Who We Are?
Our Mission
PCASC educates and mobilizes community members, workers and students around struggles for human rights and social justice throughout the Americas.
Extraordinary Experiences
The Portland Central America Solidarity Committee, PCASC, was founded in 1979 by a group of activists concerned about US military and economic policy in Central America. In 1982, PCASC volunteers organized and successfully passed a county ballot measure calling on the federal government to end military support to the government of El Salvador, engaging and educating hundreds of thousands of voters.
In 1987, Portland resident Ben Linder was murdered by Contras in Nicaragua, and activists including Ben’s family members organized on a national level to draw attention to Ben’s death and US foreign policy towards Nicaragua.
In the 1990s, PCASC’s work shifted focus to work on ending corporate globalization. PCASC organized over 400 union members to participate in the Seattle WTO protests in 1999.
In 2005, PCASC coordinated a community campaign, involving communities of faith, student organizations, and unions to stop passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). This campaign was successful in pressuring Representative Earl Blumenauer (an avowed believer in free trade agreements) to vote no. In 2006, PCASC helped organize a historic May Day march for immigrant rights, with over 12,000 mostly Latino participants.
Our Core Values
PCASC values building a sustainable progressive movement. We believe that education, action, and leadership are key components of building our movement. It is vital to invest in strengthening the political analysis and organizing skills of our members and volunteers.
PCASC supports communities in their struggles to control their own lives. Our emphasis is on building direct relationships in the communities that we support and respond to their needs. We use our resources to amplify community voices.
PCASC creates a space for those with anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, and anti-racist values to build community and foster conversations about these values with other members of our community.