Tejada and CAFTA

Arlington County Board Member J. Walter Tejada's opposition to the Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, was noted in the Washington Post. (The agreement is awaiting congressional ratification.) Tejada, a Salvadoran-born U.S. citizen, asked "Is this something that will benefit the neediest of the neediest in El Salvador? Those who will support CAFTA really want to be able to answer to the [Salvadoran] community."

The article also noted that Tejada met with Antonio Saca, the president of El Salvador, who inaugurated the second annual meeting of representatives of Salvadorans who live abroad at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Salvadorans are the biggest immigrant group in the Washington area, with more than 104,000 people.

Tejada Leads 'Civic Activists'

Arlington County Board Member J. Walter Tejada's leadership in the Community Role Models Program was profiled in The Connection in an article titled, 'Next Wave of Civic Activists.' The program's first organized event was a forum held at the Arlington Central Public Library last Wednesday to give young adults the chance to learn about volunteer opportunities in Arlington. More than 10 volunteer organizations were on hand to take new recruits.

Said Tejada, "I've always felt we have lots of talented young adults in Arlington that simply have not been asked to participate in civic life, and there are a lot opportunities in Arlington. We talk a lot about being diverse. Well, diversity is not just race, it is also age and interest. We have many young adults that go to Washington for volunteer work and internships, yet there are many other opportunities we can offer them right here."

According to Tejada, "Mentoring is a large focus of the program. One of the goals is to create a pool of mentors who can help our youth. I want our young adults to come up with their ideas and their own ways of doing things so the programs really have a life of their own."

School Board member Libby Garvey added, "This is exactly what we need to be doing more of here in Arlington, connecting young people with the community. Students identify more and in a different way with young adults than, say, volunteers who are older. It's a good way to get young people back into the community."

Among the organizations at the forum were the Argus House, a group home for young boys, the Arlington Community Action Program, Arlington Kiwanis Soccer and the Girl Scouts. Representatives from the Reading Connection, a literacy outreach program for children living in shelters and Arlington Refugee Services also attended to sign on tutors and volunteers for other work.