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Montgomery County Citizens Concerned About Central America Collected Records

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Held at: Swarthmore College Peace Collection [Contact Us]500 College Avenue, Swarthmore 19081-1399

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Swarthmore College Peace Collection. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
CDG-A.Montgomery County Citizens Concerned.Central America
Repository:
Swarthmore College Peace Collection
Extent:
0.83 linear ft. (10 linear in.)
Preferred Citation:
Cite as: [Identification of item], in the Montgomery County Citizens Concerned About Central America Collected Records (CDG-A), Swarthmore College Peace Collection
Date:
1984-1991 (inclusive)
Creator:
Montgomery County Citizens Concerned About Central America (Montgomery County, Pa.) and Metzler, Sylvia
Abstract:
The MCCACA was founded in September 1984, joining a nationwide effort to educate and mobilize citizens to challenge the United States government's foreign policy stance and actions in Central America. It was disbanded in 1993.

The Montgomery County Citizens Concerned About Central America (MCCACA) began its tenure in September 1984. Founding members of this Pennsylvania organization joined a nationwide effort to educate and mobilize citizens to challenge the United States government's foreign policy stance and actions in Central America. Durings its time of operation, the group focused more particularly on the fight against federal funding for the Contras, anti-guerilla forces in Nicaragua. The group's membership ranged from 75 to 130 during its lifetime.

The activities of the MCCCACA included letter-writing and petition campaigns, community forums and educational hearings, and sponsorship of relevant speakers and films, as well as controversial public demonstrations and protests. Lobbying efforts made extensive use of the media to influence Congress (notably Lawrence Coughlin) and local leaders. Publicized events included a biannual "mock funeral," which symbolized the casualties of the ongoing conflict in Central America. In September 1985, the group sponsored an evening with the parents of Jean Donovan, one of four nuns slain in El Salvador. In October 1986, an important event featured Edgar Chamorro and David MacMichael; the former, a native of Nicaragua, had been a contra leader and past director of the CIA-backed Anti-Sandinista Democratic Force, while MacMichael was a former CIA analyst.

By March 1993 the group's activity had waned. Longtime leaders Sylvia Metzler, Judith Palmer and Jerilyn Bowen announced the decision to disband at that time.

The Swarthmore College Peace Collection is not the official repository for this collection of records.

Gift of unknown source.

For the catalog record for this collection, and to find materials on similar topics, search the library's online catalog.

Processed by SCPC staff. Checklist prepared by Anne M. Yoder, Archivist, May 2004.

Organization
Subject
Place

Publisher
Swarthmore College Peace Collection
Access Restrictions

Access: open for research without restrictions.

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendents, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Use Restrictions

None.

Collection Inventory

Archival Resource Key. History; purpose.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts, 1984.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Lists of names from canvas, 1984.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts, 1985.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Event with Patricia and Raymond Donovan as speakers [parents of Jean Donovan], 1985.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Citizens Hearing on Central America, 1985.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: House meetings to discuss Central America – contacts, forms, etc., 1985.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: House meetings to discuss Central America – evaluations, 1985.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Petitions, 1985.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

[2 folders]

Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Lobbying of Cong. Lawrence Coughlin re: aid to Contras in Nicaragua, 1985-1987.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts, 1986.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Event with Edgar Chamorro and David MacMichael, 1986.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

[photographs removed]

Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts, 1987.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Sit-in protest of Bernard Survil, 1987.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Relationship with Central America Organizing Project, 1987.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Concert "An Evening of Contemporary Jazz with the Posmontier Brothers", 1987.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

[poster removed]

Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Volunteer sign-up sheets, 1987.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts, 1988.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Video classroom presentation "A Nicaragua Portrait", 1988.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Address and resource lists, 1988.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts, 1989.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

[photographs removed]

Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts, 1990-1991.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Correspondence and reports of Sylvia Metzler while in Nicaragua, 1990-1991.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

[photographs and audiocassette removed]

Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts, undated.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Membership lists; phone tree, undated.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Follow-Up Committee phonathon, undated.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Press and media contact lists, undated.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Programmatic efforts: Central America and legislative hotline lists, undated.
Box 1

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