Year-end Reflections

A mixture of thoughts and reflections during this holiday season - especially as we look ahead to change and new beginnings in the coming year - from both famous and not-so-famous (but very respected) people who have influenced many.

"Advent should admonish us to discover in each brother and sister that we greet, in each friend whose hand we shake, in each beggar who asks for bread, in each worker who wants to use the right to join a union, in each peasant who looks for work in the coffee groves, the face of Christ.  They are Christ, and whatever is done to them Christ will take as done to himself.  This is what Advent is: Christ living among us. 

Some want to keep a gospel so disembodied that it doesn't get involved at all in the world it must save.  Christ is now in history.  Christ is in the womb of the people.  Christ is now bringing about the new heavens and the new earth"
Monsenor Romero El Salvador December 3, 1978

"We as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values.  We must rapidly begin the shift from a "thing-oriented" society to a "person-oriented" society."
Martin Luther King New York April 4, 1967

 MCC Photos/Melissa Engle

"It is my daily interaction with the extreme rich in view of the extreme poor that makes me demand that we reassess how we might bring a love-centered Christ-philosophy into our American citizenship.  A survey was taken in a math class the other day here at school and it was found that, on average, the students represented families that have 13 cars each. Granted, the results were skewed by one of the families owning a dealership, but another kid said, "Well we've got about five cars at our place in Dhaka, 5 cars at our place in the States, and another 5 at our Dubai place, so that's about 15, I guess."  It should be noted that those Dhaka cars are taxed with a sales tax of 200%, making them three times the actual price (that tax of course does nothing for the infrastructure of the country).  Again, generally speaking, what allows for this disgusting wealth and over-consumption is the textile industry.  It is estimated that about 100-300 families hold all the wealth in Bangladesh, and the majority of that wealth is made through garment production.  They are able to make such money because the minimum wage they pay their army of workers is about $36 per month.  An income that can support 15 cars at three different homes built on the backs of workers who get $36 per month.  That's what we're dealing with here. And what makes this all possible?  Western consumers buying from Western companies who "externalize" their costs by contracting factories over here.  This is just one example in one industry.  Because my students are rich in large part due to our spending habits in the West, I'd like Americans to think and talk about everyday what I tell my students almost every day as well:  "We are rich BECAUSE they are so poor - do you understand that?" But they usually don't.  "They don't know what they do." And that's exactly what America seems like from way over here:

A massive entity made of well-intentioned, really nice people who know not what they do to the world with their spending habits and lifestyle decisions.  I fear an American public who either stubbornly or tacitly supports "American ideals" when so many American interests abroad are acting in direct opposition to a lot of those ideals.  And this begins to ring true at home as well.  As Obama rightly asked: "Are we prepared to say that such violence visited on our children year after year after year is somehow the price for our freedom?"
Tim Koehn Bangladesh December, 2012

 The Questionist

"We have to build awareness and create consciousness in developed countries.  People have to recognize that they are impacting our territory.  Until they recognize that their lifestyles are affecting us, then we won't have a real solution."
Manari Ushigua Ecuador October, 2012

Challenge to be Conscientious

Recent events in Bangladesh and the factory fire that killed more than 100 people earlier this week, have got me thinking yet again about the importance of being not only conscientious consumers, but conscientious global citizens.  My brother, who lives in Bangladesh, was contemplating what our connection, if any, could be to such an event and honestly, when one starts to read the list of retailers who fabricate their clothes in these factories in Bangladesh, it becomes very clear what our connection - even our responsibility - is to this tragedy.  Of course, the issues are much more complex than simply assessing where we buy our clothes and deciding to change our purchasing habits, but that can be a positive start in becoming more conscientious.  Even more so, when we start to ask these questions and make the connection between these types of events and our own personal lifestyle choices, when we start to think and care about the lives of others who are affected by our choices, then this concept of global citizenship starts to make sense.  Unfortunately, in our globalized world it is easy for corporations to make big bucks by supporting projects in places they do not see on a daily basis, and almost just as easy for us as consumers to not think about these bigger issues for that same reason: we are endlessly connected, yet disconnected, from the reality of those beyond our borders.  Again, I draw upon the words of Tobias Roberts and his reflections on global warming that accurately highlight this point:

"The affluent, consumer lifestyle that characterizes the industrial world is  unavoidably disconnected from any specific place or community.  This lifestyle of "being everywhere but belonging nowhere" is in large part responsible for global tragedies such as climate change.  If we never truly belong to a particular place, then our lifestyles are never going to be contained by the necessary limits and possibilities of each place, nor are we going to be concerned for preserving or protecting that place.  The inevitable outcome of many individuals living a lifestyle unchecked by local limitations is seen, for example, in the absurd amount of greenhouse gas emissions by the industrial world.  It is this lifestyle that, when confronted with the need to reduce its carbon emissions, prefers to pay for projects that ruin places and communities irrelevant and unfamiliar to them rather than question their own patterns of consumption.  If we are to responsibly and seriously confront the issue of global warming, our most urgent need is to change the scale of our livelihoods and to accept the necessary and health limitations of each place."

This affluent lifestyle is represented again and again by the large multinational corporations prevalent in Bangladesh, Guatemala, you name it, and the great lengths they will go to to support projects outside of their borders, regardless of how unhealthy or unsafe they may be, all in an attempt to make money.  This disconnect that leads to issues  like global warming, or factory fires in Bangladesh, is also seen when we decide, either consciously or unconsciously, to continue living a consumer lifestyle without asking important questions - questions that are highlighted by this interesting project:  Where I am Wearing.  If we can start this process of thinking critically, asking questions, and connecting to people wherever that may be, I do believe that these larger issues can start to become a bit smaller, and we can continue on the road to becoming conscientious global citizens - "understanding that individuals can improve the state of the world and accepting the responsabilty to take action to do so." 

To read Tobias's full article:  Climate Change, Carbon Offsetting, and the Destruction of Local Communities

 More information on the Bangladesh fire:  BBC News and CNN

 And to read about people who are working to address these kinds of issues:   

Clean Clothes Campaign

 

Photos taken by Tim Koehn in Bangladesh of young boy weaving a sari and my sister-in-law connecting with local women

 

A Connection that Continues

One of the joys of this work is seeing relationships build between local communities and visiting groups.  The intensity of these exchanges during the two or so weeks that a group is here can make it seem like these relationships will last forever and continue to make a difference in the lives of all involved, which of course is our hope.  Unfortunately, when a group goes home and gets involved in the busyness of their individual lives, it's hard to know what happens; Just how often do participants think about their time here?  In what ways does their experience continue to impact their daily lives?  Is it possible that people really make changes based on what they have seen and learned here?  I know of course, that people do remain connected to their experience and that is also a part of the joy that comes from this work - the small, yet important reminders that these experiences can and do make a difference in the way people view the world. For example, the periodic emails and quick messages I receive, like a recent request from a student asking me for more information on the mining issue here for a paper she has to write for a university course, or a group of students who did interviews while in El Salvador regarding the reality of youth and violence and then turned them in to an interactive (and awesome!) presentation for their high school.  OR the amazing group of University of Saskatchewan education students who in the past months have done some really exciting things to keep their connection to Guatemala alive.

During their visit in April, a number of U of S students were inspired by the work of ANADESA in Santiago Atitlan.  Two such students went home and a number of months later, organized a fundraising event at a local restaurant where they raised more than $1,000 to support ANADESA's building project.  Another student from the same group decided to use the children's program at ANADESA as a way to teach her own students about the life and culture of a community in another part of the world.  For the past couple of months the students from Canada have been exchanging letters and pictures with the children from ANADESA, sharing about their communities, their traditions, and even participting in similar events thousands of miles apart.  After the ANADESA program celebrated Children's Day with their students, the teacher from Canada decided to copy the idea and organized a similar celebration for her students.  Really what a fun and important way to keep these connections alive and growing - finding ways to integrate one's experience into his/her daily life once back home, and in doing so, teaching others to think beyond their own borders.  As the teacher expressed in the first letter to ANADESA, "Your resilient community left a huge impact on me and I would love to come  back one day.  I want to teach my students everything I can from my experiences in Guatemala.  I  loved being in your community and a part of your lives so I want to share it with everyone I meet.  What a better way to share than to teach about it and have my students learn about a community through you."

A big thank you to the U of S group and all of you, who have not only decided to connect to the work and lives of people in Guatemala and El Salvador by visiting here, but who have taken that connection home and made it real in your own communities!  

University of Saskatchewan group with the ANADESA children's program

 The "Children's Day" celebration with ANADESA where the children played games, enjoyed a special snack, and talked about the rights of children

 

The Canadian version of "Children's Day" where the students also talked about children's rights and tried their hand at making tortillas and weaving Canadian style

Thank you to Pati and Brittany for the photos!

Alternatives

Is it possible to find alternatives to such a complex issue as migration?  As the immigration debate continues in North America and thousands of Latin American migrants continue to find their way there, the need for local, healthy, and sustainable alternatives becomes increasingly important.  When visiting projects in San Marcos where small community cooperatives are producing trout and growing flowers, one starts to get a glimpse as to what these alternatives could look like.  There is work to be done and hope in doing it, story after story shared about how things have changed in the communities and how husbands and fathers are no longer forced to leave their homes in order to provide for their families.  It's encouraging and inspiring, and makes us feel like we are doing good work here.  Yet, at the same time there are feelings of frustration, even anger, at the inequality and exploitation that we see.  The conflict between privilege and poverty and the overwhelming complexity of all these issues leaves us feeling inadequate and ultimately, responsible.   This, in short, is what the Alternatives to Migration Learning Tour participants were struggling with in their final debriefing held last month - an overwhelming mix of complicated emotions, thoughts, and unanswered questions that are a common part of these experiences - and the part that I believe, marks us to the point that we cannot forget, leaving us responsible to act.  That action of course will take many different paths, and it itself will most likely lead us to more questions:  "How can we know that a "real difference" is being made?  How does change actually occur?"  Realistically, we may never have the answers to all of these questions, but the importance of asking them and working to find solutions cannot be overlooked.  In the end, one might just find that the solution lies in a few fish ponds and rose gardens in the rugged mountains of San Marcos.

In addition to visiting the projects in San Marcos, the Learning Tour spent time across the border in Tapachula, Mexico hearing about the reality of immigration on the border; visit the Latin America Advocacy blog (now in Spanish!) to learn more about the organizations we visited.  Also follow Amanda VanEngen's adventures here during her one year SALT term in San Marcos. 

 

In order to get to Mexico, some of the group had the adventure of a lifetime while hiking to Yalu in a rain storm; luckily the increasingly famous and every-caring Juan Pablo was our fearless leader!

Although there was severe damage from the November 7 earthquake in  the center of San Marcos, the communities where MCC directly supports projects were not affected.  MCC is currently working with our local partner Caritas to assess the damage and will be providing humaintarian and other aid in the coming weeks.  

Trout and Roses

A key part of the Connecting People program is organizing local activities similar to the learning tours that many of you have participated in.  These local exchanges provide individuals from El Salvador and Guatemala the opportunity to learn about topics of interest, share ideas and experiences relevant to the work they are doing in their communities, visit new places in their own countries (as many of them have had very little opportunity to travel outside of their own communities), meet new people, and have fun.  Starting this year, we have been building a more regular budget for these activities thanks largely in part to our North American groups' willingness to use a portion of their money to fund these local learning tours.  This is the second year we have been able to organize such an event (see here to read about last year's Women in Leadership learning tour) and although small, this year's group was very motivated and excited to learn about two key topics: Trout Production and Food Security with a focus on Agroecology.  Mostly youth participants from Altaverapaz and Quiche came together for 3 days of learning about the projects in the communities of San Marcos that are working in food security programs.  In the community of La Vega del Volcan, the group participated in a workshop on trout production and visited the home of a family who is using almost 100% organic methods for their food production - a very inspiring and hopeful experience and one many North Americans could learn a lot from!  The next stop on the tour was Nuevas Maravillas where the group learned about the flower production that the co-op there continues to perfect and that has served in helping the families have a more steady income.  These experiences at times seem to be small, but the lasting impact they can have not only on the visitors but on the community leaders can not go unrecognized.  The youth from Quiche returned home with new insight and energy to try their hand at their own trout projects; those from Altaverapaz were encouraged to try knew agricultural methods and left with rose plants in hand hoping to possibly start their own small flower production.  The local leaders who shared their knowledge with the group were reaffirmed that even though the progress they have made may seem small to them, in this exchange they were seen as the experts on the topics with years of experience to share.  Although we spend a lot of time coordinating with North American groups, something that is very important, being able to focus more of our energy on providing these spaces of learning to local people is what adds even more depth  and hope to the Connecting People program.  Thank you to all who continue to make this possible!

Announcing New Advocacy Guide

Many of you are aware of this new resource, but if you aren't or you haven't taken the time to read through it, we would like to share the MCC Guatemala/El Salvador Advocacy Guide with you.  This collaborative effort between various MCC team members has been in the works for many months, and referenced in a variety of past posts both here and here.  Out hope is that this guide serves as a learning and resource tool as you continue to be challenged by your experience in Guatemala and El Salvador.  We look forward to hearing your feedback and ways in which you are able to use this great resource.

Click here to view the guide:  MCC Guatemala/El Salvador Advocacy Guide

 MCC Photo/Melissa Engle

There are so many other great resources out there too once one starts looking; see the list below for more information on the issues mentioned in the Advocacy Guide:

• Very informative map and information about Canadian Mining in Latin America by the McGill Research group:  Canadian Mining in Guatemala
• Petition asking for justice in response to killings that took place in Totonicapan, Guatemala a couple of weeks ago:  Guatemala Human Rights Commission
• New article from MCCer Tobias Roberts asking us to challenge our thoughts on traditional Mayan lifestyle and our views of development:  Relocating Culture to Find a Solution to the Tragedy of the Commons
• General resources on organizations working on issues in Guatemala, educational films, literature, etc. through Global Exchange: Guatemala Resources

East Chestnut Mennonite Church

In July, a group of youth from East Chestnut Mennonite Church in Lancaster, PA visited Guatemala for the first time, spending much of their time and energy working with students from Bezaleel in Altaverapaz on a new soccer field for the school.  The group also participated in an exchange with a group of youth from the community of Sacsi Chitana who have been interested in learning new skills with hopes of starting a few income generating initiatives in the community.  Thank you to the staff at Bezaleel for sending the pictures of the soccer field project, and to Carlos from Sacsi Chitana for sharing the pictures of the youth working on their second batch of shampoo and the incubator doing it's job!

 Exchange in community of Sacsi Chitana

 

 

 Bezaleel soccer field project

 

 

everyman's right

I was recently reading about a friend's trip to Sweden where she shared the following:

"We roamed fields we didn't own and our host told us about an unwritten Swedish law allowing people to walk freely on the land.  And not just walk, but explore, hike, camp, and drink water from the springs.  They believe the farmland and wild open spaces should be shared and enjoyed by locals and visitors alike, the forests, fields, and waterways treasured and enjoyed.  They call it
"Allemansrätt" or for those if us who don't speak Swedish: everyman's right."

What a refreshing concept: an unwritten, cultural understanding that the earth and all it gives us should be treasured, enjoyed, and shared - a cultural understanding that is ever present in the indigenous traditions found in Guatemala.  As fellow MCCer Tobias Roberts shares here, the highlands of Guatemala, where many of these indigenous groups live, and their traditional lifestyle, "offer a life full of riches:  forested mountains, plentiful rain, fertile soil, abundant rivers, peaceful communities, and a vivacious cultural legacy."  Unfortunately, there are "visitors" who have come from the outside to take advantage of these resources.  Rather than treasuring and enjoying the forest, fields, and waterways, they have used the concept of "everyman's right" to turn these natural resources into money they can deposit into their bank accounts.  

picture of the Palo Viejo hydroelectric dam in Cotzal, Quiche

see more images here 

 picture of the Marlin Mine in San Miguel, San Marcos

MCC Photo/Melissa Engle 

The story is heard again and again across Latin America and the world; poverty ridden and often indigenous communities fighting to protect their rights to their land and its natural resources.  As the MCC Latin American Advocacy blog suggests, there comes a point when we have to ask ourselves what is this really leading to?  (see "Generating prosperity or conflict?: Mining in Latin America")  Rather than punishing these communities for wanting to protect their environment, when will we return to the concept of "allemansrätt" that my friend found so welcoming in Sweden?  Just what is holding us back from this natural and humane way of living? What are we afraid of?  

Forgoing excessive and harmful consumption? 
Having to change your attitudes?

The power of the politicians?

The work involved in achieving great self-sufficiency?

The disappointing looks of your neighbors?

What are you afraid of?

I was hungry and you fed your animals with my food.

I was hungry and your transnationals planted your winter tomatoes on our best land.

I was hungry and you wouldn’t give up your steak from South America.

I was hungry but they grew tea for you where rice might grow for my daily meal.

I was hungry but you turned our sugarcane and manioc into fuel for your cars.

I was hungry but the waste from your factories is poisoning the fishing grounds of the earth.

I was hungry but with your money, you bought up my food.

I was hungry while my land grows exotic fruits for your table.
I was hungry but you gave me no food.

Earth Keepers

What are you afraid of?