Inventory of the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant Collection

Marvin L. Wiser

Graduate Theological Union Archives

Graduate Theological Union

2400 Ridge Road

Berkeley, California, 94709

Phone: (510) 649-2523/2501

Email: archives@gtu.edu

URL: http://gtu.edu/library/information/special-collections

Inventory of the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant Collection

Collection number: GTU 89-11-01

Graduate Theological Union Archives

Graduate Theological Union

Berkeley, California

Processed by:: Marvin L. Wiser
Date Completed:: 05/27/2015
Encoded by:: David Stiver

Descriptive Summary

Title: East Bay Sanctuary Covenant collection

Dates: 1974-2000

Bulk Dates: 1983-2000

Collection number: GTU 89-11-01

Creator: East Bay Sanctuary Covenan

Collection Size: 3.8 linear feet (4 record boxes)

Repository: The Graduate Theological Union. Library.

Berkeley, CA 94709

Abstract: The collection contains the records of East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC) from 1982 through 2000. Founded in 1982, the organization was created by local congregations to help refugees to the United States from El Salvador and Guatemala. By 2000, E BSC expanded its mission to provide support for refugees from anywhere in the world and is still active.

Physical location: 1/C/2, 1/D/4

Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English Spanish

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to The Graduate Theological Union. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Graduate Theological Union as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Preferred Citation

East Bay Sanctuary Covenant collection, GTU 89-11-01. Graduate Theological Union Archives, Berkeley, CA.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Irene Litherland on April 10, 1990, and additional materials at a later date.

Biography / Administrative History

The East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (eastbaysanctuary.org)was formed in 1982 on the anniversary of the assassination of Oscar Romero by five founding congregations. Based in Berkeley, CA, EBSC was founded to provide protection, support, and advocacy for Salvadoran and Guatemalan refugees. By 1985 membership had grown to 25. Initially, refugees were housed among the covenanting faith communities.

The congregations collectively established an office with a full-time Director, a Refugee Rights Coordinator, Health Services Coordinator, a Direct Services Coordinator, and an Office Manager. EBSC circulated a newsletter, Exodus, as part of an Education and Outreach initiative. The organization focused on Accompaniment, maintaining relationships with sanctuary groups on the U.S.-Mexico border; Refugee Rights, providing legal services for asylum seekers from Central America; and Social Service, recruiting healthcare professionals to provide services for the refugee population, and organizing housing and employment opportunities for the population.

The Sanctuary Movement began during the Vietnam War when churches - some in Berkeley, CA - offered "the availability of shelter and sustenance to military personnel who are conscientiously unable to continue their participation in the armed forces or in combat duties."

A similar, but much larger, movement began in the early 1980's in response to refugees from Central America. Faced with civil war, military aggression and terror, citizens began to travel north to Mexico and then to the United States. U.S. policy did not recognize Central Americans, or El Salvadorans, as qualifying for refugee status. Those who were caught were deported and returned to their countries. Becoming aware of the situation, churches responded to the needs of the refugees by offering sanctuary. The movement lasted in vigor through the end in the 1980s. EBSC then expanded its services to include people from all over the world. As of May 2015, the EBSC handles over 500 Affirmative Asylum cases.

Scope and Content of Collection

The collection documents the founding and activities of the East Bay Sanctuary Movement based in Berkeley, CA. The collection contains office procedures, immigration resources, urgent action notices, news clippings, committee packets and minutes.

Arrangement

The collection is organized by date as follows: Series 1, Organizational files and services; Series 2, Exodus newsletter; Series 3, Reports by Christian Urgent Action Network for El Salvador (CUANES); Series 4, EBSC Steering Committee packets and Executive Committee minutes.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects

Sanctuary movement.

Church work with refugees--United States.

Political refugees--Central America.

Asylum, Right of.

Christianity and justice--United States.

El Salvador--History--1979-1992.

Violence--El Salvador.

State-sponsored terrorism--Guatemala.

Victims of state-sponsored terrorism--Guatemala.

Other Finding Aids

Gustav Schultz Sanctuary Collection, GTU 90-5-01

National Sanctuary Defense Fund Collection, GTU 98-9-04

The Sanctuary Movement Oral History Project, GTU 2009-3-02

Series 1 Organizational files and services 1974-1998

Physical Description: 40 folders

Box 1:1

NALC 1974

Box 1:2

Central American Resources 1983-1984

Box 1:3

CODEFAM 1983-1984

Box 1:4

Sanctuary Covenants 1985

Box 1:5

Orientation Materials 1985

Box 1:6

Cross-cultural Communication 1985

Box 1:7

Church Recruitment 1986

Box 1:8

Office Procedures 1986 and 1989

Box 1:9

Library Catalogue 1986-1987

Box 1:10

Theological Reflections 1987

Box 1:11

First Annual Dinner 1987

Box 1:12

Medical Aid for El Salvador 1987-1988

Box 1:13

Congregational Survey 1988

Box 1:14

Member Congregations 1989-1990

Box 1:15

Congregational Support 1989-1990

Box 1:16

Healthcare Component 1985-1988

Box 1:17

Employment and Housing 1982-1991

Box 1:18

Donations, Food, and Transportation 1989-1991

Box 1:19

Medical Recruits 1986

Box 1:20

Mental Health Recruitment 1987

Box 1:21

Mental Health Referral Directory 1987

Box 1:22

Dental 1985

Box 1:23

Dental Recruits 1986

Box 1:24

Intake Forms: DVC and Chabot 1988

Box 1:25

Translation 1989

Box 1:26

Translators Guides 1987

Box 1:27

Education Goals and Priorities 1986

Box 1:28

Other Social and Legal Services 1989-1993

Box 1:29

Alliance of Sanctuary Communities 1991

Box 1:30

Study Packet 1991-1992

Box 1:31

Tenth Anniversary Planning 1992

Box 1:32

Tenth Anniversary Histories 1992

Box 1:33

Tenth Anniversary Ceremony 1992

Box 1:34

News Clippings 1994

Box 1:35

Factors that Influence Immigration 1996

Box 1:36

Education Packet 1998

Box 1:37

Economic Development Research 1998

Box 1:38

Guatemala “Nunca Mas” 1998

Box 1:39

CERIGUA Guatemala Updates 1998

Box 1:40

Guatemala Peace Accords and Constitutional Reforms 1998

Series 2 Exodus newsletter 1982-1996

Physical Description: 8 folders

Box 1:41

Exodus Mailing List 1993

Box 1:42

Exodus 1982-1984, 1988

Box 1:43

Exodus 1991

Box 1:44

Exodus 1992

Box 1:45

Exodus 1993

Box 1:46

Exodus 1994

Box 1:47

Exodus 1995

Box 1:48

Exodus 1996

Series 3 Reports by Christian Urgent Action Network for El Salvador (CUANES) 1985-1997

Physical Description: 21 folders

Box 2:1

CUANES Annual Report 1986

Box 2:2

Urgent Actions 1985

Box 2:3

Urgent Actions 1986

Box 2:4

Urgent Actions 1987

Box 2:5

Urgent Actions 1988

Box 2:6

Urgent Actions Jan-Jun 1989

Box 2:7

Urgent Actions Jul-Dec 1989

Box 2:8

Urgent Actions Jan-Jun 1990

Box 2:9

Urgent Actions Jul-Dec 1990

Box 2:10

Urgent Actions Jan-Jun 1991

Box 2:11

Urgent Actions Jul-Dec 1991

Box 2:12

Urgent Actions Jan-Jun 1992

Box 2:13

Urgent Actions Jul-Dec 1992

Box 2:14

Urgent Actions Jan-Jun 1993

Box 2:15

Urgent Actions Jul-Dec 1993

Box 2:16

Urgent Actions Jan-Jun 1994

Box 2:17

Urgent Actions Jul-Dec 1994

Box 2:18

Urgent Actions Jan-Jun 1995

Box 2:19

Urgent Actions Jul-Dec 1995

Box 2:20

Urgent Actions 1996

Box 2:21

Urgent Actions 1997

Series 4 EBSC Steering Committee packets and Executive Committee minutes 1983-2000

Physical Description: 164 folders

Box 3:1

August 1983

Box 3:2

March 1985

Box 3:3

April 1985

Box 3:4

May 1985

Box 3:5

June 1985

Box 3:6

July 1985

Box 3:7

August 1985

Box 3:8

September 1985

Box 3:9

October 1985

Box 3:10

November 1985

Box 3:11

December 1985

Box 3:12

January and February 1986

Box 3:13

March 1986

Box 3:14

April 1986

Box 3:15

May 1986

Box 3:16

June 1986

Box 3:17

July 1986

Box 3:18

August 1986

Box 3:19

September 1986

Box 3:20

October 1986

Box 3:21

November 1986

Box 3:22

December 1986

Box 3:23

January 1987

Box 3:24

February 1987

Box 3:25

March 1987

Box 3:26

April 1987

Box 3:27

May 1987

Box 3:28

June 1987

Box 3:29

July 1987

Box 3:30

August 1987

Box 3:31

September 1987

Box 3:32

October 1987

Box 3:33

November 1987

Box 3:34

December 1987

Box 3:35

January 1988

Box 3:36

February 1988

Box 3:37

March 1988

Box 3:38

April 1988

Box 3:39

May 1988

Box 3:40

June 1988

Box 3:41

July 1988

Box 3:42

August 1988

Box 3:43

September 1988

Box 3:44

October 1988

Box 3:45

November 1988

Box 3:46

December 1988

Box 3:47

January 1989

Box 3:48

February 1989

Box 3:49

March 1989

Box 3:50

April 1989

Box 3:51

May 1989

Box 3:52

June 1989

Box 3:53

July 1989

Box 3:54

August 1989

Box 3:55

September 1989

Box 3:56

October 1989

Box 3:57

November 1989

Box 3:58

December 1989

Box 3:59

January 1990

Box 3:60

February 1990

Box 3:61

March 1990

Box 3:62

April 1990

Box 3:63

May 1990

Box 3:64

June 1990

Box 3:65

July 1990

Box 3:66

August 1990

Box 3:67

September 1990

Box 3:68

October 1990

Box 3:69

November 1990

Box 3:70

December 1990

Box 3:71

January 1991

Box 3:72

February 1991

Box 3:73

March 1991

Box 3:74

April 1991

Box 3:75

May 1991

Box 3:76

June 1991

Box 3:77

July 1991

Box 3:78

August 1991

Box 3:79

September 1991

Box 3:80

October 1991

Box 3:81

November 1991

Box 3:82

December 1991

Box 4:1

January 1992

Box 4:2

February 1992

Box 4:3

March 1992

Box 4:4

April 1992

Box 4:5

May 1992

Box 4:6

June 1992

Box 4:7

July 1992

Box 4:8

September 1992

Box 4:9

October 1992

Box 4:10

November 1992

Box 4:11

December 1992

Box 4:12

January 1993

Box 4:13

February 1993

Box 4:14

March 1993

Box 4:15

April 1993

Box 4:16

May 1993

Box 4:17

June 1993

Box 4:18

July 1993

Box 4:19

August 1993

Box 4:20

September 1993

Box 4:21

October 1993

Box 4:22

November 1993

Box 4:23

December 1993

Box 4:24

January 1994

Box 4:25

March 1994

Box 4:26

April 1994

Box 4:27

May 1994

Box 4:28

June 1994

Box 4:29

July 1994

Box 4:30

August 1994

Box 4:31

September 1994

Box 4:32

October 1994

Box 4:33

November 1994

Box 4:34

December 1994

Box 4:35

February 1995

Box 4:36

April 1995

Box 4:37

May 1995

Box 4:38

June 1995

Box 4:39

July 1995

Box 4:40

September 1995

Box 4:41

October 1995

Box 4:42

November 1995

Box 4:43

December 1995

Box 4:44

January 1996

Box 4:45

February 1996

Box 4:46

March 1996

Box 4:47

April 1996

Box 4:48

May 1996

Box 4:49

June 1996

Box 4:50

August 1996

Box 4:51

September 1996

Box 4:52

October 1996

Box 4:53

November 1996

Box 4:54

December 1996

Box 4:55

January 1997

Box 4:56

March 1997

Box 4:57

April 1997

Box 4:58

May 1997

Box 4:59

July 1997

Box 4:60

August 1997

Box 4:61

September 1997

Box 4:62

November 1997

Box 4:63

February 1998

Box 4:64

March 1998

Box 4:65

April 1998

Box 4:66

May 1998

Box 4:67

June 1998

Box 4:68

August 1998

Box 4:69

September 1998

Box 4:70

December 1998

Box 4:71

February 1999

Box 4:72

March 1999

Box 4:73

April 1999

Box 4:74

June 1999

Box 4:75

July 1999

Box 4:76

September 1999

Box 4:77

November 1999

Box 4:78

December 1999

Box 4:79

February 2000

Box 4:80

March 2000

Box 4:81

Executive Committee Minutes 1985-1993

Box 4:82

Minutes 1985-1993