Efrén Speaks to Youth in Toronto, Urges Calm

Saturday, August 15, 2009 Efrén spoke to 160 youth via phone at the Second Annual Justice for Alwy 3-on-3 basketball tournament held at Carlton Park in Toronto, Ontario (Canada).

The event is dedicated to all victims of police brutality. It began in 2008 in remembrance of 18-year-old Alwy al-Nadhir, an unarmed teen who was shot and killed by Toronto Police on Halloween night, October 31, 2007 in Riverdale Park, Toronto. Click here to read more about how Alwy died.

After Alwy's tragic death his family, friends, and other local community organizers saw the need to get organized to put an end to the siege on their communities. Together, they created the Justice for Alwy Campaign Against Police Brutality.

Since Alwy's murder tensions between the police and youth have escalated, resulting in conflicts and additional acts of police brutality towards youth. Many Toronto urban youth have conveyed experiences about the daily harassment, false arrests, brutal beatings and verbal confrontations many have had with the police.

Efrén was invited to speak to youth at this year's Justice for Alwy basketball tournament by Pablo Vivanco, community activist and producer at Barrio Nuevo, a Latino community radio program based in Toronto. Efrén has previously appeared on two Toronto-based radio programs, Barrio Nuevo and Radio BASICS, to discuss his case and the imposition of life without parole sentences on juveniles.

At the basketball tournament Efrén urged the youth to remain calm and exercise patience and restraint. He urged them to take a proactive approach to finding lasting resolutions to existing problems, and cautioned them against allowing themselves to be reactionaries responding to taunts and acts of aggression or unprofessional conduct by police.

Efrén told the youth that there would be serious consequences for acting impulsively and ignoring the future of their actions. He told them that they could end up like many prisoners he sees every day who are condemned to die in prison because of their impulsiveness and refusal to listen to reasoned advice.

During his message Efrén told the youth they should work to resolve conflicts intelligently and in a non-violent manner. He told them they should organize rallies and engage the community in meetings to bring attention to the injustices they are encountering. They can call on local and federal investigations, meet with legislators, file complaints against police officers, initiate legal action against them, and even file human rights charges against the violators in an international forum, if necessary.

Efrén wanted the youth to know that avenues for redress and improving matters exist. He did not want them to feel a sense of hopelessness and or believe that violence or rebelling were the vehicles for them to obtain an illusion of justice.

He told them if elected officials do not listen or respond to their grievances they can always seek to recall and replace them with officials who will fulfill the responsibilities of their office. There is a process for officials to take office, and a process for them to leave if they are ineffective or remiss in their duties.

The event was a success and it was a reminder to all who participated that through organizing and a shared vision we can create space and events we need to achieve a desired purpose.

As Efrén stated, "If the youth could all work together to organize the tournament in Alwy's memory, they can work together to make other things materialize in his honor as well. They just need guidance and encouragement along the way."

Efrén's voice transcending prison walls to reach the listening youth in Canada served to do just that.

"The Wise Latina" by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

The Wise Latina

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Saturday morning,
protected by the colossal frontal columns
of the nation's Supreme Court
that were once like prison bars
seeking to lock you out of its halls —
before the blinding glare
of flashing cameras
bouncing off adorned walls
absent any images celebrating
your likeness —
there you stood,
the Wise Latina.

Your confirmation hearing
the true identity politics,
the underpinnings of tilted scales,
an indictment of a racist patriarchal system
that stains justice
with its misogynist ways.

Opponents clamored to defame you,

attempted to relegate you
to a footnote in history,
dismissing you
as a child of affirmative action,
as another marginalized brown face,
like the ones they built the wall
along the Mexican border to keep out.

Somebody forgot to tell them
affirmative action
didn't do your homework,
didn't graduate you summa cum laude from Princeton,
didn't edit the Yale Law Journal for you,
didn't make difficult choices
or bequeath you wisdom.

Your strength and poise made us proud
as we were fixated to television screens
at viewing parties
in skyscrapers and barrios,
inspired by your courage,
displaying your buttons and posters,
watching you deflect
the barrage of attacks
you bravely endured
to become the nation's
111th U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

The eyes of many Latinas y Latinos
filled with tears,
as their exuberant smiles
brightened the morning sky.

Your detractors never gained an advantage,
even in their failed attempts to diminish you.
They couldn't erase our illustrious past
or replace it with illusions of inferiority.
They couldn't write our Quinceañeras
or love for arroz, maíz y frijoles
out of our rich culture and heritage.

Carrying a legacy of struggle on your back
you transcended the tide of ignorance,
the protests and intimidation,
and rallying cries for your defeat.
The impotent Kyls, McCains and Sessions
couldn't change destiny,
they could only fulfill it.

It was the Wise Latina who prevailed,
who captivated the world.
Speaking loudly through your elegance
and quiet strength
you silenced your critics,
scattering them like the winds
of a fierce Summer storm.

At that moment
we all briefly touched the sky,
danced in the sun's warm glow,
and summoned the Ancestors
to celebrate your victory.


Copyright © 2009 Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Click here to download a PDF version of this poem.

This poem was featured on the Latina Lista blog on 8/14/09. It was featured on La Raza Chronicles on 8/18/09 and most recently appeared on ¡LatinoLA! on 8/19/09. In the Fall the poem will be part of an exhibit at the Cesar Chavez Library, Chicano/Latino Studies Department, Michigan State University.


Update 8/18/09 11:25 PM EST










You can listen to an MP3 recording of Efrén reading this poem to celebrated poet, storyteller and independent media producer, Nina Serrano, on the show "La Raza Chronicles" below.

"Where We Still Discover" by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Where We Still Discover

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Sitting on our mother's laps,
Speaking in a language
of only our own,
surrounded by the wonders of life,
we see the world
moving ...
shifting ...
Guiding us
as we expand our consciousness.

Our eyes open wide
inhaling the brisk morning air.
Thoughts percolating ...
Releasing the energy
that feeds new experiences.
Pulsating around us like tiny heartbeats ...
We slowly awaken.

Each moment is an opportunity.
A chance to learn
to build
to grow.
Life blossoms
and ushers in the unknown.

We travel
through time and places.
Corridors filled with infinite possibilities
waiting to receive us
with its tender hands
to carefully guide us
along our journey.

In our mistakes
we find lessons.
Like rocks polished to become gems
we enter each experience
and mine its treasures.
We make it a new part of us
and harness its power.

In our Winter years,
after experiencing the fullness of life,
exploring the complexities of its winding roads,
swimming through its vast ocean of dreams,
we find,
this magical place.

It never eludes us,
never far away.
Like the air we breathe,
it is,
in the end,
as in the beginning,
Each Moment,
the place,
where we still discover.


Copyright © 2009 by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Mario Rocha: Another Tragic Story of Injustice Revealed

by Efrén Paredes, Jr.

For the past month the documentary, "Mario's Story," has been featured on the cable television network Showtime. It will continue to air each Monday through the end of this month.

The documentary is about Mario Rocha, a 16-year-old student at a Los Angeles high school, who was accused of opening fire at a party in 1996 that resulted in the death of a high school student. Mario was tried as an adult and sentenced to two life sentences in prison. Two others were also convicted.

Mario has always maintained his innocence and adamant that he did not commit the crime he was accused of committing. Several witnesses at the party where the killing took place say they saw Mario run for cover when the shots were fired. They say he had nothing to do with the shooting.

Mario was represented pro bono by a legal team from the high-profile law firm Latham & Watkins. Their work on Mario's appeals for nearly eight years resulted in the reversal of his conviction in 2006 on the grounds of ineffective assistance of trial counsel.

After an appeals court reversal in August 2006 pending the re-filing of charges by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office Mario was released on a $1 million bond. Los Angeles County prosecutors announced October 28, 2009 that they would not retry the case and dismissed the charges.

Since his release from prison Mario has been actively involved in several progressive projects and a wide range of social activism. He currently resides in Washington, DC, and is attending George Washington University where he is pursuing a degree in International Affairs and Communications.

Mario is currently working with Bruce Saito, Executive Director, Los Angeles Conservation Corps, developing a re-entry program for ex-offenders in California for people ages 18-25. Last Summer he traveled to Washington, D.C., to teach creative writing in a juvenile correctional facility.

April 9, 2009 Mario appeared at Berkeley Law School where his documentary, "Mario's Story," was screened. After the screening he was interviewed, during which time he discussed his case and problems in the criminal justice system. The event was hosted by the Berkeley La Raza Law Journal.

Mario is a member of the The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee to Free Efrén Paredes, Jr. and a staunch supporter of my campaign for freedom. In March 2008 he organized an event in Los Angeles during the Fast for Freedom which was observed on my behalf globally. He has discussed my case during several radio interviews and presentations about the subjects of wrongful convictions or juvenile life without parole sentences.

I am proud to know Mario and call him a friend. His unyielding commitment to pursuing justice is an inspiration to others who have been wrongly convicted. He is also an example to the world that young people who go to prison — unlawfully or otherwise — can and still do positive things with their lives and be productive citizens, if given the opportunity.

Mario is a positive role model for Xicano/Latino youth and he continues to use his life to help others. Though he has lost many years of his own life to wrongful imprisonment, he persists sharing the freedom he was restored only a few years ago to improve the future of our youth. These are selfless acts of generosity that could only be borne in the heart of a person who has unadulterated love for humanity and an intense desire to foster its perpetual evolution.

When I spoke to Mario via phone two weeks ago he expressed a strong interest in visiting Michigan in the coming weeks to help garner additional support for my release and to share his personal experience with people in the Midwest. We look forward to Mario visiting Michigan in the coming weeks.

To learn more about Mario you can view the "Mario's Story" documentary trailer below and visit the "Mario's Story" web site at: http://www.mariostory.org.

Support Generated at 2009 Día de la Mujer Conference

The 16th Annual Día de la Mujer (DDLM) Conference, celebrating the lives of Latina women, was held Saturday, March 28, 2009. The theme of this year's conference was "La Mujer Maravilla" (Our Everyday Superheroes). The one-day conference hosted workshops for hundreds of Latina women from all over the Midwest. It was held at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, on the campus of Michigan State University.

According to the DDLM web site, "This annual conference has provided a much needed space for Latinas in Michigan to affect social change and to highlight their accomplishments. Keynote presenters, forums and workshops facilitated by Latina women will provide conference participants with networking opportunities for employment, education and sharing life experiences."

The keynote speaker at this year's conference was one of my friends and supporters, Favianna Rodriguez. Favianna is an artist-entrepreneur who has helped foster resurgence in political arts and media both locally and internationally. Named by UTNE Magazine as "one of the countries leading visionary artists," Favianna is renown for her leadership in establishing innovative institutions that promote education and engage new audiences in the arts.

Favianna is renown for her vibrant posters dealing with issues such as war, immigration, globalization, and social movements. By creating lasting popular symbols - where each work is the multiplicand and its location the multiplier - her work interposes private and public space, as the art viewer becomes the participant carrying art beyond the borders of the museum. She has lectured widely on the use of art in civic engagement and the work of artists who, like herself, are building bridges between the community and museum.

Favianna discussed my case during her speech and urged the hundreds of people in attendance to sign a letter or petition addressed to Gov. Granholm expressing support for my release. Below is a video of her remarks.



Later that afternoon a workshop was conducted at the conference inspiring Latina mothers to advocate for their incarcerated family members. My mother, Velia, sat on the panel, along with other wonderful members of The Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee to Free Efrén Paredes, Jr. They discussed a wide range of topics involving organizing, public relations, and other ways to gather support and convey their story. They also helped gather postcards of support and passed out hundreds of flyers and dozens of Free Efrén posters to those in attendance.

A special thanks to the conference organizers for their support, and for creating space for us at the event.

Efrén Presents Workshop at MEChA National Conference

Saturday, March 21, 2009 Efrén presented his workshop via phone, "Awakening the Xicano/Latino Leader Within," at the 16th Annual Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) National Conference. The event was held at the University of Oregon. It was the 40th anniversary of the birth of MEChA.

MEChA is a student organization that promotes higher education, culture, and history. The organization was founded on the principles of self-determination for the liberation of Xicano/Latino people. MEChA advocates  that political involvement and education is the avenue for change in our society.

Efrén discussed the importance of education in the Xicano/Latino community and the need to reduce drop-out rates. He also emphasized community development and a commitment to create a brighter future for the Xicano/Latino community.

As he often does, Efrén asked the students to use their lives in a positive way to effectuate change, and to empower themselves and others to foster their perpetual growth and development. He cautioned them against being silent about social injustice and to never allow themselves to let others limit their creativity or define them.

One of the students asked Efrén how he has maintained such a positive attitude and remained strong during 20 years of incarceration. Efrén responded:

"The outpouring of support from my family, friends, and supporters through visits, mail, and talking to them on the phone daily have helped me tremendously. Knowing I am innocent of the crime I am imprisoned for has been a major factor as well."

Efrén went on to explain that educating himself about various subjects has helped him continue to evolve. He cited attaining knowledge about struggle, culture, history and identity as major contributors to maintaining his strength and refusing to capitulate to injustice.

Efrén used this as an opportunity to tell the students that perception about our experiences in largely determines how we are affected by them. Efrén conveyed to the students that, "No one can compel us to fail. We succeed because we choose to succeed. We wield the power to transform our reality." He added:

"We have to learn how to meet the demands of the time. Our people are looking to you to be the catalyst of change necessary to end the cycle of ignorance that has kept us marginalized and taken for granted."

On the subject of social networking web platforms Efrén told the students they should harness the power of these sites and use them constructively beyond just exchanging greetings and entertainment information. He also urged them to share useful and educational information, and to foster social activism through those mediums.

In a post-conference interview with a member of the TIME Committee Efrén stated, "I always remind youth of the February 2008 protest in Columbia against FARC which was organized by students on Facebook. Some estimates were that two million people participated. Others estimated up to four million people participated. Of that number 250,000 organized the event via a Facebook group. Social networking platforms can be used to shape the consciousness of the world in a powerful way."

Efrén fielded questions and some of the students conveyed words of appreciation for Efrén presenting the workshop. It was a positive experience and had a profound impact on those who were able to attend.

Part of Efrén's closing remarks included asking the male students to remain mindful of the need to ensure that there is gender equality and mutual respect amongst the leadership in organizations. He told them they risk marginalizing and subordinating women if they do not promote their inclusion. He added that, "excluding women also fosters a culture of misogyny."

Efrén urged the students to denounce the ICE raids being perpetrated against immigrants, and asked them to participate in the upcoming May Day rallies that are scheduled to take place across the nation in support of comprehensive immigration reform.

The previous day 600 students participated in the Rally for Comprehensive Immigration Reform and Immigrant Rights at the Eugene office of Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio. Many of the students present were MEChA National Conference attendees.

The event was organized by the students of MEChA from the University of Oregon chapter and chapters from across the nation. Other organizers included CAUSA, Oregon's immigrant rights coalition. The event also drew the support of various UO departments, PCUN, and Eugene community organizations.

The students called on Congressman Defazio to support and prioritize safe, humane and fair immigration reform. Because the majority of rally attendees were students, they demanded that DeFazio also support the Federal DREAM Act which would open the doors of higher education to immigrant students and students of immigrant parents.

Efrén was proud to be a part of the MEChA National conference and to join the students who commemorated the organization's 40th anniversary. He expressed his gratitude to the University of Oregon MEChA for hosting the conference and to the National MEChA for allowing him to present his workshop at this historic event.

United Nations Action: Indigenous Peoples and Children in Prison

Greetings My Relations,

My name is Tony Gonzales, Director for AIM-WEST based in San Francisco, an affiliate of the American Indian Movement (AIM), North America. I am pleased to know the community of Berkeley voted recently to condemn the sentence of Efren Paredes, Jr. as a human rights violation. This is a major development in the campaign to abolish juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) sentences in the USA.

I am currently planning a round table discussion at the United Nations in NYC during the 8th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII-8), May 18-29, 2009 regarding Indigenous Peoples held in prisons throughout the world in an effort to bring these injustices before the appropriate bodies of the United Nations. I will cite certain cases such as Leonard Peltier, in prison for over 33 years, and other forms of injustices such as severe sentencing of minors in the USA, and of their failure to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

I would like to communicate with you and your family about how the American Indian community can also support Efren's release after twenty years of incarceration, and restore justice and hope to America. The passage of the Berkeley resolution will serve as a model to further coordinate with other municipalities across the nation and inspire them to choose promoting human rights over discarding the lives of children. Change is urgent, sign us up now!

Accordingly, I will impress upon our membership to learn more about the situation of Efren Paredes, Jr., international standards related to children's rights, and to consider developing local strategies to bring similar resolutions to the attention of elected officials in their districts, on Efren's behalf. Perhaps with the optimism of the Obama Administration, change is possible. There are many international laws and standards the USA have yet to sign. Together we can help take this to the table.

Thank you and I hope to hear from you soon.

Tony Gonzales
AIM-WEST
eltonyg@earthlink.net
415-577-1492

Source: http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2009/02/un-action-indigenous-peoples-and.html

Berkeley City Council Condemns Efrén's Sentence as Human Rights Violation

"The link between violent subjugation of youths in prison and their long-
term spiritual and emotional decay suggests that life in prison is as severe, if
not more severe, for a juvenile than is the death penalty." (Fagan, Jeffrey, End
Natural Life Sentences for Juveniles, 6 Criminology & Public
Policy 735 (2007)).

Dear Friends,

Tuesday, February 10, 2009, the Berkeley City Council in California voted to condemn my sentence as a human rights violation. This is a major development in the campaign to abolish juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) sentences in the USA.

In a letter that will be mailed to the Governor of the State of Michigan the Berkeley City Council states:

"The United States should be at the forefront of promotion and protection of human rights. For this country to be the lone holdout on the issue of JLWOP weakens our moral and legal standing in the international community. The Berkeley City Council supports the call for the United States to align itself with international law by ratifying banning JLWOP.

Given Paredes' history as an honor student with no prior criminal record, the questionable circumstances that led to his conviction, and his inspirational leadership as a positive, productive member of society despite his location, his release after 20 years of incarceration would demonstrate to U.S. citizens that the State of Michigan courageously took appropriate action to restore justice and hope to America.

Mr. Paredes' release should be a pivotal step toward ending JLWOP sentences in the United States."

The decision underscores the need to respect the inherent dignity in children and our commitment to the protection of children's rights. The resolution will serve as a model to other municipalities across the nation and inspire them to choose promoting human rights over discarding the lives of children.

Although children should be held accountable for their actions — including crimes they commit — the USA criminal justice system should never make them disposable. It is my hope that the decision of the Berkeley City Council will be a catalyst for change with regard to the treatment of children in the current legal landscape.

The resolution is an acknowledgment that:

"[T]he treatment of juveniles in the criminal justice system is, at best, a noble failure and at worst, a great catastrophe. It is obvious that a change is urgent. Now is the time for the United States to leave the lonely island of juvenile injustice amidst a vast ocean of global concurrence. This shameful sentencing practice diminishes us as a society and it, not the children, must be sentenced to death." (Adepoju, Akin, Juvenile Death Sentence Lives On ... Even After Roper v. Simmons, 2 Trends and Issues in Constitutional Law 259 (2007))

I would like to extend a special thanks to Wendy Kenin, Commissioner, Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission, for spearheading this effort, and to the other members of the public who attended and/or spoke at the meeting in support of the resolution. Wendy worked closely with us to help advance this issue and devoted considerable time and energy to helping compose the language in the resolution.

I would like to also thank Jesse Arreguín, Councilmember, Berkeley City Council, for introducing the resolution. Jesse is the first Latino Berkeley City Council member and I am proud to have his support. I commend him for having the courage and vision to propose this resolution and garner support for it.

Wendy and Jesse made history with this resolution and their actions will be forever remembered for being leaders in the struggle for human rights and equality, and for helping end the deplorable sentencing of children to LWOP.

Thanks to everyone for your continued support. I look forward to working with you to help introduce similar resolutions in your respective cities as well. I am optimistic we can produce similar results across the nation as we collectively work to abolish JLWOP sentences in the USA.

In Solidarity,


Efrén Paredes, Jr.


Click here to view the resolution as passed.

Click here to view the Injustice Must End (TIME) Committee to Free Efrén Paredes, Jr. Press Release.

Click here to learn how you can contact the Governor of the State of Michigan to support Efrén's release.

This writing was prepared in advance of the Berkeley City Council meeting date so, if the resolution passed, it could be posted by TIME Committee members as soon as possible.