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HelpArgentina
The Crisis; The Current Situation; and How You Can Help
Elvira Museri, Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Liberal Judaism, presented her work with Help Argentina to campaigners at the Liberal Judaism Social Action Workshop at the Montagu Centre, London in November 2006. Elvira has worked for World Jewish Relief in Argentina and is closely involved with the poverty crisis in her own country, both for the Jewish Community and the wider community.
Liberal Judaism Social Action is supporting Elvira and her husband Ruben’s work in raising awareness of poverty in Argentina. She and her husband Ruben have developed a wonderfully lively programme of events and we hope many congregations will take up their Tango Night and Cinema Club.
These children have benefited from a HelpArgentina programme
Between 1999 and 2002, Argentina faced probably the fiercest crisis of its history. Poverty and unemployment rates reached levels that wouldn’t have been believed a decade earlier; with the gap between the rich and the poor becoming larger than ever. According to the macro-economic situation, things appear to have improved; however, a few statistics speak for themselves about how delicate the situation still is: more than 25% of the population is considered to be poor. Worse still, 49.5% of the population below 14 years old live below the poverty line (an adult person is considered poor if his/her monthly income is below $280 Argentinean pesos (approximately £50),- which would cover his/her monthly needs for accommodation, food, clothing, transport, health and education.
HelpArgentina is a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to connect an international community of social investors with responsible, efficient and transparent organisations within the social sector in Argentina. The ultimate goal is to promote the development of the country by strengthening the social sector.
Tango Argentino!
Liberal Judaism congregations are asked to join this effort by taking an active role in a fun event: a Tango Night. It can include a performance, a tango class for beginners and free time for dancing, all accompanied by typical Argentinean food (vegetarian) prepared by HelpArgentina volunteers and sold for fundraising. Elvira and Ruben will arrange for the tango teachers to come to your congregation* and bring the appropriate music for the night. The only prerequisite is a wooden or slippery floor and a congregation willing to bring slippery shoes to learn tango and enjoy the food!
HelpArgentina Film Club
Movie lovers will enjoy the HelpArgentina Film Club. It can be organised either at the Montagu Centre or at your congregation, showing movies that illustrate Argentinean society. Movies will be provided by HelpArgentina, and food will be on sale as above.
The first HelpArgentina Film Club will be on Wednesday 28th March. The film will be Daniel Burman's critically acclaimed, "The Lost Embrace", which the Los Angeles Times has compared to classic Woody Allen. Please click here for more information.
Do not hesitate to contact us for more information on e.museri@liberaljudaism.org and ruben.altman@gmail.com.
* The tango teachers charge a special fee of £100 (charity price) for the lesson. It is desirable that the congregation pays for this cost so that all the money raised goes to Social Programmes in Argentina.
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