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Our Guest
Jamie Newton
In March, 2004, Jamie Newton traveled to El Salvador with his wife, Marion
Newton. Their purpose was to gain personal experience with rural education
projects which American Quakers and other supporters have sustained for nearly two decades in the poorest agricultural peasant communities during
and after El Salvador's devastating civil war. They visited five communities with active projects, observed voting at one regional voting
center on the day of national elections, and marched in a procession to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Oscar
Romero.
The El Salvador Projects were initiated by Carmen Moran Broz, an American
Quaker who is a native of El Salvador. After retiring from her teaching career in California, Carmen Broz returned to El Salvador to seek ways of
benefiting her country of origin. In the mid-1980's, while the civil war
raged, she accompanied a group of rural peasants who were returning to their agricultural land to rebuild the destroyed community from which they
had been driven away by the army. She established an orphanage for children
whose parents had been assassinated, founded several day care centers that
primarily cared for children whose parents were active in social services
for the poor, and brought medical care to remote villages. In the belief
that education can transform a nation, she created education projects that
have enabled campesino (peasant) children to complete university degrees
and return to serve their communities, where formerly illiteracy was widespread and most people could hope for no more than a few years of
schooling in the primary grades. Now 80 years old, Carmen remains an active
supporter of the projects, while her son, Robert Broz, serves as the Project Director in El Salvador.
Jamie and Marion Newton are both teachers, lifelong members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and members of the El Salvador
Projects Committee which raises and oversees funds for the Projects. Both
are fluent in Spanish. They are available to speak on the Projects, illustrating their
experiences with photographs and video.
To request information or
to become a supporter of the El Salvador Projects,
call Jamie Newton
650 / 400-2205
or write to:
El Salvador Projects
Palo Alto Friends Meeting
957 Colorado Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94303 |
