Visit to Saskatchewan

Yes, it may be hard to believe that I would choose to leave warm Guatemala and travel to Saskatchewan in the middle of November, but I did. And I can say that below-zero temperatures and all, I had a wonderful visit and really enjoyed this place that so many of you Canadians often talk down on! All of us from MCC Guate/El Salvador are so grateful for the opportunity Rosthern Junior College gave us to continue growing the relationship RJC started with MCC more than 10 years ago. As I mentioned while at RJC's annual fundraising banquet, (see here for more news and photos from the night) RJC's commitment to integrating service learning into their curriculum is more than evident and certainly something to be admired. Below is a portion of what I shared with the RJC community while there; a thank you of sorts to RJC and all of you who have supported the work of Connecting Peoples in Guatemala, El Salvador, and beyond.

Unfortunately, Anotny and Irma were not able to accompany me but we hope they will be able to visit Canada in the coming year!

"Time and time again, our partners have expressed how important these types of experiences are for building a sense of hope and solidarity in their communities; when they see that a group of young Canadians are genuinely interested in sharing with them, learning about their daily struggles, working and playing alongside them, they are motivated and encouraged by this authentic show of support. I can’t count the times I have heard a local person say that they cannot believe that these young people are “preocupados” for them; they can’t believe that you are worried or concerned or even interested in their lives. Showing solidarity with a people that has often been forgotten, is huge and the power of that cannot be emphasized enough. Likewise, these cross cultural exchanges allow for the local communities to see the beauty of their own culture and way of living in a new light. So often, especially in the indigenous communities in Guatemala, people have been taught to think that they are not good enough, that their traditions are backwards or of little value, that even the natural beauty in which they live and work is just “normal”, and that in order to really advance in life they have to leave it and search for “better” lives in the cities or outside of their own country. Bringing groups from the North, which still very much represents the land of endless opportunity for many Central Americans, and seeing these groups enjoy the local nature, culture, and traditions, is something that helps the communities to start recognizing their own richness. Many times in the communities of San Marcos, which is one of the most beautiful places I have been, I have heard people tell groups that we probably think their communities and the way they live is “sad”. It’s almost comical to hear because over and over again groups comment on the beauty of these communities, the warm hospitality they find there, and the valuable skills and talents that these communities use to work at improving their lives. Again, these signs of solidarity, respect, and encouragement are invaluable and a concrete example of how Guatemalans themselves are finding beauty in what they sometimes could otherwise consider sad and undesirable.

Lastly, these exchanges help the communities to open their minds and see that there are more sides to North Americans then what past governments, churches, and multinational companies have shown them. The CP program has created a strong relationship with groups across North America, but even more so across Canada; in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and beyond, there is a growing interest to continue connecting with Guatemala. It is clear that a connection between North America and Guatemala has already been forged in a way very different from that of these groups as seen in the presence of Canadian mining companies in the San Marcos region. When visiting that area, I often think not only about this negative impact, but even more so the conversely positive impact that many other Canadians are having there. Instead of causing conflict and environmental damage, the Canadian groups we have worked with are supporting small community initiatives in hopes of creating jobs and sustainable income for people of San Marcos. These groups have supported community cooperatives as they start eco-tourism projects, trout production systems, and small farm centers, all the while just over the mountain, these Canadians' fellow countrymen are working at something all together different and certainly not as sustainable. It is exciting to think about this small, but important way that North Americans are working at building bridges with the people of Guatemala and at changing the way we are often viewed by the world outside of our comfortable North American borders. It gives me hope that these kinds of projects are working at supporting and growing the richness that exists in San Marcos, a kind of wealth that cannot be measured by gold.

Again and again, it has been affirmed that indeed groups’ visits are having a positive affect on our partner communities and the work they are developing. Of course, our continued hope for both these communities and the groups that visit, is that these experiences don’t end after the week or two they spend together. Rather that once back in their normal routine, what they have learned continues to challenge them and that ultimately, changed attitudes turn into visible action; something we hope you have seen in your own students and childrens’ lives. It certainly can be difficult to measure these changed attitudes, which is why visible action and physical change can be so motivating in this work. Having the opportunity to revisit communities allows for us to see and hear about the “emotional” changes, but also the more visible, material changes that continue to happen long after a group helps to start building the foundation of a farm center for example. For many years, RJC funds have helped support projects in many parts of Guatemala and more recently in El Salvador. It is always exciting to see that these funds and the hours groups have spent at what seems to be the thankless work of mixing cement and moving rocks, do turn into real things; preschools, tourist cabins, and co-op centers. These concrete changes keep us and the local communities motivated in the work we are doing, and are a clear sign that the relationship of solidarity RJC continues to build with Guatemala and El Salvador has been successful at creating beauty amidst the pain. It is encouraging to know that we have partners, like RJC, who are committed to continue working at creating this positive change, this beauty, in their students, in their own communities, and in communities far beyond. My hope is that both MCC and RJC continue to value the importance of this and that we remember that we are far beyond being able to say “no” to becoming global citizens. Although we know that there are risks and possible pain involved in taking steps to think and live internationally, and that beauty and brokenness are so very hard to untwine, I encourage all of us to continue to believe that there is great beauty and richness in expanding our horizons and those of others."