Journey for Justice

In May, we were excited to host a group of MCC staff from Latin America and Canada for the Mining Justice Learning Tour, part of MCC Canada's Mining Justice Campaign
http://ottawa.mcc.org/miningjustice

We learned and saw A LOT, not only about the mine and the impact it is having in the area of San Marcos, but also about the exciting alternatives to the mine that MCC and many others are helping support.

La Mina:









Alternativas:


trout ponds in La Vega del Volcan


visit to CALAS, local organization working on legal matters related to the mine and other environmental issues



meeting with a community group in San Miguel Ixtahuacan where the mine is located


flower green house in Nuevas Maravillas


good friends, Juan Pablo and family in their home village of Jalu


hearing the stories of women who are part of a coffee producers cooperative in Sipacapa, near the mine


"MCC is no expert on mining. However, our partners here in Canada and around the world tell us that the practices of Canadian mining companies are contributing to their suffering. They remind us that we are part of the problem. MCC does not have the answers but we commit ourselves to a journey for mining justice."
taken from the Mining Justice Campaign's website

this is why

Sometimes when you're asked to move 100s of wheelbarrows of dirt from one spot to the next, or even better, asked to spend the entire morning doing the same, but with mud, you ask yourself, ''Why am I doing this??'' It is always exciting when I revisit a community and see that indeed, all that cement mixing and nail hammering that so many of you have helped with has paid off.

community cooperative in La Linea, not quite finished but looking great after the Rockway group helped start the project in March



making progress on the mud pit, soon to be trout pond in La Vega del Volcan, that the group from SU had fun working on in April


the up and running cooperative in La Vega that Enlace 2008 started on



also in La Vega, the beginnings of their tourist cabin, thanks to RJC and Saskatchewan University groups from this year



preschool project that the RJC group from 2009 and 2010 both helped work on in Carranza

Stay tuned for more updates!

U of S

Sometimes my job doesn't feel like work, and when that happens, it is fabulous! That was my experience with the group of Education students from the University of Saskatchewan that were here in late April: FABULOUS

Thank you to each of you for your interest, enthusiasm, and friendship. You made me job so easy and I thoroughly enjoyed learning along side you. Here are just a few of the many great memories (THANK YOU Abbie for the fotos!)

Panabaj, Santiago Atitlan

Lo de Carranza, Guatemala City







Nuevas Maravillas and La Vega, San Marcos

smiles of women, contrast between rich and poor, warmth of people, hard work, strength of communities, small group of motivated people can change something, way of living, language doesn't have to be a barrier, amount of tortillas, people are the same everywhere, scenery,
even if you work really hard it doesn't mean you'll succeed,
more aware, generosity should cost you something,
power of education

O Canada

In the two years since my first group in July of 2008, I have gotten to know so many great people, and SO many Canadians! I recently did a little count and of the 19 groups that I have worked with, 11 of those have been from Canada (and that doesn't include 3 that had both Canadian and U.S. participants!) So in honor of those many groups and the connection they have made with Guatemala, here are some picture highlights from three that visited us between February-April.


Rosthern Junior College
Feb 5-18 check out RJC's own blog about their time here:
http://rjcservice.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html
Rockway Mennonite Collegiate
March 10-23
Foothills Mennonite Church
March 26-April 4

RJC was the first group this year to start working on a project at the local school in Panabaj with MCC partner ANADESA; repairing the community school that was abandoned after Hurricane Stan in 2005 so that the students can return there from the "temporary" school they have been using. Here are some before/during/after pictures of the project that RJC, Rockway, Foothills, and the group from Saskatchewan University all helped with!






The families of ANADESA are always so welcoming and they are excellent hosts for the groups.




We also spent time with communities here in Guatemala City and out in the mountains of San Marcos, building relationships and learning a lot about the connections between North and Central America.



For you, O Canada, with glowing hearts...thank you!
And thank you to those of you I borrowed pictures from!

What are we doing down here? Part III

The final post in our series that has been highlighting the various programs that make up MCC Guatemala and El Salvador. As you have seen, there is much more to MCC Guate/El Salvador than the Connecting Peoples program! Each interesting and exciting program works at community development through EDUCATION, RELIEF, and PEACE and JUSTICE initiatives. This last addition focuses on the programs that fall into the PEACE and JUSTICE category.

In El Salvador, MCC works with programs that focus on the education of women and children in the church context there




A recent Connecting Peoples group from Rosthern Junior College, working and playing in the communities of Carranza and La Vega del Volcan



AMAR, a music and recreation school, offers classes in guitar, keyboard, and singing in various marginilzed communities of Guatemala City