How to Make a Difference

Finding Your Representatives

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FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE

Getting Loud

Contact your representatives and urge them to repeal the legislation that is negatively affecting Puerto Rico. Urge them to repeal the Jones and PROMESA acts, as well as forgiving Puerto Rico's massive debt. Below is a message you can email your representatives:​

Jones Act

I'm calling on you to work with your colleagues to abolish the Jones Act for Puerto Rico. U.S. policies such as the Jones Act have increased shipping costs, mandating that goods travelling by water between U.S. ports and Puerto Rico be carried on ships that are built and registered in the U.S., at least 75% American-owned, and at least 75% U.S. crewed. However, if it’s a foreign vessel, Puerto Rico must pay tariffs which are then passed onto the islanders, subsequently raising the cost of living for everyday items such as paper towels, food, clothing, etc.

Although Puerto Ricans are legally American Citizens, they don’t have any of the rights American Citizens have. We need members of Congress to stand up for the relinquishment of the Jones Act.

Thank you

PROMESA

Debt Crisis

I'm calling on you to work with your colleagues to abolish PROMESA. PROMESA prioritizes debt repayment over the funding of Puerto Rico’s businesses. An unelected Financial Oversight Board has complete control over decisions about the island’s economy and, to date, the Board has consistently responded to the island’s economic woes by asking for more cuts to public services. Conditions for 3.4 million people in Puerto Rico and their families in the states have only gotten worse. Over 184 schools have been shut down and hundreds of thousands of families have been forced to leave the island.

Although Puerto Ricans are legally American Citizens, they don’t have any of the rights American Citizens have. We need members of Congress to stand up for the relinquishment of Puerto Rico’s debt.

Thank you

I'm calling on you to work with your colleagues to waive Puerto Rico's crippling debt. Last September the category 5 hurricane “Maria” hit Puerto Rico, adding $95 billion worth of damage onto their existing $72 billion debt. Puerto Rico's debt crisis has increased their vulnerability to future storms and made their recovery from Maria much more difficult. The increased cost of living for Puerto Ricans has not only stunted their recovery, but has given them significantly less to fund future protection.

Although Puerto Ricans are legally American Citizens, they don’t have any of the rights American Citizens have. We need members of Congress to stand up for the relinquishment of Puerto Rico’s debt.

Thank you

People Making a Difference

Casa Pueblo

Casa Pueblo is a community self-management project that is committed to the appreciation and protection of natural, cultural and human resources. It was born in 1980 when the government of Puerto Rico wanted to start a mining operation in 17 silver, gold and copper deposits. The mining would have caused an ecological and social catastrophe in 36,000 acres of land in the municipalities of Adjuntas, Utuado, Lares and Jayuya. Among the founding members who started this struggle and still remain are Mrs. Tinti Deya Diaz and Ing. Alexis Massol Gonzalez, together with an exemplary body of volunteers. 

You can get involved with them here.

Climate Justice Alliance

Created in 2013, the Climate Justice Alliance is a collaborative of over 50 community-based and movement support organizations uniting frontline communities to forge a scalable, and socio-economically just transition away from an extractive economy towards local living economies to address the root causes of climate change.

​You can get involved with them here.

Resilient Power Puerto Rico

Resilient Power Puerto Rico was launched by a group of friends from New York City with close ties to the Islands just hours after the devastating landfall of Hurricane Maria, with an immediate goal of bringing power to the most impacted communities through the deployment of solar generation and storage systems. 

​You can get involved with them here.

100 Days for Puerto Rico

100 Days for Puerto Rico is a movement of concerned citizens who are committed to Puerto Rico's recovery and long term economic development post hurricane Maria in support of the well-being of all Puerto Ricans. They are committed to take action by sharing easy-to-use tools and initiatives that help citizens become politically and socially engaged in the reconstruction of Puerto Rico. 
 
​You can get involved with them here.

Taller Salud

Taller Salud is a community-based feminist organization dedicated to improving women's access to health, reducing violence in community settings and fostering economic development through education and activism. Founded in 1979, Taller Salud is an independent, nongovernmental, non-profit organization.

​You can get involved with them here.

La Colectiva Feminsta en Construccion

At the start of October, la Colectiva Feminista en Construcción took over an unoccupied three-story building in Puerto Rico that had been empty for years and repurposed it for community use. They named the newfound space Casa Tomada — which translates to “taken house” in Spanish — and are now operating as a community resource center in the García Ubarri neighborhood of Río Piedras in San Juan. ​ When a nurse recently tested the forearms of two elderly women there, she noticed the elasticity of their skin was reduced, which meant they were severely dehydrated. Within minutes, a member of La Colectia Feminsta en Construccion, the group spearheading this initiative, brought them bottled water. That action may sound simple, but in Puerto Rico post-Hurricane Maria, it’s not. Clean drinking water isn’t easy to come by, and the federal aid that should be providing basic necessities isn’t accessible either.