Madison Arcatao Sister City Project

On October 10, 2011, MASCP celebrated its 25 years of solidarity with Arcatao,

Former Mayors Cieslewicz and Bauman with Carolyn Gantner, a longtime MASCP member

and El Salvador at The Cardinal Bar among many friends and supporters. Mark Pocan emceed the event; former Mayors Sensenbrenner, Bauman and Cieslewicz spoke about their role in the Madison- Arcatao sister city relationship and about the importance of  the sister city movement to our community. Mary Kay Baum spoke with her usual fire about the beginnings of MASCP and about how the power of community organizing is still so important today in El Salvador and here in our state.

Mary Kay Baum, early organizer of MASCP

We were honored to have Agustin Menjivar, a longtime community leader in Arcatao and the current president  of the CCR, the regional organizing committee in Chalatenango with us at the party. Attendees at the party signed the new Common Council Resolution recommitting Madison to the sister city realtionship with Arcatao and presented it to Agustin to take back to Arcatao with him.

Prudence Barber, Agustin Menjivar, Sister "Mo" Maureen

Kenia Ortez, an anti-mining activist from El Salvador also addressed the gathering.  Kenia’s community, San Sebastian, suffers from disgusting water pollution, illness and economic distress because of the gold mine in her town. She challenged us to fight against heavy metal mining in El Salvador and in Wisconsin.

The Quitanilla brothers, Antonio, Jorge and Fidel, who play in the group, Sonidos Suaves,  played traditional Salvadoran music including  “Sombrero Azul”, the unofficial anthem of El Salvador. Everyone joined in on the chorus with fists up in the air.

Singing "Sombrero Azul"

The reunions and warm greetings between old friends were a wonderful part of the party. Early organizers of MASCP came from near and far. Art and Sue Lloyd, Marc Rosenthal and Prudence Barber, all from Madison,  were there at the beginning and are still active in MASCP. Mary Kay Baum and Jane Hammett-Kavalovski came from Dodgeville to join the celebration. Tim Lohrentz , California, and Eric Popkin, Colorado were also there once again to be in solidarity with MASCP and the people of Arcatao.

Some of the organizers who made MASCP a reality in 1986

Que viva Arcatao! Que viva Madison! Que viva ciudades hermanas!

Everyone is welcome to come celebrate MASCP’s 25 years of solidarity work  in El Salvador and in Madison on October 10 at the Cardinal Bar from 5:30-8 PM!  Agustin Menjivar, a leader in Arcatao and in the district of Chalatenango, will be in Madison for the festivities. At the party, Mayor Soglin will formally present Agustin with the newly passed resolution recommitting Madison to this long sister city relationship. There will be Salvadoran food and live Salvadoran music; you’ll see slides of our recent delegation to Arcatao and a short video of MASCP’s beginnings.  Come greet Agustin and celebrate with MASCP!

Agustin Menjivar, community leader in Arcatao, will be in Madison for the 25th Anniversary of MASCP and USESSC

In commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of sistering with Arcatao, MASCP has invited Agustin Menjivar, a community leader in Arcatao and the current president of the regional organizing committee to come to Madison. MASCP drafted a new resolution recommitting the City of Madison to our sister city relationship with Arcatao, El Salvador. Agustin will address the Common Council on October 4, the evening they will be voting on the new resolution. Seven Madison Alders have co-sponsored the resolution: Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, Sue Ellingson, Bridget Maniaci, Matt Phair, Satya Rhodes-Conway, Marsha Rummel and Anita Weier. Other alders and Mayor Paul Soglin will be invited to read and support the resolution as the October 4th Common Council meeting approaches.

 All Madisonians are invited to tell their alders to support this resolution and to come to the meeting on October 4, too!  We hope that folks will register their support for the resolution and express their appreciation for person-to person international relationships such as this. Those who have gone on delegations to Arcatao are particularly invited to come and share their experiences. The meeting starts at 6:30 PM and is held in Room 201 in the City County Building. Those who wish to speak should come early to sign up. We hope to see you there!2011 City of Madison Madison- Arcatao Sister City Proposed Resolution