We are writing to ask you for your support. In these tough times for the 99 percent, the gap between rich and poor in the United States has not been this extreme since the Great Depression. With unprecedented concentration of income, wealth, and political power in the top 1 percent, the emerging Occupy Movement has been pushing grievances that continue to grow daily. No wonder the clamor in the streets for economic and social justice is getting louder and heard throughout the world. Since its inception over 36 years ago, La Peña has always supported efforts to raise the issue of social and economic justice.

Cuts in government and foundation funding have deeply hurt grass roots organizations that use arts to advance social justice issues. State funding to arts has been cut by 40 percent and, according to the Foundation Center, only 4 percent of private foundations’ grant dollars are classified as advancing social justice.

Your donation will help further our mission
of promoting peace, cultural diversity
and social justice through the arts.

The importance of our cultural work goes far beyond the presentation of diverse performance and visual arts. La Peña connects artists and people actively engaged in social movements with a broader audience.

Some recent examples are:

La Peña’s Second Generation Collective organized a public video-conference with the Chilean student movement, a protest of thousands of students angered by higher tuition and fewer jobs.

Oakland’s based Chiapas Support Committee hosted speakers and performers from Mexico, giving a Bay Area audience direct contact to the Zapatista movement.

A delegation of Mapuche indigenous people from Chile came to La Peña to meet the community and further the discussion around permaculture, food security and how to best support indigenous peoples’ movements.