Dispatches from our own International Activist!

Excerpts from a recent email Rick sent from Venezuela, where he's traveling with a delegation of activists convincing School of the Americas. Hugo Chavez announced that Venezuela would no longer send personnel there for training in January 2004, but the organization Rick's there with is joining together with allies there to convince other countries to cease their support as well. Without further ado, here's the latest exciting news from Rick:

Arrived safely and everything is going well.

You are not going to believe this. The second day we were here we actually attended a panel meeting with Hugo Chavez. There were about 1500 people there but we were in the front row. At the conclusion, he introduced our delegation and went name by name. After he finished he randomly picked my name...he goes:
'Rick Robers....who is this Rick Robers from Dublin, VA? What does he have to say to us today?' I am going completely nuts as I am getting ready to speak to Hugo Chavez and address the crowd. I basically said it was nice to be here, that not all Americans dislike Chavez or the Venezuelan people and I look forward to the day when our government will find the wisdom and courage to open the dialogue and works towards peace....there was much applause, I look to my left and Sean Penn (I promise I am not making this up) who was a special guest of Chavez is looking at me and clapping...he is about 10 seats down from me. Chavez addressed me saying thank you but he does not have much optimism with Bush. It was unreal.

That afternoon, Lisa (our trip coordinator) tells me she got a call from the Vice President's office: he saw our dlegation on national TV and wants to meet with us. We meet with him (just our delegation) for about 2 hours the next day. He introduced himself to us each individually and stops when he shakes hands with me and says "Ah yes, I saw you on TV yesterday"...it was crazy!

Here is the part where I would normally say I am making this stuff up, but I am not. My head is still kind of in a tailspin. Okay, much more of the trip to share, but I have to run. I apologize for sounding self indulgent, but I had to share this story. It was an unreal opportunity.

Everything else is going well. We have been meeting tons of neat people and seeing some amazing things. We even spoke on a Caracas radio station. OK, hope you are all doing well. I miss you guys. Will try to write more later but it is doubftul I will have internet access...
Peace...Rick

Let me point out again--this is little Rick from Radford! We can accomplish great things if we put ourselves in a position to be heard!