GLBTQIA right in Cuba

I just read an article that brought to my attention some positive movements that have been happening in Cuba that work to further the rights for the GLBTQIA community.
Maybe this is old news, but I just thought I´d share it because the surprise of what I read made me very happy...
One of Fidel Castro´s daughters has been a big pusher for the acceptance of the GLBTQIA community in Cuba, and therefore has helped some laws pass in support of GLBTQIA people /couples. This lucha for justice is setting a progressive tone over Cuba and its residents... More continue to partake in this process for human rights; it´s impresionante.
The BBC News has some neat articles on the above; I recommend checking them out!

A good good afternoon!

About an hour ago the group and I arrived in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua.
Our bodies can already tell the difference between climates, and they show it by giving off a decent amount of sweat. It feels good to be starting in a new place, but I think we´ll need a couple days to let the good stress settle down.

Well, tomorrow four others friends and I are going to Granada, Nicaragua, and then we´ll be there for a day or two before moving on to Lake Ometepe. We´ve got some neat hostels lined up and we´re ready for some spontaneous relaxing, exploring and people-meeting...

Our last day in El Salvador was finished off by presenting our group projects. One of mine was about globalization in El Salvador and the other was a dance that two friends and I choreographed to demonstrate oppression and liberation.
Packing went on late into the night... actually early into the morning, and then at 2:30 am we left for the bus station!

Echale ganas siempre...

copapayo/suchitoto

Copapayo is an island near the colonial city of Suchitoto, around an hour away from San Salvador. I spent last weekend there - staying two nights in the Center for Art and Peace and one night in a rural community of Copapayo.
Once again the time was filled with hearing testimonies from the armed conflict. We had an extremely deep, touching talk with two survivors of the Massacre of Copapayo. One recounted images of seeing his mother and sister lying massacred upon the barren ground, surrounded by others who had just been killed by the military minutes before. The other told of her fleeing to the woods in order to escape the military raids of her community and those surrounding.
This was only one of eight massacres that plagued the area around Suchitoto and Copapayo during El Salvador's armed conflict.

Recent update

Hey everyone!

I thought I would take this quick chance to stop reading about Liberation Theology homework (I'm currently on a chapter which speaks about social justice and eco-feminist insights - of Elizabeth Johnson's book Quest for the Living God) and write a few words...
Our first weekend in a rural homestay in San Jose de Las Flores (in Chalatenango), I went on a hike and finished with some big "rashes" on my arms and hands... The next day, after swimming in the Pacific, I got to experience El Salvador's emergency room situation because the supposed rashes actually turned out to be burns... 2nd degree burns with some growing, yellow blisters...;) sorry! The doctor made a plastic surgeon come in and during this whole time I was not believing all that was going on... my friend and I actually had a great time during this whole emergency room endeavor...laughing and all.
As my blisters were being attended to the "Pequena cirugia" room's door was wide open... people were passing by and many decided to stay and watch in the doorway... way to make new friends, eh! Haha but it was all de buena onda and like I said, this was a great opportunity to see different styles of health care systems, how needs are met, etc.
*PS: While in San Jose de Las Flores, the Vice Presidential candidate for (leftist) FMLN (january 2009 elections) Salvador Sanchez passed through (as he was doing his weekend travels of visiting small, rural communities) the community and spoke. I got to hug him and exchanged some words--it was awesome and very unexpected.
ARENA has been in power here for a very long time. The majority of Salvadorans (specifically the impoverished) want (and have wanted) a change from ARENA -- need a change from ARENA. ARENA is expected to win in the upcoming elections, but the people also have a great deal of fear that their will be another electoral fraud. I have met some foreigners here who will be serving as official observers in January for the elections. If I would be here, I would do it too.
The Presidential candidate for FMLN is hailed by many (specifically progressives). He was a journalist/reporter and took a great social justice stance during the armed conflict... following he continued to speak out publicly against oppression, corruption and injustices.
Sure, doing that in the US, for example, is seen commonly - but here it is dangerous, literally life-threatening to speak out against the system (specifically during the armed conflict).

Today was one of the busiest-- we had class (like we do three times a week) at San Salvador's public university (which costs $25 per month to attend). At noon we headed back to the house and had lunch, then it was nap time... By 1:45 we had to leave for the UCA (University of Central America)-- which is a private Jesuit university (where the 7 Jesuit priests along with the gardener's wife and daughter were assassinated in 1989 during El Salvador's armed conflict). There we talked with a Jesuit UCA professor who is originally from the Bronx. He spoke with us a lot about economic and political situations in El Salvador, then we later talked about migration. Around 740 Salvadorans migrate to the US daily. If one doesn't make it or is deported, then one usually makes 3 to 4 more attempts. Number one and two reasons for migration: unemployment and poverty.
El Salvador's number one source of income is from family remittances - Salvadoran migrants in the US sending back money to their families in El Salvador.
Whatever goes on with the US economically (specifically because ES is on/uses the Dollar) affects incredibly ES.
The vast majority of goods (including the Dollar) are imported here. This is covered up greatly by the Salvadoran system.

Regardless, there exists beautiful and absolutely monumental grassroots movements here. The group and I have been graced with the presence of some of the most revolutionary people I have met in my life. We have been invited into, and learned greatly from, numerous small, rural communities that personify - embody - the most genuine definition of solidarity and progressive, unified action. Although they do exist, I have never seen such movements by small pueblos like this in the US.
Despite the system, transformative, effective actions are being done... There is a saying in Guatemala famous amongst the people: Somos jodidos, pero estamos contentos.

Very much love,

The Future of the Human Soul

This book is awesome thus far. I recommend it incredibly.
Our profesora for Liberation Theology is having some of us read it in order to do a presentation this weekend when we'll be in Suchitoto.

Anyway, I will update with some of the book's information when I get further into it...
I just wanted to put that recommendation out there!
Last night I realized I had not been sucked into a book so much for a long time:))

Minnesotans thinking wrong about Barack?

Last Sunday I watched a BBC News clip about one of John McCain's visits to MN in October. It showed McCain with a crowd taking questions... one woman actually said Barack is "an Arab."
WRONG
People are even calling Barack a terrorist.
I was soo disappointed to see that Minnesotans were saying this!!
People--- we must become informed!!!

McCain at least corrected this woman, telling her essentially that she did not know what she was saying...

Eek, I know I sound harsh but it may be because of McCain's performance tonight on the debate...

First embassy visit

An emergency trip to the Embassy happened two days ago--- we had to get our voting ballots sent out-and pronto.
The trip was pesado... but a success!
This Friday we will have an actual official visit there, meeting with officials and everything.

Home from Nueva Esperanza

Nueva Esperanza is a small community around two hours from San Salvador. The group and I spent the weekend there involving ourselves in the communities grassroots movements, becoming acquainted with the leaders and members of the community, and hearing testimonies about the history and present conditions of Nueva Esperanza and its surrounding pueblos.
I was fortunate enough to have my homestay with one of Nueva Esperanza's leaders. She was a woman in her sixties who had lived in Nueva Esperanza since its start, 16 years ago. The name comes from the struggle of the people and their active aspirations for a life of solidarity and dignity; the name means new hope.
Being closer further to the south and therefore closer to the coast, Nueva Esperanza was hot, quite hot. At night we slept with mosquito nets above and around our bodies. They helped a great deal, but unfortunately engulfed the heat around us more. The community struggles with a lot of flooding, especially in the months of September and October; I realized the truth in this last night... As my roommate and I tried to fall asleep it began to rain. We could hear the scratches fall upon the tin roof and the dog outside moving closer and closer to our door. Luckily the roosters were sound asleep, so they only made their music during the early morning hours. But I can truthfully say that until last night, I had never once in my life heard rain pour and literally flood down from the sky like that. Mud is commonplace there, and you get used to it.
This morning it was bittersweet saying goodbye to Grandma. Grandma is 94 and has 19 children. Many generations lived in and around the house where we were at. Humanness was so present, as well as sincere care for the wellbeing of others.
"La organizacion es la solucion." --the motto of Nueva Esperanza and the surrounding pueblos...

An important reality brought to our attention de nuevo by Tim Wise

A fascinating reflection by Tim Wise:

Whether or not you are enthusiastic about Obama, the issue of racism and white privilege in this election is important, so please, if you like this piece, please send it around.

Thanks,

Tim


This is Your Nation on White Privilege
By Tim Wise
9/13/08

For those who still can't grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.

White privilege is when you can call yourself a "fuckin' redneck," like Bristol Palin's boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll "kick their fuckin' ass," and talk about how you like to "shoot shit" for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.

White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.

White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don't all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you're "untested."�

White privilege is being able to say that you support the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance because "if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it's good enough for me," and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the "under God" part wasn't added until the 1950s--while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.

White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you.

White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was "Alaska first," and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she's being disrespectful.

White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you're being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college--you're somehow being mean, or even sexist.

White privilege is being able to convince white women who don't even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a "second look."

White privilege is being able to fire people who didn't support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.

White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God's punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you're just a good church-going Christian, but if you're black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you're an extremist who probably hates America.

White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a "trick question," while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O'Reilly means you're dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.

White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it a "light" burden.

And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren't sure about that whole "change" thing. Ya know, it's just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.

White privilege is, in short, the problem.

Equipo Maiz

Equipo Maiz is a progressive organization that originated out of El Salvador in 1983. Its focus is on popular education, breaking down traditional forms of education, generating participation and solidarity. The inspiration for Equipo Maiz's stance on popular education came from Latin America in the 1960's with Pablo Freirie's (from Brazil) "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" which detailed and promoted the educative process of liberation.
To go back to more of its history, Equipo Maiz generated from the necessity of speaking honestly about El Salvador's realities (in the 1960's), gathering vast information and knowledge. Community groups began forming that developed songs, games, drawings, and public meetings to discuss and critique the aspects of Latin American life at that time. Initially Equipo Maiz workers were connected with Ecclesiastical Base Communities and now work with political parties, cooperatives, unions, NGO's, student organizations, etc.
Equipo Maiz focuses upon five essential programs:
1) management of environmental risks
2) historic memory (Oscar Romero; El Salvador conflict)
3) economic literacy (Free Trade; capitalism in total)
4) sexuality and gender
5) participative methodology
Equipo Maiz has international solidarity connections and travels to the Unites States when possible. They just visited and held a forum in Minneapolis last year!
Participative education for all! Pass along the stories of liberation to the youth!
No privatization of education!

Presidential Debate tonight--- be there!

Happy Birthday to the woman of my life--- my Mama Jeanie!!!

Hospital system in San Salvador

Last night I experienced what a typical Salvadoran emergency room is like.
To give you a hint, as I type right now I use only a few fingers because the others are wrapped in gauze...
So I have second degree burns for the first time---- and in El Salvador!!!

;)) Aaah how crazy; everything is an experience here.
The second degree burns came about during my weekend in San Jose de Las Flores, a rural pueblo in the state of Chalatenango. Three others and I spent last weekend there, integrating ourselves into the community - a community which is categorized as an Ecclesial Base Community. We heard testimonies from survivors of the Rio Sumpul Massacre and from survivors of various other massacres that occurred during the time of El Salvador's armed conflict that lasted for 12 years.
The group and I also witnessed how extremely organized the community is. They have nearly 10 women's organizations that raise solidarity and productivity levels. There is also a large farming cooperative and an eco-tourism center. All of the money earned in each area circulates back throughout the community. The State does not support San Jose de Las Flores and its initiatives; the people are community-sustaining and focused on justice for los campesinos and solidarity.
The first day I also met and hugged the candidate for VP for the FMLN party. It was monumental! FMLN is the revolutionary party, many would say, which is leftist. Elections are coming up in Jan 2009.

But burns or not, I do not regret going on the off-road hike that made me get these burns! It was beautiful--absolutely serene. We reached the clouds and could see the whole town...
Who would have known-- plantas de fuego

:)