History:
La Voz de los de Abajo grew out of an organization, Comité en Solidaridad con los Damnificados en Centroamérica, founded shortly after Hurricane Mitch hit Central America in November of 1998. The CSDCA was organized to raise funds and collect aid for organizations and communities in Honduras that were not receiving adequate help from governmental and international aid organizations. Its vision was to develop people to people - community-to-community solidarity, not charity, to work in support of those who are working for better living conditions and human rights. In 1999, a delegation from the CSDCA delivered aid to the Central Nacional de los Trabajadores del Campo (National Center for Rural Workers) and visited poor and landless peasant communities in Honduras. The CSDCA was granted financial sponsorship for not-for-profit status by the Inter-religious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO).

After the delegation returned, it was decided to rename the committee, La Voz de los de Abajo. La Voz was to continue with the same vision, and to continue the solidarity work with the CNTC and with other social organizations and human rights organizations in Honduras.

La Voz de los de Abajo collaborated in 2000 and in 2001 with the annual IFCO/Pastors for Peace Central American Caravans. That collaboration included collecting donations of aid for the CNTC, traveling to different cities in the United States to present information about the situation in Honduras to schools, churches and organization, and sending delegates and aid on the caravan to Honduras. We are currently beginning work for the 2002 Caravan, which will travel in Central America in March of 2002.

La Voz de los de Abajo also works to build ties between communities and organizations in the United States and Central America by bringing representatives from Central America to the U.S.

La Voz de los de Abajo participates in human rights support efforts for Honduras and other Latin American countries, by responding to action alerts received from organizations in those countries or from international human rights organizations.

Purpose:
Develop People to People- Community to Community Humanitarian Solidarity and Provide Support to those who are working for better living Conditions and Human Rights in Central America.

Focus of Student Group:
Raise conscious awareness on issues of human rights in the Americas and to build solidarity among students and institutions at DePaul University.