Televisión en cable
La Internet
Teléfono celular
Otro Walmart allí, donde los árboles estaban plantados.
Pero la corporación XYX tiene que mantener sus dividendos
Inversionistas se quedan inquietos
¡Progreso! Ellos dicen
¿Y cuánto es suficiente?
Ferrocarril de alta velocidad
Y otra carretera nueva
Un carro nuevo, flamante
Lavaplatos de acero inoxidable
Para ahorrar tiempo, por supuesto – Tiempo para más trabajo
Anoche dormí solamente seis horas
¿Dónde están mis tíos y tías?
¿Qué pasa con mis primos?
¿Adónde fueron todos mis amigos?
Tenemos que ir, ir, y siempre ir,
Pero, ¿adónde?
No conozco a mis vecinos ¿Cuál es mi comunidad?
¿Y quién tiene tiempo de conocerlos?
Gracias a Eli Whitney,
Gracias a James Watt,
Gracias a Johnny Rockefeller,
Y gracias a ti Henry Ford,
Ahora llegamos muy lejos y muy rápido – seis billones y aun estamos contando.
¡Ándate! ¡Apúrate! Quema el bosque porque necesitamos tierra para cultivar,
¿Sabes cuánto lucro recibiremos?
Y ahí viene la selva de piedra…
Espérate. Y estas tortugas. ¿Qué hacemos con ellas?
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Diarios / Journals: SPA 298
Hola estudiantes,
The Blog entries should now reflect the following content:
-Your 10 Diarios for SPA 298.
-A personal testimonial on your learning and life experience during the 4 week program in Nicaragua. (This can be one of your final Diarios.)
Our WIKI has a page with cultural materials for the 10 Diarios in SPA 298. You can write these in our Blog, or you can send them to me by email attachment. Please remember to make your vocabulary lists in Spanish if you choose to write the blog in English.
On the WIKI, there are links to the articles you chose from local news sources to present in class and to relate to our 10 themes for SPA 298 (Development, Happiness, Democracy, Prejudices, Equality, Freedom, Generosity, Tradition, Dignity, Respect).
For your 10 diarios for SPA 298, you can choose any of these news articles, any of the poems we will study tomorrow, any of the songs, plays, dances we studied in our review of cultural tradition and social change, or any of the documentaries we are showing this week. All of these, including my .PPT presentation, are linked to the WIKI page for SPA 298 DIARIOS.
This course was an experience I will always remember. Thank you for your letters and your kindness, your creativity and thoughtfulness.
Abrazos,
Alba
WIKI DIARIOS SPA 298
http://nicaragua2009.wetpaint.com/page/SPA+298%3A+LECTURAS+PARA+DIARIOS
The Blog entries should now reflect the following content:
-Your 10 Diarios for SPA 298.
-A personal testimonial on your learning and life experience during the 4 week program in Nicaragua. (This can be one of your final Diarios.)
Our WIKI has a page with cultural materials for the 10 Diarios in SPA 298. You can write these in our Blog, or you can send them to me by email attachment. Please remember to make your vocabulary lists in Spanish if you choose to write the blog in English.
On the WIKI, there are links to the articles you chose from local news sources to present in class and to relate to our 10 themes for SPA 298 (Development, Happiness, Democracy, Prejudices, Equality, Freedom, Generosity, Tradition, Dignity, Respect).
For your 10 diarios for SPA 298, you can choose any of these news articles, any of the poems we will study tomorrow, any of the songs, plays, dances we studied in our review of cultural tradition and social change, or any of the documentaries we are showing this week. All of these, including my .PPT presentation, are linked to the WIKI page for SPA 298 DIARIOS.
This course was an experience I will always remember. Thank you for your letters and your kindness, your creativity and thoughtfulness.
Abrazos,
Alba
WIKI DIARIOS SPA 298
http://nicaragua2009.wetpaint.com/page/SPA+298%3A+LECTURAS+PARA+DIARIOS
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Unemployed, Undereducated
Under-employment of the youth of Nicaragua is a fairly new problem. Since the economic problems of the World have increased in recent years, it has been harder for youth to find work. Many parents look forward to the age of indepencence for thier children. Between the ages of 15 and 24, many families depend on the employemnet of thier young adults to help lighten the financial load of the household
Often times while one parent is laid off and dealing with the loss of thier income, the brunt of the finacial responsiblities of the the family fall on the remaining parent. This is a struggle for everyone. Not to mention the dificulties a single parent household deals with when the income is cut short or eliminated all together.
The article of El Nuevo Diario reports that one out of every five young people between the ages of 15 and 24 does not work or go to school. They have not even had technical trainng to help with job preparation.
The lack of education and training is a crucial factor in this growing problem of youth unemployment. Without education how will these young people find the hope of gainful employment in the future? For this reason many young people of Nicaragua want to migarte to other countries in expectaion of employment. Moving away doesn´t gaurantee a better life or the promise of employement. These young people need education and training.
In order to help these young adults the Spanish and US governments have created a program called ¨Ventana de Juventud, Empleo y Migración” .This program is proposed to help nearly 40 thousand young people from 11 municipalities of Nicaragua mirgrate to other countries to aquire employment.
Marcella
Often times while one parent is laid off and dealing with the loss of thier income, the brunt of the finacial responsiblities of the the family fall on the remaining parent. This is a struggle for everyone. Not to mention the dificulties a single parent household deals with when the income is cut short or eliminated all together.
The article of El Nuevo Diario reports that one out of every five young people between the ages of 15 and 24 does not work or go to school. They have not even had technical trainng to help with job preparation.
The lack of education and training is a crucial factor in this growing problem of youth unemployment. Without education how will these young people find the hope of gainful employment in the future? For this reason many young people of Nicaragua want to migarte to other countries in expectaion of employment. Moving away doesn´t gaurantee a better life or the promise of employement. These young people need education and training.
In order to help these young adults the Spanish and US governments have created a program called ¨Ventana de Juventud, Empleo y Migración” .This program is proposed to help nearly 40 thousand young people from 11 municipalities of Nicaragua mirgrate to other countries to aquire employment.
Marcella
Monday, August 17, 2009
Augusto Sandino
Todos cuando vamos creciendo tenemos un héroe una heroína. Puede ser alguien como Superman o alguien tan simple como la mujer que te dio la vida. Es muy raro que un país entero tenga el mismo héroe, pero si excite aquí en Nicaragua. El héroe de aquí se llama Augusto Cesar Sandino mejor conocido como Sandino. Hay estatuas, pintura, murales y fotografías de el por todo Nicaragua. La historia de Sandino es muy impresionante y se puede entender por que él es el héroe de un país entero.
Augusto Cesar Sandino fue el líder de la revolución aquí en Nicaragua contra los Estados Unidos como se comenta en el articulo Nicaragua por Thomas Walter en pagina 22. Nació en 1895 de una madre Indígena y un padre de clase media. Trabajo un tiempo con su padre pero tuvo que irse a México después de que hirió a un hombre que insultaba su mama. En 1926 regreso a Nicaragua y un año después comenzó su pelea contra los Estados Unidos. La revolución empezó no por el presidente del país aunque él tuvo algo que ver. Sino por la ocupación de los marines de los Estados Unidos que estaban en Nicaragua. Muchos nicaragüense pensaban como Sandino que lo ocupación de los Estados Unidos era insulto.
Sandino continúo su pelea contra el gobierno y los Estados Unidos hasta 1933 cuando los marines se retiraron de Nicaragua y él fimo el acuerdo de paz. 1934 todavía estaban haciendo negociaciones de paz cuando Sandino fue invitado a la casa de Somoza a cenar. Ahí tuvo su última cena. Fue capturado y lo mataron. Todavía hasta hoy no se sabe adonde esta su cuerpo. Algunos dicen que fue cortado en pedazos y regado por toda Nicaragua.
Sandino es el héroe de Nicaragua no porque peleo contra los Estados Unidos sino porque peleo y murió por la libertad de su país. Por el progreso y el avance de su país. Mucho piensa que los Estados Unidos son buenos. Hasta yo que me nací ahí pensaba lo mismo. No porque lo veía sino porque eso me decían mis profesores. Pero no es así. Los Estados Unidos toman atribuciones que no le corresponde. Sandino vio esto y peleo por la libertad y la libertad de su país y su gente.
Augusto Cesar Sandino fue el líder de la revolución aquí en Nicaragua contra los Estados Unidos como se comenta en el articulo Nicaragua por Thomas Walter en pagina 22. Nació en 1895 de una madre Indígena y un padre de clase media. Trabajo un tiempo con su padre pero tuvo que irse a México después de que hirió a un hombre que insultaba su mama. En 1926 regreso a Nicaragua y un año después comenzó su pelea contra los Estados Unidos. La revolución empezó no por el presidente del país aunque él tuvo algo que ver. Sino por la ocupación de los marines de los Estados Unidos que estaban en Nicaragua. Muchos nicaragüense pensaban como Sandino que lo ocupación de los Estados Unidos era insulto.
Sandino continúo su pelea contra el gobierno y los Estados Unidos hasta 1933 cuando los marines se retiraron de Nicaragua y él fimo el acuerdo de paz. 1934 todavía estaban haciendo negociaciones de paz cuando Sandino fue invitado a la casa de Somoza a cenar. Ahí tuvo su última cena. Fue capturado y lo mataron. Todavía hasta hoy no se sabe adonde esta su cuerpo. Algunos dicen que fue cortado en pedazos y regado por toda Nicaragua.
Sandino es el héroe de Nicaragua no porque peleo contra los Estados Unidos sino porque peleo y murió por la libertad de su país. Por el progreso y el avance de su país. Mucho piensa que los Estados Unidos son buenos. Hasta yo que me nací ahí pensaba lo mismo. No porque lo veía sino porque eso me decían mis profesores. Pero no es así. Los Estados Unidos toman atribuciones que no le corresponde. Sandino vio esto y peleo por la libertad y la libertad de su país y su gente.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
I Am Your Child
Where will I go if you don’t lead me?
What will I do if you don’t teach me?
What will say if you don’t speak through me?
I am your child.
Will you watch as my heart bleeds for attention?
Will you ignore the obvious signs of neglect?
Will you push me away when I ask too many questions?
I am your child.
When will you hold my hand?
When am I too old to cry?
When am I too young to die?
I am your child.
Who can I turn to?
Who will stand for me?
Who are the ones who fight on my behalf?
I am your child.
Why do you close your eyes to reality?
Why are you not concerned?
Why do you do nothing?
I am your child.
The voices of children ask these questions. Who will answer? If we make an effort to be the answer more of our children will become successful adults. Some of us may say that “All the children in the world don’t belong to me. I’ve got my own” or “I don’t have any at all.” Just think, what if no one ever supported you, took the time to teach you or spent a little extra time with you or even treated you the least bit special. What kind of person would you be? If no one has ever done these things what kind of issues are you dealing with today? We have to take care of our children. This care usually starts at home where the first stages of education take place. School is often a second home to many children. For this reason, school administration and staff should maintain good education for the mind and exceptional care for the soul.
How bad does a child feel when they know that their reading level is not up to par with their classmates? Not to mention if a student doesn’t even recognize letters in order to create words.
Here in Nicaragua, according to “Literacy in Nicaragua” by Juan Arrien, the illiteracy rate was 53% (for the population over the age of 10) until the end of the 1970’s. The year 1980 became known as the “Literacy Year”. This was a project of the Sandinista People’s Revolution. It “… considered literacy to be a human right…to his/ her freedom and self-affirmation…” How can we affirm our children when they don’t know how to read? This is a basic right and a basic teachable skill. Through the efforts of this project the illiteracy rate dropped 12% within the year.
No matter what the rate is now, I personally came in contact with too many children who are seriously underserved. Many children in the school that I volunteered didn’t know how to read or recognize colors, shapes and numbers.
But what do we do when children are kept home from school because their parents need them to work? What do we do when students don’t want to work with volunteers in their schools because they are too ashamed of what they don’t know?
I don’t have all the answers but I know that I take one day at a time, one student at time and I affirm them through instruction until that bright light is illuminated and they know more than they did before they met me.
Marcella
What will I do if you don’t teach me?
What will say if you don’t speak through me?
I am your child.
Will you watch as my heart bleeds for attention?
Will you ignore the obvious signs of neglect?
Will you push me away when I ask too many questions?
I am your child.
When will you hold my hand?
When am I too old to cry?
When am I too young to die?
I am your child.
Who can I turn to?
Who will stand for me?
Who are the ones who fight on my behalf?
I am your child.
Why do you close your eyes to reality?
Why are you not concerned?
Why do you do nothing?
I am your child.
The voices of children ask these questions. Who will answer? If we make an effort to be the answer more of our children will become successful adults. Some of us may say that “All the children in the world don’t belong to me. I’ve got my own” or “I don’t have any at all.” Just think, what if no one ever supported you, took the time to teach you or spent a little extra time with you or even treated you the least bit special. What kind of person would you be? If no one has ever done these things what kind of issues are you dealing with today? We have to take care of our children. This care usually starts at home where the first stages of education take place. School is often a second home to many children. For this reason, school administration and staff should maintain good education for the mind and exceptional care for the soul.
How bad does a child feel when they know that their reading level is not up to par with their classmates? Not to mention if a student doesn’t even recognize letters in order to create words.
Here in Nicaragua, according to “Literacy in Nicaragua” by Juan Arrien, the illiteracy rate was 53% (for the population over the age of 10) until the end of the 1970’s. The year 1980 became known as the “Literacy Year”. This was a project of the Sandinista People’s Revolution. It “… considered literacy to be a human right…to his/ her freedom and self-affirmation…” How can we affirm our children when they don’t know how to read? This is a basic right and a basic teachable skill. Through the efforts of this project the illiteracy rate dropped 12% within the year.
No matter what the rate is now, I personally came in contact with too many children who are seriously underserved. Many children in the school that I volunteered didn’t know how to read or recognize colors, shapes and numbers.
But what do we do when children are kept home from school because their parents need them to work? What do we do when students don’t want to work with volunteers in their schools because they are too ashamed of what they don’t know?
I don’t have all the answers but I know that I take one day at a time, one student at time and I affirm them through instruction until that bright light is illuminated and they know more than they did before they met me.
Marcella
No Conoces Hambre. You don’t KNOW hunger.
Have you ever been so hungry that you got a “hunger headache”? Have you ever been so hungry that you became irritable as you felt your blood sugar dropping? Have you ever felt the frustration of not being able to find a restaurant, in an unfamiliar area, that would suit your fancy? Can you relate to the utter disappointment and sometimes disgust felt when the plate of food that you just took out of the microwave was still a bit cool in the middle? Have you ever passed by a restaurant and just caught a whiff of the specially prepared delectables being plated for its customers?
I’m sure all of us have been hungry for one reason or another. Maybe it was because you were “too busy to eat”. Maybe some of you were fasting for medical or spiritual purposes. Maybe you’ve actually had no food in the house because money was “tight”. No matter what the reason is, not many of us have been so hungry that our only meal for the day would come from either the hand of stranger or a garbage bag.
As one of my classmates mentioned, the image of man sharing his meal with a dog out of the garbage is forever etched in my heart. My personal experience is another that I will not soon forget. As I ate dinner with my professor and her husband, we reviewed the happenings of the day and talked about how we couldn’t believe that we only have a little over a week left of our time here in Granada. We spoke to many of the vendors as they tried to sell us their wares, cigarettes, candies, earrings and hammocks, to name a few. Repeating, “No gracias, no gracias”, about 50 times, more for persistent ones. Then as I saw a young man approach our table with nothing to sell, my eyes widened in disbelief as he asked my professor for her tostone con queso (plantain with cheese). She gladly gave it to him and told him to be careful. My heart dropped to my toes. Wow… I had seen people beg for money on the sidewalk and even ask for leftovers after a catering event, but to see this young man so sincerely ask for what was on a stranger’s plate was a really surprising. Not only did he approach us but before the night was over all three of us had given away our dinner to various boys who asked. When all we had was the garnish left on our plates, a couple of the young men turned to say thank you.
I hope we think and take a different action when we leave our leftovers so long that they are no longer edible. I hope we hold our peace and reflect before we get agitated because we are “so hungry”. It’s a process to change our mind set but it is definitely possible. It takes a conscious effort; one thought at a time. Let’s not make our kids eat what they don’t want “because there are starving kids in Africa”. Teach and show them that there are poor, starving children everywhere dealing with more issues than they could imagine. Teach them and they will gain a greater appreciation for what they have while helping others.
In a docutmetry entitled La Nina a Madre there were thre great examples of hunger. Three young ladies, expectant mothers livedin very meager surroundings.Though they e were not educated and were unemployed they didin't seem to be to concerene with feedign thier children. They all seemed to be brave and had some sense of security knowing they would do whatever it took to take care of thier children. these young women seemed to have a hunger for survival. No matter how little help they had a or what obstacles they had to overcome...They knew that they were strong enough to take care of thier children.They would survive even through the sadest and roughest times.
Hunger for Survival.
Marcella
I’m sure all of us have been hungry for one reason or another. Maybe it was because you were “too busy to eat”. Maybe some of you were fasting for medical or spiritual purposes. Maybe you’ve actually had no food in the house because money was “tight”. No matter what the reason is, not many of us have been so hungry that our only meal for the day would come from either the hand of stranger or a garbage bag.
As one of my classmates mentioned, the image of man sharing his meal with a dog out of the garbage is forever etched in my heart. My personal experience is another that I will not soon forget. As I ate dinner with my professor and her husband, we reviewed the happenings of the day and talked about how we couldn’t believe that we only have a little over a week left of our time here in Granada. We spoke to many of the vendors as they tried to sell us their wares, cigarettes, candies, earrings and hammocks, to name a few. Repeating, “No gracias, no gracias”, about 50 times, more for persistent ones. Then as I saw a young man approach our table with nothing to sell, my eyes widened in disbelief as he asked my professor for her tostone con queso (plantain with cheese). She gladly gave it to him and told him to be careful. My heart dropped to my toes. Wow… I had seen people beg for money on the sidewalk and even ask for leftovers after a catering event, but to see this young man so sincerely ask for what was on a stranger’s plate was a really surprising. Not only did he approach us but before the night was over all three of us had given away our dinner to various boys who asked. When all we had was the garnish left on our plates, a couple of the young men turned to say thank you.
I hope we think and take a different action when we leave our leftovers so long that they are no longer edible. I hope we hold our peace and reflect before we get agitated because we are “so hungry”. It’s a process to change our mind set but it is definitely possible. It takes a conscious effort; one thought at a time. Let’s not make our kids eat what they don’t want “because there are starving kids in Africa”. Teach and show them that there are poor, starving children everywhere dealing with more issues than they could imagine. Teach them and they will gain a greater appreciation for what they have while helping others.
In a docutmetry entitled La Nina a Madre there were thre great examples of hunger. Three young ladies, expectant mothers livedin very meager surroundings.Though they e were not educated and were unemployed they didin't seem to be to concerene with feedign thier children. They all seemed to be brave and had some sense of security knowing they would do whatever it took to take care of thier children. these young women seemed to have a hunger for survival. No matter how little help they had a or what obstacles they had to overcome...They knew that they were strong enough to take care of thier children.They would survive even through the sadest and roughest times.
Hunger for Survival.
Marcella
Photos / Fotos
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. But the words of reflection on this blog are more powerful than any photo taken here.
Dear readers... This is critical thinking in process. Here is our updated photo album to help you share our journey. I have never been more proud of any group of students than these. --Alba
PHOTOS/FOTOS(CLICK HERE)
http://picasaweb.google.com/AlbaSkarWCSU/Nicaragua200902#
Dear readers... This is critical thinking in process. Here is our updated photo album to help you share our journey. I have never been more proud of any group of students than these. --Alba
PHOTOS/FOTOS(CLICK HERE)
http://picasaweb.google.com/AlbaSkarWCSU/Nicaragua200902#
UNAN – Creator of memories and dreams…
Our visit to the Unan (Universidad Nacional de Nicaragua) was more than just informative, it was a revealing experience.
The University shows on its walls its commitment to the history of the country and to education. It is visibly committed in maintaining the memory of the revolution alive and the social-transforming power the Nicaraguan people had and still have on their hands.
Among the many murals I could observe and appreciate, there were some poems of Ruben Dario, quotations from Sandino, paintings of protests, and the Nicaraguan reverence and respect towards nature. A very interesting mural showed symbols of the Sandinista Revolution grouped inside a drawing of the country of Nicaragua. I could read the symbols as representations of: the proletariat (the campesino), the armed fight (the fist and weapons), the labor (tools) and the education (book). This last one was in the center of them all, and to me, it said that real freedom is just accomplished with education and critical thinking. This mural spoke without words about the restoration of human dignity and real Democracy.
Another mural represented the call from the FSLN party to the students with -proletariat conscious- for a crusade against illiteracy. I learned then, that although the fight for democracy during the revolution used communist ideas, it could not be considered Marxist, nor Lenist or Socialist, neither Communist! It was a movement of its own. It had singular characteristics, such as its intense consideration for education and its alliance with the Catholic Church.
The call for the Literacy Crusade meant a two way process of learning: one where the illiterate learned its words, another where the militant learned about the reality of its own surroundings, which cannot be taught with words, it has to be felt! According to the reading of Jose Luis Rocha (Revista Envio ) the militants learned to become conscious by experiencing different life conditions, by overcoming prejudices and discriminations, and by dealing with its human task open minded and open hearted. And Paulo Freire’s educational philosophy helped in this fight for basic human rights, where education becomes a fundamental weapon against repression.
I believe that to a certain extent we, Westconn students, are doing something similar to that. We came to Nicaragua to learn not only from words but also from experiences. While we are teaching words and numbers when volunteering, we are learning firsthand about the kids’ lives, needs and dreams. We are learning to dream with them. We are dreaming of a better world. We are learning to become conscious.
Y todo comienza con un sueño...
Congratulations: your are "ambassadors" of Western Connecticut State University.
Here is the Diploma given to all of you yesterday, August 15, 2009, students and Professor Dr. Alba Skar of Global Academy in Nicaragua for the great contribution of a musical instrument you donated to this Foundation "Luisa Mercado" in Masatepe, Nicaragua. Congratulations because you are "ambassadors" of your University, Western Connecticut State University. (Javier)
(click on the picture to read it better)
Teacher of the Year, Nicaragua, 2009,by Darla Shaw
Taking part in the Teacher of the Year Program in Masatepe was definately one of the highlights of my stay in Nicaragua. Instead of going to an expensive chicken banquet at a banquet hall as we do in the U.S., here there was a lot of pomp and circumstance for the teacher of the year.
Here the ceremony was in a beautiful cathedral with the whole town and all the students invited to attend. At the given time the Teacher of the Year, Marcia Martínez Solórzano, walked down the aisle to the official national Nicaraguan hymn for teachers played by a classical orchestra made up of young musicians. The blue and white Nicaraguan flag led with procession, followed by the teacher and the top ranking students in the town. Everyone rose to stand and applaud and congratulate the teacher.
The elementary school teacher from Chinandega then sat at a long table with all the political dignitaries, including the president of the Fundacion Luisa Mercado, Dr. Sergio Ramirez Mercado. He is a former Vice-President of Nicaragua, and he is currently one of the most important novelists in Latin America. He established this annual award for the best teacher in the nation. After several speeches talking about her merits and why she had won over 30 other nominees, she was given a check for $10,000, a medal to wear around her neck, a proclamation, and a beautiful statue designed by the famous Nicaraguan poet and priest, Ernesto Cardenal, who also attended to congratulate the winner. Local students also came to the stage with their cards and words of celebration.
The teacher of the year then gave her own speech and everyone stood and applauded. At the end of her speech she recited a poem dedicated to teachers. The Luisa Mercado Foundation band played instruments donated by the French Embassy, and the French ambassador was recognized for that gift. The US ambassador to Nicaragua, Mr. Robert Callahan, was also recognized in the audience for his support.
The Luisa Mercado Foundation offers free classical music lessons and a library for local young people to develop a knowledge of culture. The band played several lovely pieces along with a group of children singers and a very talented soloist. The songs were mostly written by the Ramirez family in Masatepe.
The foundation president invited a student representative from the Global Academy from Western Connecticut State University to present their donation of a viola, and the group was recognized with a diploma.
When the ceremony was over the teacher came down to embrace all of her friends, family and students. She was very moved by the occasion and wanted everyone to sign her special book. We all did and were so pleased to meet her.
After the ceremony we went back to the foundation building, Dr. Ramirez's family home that is now a public cultural center. Here we saw the unveiling of the teacher's photo on the wall. This was a very emotional moment as she had now become a part of history. Students were able to learn about the foundation, and they took photos with Dr. Ramirez and Mr. Callahan, who both thanked them for representing the US and their university as volunteers in Nicaraguan schools and in their donation to the foundation.
What I liked so much about this ceremony as opposed to what we do in the U.S. is the involvement of all of the students and their families. These people get to play a major role in the ceremony and these are the people who helped to make her the person that she is.
Students in the program were also able to participate in traditional Nicaraguan culture in a small town, so different from Granada's tourism and Managua's paradoxes. They were able to see young people perform classical music, be recognized for their academic achievements, and enjoy a cultural event to celebrate education with their families. It was a beautiful evening to participate in the dignity and generosity of the Nicaraguan people and culture.
PS. Some details were added by Alba. :)
Here the ceremony was in a beautiful cathedral with the whole town and all the students invited to attend. At the given time the Teacher of the Year, Marcia Martínez Solórzano, walked down the aisle to the official national Nicaraguan hymn for teachers played by a classical orchestra made up of young musicians. The blue and white Nicaraguan flag led with procession, followed by the teacher and the top ranking students in the town. Everyone rose to stand and applaud and congratulate the teacher.
The elementary school teacher from Chinandega then sat at a long table with all the political dignitaries, including the president of the Fundacion Luisa Mercado, Dr. Sergio Ramirez Mercado. He is a former Vice-President of Nicaragua, and he is currently one of the most important novelists in Latin America. He established this annual award for the best teacher in the nation. After several speeches talking about her merits and why she had won over 30 other nominees, she was given a check for $10,000, a medal to wear around her neck, a proclamation, and a beautiful statue designed by the famous Nicaraguan poet and priest, Ernesto Cardenal, who also attended to congratulate the winner. Local students also came to the stage with their cards and words of celebration.
The teacher of the year then gave her own speech and everyone stood and applauded. At the end of her speech she recited a poem dedicated to teachers. The Luisa Mercado Foundation band played instruments donated by the French Embassy, and the French ambassador was recognized for that gift. The US ambassador to Nicaragua, Mr. Robert Callahan, was also recognized in the audience for his support.
The Luisa Mercado Foundation offers free classical music lessons and a library for local young people to develop a knowledge of culture. The band played several lovely pieces along with a group of children singers and a very talented soloist. The songs were mostly written by the Ramirez family in Masatepe.
The foundation president invited a student representative from the Global Academy from Western Connecticut State University to present their donation of a viola, and the group was recognized with a diploma.
When the ceremony was over the teacher came down to embrace all of her friends, family and students. She was very moved by the occasion and wanted everyone to sign her special book. We all did and were so pleased to meet her.
After the ceremony we went back to the foundation building, Dr. Ramirez's family home that is now a public cultural center. Here we saw the unveiling of the teacher's photo on the wall. This was a very emotional moment as she had now become a part of history. Students were able to learn about the foundation, and they took photos with Dr. Ramirez and Mr. Callahan, who both thanked them for representing the US and their university as volunteers in Nicaraguan schools and in their donation to the foundation.
What I liked so much about this ceremony as opposed to what we do in the U.S. is the involvement of all of the students and their families. These people get to play a major role in the ceremony and these are the people who helped to make her the person that she is.
Students in the program were also able to participate in traditional Nicaraguan culture in a small town, so different from Granada's tourism and Managua's paradoxes. They were able to see young people perform classical music, be recognized for their academic achievements, and enjoy a cultural event to celebrate education with their families. It was a beautiful evening to participate in the dignity and generosity of the Nicaraguan people and culture.
PS. Some details were added by Alba. :)
Saturday, August 15, 2009
De niña a mujer
Tener un bebe es algo maravilloso que te llena de alegría. Sentir como todo los meces te crese la barriga o cuando se mueve por primera ves. Es algo que no tiene ni palabras para explicarlo. Lo único que puede cambiar el amor que tu siente por tu hijo que no a nacido es cuando te embaraza después de una violación.
Estaba leyendo el periódico el otro día y vi un artículo que me intereso mucho. Se llamaba “Violencia sexual aumenta casos de niñas embarazadas.” Me llamo mucho la atención no porque es muy triste sino porque muchas de las niñas violadas aquí en Nicaragua son violadas por sus padres. El articulo describe que las niñas “son obligada ser madres a temprano edad y ser madres de su propios hermanos.” Estas niñas son obligar a ser madres porque en Nicaragua no se permite el aborto. Por lo mismo tienen que continuar con el embarazo. También muchas de estas niñas solamente tienen 14 años de edad. Sin el permiso de sus padres no pueden abortar ni si pudieran hacerlo.
El artículo también decía que de las 318 mujeres que fueron violadas el año pasado 46 resultaron embarazadas. Esto es muy difícil especialmente cuando no quiere ser mama. También porque estas niñas no tuvieron derecho de decidir por si mismos si quieren tener relaciones sexuales o no. Muchos de las niñas violadas el año pasado fueron por sus padres, hermanos, padrastros, primos o cuñados. Esto es un problema muy difícil de controlar aquí en Nicaragua no simple por la economía sino porque muchos de estas violaciones no son reportadas.
Es importante notar que violaciones pueden pasar en el mundo entero y que Nicaragua no es el único país que esta pasando por violencias sexual. Sino esto queriendo dar un ejemplo de cómo estos actos afectan nuestras niñas. No solamente en Nicaragua sino en el mundo entero. Estas niñas no piden ser violadas ni salir embarazadas. Es la responsabilidad del gobierno de todos los países ayudar disminuir las ocurrencias de violaciones que se cometen en sus países.
Estaba leyendo el periódico el otro día y vi un artículo que me intereso mucho. Se llamaba “Violencia sexual aumenta casos de niñas embarazadas.” Me llamo mucho la atención no porque es muy triste sino porque muchas de las niñas violadas aquí en Nicaragua son violadas por sus padres. El articulo describe que las niñas “son obligada ser madres a temprano edad y ser madres de su propios hermanos.” Estas niñas son obligar a ser madres porque en Nicaragua no se permite el aborto. Por lo mismo tienen que continuar con el embarazo. También muchas de estas niñas solamente tienen 14 años de edad. Sin el permiso de sus padres no pueden abortar ni si pudieran hacerlo.
El artículo también decía que de las 318 mujeres que fueron violadas el año pasado 46 resultaron embarazadas. Esto es muy difícil especialmente cuando no quiere ser mama. También porque estas niñas no tuvieron derecho de decidir por si mismos si quieren tener relaciones sexuales o no. Muchos de las niñas violadas el año pasado fueron por sus padres, hermanos, padrastros, primos o cuñados. Esto es un problema muy difícil de controlar aquí en Nicaragua no simple por la economía sino porque muchos de estas violaciones no son reportadas.
Es importante notar que violaciones pueden pasar en el mundo entero y que Nicaragua no es el único país que esta pasando por violencias sexual. Sino esto queriendo dar un ejemplo de cómo estos actos afectan nuestras niñas. No solamente en Nicaragua sino en el mundo entero. Estas niñas no piden ser violadas ni salir embarazadas. Es la responsabilidad del gobierno de todos los países ayudar disminuir las ocurrencias de violaciones que se cometen en sus países.
Nicaragua, tierra de poesía y de revolución
Queridos/as estudiantes del programa, aqui otra columna mía publicada en Brasil y Chile, escrita hace tres días aqui en Nicaragua. Hice una breve investigación,
bueno aqui el sitio donde se publicó hoy sábado,
saludos
Javier Campos
Nicaragua, tierra de poesía y revolución
http://www.elmostrador.cl/index.php?/noticias/articulo/nicaragua-tierra-de-poesia-y-de-revolucion/
bueno aqui el sitio donde se publicó hoy sábado,
saludos
Javier Campos
Nicaragua, tierra de poesía y revolución
http://www.elmostrador.cl/index.php?/noticias/articulo/nicaragua-tierra-de-poesia-y-de-revolucion/
LA ESPERANZA
Me deprime ver la cantidad de destrucción en Nicaragua en los últimos 30 años. Los ciudadanos vivían bajo un dictador por casi medio siglo, mientras la familia Somoza desaprovechaba de los recursos naturales por su propio interés y de una forma destruyó el país. Todo lo que hemos leído y experimentado aquí comprueba el estado frágil del país.
En nuestro viaje a Managua el fin de semana pasado, no vimos el centro histórico que tiene Granada, sino algunos edificios que se erigió durante los años 70’s por Somoza. Estos edificios no servían los intereses de la población cuando se erigieron, sino los intereses de Somoza. También, fuimos al lugar donde la Guardia Nacional de Somoza torturaba a los prisioneros que amenazaban las ideales del gobierno Somocista. Aprendimos los hechos de Somoza, incluso negar de reedificar la ciudad tras el terremoto de 1972 que arrasó a la ciudad de Managua. Por eso, Managua pareció a cualquier otra ciudad desarrollada. Los carteles pueblan la ciudad, árboles artificiales, tanto como los árboles de Mombacho. Lo que más me deprime es que, aún después de la época de Somoza, la riqueza extranjera en Nicaragua crece. Lo vi en Managua, a través de los muchos negocios, incluso T.G.I. Fridays y McDonald’s, entre otros. Los nicaragüenses no cosechan lo que cultivan, pero siguen trabajando. No les culpo por no ejercer el poder, porque creo que una parte integral de la cultura. Tienen cierta dignidad. Sirven a los demás, y les gusta servir a los otros; pero eso no debería significar que están ligados eternamente a las inversionistas extranjeras, sin ninguna esperanza de autonomía en el futuro.
A relatar lo filosófico con lo que experimento aquí; un día tomaba una tasa de café en Kathys Waffles antes de la clase, y oí por casualidad unos hombres hablando de la madera rentable aquí en Nicaragua, y otros asuntos perteneciendo a los negocios. En una lectura que dio Dra. Pinou, ella nos enseñó los arboles diversos de los bosques tropicales, incluso las funciones que desempeñan. Aprendimos que los arboles mantienen la tierra fina del bosque, para que el viento no la sople al otro lado, que revelaría una tierra rocosa, infértil, y adversario para cultivar árboles. Entonces asumí que viven en Nicaragua y que aprovechan de la cantidad de recursos naturales aquí, incluso la madera de unos arboles como Caoba (mencionaban la caoba-a que referían no sé). Por otro lado, la primera semana que estábamos aquí, sembramos unos arboles en el bosque que rodea la Laguna de Apoyo, con una organización nicaragüense dedicado a la conservación. Ya reconocen la disminución de los recursos naturales en Nicaragua, debido a la destrucción de los bosques, pero siguen trabajando repoblando el bosque, porque si ellos no lo hacen, ¿quien lo hará? Me impresiona mucho el espíritu Nicaragüense de la esperanza, a pesar de la historia, y la cantidad de trabajo que queda.
En nuestro viaje a Managua el fin de semana pasado, no vimos el centro histórico que tiene Granada, sino algunos edificios que se erigió durante los años 70’s por Somoza. Estos edificios no servían los intereses de la población cuando se erigieron, sino los intereses de Somoza. También, fuimos al lugar donde la Guardia Nacional de Somoza torturaba a los prisioneros que amenazaban las ideales del gobierno Somocista. Aprendimos los hechos de Somoza, incluso negar de reedificar la ciudad tras el terremoto de 1972 que arrasó a la ciudad de Managua. Por eso, Managua pareció a cualquier otra ciudad desarrollada. Los carteles pueblan la ciudad, árboles artificiales, tanto como los árboles de Mombacho. Lo que más me deprime es que, aún después de la época de Somoza, la riqueza extranjera en Nicaragua crece. Lo vi en Managua, a través de los muchos negocios, incluso T.G.I. Fridays y McDonald’s, entre otros. Los nicaragüenses no cosechan lo que cultivan, pero siguen trabajando. No les culpo por no ejercer el poder, porque creo que una parte integral de la cultura. Tienen cierta dignidad. Sirven a los demás, y les gusta servir a los otros; pero eso no debería significar que están ligados eternamente a las inversionistas extranjeras, sin ninguna esperanza de autonomía en el futuro.
A relatar lo filosófico con lo que experimento aquí; un día tomaba una tasa de café en Kathys Waffles antes de la clase, y oí por casualidad unos hombres hablando de la madera rentable aquí en Nicaragua, y otros asuntos perteneciendo a los negocios. En una lectura que dio Dra. Pinou, ella nos enseñó los arboles diversos de los bosques tropicales, incluso las funciones que desempeñan. Aprendimos que los arboles mantienen la tierra fina del bosque, para que el viento no la sople al otro lado, que revelaría una tierra rocosa, infértil, y adversario para cultivar árboles. Entonces asumí que viven en Nicaragua y que aprovechan de la cantidad de recursos naturales aquí, incluso la madera de unos arboles como Caoba (mencionaban la caoba-a que referían no sé). Por otro lado, la primera semana que estábamos aquí, sembramos unos arboles en el bosque que rodea la Laguna de Apoyo, con una organización nicaragüense dedicado a la conservación. Ya reconocen la disminución de los recursos naturales en Nicaragua, debido a la destrucción de los bosques, pero siguen trabajando repoblando el bosque, porque si ellos no lo hacen, ¿quien lo hará? Me impresiona mucho el espíritu Nicaragüense de la esperanza, a pesar de la historia, y la cantidad de trabajo que queda.
Literacy in Nicaragua
There are many things that Ive realized that I have taken for granted, and it only took this trip to make me realize it. I still remember the woman who taught me to read. She was my first grade teacher, Hinda Squires and the impact she had on my life was so profound that when she passed away, I had to attend her wake. In a way I feel I have come full circle: this teacher who gave me probably one of the most precious gifts of all, who used give us UNICEF boxes so that we could take up donations, opened my eyes at an incredibly young age to embracing differences in other people. Now, here I am in a country that according to Jose Adan Silva, is 24% illiterate. The faces that appeared on those UNICEF boxes are very much a reality, and my first grade teacher isnt far from my mind.
My first major was education, before switching to social work. My reasons for wanting to teach were not just for my love of children, but because in a way I felt that just like the Alcoholics Anonymous saying puts it, that in order to keep it, you have to give it away. I wanted to give the gift of literacy and open up the world for other children, as my teacher had done for me. As my grandmother, who passed away this october, had done for many students. She had survived growing up in a foster home, being split from her brother and when she tried to find him, she survived him not wanting anything to do with her. She was a woman who lost her first husband, and raised 5 children on her own before she met my grandfather. She worked, took care of her children, and put herself through college. Its a devotion and determination, a love for education, that I rarely see back at home, but I see it in the woman who cleans the house where we have our classes. I´m not sure what made me switch to social work, maybe its how unappreciated teachers are in our society (not like social workers are any more appreciated), and so while I make that walk that seems like forever to get to the school that I volunteer at, my mind travels to the people that opened my world, which at times seems worlds away.
Last night, while rocking in the rocking chair in the tv room with my host family, I read "A Passionate Memory in Times of Disillusion" by Jose Luis Rocha. He spoke of a time not too long ago in Nicaragua, but of a Nicaragua that you have to look for carefully in order to see it. He spoke of Nicaragua's National Literacy Crucade of the 1980s, where literacy workers, or brigadistas, went into the mountains to teach the people how to read. If the literacy workers only went to teach a couple hours a day, it wouldnt have had the profound effect that it did. Essentially, these brigadistas went to live with their students. But to say that the brigadistas were the teachers and the campesinos of the mountains were the students would be a fallacy. I have had many teachers tell me that they learn from me and the rest of our class just as much as we learn from them. This was true of the Literacy Crusade.Rocha writes that the crusade was organized by a priest, Fernando Cardenal who was inspired by a Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, whose method as described on page one is "the illiterate learn their letters while the literacy workers, or brigadistas, learn about their reality and history and thus 'become conscious'". When I read this part, I wondered if Alba had read this article and then planned this whole trip around this theme, for I have been re-born. Before we went on our camping trip, I kept thinking to myself: you can take the girl out of Long Island, but you cant take Long Island out of the girl. When I look back on my thinking, Im mad for not believing in myself. For just automatically thinking that because I come from an area where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are currently living, that just because I have parents that are able to provide me with certain luxuries, that I couldnt hack it. What I learned from that experience, is that I can. I also learned that I was stereotyping myself, and that thinking the way I did was preventing myself from growing as a person. At times, I have been my own worst enemy. But just as the article I read mentioned, I have learned more from the children that I am teaching to read, write, and perform basic mathematics. I have learned from them that you can break out of your stereotype-whether it has been given to you by others, or if you have placed yourself there. There is a name for what occurs when you stereotype yourself, which I learned from a social psychology class and its called the stereotype threat. Essentially, its that there is a fear that ones behavior will confirm an existing stereotype of the group that you think you are identified with, and often this fear effects your performance to the point that you fulfill that stereotype. Just the fact that Im still here on this trip is a testament to how my confidence has grown. Before leaving for this trip, I had my whole family tell me that I would be home in two weeks because the lack of air conditioning and the mosquitos would make me want to leave. I was told this so much that I started to believe it.
The second reading that I read was "Down, Down with Adult Illiteracy" by Jose Adan Silva. It doesnt give the year that it was written, but at the time this article was written the statistics were that 24% of the population of 5.1 million were illiterate (p.1) and that "Because of poverty, there are more than 300,000 children working in the streets, and they are not in school" (p.2). He goes on to say that according to Juan Bautista Arrien, a representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, that "out of every 100 children who enter primary school, only 49 successfully complete sixth grade". I'm not sure if the children that I work with know statistically what the success rate is, but I'm sure they see other children working on the street, and they may very well be working on the street at night. Many of my students are exhausted when they study with me, and the fact that there is no law regarding mandatory education until a certain age and they have the freedom to choose not to go to school if they dont want to, really inspires me. Although I cant read their minds, based on their attendance alone says something to me. They are saying that they are not giving up. When I see these children, exhausted, eating their lunch with a hunger I have never known, because perhaps they dont know when their next meal will be, it inspires me. But it also makes me feel ashamed. Ashamed of the times I have slept until 12pm and missed classes. WestConn is my 4th college, and Im a 26 year old junior. I have learned from them that if they can work as hard as they do, there is absolutely no excuse for me not to do the same.
Silvas article on the Sandinista governments plan to teach 100% of Nicaraguans over 15 to read an write is quite an ambitious goal. There are those who believe it can be done, and those who dont. Among the doubtful is Juan Bautista Arrien, mentioned previously. Theres another goal, which is "part of the Millennium Development Goals, and it is a set of commitments undertaken by the worlds governments in 2000, and is aimed at slashing poverty worldwide by 2015".In Nicaragua, and in the US I have seen graffiti with political connotation. There are goals of the government, here and at home, and even they dont agree not just on the goals, but on how to arrive there. Then, there are the wishes of the people, who all want different things.
The best comparison to the US that I can make regarding the debates here such as illiteracy; and potable water, is that it is much like the issues of health care, and the economy in the United States. I was watching a television program at home in CT once, and the current president and I believe he´s also the CEO, of Wallmart made a profound statement. He was talking of the very issues I just mentioned that are hot topics of debate in the US. What he said was, that both parties-Democrats and Republicans, need to stop debating on how to go about addressing these issues, and start acting on them. Debating about how to achieve a desired goal only wastes time, and the only thing that Democrats and Republicans seem to agree on is that something needs to be done about our economy and health care. He also said that, if you plan big, such as in my opinion the goals of the MDG and literacy campaigns are, your achievement will only be a grain of sand on the beach. If you start and plan small, you will achieve leaps and bounds.
On the day we leave here, this land where promises are made to the people by the government and are not fulfilled yet hope flourishes, it will be the nations anniversary of 20 somewhat years of their alfabetismo. I read a while ago one of our students blog entries, and this person wrote that the work that we´ve done here, will never, ever be enough. And that may be true, but if out of the 5 students that I tutor, if 3 or even 2 of them have advanced in their knowledge of what I have been helping them with, then I´m okay with that. If I have given hope and confidence to any of the children that I have worked with, that is enough for me-because I believe as the president of Wallmart believes-if you plan small, if you start at the bottom, as we have done with the children of today who will be the leaders of tomorrow, then we just may be able to achieve success on a monumental scale.
ADDED BY ALBA: PLEASE CONSULT SOURCES TO CORRECT DETAILS. GRACIAS. :)
(English Language Resouces)
Literacy in Nicaragua
Universal Primary Education Still Far Off
Quality of Life at School Boosts Learning
Literacy Campaign Changing Women's Lives
Down, Down with Adult Illiteracy
Memory of the Historic Literacy Crusade (1979-1980)
ENGISH VERSION
SPANISH VERSION
My first major was education, before switching to social work. My reasons for wanting to teach were not just for my love of children, but because in a way I felt that just like the Alcoholics Anonymous saying puts it, that in order to keep it, you have to give it away. I wanted to give the gift of literacy and open up the world for other children, as my teacher had done for me. As my grandmother, who passed away this october, had done for many students. She had survived growing up in a foster home, being split from her brother and when she tried to find him, she survived him not wanting anything to do with her. She was a woman who lost her first husband, and raised 5 children on her own before she met my grandfather. She worked, took care of her children, and put herself through college. Its a devotion and determination, a love for education, that I rarely see back at home, but I see it in the woman who cleans the house where we have our classes. I´m not sure what made me switch to social work, maybe its how unappreciated teachers are in our society (not like social workers are any more appreciated), and so while I make that walk that seems like forever to get to the school that I volunteer at, my mind travels to the people that opened my world, which at times seems worlds away.
Last night, while rocking in the rocking chair in the tv room with my host family, I read "A Passionate Memory in Times of Disillusion" by Jose Luis Rocha. He spoke of a time not too long ago in Nicaragua, but of a Nicaragua that you have to look for carefully in order to see it. He spoke of Nicaragua's National Literacy Crucade of the 1980s, where literacy workers, or brigadistas, went into the mountains to teach the people how to read. If the literacy workers only went to teach a couple hours a day, it wouldnt have had the profound effect that it did. Essentially, these brigadistas went to live with their students. But to say that the brigadistas were the teachers and the campesinos of the mountains were the students would be a fallacy. I have had many teachers tell me that they learn from me and the rest of our class just as much as we learn from them. This was true of the Literacy Crusade.Rocha writes that the crusade was organized by a priest, Fernando Cardenal who was inspired by a Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, whose method as described on page one is "the illiterate learn their letters while the literacy workers, or brigadistas, learn about their reality and history and thus 'become conscious'". When I read this part, I wondered if Alba had read this article and then planned this whole trip around this theme, for I have been re-born. Before we went on our camping trip, I kept thinking to myself: you can take the girl out of Long Island, but you cant take Long Island out of the girl. When I look back on my thinking, Im mad for not believing in myself. For just automatically thinking that because I come from an area where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are currently living, that just because I have parents that are able to provide me with certain luxuries, that I couldnt hack it. What I learned from that experience, is that I can. I also learned that I was stereotyping myself, and that thinking the way I did was preventing myself from growing as a person. At times, I have been my own worst enemy. But just as the article I read mentioned, I have learned more from the children that I am teaching to read, write, and perform basic mathematics. I have learned from them that you can break out of your stereotype-whether it has been given to you by others, or if you have placed yourself there. There is a name for what occurs when you stereotype yourself, which I learned from a social psychology class and its called the stereotype threat. Essentially, its that there is a fear that ones behavior will confirm an existing stereotype of the group that you think you are identified with, and often this fear effects your performance to the point that you fulfill that stereotype. Just the fact that Im still here on this trip is a testament to how my confidence has grown. Before leaving for this trip, I had my whole family tell me that I would be home in two weeks because the lack of air conditioning and the mosquitos would make me want to leave. I was told this so much that I started to believe it.
The second reading that I read was "Down, Down with Adult Illiteracy" by Jose Adan Silva. It doesnt give the year that it was written, but at the time this article was written the statistics were that 24% of the population of 5.1 million were illiterate (p.1) and that "Because of poverty, there are more than 300,000 children working in the streets, and they are not in school" (p.2). He goes on to say that according to Juan Bautista Arrien, a representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, that "out of every 100 children who enter primary school, only 49 successfully complete sixth grade". I'm not sure if the children that I work with know statistically what the success rate is, but I'm sure they see other children working on the street, and they may very well be working on the street at night. Many of my students are exhausted when they study with me, and the fact that there is no law regarding mandatory education until a certain age and they have the freedom to choose not to go to school if they dont want to, really inspires me. Although I cant read their minds, based on their attendance alone says something to me. They are saying that they are not giving up. When I see these children, exhausted, eating their lunch with a hunger I have never known, because perhaps they dont know when their next meal will be, it inspires me. But it also makes me feel ashamed. Ashamed of the times I have slept until 12pm and missed classes. WestConn is my 4th college, and Im a 26 year old junior. I have learned from them that if they can work as hard as they do, there is absolutely no excuse for me not to do the same.
Silvas article on the Sandinista governments plan to teach 100% of Nicaraguans over 15 to read an write is quite an ambitious goal. There are those who believe it can be done, and those who dont. Among the doubtful is Juan Bautista Arrien, mentioned previously. Theres another goal, which is "part of the Millennium Development Goals, and it is a set of commitments undertaken by the worlds governments in 2000, and is aimed at slashing poverty worldwide by 2015".In Nicaragua, and in the US I have seen graffiti with political connotation. There are goals of the government, here and at home, and even they dont agree not just on the goals, but on how to arrive there. Then, there are the wishes of the people, who all want different things.
The best comparison to the US that I can make regarding the debates here such as illiteracy; and potable water, is that it is much like the issues of health care, and the economy in the United States. I was watching a television program at home in CT once, and the current president and I believe he´s also the CEO, of Wallmart made a profound statement. He was talking of the very issues I just mentioned that are hot topics of debate in the US. What he said was, that both parties-Democrats and Republicans, need to stop debating on how to go about addressing these issues, and start acting on them. Debating about how to achieve a desired goal only wastes time, and the only thing that Democrats and Republicans seem to agree on is that something needs to be done about our economy and health care. He also said that, if you plan big, such as in my opinion the goals of the MDG and literacy campaigns are, your achievement will only be a grain of sand on the beach. If you start and plan small, you will achieve leaps and bounds.
On the day we leave here, this land where promises are made to the people by the government and are not fulfilled yet hope flourishes, it will be the nations anniversary of 20 somewhat years of their alfabetismo. I read a while ago one of our students blog entries, and this person wrote that the work that we´ve done here, will never, ever be enough. And that may be true, but if out of the 5 students that I tutor, if 3 or even 2 of them have advanced in their knowledge of what I have been helping them with, then I´m okay with that. If I have given hope and confidence to any of the children that I have worked with, that is enough for me-because I believe as the president of Wallmart believes-if you plan small, if you start at the bottom, as we have done with the children of today who will be the leaders of tomorrow, then we just may be able to achieve success on a monumental scale.
ADDED BY ALBA: PLEASE CONSULT SOURCES TO CORRECT DETAILS. GRACIAS. :)
(English Language Resouces)
Literacy in Nicaragua
Universal Primary Education Still Far Off
Quality of Life at School Boosts Learning
Literacy Campaign Changing Women's Lives
Down, Down with Adult Illiteracy
Memory of the Historic Literacy Crusade (1979-1980)
ENGISH VERSION
SPANISH VERSION
Friday, August 14, 2009
El volcán Mombacho
El 9 de agosto fuimos a Mombacho. Para las personas que no saben mucho de este volcán. No es un volcán activo pero tiene cráteres activos que echan humo. Subiendo en camioneta toma como 45 minutos porque el camino es muy inclinado. A llegar a la sima puede encontrar una cabaña con guías para hacer pequeñas caminatas en el. Mombacho fue declarada una reserva natural donde habitan tigrillos, tigres y monos y toda clase de serpientes. Su primera erupción fue en la época precolombina siendo así la creación de las isletas en el lago de granada donde hace mucho tiempo solo existía solamente agua. En el tiempo que se crearon solamente estaban habitada de arboles animales, piedra e indios. En la actualidad ahora esta habitadas por personas. Donde hay muchos désenos arquitectónicos de casa y en la actualidad aun se venden algunas islas.
Como acabo de explicar en el primer parágrafo. El Mombacho fue declarada una reserva nacional por IRENA (Instituto Nicaragüense de recursos naturales y del Ambiente). En un articulo que estuve leyendo llamado “Environment Under Fire” dice que IRENA fue creada en Agosto de 1979 y tomaron responsabilidad sobre la abundancia de recursos naturales del país (pagina 154). También habla de cómo IRENA lucha por proteger y reconstruir ecología y la agricultura. Por igual trata de manejar los materiales agriculturas que se exporta y ayudar bajar la dependencia que tiene Nicaragua con los materiales importados.
Nicaragua es un país que tiene muchos recursos naturales. Por lo mismo tiene mucha potencia para progresar. El problema que tiene este país es que no sabe como usar esos recursos bien y también la contaminación. Mi pensar es que con la creación de IRENA, que ahora lleva el nombre de MIRENA, el gobierno ha reconocido que tienen un problema. Tomaron un paso para arreglar la situación. Tal vez este esfuerzo que están haciendo los ayude a conservar sus recursos naturales y mantener la ciudades y los bosques limpios.
Como acabo de explicar en el primer parágrafo. El Mombacho fue declarada una reserva nacional por IRENA (Instituto Nicaragüense de recursos naturales y del Ambiente). En un articulo que estuve leyendo llamado “Environment Under Fire” dice que IRENA fue creada en Agosto de 1979 y tomaron responsabilidad sobre la abundancia de recursos naturales del país (pagina 154). También habla de cómo IRENA lucha por proteger y reconstruir ecología y la agricultura. Por igual trata de manejar los materiales agriculturas que se exporta y ayudar bajar la dependencia que tiene Nicaragua con los materiales importados.
Nicaragua es un país que tiene muchos recursos naturales. Por lo mismo tiene mucha potencia para progresar. El problema que tiene este país es que no sabe como usar esos recursos bien y también la contaminación. Mi pensar es que con la creación de IRENA, que ahora lleva el nombre de MIRENA, el gobierno ha reconocido que tienen un problema. Tomaron un paso para arreglar la situación. Tal vez este esfuerzo que están haciendo los ayude a conservar sus recursos naturales y mantener la ciudades y los bosques limpios.
El alfabetismo en Nicaragua
A veces la gente no piensa que tiene le potencial de ayudar en las vidas de algunas persona. Muchas veces este pensamiento impide que ayuden o que dedique su tiempo en ayudar al prójimo. No soy una persona muy religiosa ni voy mucho a misa. Pero se que en este mundo hay mucha pobreza y angustia. Cuando mi profesora me dijo de este viaje no me apunte con la mente de venir a ser turismo ni conocer el país. Sino ayudar con lo que puedo. Cuando vi la oportunidad de poder ayudar a otra persona me alegre mucho.
Somos voluntarios en una escuela adonde hay niños que no saben ni escribir sus nombres ni algo simple como reconocer los colores. Durante estas 3 semanas he visto que estos niños aunque no tienen las mismas oportunidades que tiene en los niños de los Estados Unidos quieren aprender. Le gusta trabajar con nosotros. Para algunos esto no es mucho enseñarle a un niño como leer o enseñarle el abecedario pero para estos niños es algo que se queda con ellos para el resto de su vida. El agradecimiento que nos dan se va a quedar con nosotros para el resto de nuestra vida.
Se que tal vez lo que nosotros estamos haciendo no se puede compara con la Cruzada Nacional de Alfabetización pero para mi es casi lo mismo. En julio de 1979 los sandinistas le propusieron la idea de la Cruzada a sacerdote Fernando Cardenal. Esta cruzada fue el primer paso que cogieron para reconstruir el país por lo que leí en el artículo de José Luis Rocha en la primera página. El motivo de la cruzada era para que los campesino y alfabetos pudieran aprender escribir, leer y la historia de su país. Por esto es que yo comparo el trabajo que estoy haciendo en Nicaragua con la Cruzada.
También lo comparo porque como los estudiantes que participaron el la cruzada. Nosotros también estamos viviendo con una familia y estamos absorbiendo la cultura. Aunque no es igual porque los estudiantes o mejor dicho los jóvenes de la cruzada vivieron con los campesinos por cinco meses y vieron el sufrimiento que tuvieron que pasa los campesinos por siglos. En el mismo articulo que escribió José Luis Rocha el describe como los estudiantes compartían con los campesinos la comida, la ropa, el frio, el piso y los petates, (segunda pagina). Aunque nosotros no estamos viviendo con campesinos estamos aprendiendo como viven sus hijos y como la pobreza los afecta.
A veces no hay que hacer mucho para impactar la vida de una persona. Con el simple acto de enseñarles que nos importa basta. Por esto escribo este blog. Para demuestra que no cuesta mucho para ayudar y pensar que no puede solamente te encierra a las realidades del mundo. Si piensas que no puede hacer nada no lo haces pero si tienes la mente positiva puedes lograr mucho en el mundo.
Managua
The other day I was on Facebook, which is something that I don´t normally do at home, but while being here, its actually been good for keeping in touch with people at home and seeing what the people I´ve left behind are doing. One of my friends put his status message as something along the lines of him being frustrated because he was stuck in his "crappy Brooklyn apartment with his crappy air conditioner" that apparently wasnt working as best as it could have. And the minute I read that and thought about the few material things that the people in Nicaragua have, and how they don´t complain about things like that, I just had to send him an email. Even though we all come from different socioeconomic statuses, we all should be grateful to have the basic necessities, because for many people here, these are luxuries. Here, my friend, whose family owns pizzerias all over long island and manhattan and including the one in Penn Station, here he was complaining. He can walk into any one of those restaurants and eat like a king for free, he has an apartment, and hes complaining about his air conditioner. I look back at things that I once complained about, the dinners my mother cooked for me that I didnt like so she made something else just for me, the complaints that I made because maybe there wasnt a specific type of snack in the house, and I become disgusted with myself. One of the things that Ive noticed here and among some of the few friends that I have at home, is that although a person may be poor when it comes to materialistic things, and the lack of essentials needed to survive such as food, shelter and water, these people are rich in their heart, and their personalities. Sometimes I dont know if I should feel grateful for the comforts I have at home, because sometimes I feel disgusted for having so much when others are struggling just to feed themselves. Nothing has brought out this internal war that I wage against myself more than when we went to Managua.
Upon entering the city of Managua, I noticed billboards with the picture of Nicaragua´s president, Daniel Ortega with various slogans such as citizen power, and another celebrating 30 years of freedom from US imperialism. To me, these signs are so funny, especially the one celebrating the 30 years because right across the street was a McDonalds sign. Although the US marines are no longer here, there is still very much a US presence in the form of development. Its also funny to me because it seems so hypocritical to have a slogan of citizen power, when the people here are starving, and their cries fall on deaf ears because protests are prohibited. In the article from Nicatimes.net, called "Sandinista Prayer Campaign Draws Heat", by Blake Schmidt, he speaks of Los Rezadores, or the supposed public prayers. They really are poor people who are paid by the government for the reason that Schmidt writes, "Theyve taken the rotundas as a mechanism to impede opposition protests". We actually witnessed this in Managua, when all of a sudden a crowd of protesters started running towards us and we were told by Raul to go inside the church. It turned out that this group was protesting for human rights, and the people living in the rotunda will turn to violence to do the governments bidding in hushing the voices of the people.
Schmidt also mentions the former banana farmers that are sick from toxins from pesticides used by US Banana companies. Since the government is unwilling to speak with the United States on behalf of their sick citizens, they are in a way doing a silent protest by living in the parks in shacks made out of cardboard and garbage bags. If you ask me, its as if the marines havent left.
Probably the most disturbing thing that I saw on this day trip to Managua was La Chureca, essentially a garbage landfill. Just as our view from the top of Mombacho volcano showed us the endless lake that could have been mistaken for a vast ocean, this landfill was an endless sea of garbage. The concern isnt merely for the environment, but for the people that live and work there. I saw a man crouched down on the ground, sharing the scraps of meat off the bone with a dog. What does this say for the human condition, when a man is eating his meal with a dog? At first I felt disgust, then sympathy. You can read about La Chureca all you want, but it means nothing unless you see it for yourself.
So what is the Nicaraguan government doing to help this dire situation? If you ask Dora Maria Tellez, who wrote the article "Nicaragua's Drastic Situation Obliged Me to Go on a Hunger Strike", the answer would be nothing. This is because a pact has been made with the former president, Aleman, and the current president, Ortega. They essential have control over every court and judge, and sadly she writes as they "They have divvied up the Office of Human Rights Ombudsmen, the Public Prosecutor's Office, and other autonomous and public service institutions". Additionally, she writes that Venezuela has provided Nicaragua with about 520 million dollars. From what I saw in Managua, and Granada as well, I cant help but ask the same question she asks. Where is it going? Because from working in the schools, I can tell you it certainly is not going there, its not going to families who need it so bad that they are forced to send their children out to beg for food or money.
Upon entering the city of Managua, I noticed billboards with the picture of Nicaragua´s president, Daniel Ortega with various slogans such as citizen power, and another celebrating 30 years of freedom from US imperialism. To me, these signs are so funny, especially the one celebrating the 30 years because right across the street was a McDonalds sign. Although the US marines are no longer here, there is still very much a US presence in the form of development. Its also funny to me because it seems so hypocritical to have a slogan of citizen power, when the people here are starving, and their cries fall on deaf ears because protests are prohibited. In the article from Nicatimes.net, called "Sandinista Prayer Campaign Draws Heat", by Blake Schmidt, he speaks of Los Rezadores, or the supposed public prayers. They really are poor people who are paid by the government for the reason that Schmidt writes, "Theyve taken the rotundas as a mechanism to impede opposition protests". We actually witnessed this in Managua, when all of a sudden a crowd of protesters started running towards us and we were told by Raul to go inside the church. It turned out that this group was protesting for human rights, and the people living in the rotunda will turn to violence to do the governments bidding in hushing the voices of the people.
Schmidt also mentions the former banana farmers that are sick from toxins from pesticides used by US Banana companies. Since the government is unwilling to speak with the United States on behalf of their sick citizens, they are in a way doing a silent protest by living in the parks in shacks made out of cardboard and garbage bags. If you ask me, its as if the marines havent left.
Probably the most disturbing thing that I saw on this day trip to Managua was La Chureca, essentially a garbage landfill. Just as our view from the top of Mombacho volcano showed us the endless lake that could have been mistaken for a vast ocean, this landfill was an endless sea of garbage. The concern isnt merely for the environment, but for the people that live and work there. I saw a man crouched down on the ground, sharing the scraps of meat off the bone with a dog. What does this say for the human condition, when a man is eating his meal with a dog? At first I felt disgust, then sympathy. You can read about La Chureca all you want, but it means nothing unless you see it for yourself.
So what is the Nicaraguan government doing to help this dire situation? If you ask Dora Maria Tellez, who wrote the article "Nicaragua's Drastic Situation Obliged Me to Go on a Hunger Strike", the answer would be nothing. This is because a pact has been made with the former president, Aleman, and the current president, Ortega. They essential have control over every court and judge, and sadly she writes as they "They have divvied up the Office of Human Rights Ombudsmen, the Public Prosecutor's Office, and other autonomous and public service institutions". Additionally, she writes that Venezuela has provided Nicaragua with about 520 million dollars. From what I saw in Managua, and Granada as well, I cant help but ask the same question she asks. Where is it going? Because from working in the schools, I can tell you it certainly is not going there, its not going to families who need it so bad that they are forced to send their children out to beg for food or money.
Coming to Realize...
Nearing the end of week three here in Nicaragua, I have come to a realization; at first I thought it would be difficult to adjust to the culture of Granada-culture shock if you will-however on the contrary I believe that my greatest challenge will be returning to back to the States. From spending such a short amount of time in a foreign country my vision of this world and of myself has been cleared drasticly-it's almost frightening. I'm not sure if I can simply readjust back to such a materialistic based country after witnessing what I have here with out a tremendous amount of guilt. There is a bigger picture and purpose (cliche I know) and so many of the mindsets of Americans are self-orientated that they are unable to see this.
Motivation.
I feel motivated.
Rather I feel obligated to do something.
I am almost ashamed of my life back at home before this trip. I have all of the resources and opportunities knocking at my door that has been kept shut and locked for far too long. America is an exception in this world. We have much more than the rest and much more than what we need. Why is it that I deserve all that I have and thousands of children walk barefoot? Why are they forced to start work instead of an education? Why would a child have to result to such measures as to dance in the street naked for less than a dollar? And how in the 21st centruy is this reality?
A month is not enought time to solve the vast conflicts found here in Granada everyday. My heart however goes out to the children. A child is a child. All you have to do is spend one hour with a child to realize we are all the same. They will make you laugh from the bottom of your gut till you cry or be a pain in your ass reguardless. A kid doesn't discriminate based upon color, lanugage, weath or weight.
A wise woman told me,"More time needs to be spent finding peace between our simmilarities and less time spent fighting wars between our differences". A change needs to occur in the minds of the children of Nicaragua. They need to find hope. They need to dream. And someone needs to tell them that they have worth to become beautiful people.
The wise woman also told me, "When you wake up every morning ask yourself-what will I do today to justify my existence in this world?". Will you donate a few hours out of your day to help a child learn their abc's? Or will you spend your day contemplating whether to buy the new blackberry or the iphone?
We have but a week left. How do I go back?
Motivation.
I feel motivated.
Rather I feel obligated to do something.
I am almost ashamed of my life back at home before this trip. I have all of the resources and opportunities knocking at my door that has been kept shut and locked for far too long. America is an exception in this world. We have much more than the rest and much more than what we need. Why is it that I deserve all that I have and thousands of children walk barefoot? Why are they forced to start work instead of an education? Why would a child have to result to such measures as to dance in the street naked for less than a dollar? And how in the 21st centruy is this reality?
A month is not enought time to solve the vast conflicts found here in Granada everyday. My heart however goes out to the children. A child is a child. All you have to do is spend one hour with a child to realize we are all the same. They will make you laugh from the bottom of your gut till you cry or be a pain in your ass reguardless. A kid doesn't discriminate based upon color, lanugage, weath or weight.
A wise woman told me,"More time needs to be spent finding peace between our simmilarities and less time spent fighting wars between our differences". A change needs to occur in the minds of the children of Nicaragua. They need to find hope. They need to dream. And someone needs to tell them that they have worth to become beautiful people.
The wise woman also told me, "When you wake up every morning ask yourself-what will I do today to justify my existence in this world?". Will you donate a few hours out of your day to help a child learn their abc's? Or will you spend your day contemplating whether to buy the new blackberry or the iphone?
We have but a week left. How do I go back?
National Identity and the Arts
On August 8th, a Saturday, our group visited Nicaragua´s capital, Managua. Up until that point, we had read plenty of articles out of the binder that Alba and Dora worked so hard to put together. However, the day before our trip to Managua when we discussed the culture and national identity of the people here, Alba asked us to read the people, and the buildings, rather than just looking. So on Saturday in Managua we went beyond the mere observations of just appearances and instead we paid close attention to their behaviors and mannerisms, and how buildings may be strategically placed to signify authority.
While performing this task, I encountered many paradoxes and contradictions. In order for me to connect the theme of natural identity to the arts and specifically muralism, its important to first understand national identity. It is not about physical appearances and how to tell that someone is Nicaraguan but rather; what are the common practices of a culture that bind the people together? Among them may be language, religion, holidays and rituals- in other words, a traditional practices that they share and evoke a sense of unity and a sense of pride for their nationality. The above mentioned practices I think are usually thought of when one tries to define national identity culture, but other things are included that sometimes are left out: popular music, art, literature, dances, and theater. These function to display a group or one´s pride (or disdain) for their country. When one is unhappy or ashamed to be identified as a citizen of their country, it usually has nothing to do with how their fellow mate behaves, but rather how their government functions. Therefore, it is impossible to discuss one´s national identity without discussing the nations government and politics. Before getting into that, I wanted to take the opportunity to address something: I think it is extremely important to note here that although their may be things here that I have seen that breaks my heart and that I may not agree with, I have not encountered one Nicaraguan who is ashamed of the person they are, nor their national identity. Currently we are discussing positive themes that we are asked to look for within the community here, because in the beginning some posted observations of the negative- one of the things I had said from the very beginning on one of my blogs was that horrible things exist all over the world, that poverty exists in the states as well where children are the largest population living in poverty. Something that I had said but did not write the first week we got here was that the difference is that when you travel to someplace new, one´s eyes are open, and one may be doing more observation than perhaps where they live. For example, someone from a heavily populated place such as NYC who is always in a rush to get to their next place may not notice the homeless person sleeping on the sidewalk, but that same person will probably notice the same thing but in a country they have never been to before once they arrive.
When I mentioned national identity as pride or disdain for being a citizen from one´s country, I want to give an example. Personally, at times I feel ashamed to be an American (or from the United States, since here an American refers to anyone from the Americas :-)). Some examples of when I´ve been ashamed to be an American have been when I learned the United States financed the Contras (which I knew from learning in middle school about the Iran-Contra Affair), but my teacher forgot to mention how the Contras were fighting against the Sandinistas of Nicaragua, and how our role in all of this destroyed the land, and in a way changed Nicaragua forever.
At first I was confused as to who the Contras were- were they solely Nicaraguan´s? Then I did some research on the Internet and read "Adios Muchachos: A Memoir of the Sandinista Revolution" by Sergio Ramirez. He mentions that the Contras were originally financed by the Argentinean government at the time; and according to the Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia, the label Contra was given to various groups that opposed Nicaragua´s FSLN (Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional). In Nicaragua the largest Contra group was the FDN (Frente Democratica de Nicaragua), or Nicaraguan Democratic Force. Essentially, the US CIA provided not only financial aid (which the reason the Iran Contra affair was scandalous was because Iran was considered to be a terrorist country at the time, and that money from the sale of weapons to Iran was used to back the Contras), but the CIA also provided weapons and training as well. The Sandinista movement, which was a revolutionary movement that the Contras were trying to prevent and resist, was a movement essentially of the people. When the US meddles with other countries affairs when its clearly not wanted, this is when I´m not proud to be an American. People may not agree with me, we can agree to disagree, and as Voltaire, one of the Enlightenment thinkers famously said, "I do not agree with a word you say, but I will defend to my death your right to say it". I also feel the same way about our involvement in Iraq, a country whose citizens clearly do not want us to be there, and that clearly lacked the supposed "weapons of mass destruction" that Bush claimed they had- but they do have oil, don´t they? Funny how the US government claims involvement in other countries affairs is solely political or for human rights issues, and at times it is such as Darfur but to me isn´t it a bit peculiar how before the war that is referred to as Nicaragua´s civil war, although it had multinational backing, was once abundant in natural resources such as fresh water, and now people are struggling to find drinkable water? On page two, Ramirez writes "They [United States] had plundered our natural resources, our mines, our forests".
So while I feel the exact opposite of national pride, and had I been living during this time would have wanted to be disassociated from my national identity, the end result of the revolution, the victory of the Sandinista movement elicited as sense of national pride from many Nicaraguans. For example, Ramirez writes how the US placed an embargo on wheat supplies from Nicaragua, so instead Nicaraguans turned to cultivating corn. There's a saying that he talks about, "El Maiz: Nuestra Raiz", meaning that they went back to their roots and farmed as their ancestors did, by farming corn. He also writes on page 2 that "Our nationalism emerged out of that conflict" (Between the US and the FSLN)
Being able to go to the university in Managua was an amazing experience because in a sense, we were able to see the past and what the students who were part of the revolution were thinking. We were able to see a part of Nicaragua's history through the murals that still remain at the university. After Ramirez writes how opposition to the US is necessary for Nicaragua´s liberation on page 2, the following paragraph he continues to say that the call for opposition to the US was "[... ] repeated with the most virulent rhetoric in public plazas, in radio addresses and in letters to the editor in the newspaper Barricada". Although it would have been amazing to witness this historical movement, it was still emotional to feel as if we were witnessing it through the murals the students painted. In fact, the protests among the students were so strong that they even had a name for their own fight against the Contras, called FER, or Frente Estudiantil Revolucionario (Student Revolutionary Force). If you want to compare how powerful their voices were, you can say that they were similar to how our parents came out in massive force to protest against the Vietnam war (well some of our parents, mine are 52 and 56). As I was walking through the campus looking at the murals, thinking about the students that painted them and of our own ancestors in the US that fought for change, I couldn´t help but think, why isn´t and why hasn´t our generation protested against the actions of our government in Iraq, especially when Bush was president? Are we really that apathetic? If you want to compare how this Revolution in Nicaragua was, how big it was, you can say it was similar to our own revolution against England. For me, I learned something about what Fer did. Whatever type of government a country has, and the US although a democratic republic (because we have representatives that vote on matters for us, we dont vote directly), its still a form of democracy nonetheless, and in order for a government to truly function well, shouldnt the citizens participate in it? Why aren´t we fighting for change, like the FER and our parents? One of the murals said, translated in English, "We don't want militaries [referring to the presence of the US marines], we want schools and hospitals" Why arent we saying the same thing? Because when there is a war, there isnt money to pay for social services and things like education, and is the same for any country that is fighting in a war.
I also saw two murals next to each other that totally contradicted each other. On the one hand, one mural had the words that in English meant against the dictator and imperialism and had a painting of Uncle Sam with a gun to his head held by one of the Sandinistas. The other mural said for democratic liberties, all are against the dictator. To me its contradicting because on the one hand they are saying they want democracy, and the other mural shows a negative view toward America which is represented by Uncle Sam. I guess I think this is contradicting because to me, Uncle Sam is the icon for democracy.
So although I have a better understanding of what the Contras wanted and who they were, I guess Im still confused because if the biggest Contra group was the Democratic Front of Nicaragua, and the students who were for the revolution painted murals that said they wanted democracy and not a dictator, didnt they essentially want the same things?
While performing this task, I encountered many paradoxes and contradictions. In order for me to connect the theme of natural identity to the arts and specifically muralism, its important to first understand national identity. It is not about physical appearances and how to tell that someone is Nicaraguan but rather; what are the common practices of a culture that bind the people together? Among them may be language, religion, holidays and rituals- in other words, a traditional practices that they share and evoke a sense of unity and a sense of pride for their nationality. The above mentioned practices I think are usually thought of when one tries to define national identity culture, but other things are included that sometimes are left out: popular music, art, literature, dances, and theater. These function to display a group or one´s pride (or disdain) for their country. When one is unhappy or ashamed to be identified as a citizen of their country, it usually has nothing to do with how their fellow mate behaves, but rather how their government functions. Therefore, it is impossible to discuss one´s national identity without discussing the nations government and politics. Before getting into that, I wanted to take the opportunity to address something: I think it is extremely important to note here that although their may be things here that I have seen that breaks my heart and that I may not agree with, I have not encountered one Nicaraguan who is ashamed of the person they are, nor their national identity. Currently we are discussing positive themes that we are asked to look for within the community here, because in the beginning some posted observations of the negative- one of the things I had said from the very beginning on one of my blogs was that horrible things exist all over the world, that poverty exists in the states as well where children are the largest population living in poverty. Something that I had said but did not write the first week we got here was that the difference is that when you travel to someplace new, one´s eyes are open, and one may be doing more observation than perhaps where they live. For example, someone from a heavily populated place such as NYC who is always in a rush to get to their next place may not notice the homeless person sleeping on the sidewalk, but that same person will probably notice the same thing but in a country they have never been to before once they arrive.
When I mentioned national identity as pride or disdain for being a citizen from one´s country, I want to give an example. Personally, at times I feel ashamed to be an American (or from the United States, since here an American refers to anyone from the Americas :-)). Some examples of when I´ve been ashamed to be an American have been when I learned the United States financed the Contras (which I knew from learning in middle school about the Iran-Contra Affair), but my teacher forgot to mention how the Contras were fighting against the Sandinistas of Nicaragua, and how our role in all of this destroyed the land, and in a way changed Nicaragua forever.
At first I was confused as to who the Contras were- were they solely Nicaraguan´s? Then I did some research on the Internet and read "Adios Muchachos: A Memoir of the Sandinista Revolution" by Sergio Ramirez. He mentions that the Contras were originally financed by the Argentinean government at the time; and according to the Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia, the label Contra was given to various groups that opposed Nicaragua´s FSLN (Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional). In Nicaragua the largest Contra group was the FDN (Frente Democratica de Nicaragua), or Nicaraguan Democratic Force. Essentially, the US CIA provided not only financial aid (which the reason the Iran Contra affair was scandalous was because Iran was considered to be a terrorist country at the time, and that money from the sale of weapons to Iran was used to back the Contras), but the CIA also provided weapons and training as well. The Sandinista movement, which was a revolutionary movement that the Contras were trying to prevent and resist, was a movement essentially of the people. When the US meddles with other countries affairs when its clearly not wanted, this is when I´m not proud to be an American. People may not agree with me, we can agree to disagree, and as Voltaire, one of the Enlightenment thinkers famously said, "I do not agree with a word you say, but I will defend to my death your right to say it". I also feel the same way about our involvement in Iraq, a country whose citizens clearly do not want us to be there, and that clearly lacked the supposed "weapons of mass destruction" that Bush claimed they had- but they do have oil, don´t they? Funny how the US government claims involvement in other countries affairs is solely political or for human rights issues, and at times it is such as Darfur but to me isn´t it a bit peculiar how before the war that is referred to as Nicaragua´s civil war, although it had multinational backing, was once abundant in natural resources such as fresh water, and now people are struggling to find drinkable water? On page two, Ramirez writes "They [United States] had plundered our natural resources, our mines, our forests".
So while I feel the exact opposite of national pride, and had I been living during this time would have wanted to be disassociated from my national identity, the end result of the revolution, the victory of the Sandinista movement elicited as sense of national pride from many Nicaraguans. For example, Ramirez writes how the US placed an embargo on wheat supplies from Nicaragua, so instead Nicaraguans turned to cultivating corn. There's a saying that he talks about, "El Maiz: Nuestra Raiz", meaning that they went back to their roots and farmed as their ancestors did, by farming corn. He also writes on page 2 that "Our nationalism emerged out of that conflict" (Between the US and the FSLN)
Being able to go to the university in Managua was an amazing experience because in a sense, we were able to see the past and what the students who were part of the revolution were thinking. We were able to see a part of Nicaragua's history through the murals that still remain at the university. After Ramirez writes how opposition to the US is necessary for Nicaragua´s liberation on page 2, the following paragraph he continues to say that the call for opposition to the US was "[... ] repeated with the most virulent rhetoric in public plazas, in radio addresses and in letters to the editor in the newspaper Barricada". Although it would have been amazing to witness this historical movement, it was still emotional to feel as if we were witnessing it through the murals the students painted. In fact, the protests among the students were so strong that they even had a name for their own fight against the Contras, called FER, or Frente Estudiantil Revolucionario (Student Revolutionary Force). If you want to compare how powerful their voices were, you can say that they were similar to how our parents came out in massive force to protest against the Vietnam war (well some of our parents, mine are 52 and 56). As I was walking through the campus looking at the murals, thinking about the students that painted them and of our own ancestors in the US that fought for change, I couldn´t help but think, why isn´t and why hasn´t our generation protested against the actions of our government in Iraq, especially when Bush was president? Are we really that apathetic? If you want to compare how this Revolution in Nicaragua was, how big it was, you can say it was similar to our own revolution against England. For me, I learned something about what Fer did. Whatever type of government a country has, and the US although a democratic republic (because we have representatives that vote on matters for us, we dont vote directly), its still a form of democracy nonetheless, and in order for a government to truly function well, shouldnt the citizens participate in it? Why aren´t we fighting for change, like the FER and our parents? One of the murals said, translated in English, "We don't want militaries [referring to the presence of the US marines], we want schools and hospitals" Why arent we saying the same thing? Because when there is a war, there isnt money to pay for social services and things like education, and is the same for any country that is fighting in a war.
I also saw two murals next to each other that totally contradicted each other. On the one hand, one mural had the words that in English meant against the dictator and imperialism and had a painting of Uncle Sam with a gun to his head held by one of the Sandinistas. The other mural said for democratic liberties, all are against the dictator. To me its contradicting because on the one hand they are saying they want democracy, and the other mural shows a negative view toward America which is represented by Uncle Sam. I guess I think this is contradicting because to me, Uncle Sam is the icon for democracy.
So although I have a better understanding of what the Contras wanted and who they were, I guess Im still confused because if the biggest Contra group was the Democratic Front of Nicaragua, and the students who were for the revolution painted murals that said they wanted democracy and not a dictator, didnt they essentially want the same things?
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