Office of the Americas
Encyclopedia
The Office of the Americas is a non-profit organization
based in Los Angeles, California
and founded in April, 1983 by Theresa Bonpane, who along with her husband Blase Bonpane
, continue as the Director and Founding Director, respectively, of the organization.
The OOA is dedicated to furthering the cause of justice and peace through broad-based educational programs, and is a recognized source of documentation and analysis of current international events with a focus on the foreign policy of the United States.
Blase Bonpane can be heard weekly on the program World Focus, Sundays from 10:00 am to 11:00 am on Pacifica Radio
's KPFK
out of Los Angeles. He is also the author of many books, based on his radio commentaries, and his experiences as a former priest working in Latin America. His most recent book, his autobiography, Imagine No Religion, was published by Red Hen Press in 2011.
Programs of the Office of the Americas include:
The OOA has the support of Executive and Advisory Boards which include Noam Chomsky
, Ed Asner
, Martin Sheen
, the Reverend Roy Bourgeois
, and many others active in the peace and justice fields. The late Howard Zinn
was part of the OOA's Advisory Board.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
based in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and founded in April, 1983 by Theresa Bonpane, who along with her husband Blase Bonpane
Blase Bonpane
Blase Bonpane is Director of the Office of the Americas which he co-founded with his wife Theresa in 1983. His attention has been primarily on human rights and identification of illegal and immoral aspects of domestic and foreign policies of the United States.Bonpane served as a Maryknoll priest...
, continue as the Director and Founding Director, respectively, of the organization.
The OOA is dedicated to furthering the cause of justice and peace through broad-based educational programs, and is a recognized source of documentation and analysis of current international events with a focus on the foreign policy of the United States.
Blase Bonpane can be heard weekly on the program World Focus, Sundays from 10:00 am to 11:00 am on Pacifica Radio
Pacifica Radio
Pacifica Radio is the oldest public radio network in the United States. It is a group of five independently operated, non-commercial, listener-supported radio stations that is known for its progressive/liberal political orientation. It is also a program service supplying over 100 affiliated...
's KPFK
KPFK
KPFK is a listener-sponsored radio station based in North Hollywood, California, United States, which serves the Greater Los Angeles Area, and also streams 24 hours a day via the Internet...
out of Los Angeles. He is also the author of many books, based on his radio commentaries, and his experiences as a former priest working in Latin America. His most recent book, his autobiography, Imagine No Religion, was published by Red Hen Press in 2011.
Programs of the Office of the Americas include:
- Offering information and commentary to mainstream and independent media as well as to scholarly publications
- TV and radio commentaries, including World Focus, a weekly broadcast for the Pacifica network
- Press conferences and background briefings
- Assisting in documentary, feature film and TV productions
- Publishing “Blase Bonpane Reports”, a weekly e-newsletter
- Lecturing at universities and peace and justice groups nationally
- Providing information on legislative issues
- Providing services and networking with other peace and justice organizations
The OOA has the support of Executive and Advisory Boards which include Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
, Ed Asner
Ed Asner
Edward Asner , commonly known as Ed Asner, is an American film, television, stage, and voice actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, primarily known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Lou Grant on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off series, Lou Grant...
, Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
, the Reverend Roy Bourgeois
Roy Bourgeois
Roy Bourgeois is an American activist. He was ordained a priest in the Maryknoll order of the Roman Catholic Church and is founder of the human rights group SOA Watch or the School of the Americas Watch....
, and many others active in the peace and justice fields. The late Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn was an American historian, academic, author, playwright, and social activist. Before and during his tenure as a political science professor at Boston University from 1964-88 he wrote more than 20 books, which included his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United...
was part of the OOA's Advisory Board.
External links
- Official site
- World Focus, radio program on Pacifica Network
- Guerrillas of Peace: On the Air, Blase Bonpane, Red Hen Press, 2000
- Common Sense for the Twenty-First Century, Blase Bonpane, Red Hen Press, 2004
- Civilization is Possible, Blase Bonpane, Red Hen Press, 2008
- Blase Bonpane as featured speaker on SpeakOut!
- Imagine No Religion, Blase Bonpane, Red Hen Press, 2011
- Office of the Americas YouTube Channel
- Office of the Americas Facebook page