Remembering Ben Linder

3 events to celebrate the life and remember the death of Ben Linder. A film (4/5), a work party to build a bridge in Forest Park in Ben's honor (4/21) and an event to honor Ben (4/27). Ben dedicated his life to solidarity with the people in Nicaragua. A U.S. funded contra bullet took him away. 20 years later, we look back and remember his example of sacrifice and solidarity and look forward to future struggles, walking hand in hand with the people of Latin America.

On the 20th Anniversary of His Death In Nicaragua...

An Evening to Remember Ben Linder And Learn How His Work Continues

When: Friday, April 27, 7 pm

Where: First United Methodist Church, SW 18th & Jefferson, Portland

What: This event is to remember Ben Linder, the Portland engineer murdered by U.S.-backed "contras," and to learn how the rural development project he and others started in northern Nicaragua continues today.

Presentations by:

Niko Kozobolidis - Civil engineer on the Cuá-Bocay hydroelectric project that Ben initiated. Niko has just returned from Cuá-Bocay and has been an integral part of the project for 20 years.

The Linder family

Music by Lolo Cutumay

Juggling by Ben Schoenberg

Event is free. Donations to continue Ben's work in Nicaragua are welcome.

For more information call John Linder, 503-777-6513, or Green Empowerment 503-284-5774.

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Background: Ben Linder, a mechanical engineer from Portland, was murdered 20 years ago in the remote mountains of northern Nicaragua. He was one U.S. citizen among thousands of Nicaraguans killed by the "contras," a guerrilla force armed and directed by the U.S. government in its effort to overturn Nicaragua's Sandinista revolution. The story of this gentle engineer, who also used his skills as a juggler and unicyclist to promote health care campaigns, reached millions of Americans, allowing them to better understand the enormous suffering caused by Washington's terrorist war.

Ben, 27, had lived in Nicaragua for nearly four years. In the town of El Cuá he completed a small hydroelectric plant, providing light and electricity to the town for the first time. Ben was doing preparatory work for a second plant when he and two Nicaraguan coworkers were killed. Ben saw the hydroelectric project, in which Nicaraguans were trained as electricians and machinists, as the catalyst for environmentally sustainable rural development.

With the help of Ben's friends, family, and coworkers, the project he launched now provides electricity and drinking water to thousands of people while protecting the watersheds of the Cuá-Bocay region. As is written on Ben's gravestone in Matagalpa, "La luz que encendió brillará para siempre." The light he lit will shine forever.

Co-Sponsors: The Linder family, Portland Central America Solidarity Committee, Green Empowerment, Engineers Without Borders, Portland Area Rethinking Schools, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Portland Jugglers.

Event Flyer (pdf): http://www.greenempowerment.org/BenLindereventflyer.pdf

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Ben Linder Work Brigade

When: Saturday, April 21, 9:00 a.m.

Where: Forest Park

What: Join us in building a bridge in Forest Park to commemorate Ben. This work party is a local version of the Ben Linder Construction Brigades that traveled to Portland's Sister City of Corinto, Nicaragua, to help build community projects.

For detailed information and to get involved contact Robert:
rjspurlock@hotmail.com or 503-757-1803.

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Film: They Can Cut All the Flowers, But They Can Never Stop the Spring

When: Thursday, April 5, 7pm

Where: Liberty Hall (311 N Ivy St., near Fremont and N. Vancouver)

What: PCASC's Bolivarian Media Exchange presents the film, "They Can All All the Flowers, But They Can Never Stop the Spring". The film is a remarkable record of a historic event of human solidarity: the work, death and funeral of Ben Linder in Nicaragua. The story is of shared grief and love between Nicaraguans and North Americans that will one day be the basis of a new relationship between our countries based on mutual respect.