Sister Cities
Join the Sister Cities Election Observation Delegation in El Salvador
January 28th– February 5th, 2014: Election Observation in El Salvador
Join our delegation to accompany the CRIPDES communities during the February 2nd, 2014 presidential elections. Participating in the Election Observation Delegation is an exciting way to learn about the Salvadoran political process, respond to the request for observers from our partners, accompany the rural communities and advocate for free and fair elections.
In the 2009 elections, Sister Cities observers played a key role in ensuring the fairness of the election process and monitoring and reporting on election irregularities. For the 2014 elections we hope to join hundreds of other election observers in ensuring the run-up to the elections and the Election Day itself are free and fair and people are able to vote according to their conscience free of intimidation or fear. This election is extremely important for our sister communities, whose social services, rights and development hang in the balance with this election.
Sister Cities election observers will tour the important historic sites of San Salvador, meet with CRIPDES and other social justice organizations in the capital, receive training in electoral observation, and spend time in sister communities that have requested electoral observation.
In addition to observing the election, in the coming months Sister Cities will also be working with other U.S. solidarity organizations to pressure the U.S. government to release a public neutrality statement to ensure that the outcome of the vote is not swayed by misleading statements about the U.S. governments preference for one or another party. If you are interested in helping to work on this campaign, please let us know.
If you are interested in participating or want more information email us at estela.sistercities@gmail.com or sistercities@gmail.com
Invitation Letter from CRIPDES, The Association for the Development of El Salvador
San Salvador, May 28th, 2013
Friends from the International community:
The Association for the Development of El Salvador, CRIPDES, a Salvadoran nonprofit organization committed to strengthening democracy in El Salvador, is pleased to invite you to participate as independent international observers of the Salvadoran electoral process in which we will choose the president of the republic for the next five years, an election that will be held on February 2nd, 2014.
In order to have good governance we need genuinely democratic elections, which express the sovereignty and will of the Salvadoran people and arising from the freedom of expression and will that provides the base for the authority and legitimacy of the new government.
The right of individuals to exercise their vote is an internationally recognized and the upcoming election should be guaranteed in democratic environment that comply with existing national and international laws. The election in February will serve to peacefully resolve the competition for political power in El Salvador. A free and fair election is essential for the maintenance and strengthening of peace and stability in our country.
El Salvador is a country with a young democracy, a product of the Peace Accords signed in 1992 at the end of the civil war. In the past, we have had a fraught history of fraudulent elections and coups, so it is extremely important that the international community continue to accompany us in observing elections in order to strengthen our democracy by ensuring that we have fair elections that respect the will of the people.
To sign up t observe the Salvadoran elections in February 2014, please contact the following organizations below, who will be in charge of organizing the logistics internationally and in El Salvador in coordination with CRIPDES.
In the United States:
· U.S.-El Salvador Sister Cities (www.elsalvadorsolidarity.org)
Tanya Cole, U.S. Coordinator:In Canada: sistercities@gmail.com
Estela García ,Co-Coordinator in El Salvador-estela.sistercities@gmail.com
· The Share Foundatión (www.share-elsalvador.org)
Sarah Hall, coordinator of Solidarity Education: solidarity@share-elsalvador.org
In Canada:
· SalvAide (www.salvaide)
René Guerra, Director: director@salvaide.ca
The requirements and details about the election observation delegations will be explained by each organization.
We thank you in advance for your participation and solidarity,
Sincerely,
Marcos Gálvez
President of the National Council of CRIPDES
