York (1985-2002), and its member organizations worked to support the Sandinista Revolution and to protest U.S. support of the counter-revolutionary military movement, aka the Contras, who also killed civilian supporters of the revolution, targeting medical and educational personnel in particular. Some of the member organizations, like the NY-Nicaragua Construction Brigade, worked to help create infrastructure in Nicaragua. The collection holds the records of the NSN and its member organizations, most notably the NY-Nicaragua Construction Brigade, and includes newsletters, event notices, fundraising letters, correspondence, reports, membership and financial information, grant applications, and reference material about Nicaragua and related issues.
Historical/Biographical Note
The Nicaragua Solidarity Network (NSN) of Greater New York was formed in 1985, initially as a sub-organization of New Yorkers for Peace in the Gulf. The NSN formed from over twenty-five small grassroots organizations in New York that came together in response to President Ronald Reagan's trade embargo on Nicaragua in 1985. The NSN worked to support the Sandinista Revolution, and to protest U.S. support of the counter-revolutionary military movement, aka the Contras, who also killed civilian supporters of the revolution, targeting medical and educational personnel in particular. Delegates from these small groups met at monthly meetings, and with a grant from the North Star Foundation, were able to establish a newsletter, the NicaNews. Among its member organizations were the New York-Nicaragua Construction Brigade, which organized groups of volunteer workers who went to Nicaragua.
Arrangement
This collection has not been arranged by an archivist. The materials are arranged in the order in which they were received from the donor.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains the records of the Nicaragua Solidarity Network of Greater New York (NSN) and its member organizations, most notably the New York-Nicaragua Construction Brigade. Materials include fliers, event notices, speeches, pamphlets, leaflets, fundraising letters, informational documentation on the situation in Nicaragua, ledgers and budgets, directories, internal correspondence, phone trees, member lists, grant awards, and the Nica News newsletter. These materials mostly detail the events and demonstrations organized to raise awareness to the situation in Nicaragua,in support of the Sandinista government and opposition to the US-backed Contras, fundraising, the 1990 election and its aftermath in Nicaragua, and other topics. Other organizations represented in the collection include the NY-Nicaragua Construction Brigade, which built various co-operatives and schools in Nicaragua, the Women's Brigade (also a construction group), Oats for Peace, New Yorkers for Peace in the Gulf, Peace Ship/Peace House, the Movement Support Network, and the Global Sweatshop Coalition.
Subjects
Organizations
People
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by the Nicaragua Solidarity Nework of Greater New York were transferred to New York University in 2011 by David L. Wilson. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from the Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive. Please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Nicaragua Solidarity Network of Greater New York Records; TAM 580; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Materials were donated by the Nicaragua Solidarity Network in June 2011. The accession number associated with this collection is 2011.058.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Collection has been placed in archival boxes, but most of the collection remains in the original folders. Almost all folders are labeled, and labels appear to reflect the contents of the folders with relative accuracy.
Repository
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Records, 1989-2003, inclusive
Scope and Content Note
Contents include: Nica News, 1990-1991 (drafts), correspondence, ledgers, circulars, reports, press packages, phone trees, election papers, phone rap sheets, member lists, fliers and other printed ephemera. Topics include various talks and demonstrations, a labor delegation from Nicaragua, a "December Retreat," the U.S. invasion of Panama, miscellaneous updates from Peace Net, correspondence of Patricia Elvir (an activist who worked for the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) international bureau), Daniel Ortega's visit in August 1990 to New York, activities during Nicaraguan election week and response to Panama invasion, the 1990 election and its aftermath in Nicaragua, including speech by Daniel Ortega to North America, other speeches (Spanish only).
Other organizations represented in this box include New Yorkers for Peace in the Gulf, fliers and minutes, Peace in the Gulf Action Line, event lists and phone message documents, FSLN statements and demonstration fliers, Adelante Street Theater fliers (Spanish and English), Reservists against the Gulf War papers, and subscriptions to Barricada International.
Records, 1985-1994, inclusive
Scope and Content Note
This box contains New York-Nicaragua Construction Brigade material, including internal papers, fundraising,contribution ledgers, mostly bowlathon fliers, orientation packets, participant applications, and papers related to building projects in Nicaragua, including schools community centers, and co-ops. Also included are Peace Ship/Peace House records--including correspondence and participant applications, Peace Ship delegates information, specifcally for the Thanksgiving Peace Ship of 1986, and fundraising materials.
Records, 1985-1996, inclusive
Scope and Content Note
This box also contains New York-Nicaragua Construction Brigade records, including participant applications, fundraising letters and fliers for fundraising events, financial reports, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) applications, Movement Support Network correspondence, Construction Brigade outreach papers, documents regarding a Construction Brigade event with Judy Butler, Howard Zinn, David McMichaels, and Margaret Randall. Brigada Companeras (Women's Brigade) materials include flyers, agendas, phone lists, press contacts, newsletters, participant applications, a Women's Brigade binder holding orientation materials, pamphlets, participant lists, organizational information, correspondence on development, meeting minutes, proposals, budgets, and logistical information.
Other organizations and materials represented are the Movement Support Network Newsletter from Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), CCR information on the U.S. economic embargo of Nicaragua, correspondence of the Task Force Against Government Spying, files on harassment of travellers to Nicaragua by the FBI, including Movement Support Network's harassment reports, Nicaragua Support Project-New Paltz records including meeting minutes, fliers, manuals, fundraising material, newsletters, clippings on Nicaragua, a copy of a CIA Contra manual, and informational booklets, and Global Sweatsop Coalition (GSC) and the Coalition for Real Equitable Economic Development (CREED, predecessor to GSC). The GSC sponsored and kept records for events including the a support demonstration for the Han Young strike in Tijuana, the annual International Women's Day March, the People's Tribunal on Corportate Crimes Against Humanity: Public Arraignment of Disney, Kmart, Nike and Wal-mart, protest against union-busting in support of the Maquila workers in Guatemala at Phillips-Van Heusen factory, and other events.
Records, 1991-2004, inclusive
Scope and Content Note
Includes NSN correspondence, minutes, membership lists and surveys, sign-up lists, fundraising letters, foundation grants information, a North Star Foundation grant award, NicaNews newsletters, event notices, newsletters, membership lists, and documents from a Nicaragua Solidarity Network 1992 national meeting, including workshop outlines and notes, NSN Labor Committee files, and material about the 1996 Nicaragua election; NSN (national) Activists Conference on June 25, 1988 in New York materials include program notes and outlines. Other organizations represented include the Hurricane Mitch Relief Network.
Records, 1989-1997, inclusive
Scope and Content Note
Includes Central Legislative Network materials, a directory of Nicaragua Solidarity groups in New York City, fliers, fundraising materials, internal correspondence, budgets, ledger, materials relating to the A.J. Muste Memorial Institute's sponsorship, minutes, event notices (assorted demonstrations, the Native Land Tour, a speaking tour in 1986), Nicaragua fact sheets, NSN Teacher's project informational packet, NSN conference materials, brochure, and grant, mostly from the North Star Foundation, and New Yorkers Against US Intervention in Central America files. Materials for Oats for Peace, another organization represented in this collection, include financial and administrative records, walkathon materials, an information packet, and fundraising materials.
