Also concerned about the news of tensions between the US and Venezuela. I think Chavez has some legitimate complaints but I worry about his hot-blooded militaristic showmanship and hope that both he and our government exercise restraint. I also worry about the US public being duped into condoning violence by claims that Chavez supports terrorism and drug-trafficking when the real issue is oil (Venezuela is the fourth largest exporter to the US and has the largest reserves outside of Canada and the Persion Gulf).

One thing that people in our country should recognize is that however we might disagree with them, both Chavez and Morales (president of Bolivia) are not dictators. They were freely elected and have the support of a clear majority of the people in their countries, who mostly just want to be self-determining and not dominated by foreign governments, foreign businesses, or economic institutions such as the IMF and World Bank.

Also thinking about the upcoming elections in the US and I hope people keep in mind the positions of the candidates on policies that cause more poverty, death and environmental destruction in the rest of the world. From all I've learned, the trade agreements promoted by the big corporations based in the US and other northern countries are good for their profits but, in spite of the nice-sounding "free trade" propaganda, are very harmful to the vast majority of people and to the health of the planet.

For example, agreements that allow dumping of cheap food from abroad, even if the low prices are just temporary, result in farmers being unable to compete in local or national markets (and there are other problems with producing for export), so they lose their land and either migrate to slums in the big cities or to another country like the US.

This is not an intellectual debate for me now. Get away from the US and the vacation destinations, visit the third world, ask questions (for this it helps to speak the language) and you can see it. It's about callous greed and deception by those in power. This comes from many sources: from within the third world countries themselves, from the US and from other foreign countries.

It's not just the US. Maybe we've been unfairly singled out in the minds of some in Latin America, but I think we should seek to know the truth, not just what is comfortable to believe, repent of arrogance and take responsibility for our country's part in creating misery in other parts of the world. We should try to recognize when we're being lied to by the politicians and public relations experts.

written by  cjones on September 13, 2008 from Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
from the travel blog: so-journ
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In one sense, time passes quickly. In another, my old life seems so far away now. It's been a year of constant change. The longest I stayed in one place was a month, and usually I stayed less than a week. I've taken courses in organic agriculture, Spanish and Portuguese, and worked in conservation and rural poverty alleviation with small NGOs in 4 countries (twice with the same one in Guatemala).

I have a lot more to learn, but I think the experience has given me a good overview of rural life and the state of agriculture and the forests in tropical Latin America. I've also learned something about how small NGOs operate, and how I may be able to use my computer background in conservation and rural development work in the future.

I've learned to live more simply, without some of the material comforts and conveniences I was used to, and with more willingness to accept the generous hospitality of my friends. I also made many new friends in places I visited, and have had many good conversations that have stayed with me.

The work continues. The effects of anything I've done may not be visible in terms of the actual living conditions in the communities. But real change takes more time, and it seems that the value may be in the heart that is put into the effort. This is a different way of thinking than that of the business mindset, with its emphasis on short-term "results." I think the important things are desire to please God and the quality of relationships formed in the work, even when external improvements are not obvious. It is a temptation to give up because our efforts seem futile.

I may have planted a few seeds this year but these will need to be cared for, by myself or by others, in order for them to eventually produce the desired fruit.

So how can I continue to be a part of this work? It seems that the things of greatest value can't be paid for. Nature and the poor can't pay, the small nonprofit organizations have few resources and the larger ones may be controlled more by their own bureaucratic and professional self-interests than the actual needs in the_field. I think that small is beautiful, but in the nonprofit realm this means submitting to much less income and a much simpler life.

written by  cjones on September 9, 2008 from San Lucas Sacatepequez, Guatemala
from the travel blog: so-journ
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Companion planting of corn + med plants

Got some good feedback on the proposal I wrote to use the internet and audio media to distribute information to the communities. This was discussed in a meeting at the headquarters last week, and the staff from the community centers liked some of the ideas and made suggestions about others to better fit with the social and economic realities.

The media center under construction

Myra and Vico

Harvesting plants at the center

Sorting and cleaning the rosemary stalks

One of the new wells in nearby Xemanzana

Sifting the dried linaza (flax)

This afternoon I visited 2 museums commemorating Oscar Romero, the renowned archbishop of this country who was killed in 1980 for his defense of the rights of the poor, and the 6 Jesuit priests and 2 assistants who were massacred by the army at the Universidad Centroamericana in 1989. Both of the museums were on the sites where the killings occurred (Romero was gunned down while performing mass at the church on the grounds of the hospital where he lived). Those events felt especially real and haunting at the university after I was shown some very graphic photos of the murdered and mutilated bodies in the living quarters I had just visited. The army responsible for these killings and for other massacres of entire villages of up to 1000 people - men, women and children - was secretly backed by the US government. In fact, several officials indicted in the "Iran Contra Affair" were subsequently appointed to high-ranking positions by the current administration, but few people in our country have learned about this.

written by  cjones on August 21, 2008 from San Salvador, El Salvador
from the travel blog: so-journ
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There will be one center at the headquarters in San Lucas Sacatepequez and 3 other centers in indigenous communities in different areas of the country. In each community, the people speak a different indigenous language and very few read or speak much Spanish. However, each center will employ 4 "tecnicos" who are bilingual in Spanish and the local dialect. There will be a computer center in each community, but none of these will have internet access, at least initially. Two of these are in a location with electrical service, and alternative energy sources such as solar are being investigated for the third. Communication among the centers in the communities will need to be accomplished by mobile phone or by using the internet service (internet cafe) in a nearby town. Because of the time involved with traveling to town and expense of using the internet, it will be probably be practical for the tecnicos in the communities to access the internet only once or twice per week.

In the center at the headquarters, there will be internet access, a training facility, and access to translators to translate the materials from one community into the dialect of the others (with Spanish being the standard interchange language).

Initially at least, the content of the media developed at the centers is expected to have to do with topics such as food sovereignty (i.e. production for local consumption), sustainable development alternatives, agriculture, conservation, nutrition, etc. The idea is to facilitate sharing of experiences and knowledge among the communities and to allow them to work together to build an alternative economy that is better for the people. FUNCEDESCRI does not intend to direct the content of the media, but rather to provide the tools to allow the communities to plan, design, and manage the media production and distribution process themselves.

written by  cjones on August 13, 2008 from San Lucas Sacatepequez, Guatemala
from the travel blog: so-journ
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Trail along the north shore

San Pedro on the far shore

On Thursday I met Julio, a teacher at the Spanish school who is also the husband of Vila, my teacher from last year. He invited me over to their house so after class the next day, I went there with him and he and Vila described the work they're doing to help the kids in the community. She stopped teaching at the Spanish school and is now running a free preschool in their very small house.

In addition to working with a local NGO to help kids do their homework (which apparently many local parents don't help with), he has started building a library in his house to lend books to kids and encourage them to read. According to him the kids don't have another place to borrow books since the public library doesn't lend books but only allows them to be used for 2 hours at a time in the library. He also meets regularly with the kids to discuss the books they're reading.

I was really inspired by this couple who has so little and spends their time and the very little money they have to help the local kids. They also have a child of their own - a boy about 3 or 4 years old. Julio is trying to build his library and keep multiple copies of some books so the kids can read and discuss them together. He has worked out an arrangement with a local owner of a tourist restaurant and internet cafe that sells and exchanges books in English. For 2 used books in English the owner purchases one book in Spanish and donates this to Julio's library.

If anyone is interested in contributing used books to this project - in Spanish or in English - let me know and I'll send the address to mail them to.

written by  cjones on August 2, 2008 from San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala
from the travel blog: so-journ
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Plaza in Todos Santos

During that period anyone who criticized the rich or the government was likely to be branded as a guerrilla supporter and terrorized or killed, often in the most horrific way possible to shock and intimidate the rest of the population. A lot like what has been happening in Colombia more recently.

Another disturbing aspect of the film was the enlistment of evangelicals in paramilitary militias to fight against guerrillas and anyone who was construed to be a sympathizer, including Catholics who were branded as sympathizers because of similarity between Catholic social teaching and the rhetoric of the guerrillas in regard to helping the poor. From the interviews in the film it appeared that many people may have converted to evangelicalism out of fear of further reprisals by the government. In the video clips of church services, I could see a lot of shouting and frenzied singing but not much evidence of humility or love for one's neighbor as oneself.

For fools speak foolishness
and make evil plans.
They practice ungodliness
and spread false teachings about the Lord.
They deprive the hungry of food
and give no water to the thirsty.

The smooth tricks of scoundrels are evil.
They plot crooked schemes.
They lie to convict the poor,
even when the cause of the poor is just.

Isaiah 32:6 & 7

written by  cjones on July 22, 2008 from Todos Santos Cuchumatan, Guatemala
from the travel blog: so-journ
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