Friday, October 17, 2014

Plan+Solidarity

        I hear that in the States the stores are in full out Halloween mode…and that Christmas decorations are even starting to make appearances. Here it’s harder to tell the passing of time. While I am enjoying not being bombarded with the seasonal decorations wherever I go, I do miss the transition from summer to fall to winter. Since September we’ve been in the same rainy season, and I hear it will continue to rain daily till at least January.  It’s not that I don’t like the rain, it’s just a bit disorienting not having my four seasons to go by anymore!


I often find that the second half of any experience goes by the fastest; now past the halfway mark here in Honduras I keep reminding myself to make the most of my time here. With just a couple months left, it’s been important for me to plan ahead, so that time doesn’t fly right past me. In the past month, my priority has been the charlas in the communities regarding the topic of human rights.  Coordinating with my counterparts at CASM to their respective communities, I’ve managed to give 8 charlas since I last wrote.

The structure and organization of the human rights charla I designed has changed over time, as I’ve tweaked and perfected it, learning from my experiences with each new group. Many days have been spent in the CASM office replanning and modifying the charla, trying to make it more dynamic, interactive, and accessible for participants. As far as planning goes, I feel pretty confident in the charla as it stands now….

Women work together to write down 5 basic needs to live.
After introductions, a member of the community is asked to give a prayer to begin our session. This is followed by a devotional from 1 Corinthians 12:14-23, in which we discuss how, despite differences, all people are of the same worth and importance. (Likewise, everyone has the same basic human rights, regardless of sex, race, political opinion, gender, nationality, religion, etc.). Then, dividing into teams of 4-6 people, each group writes down 5 basic needs necessary in order to live, ordered from most to least importance, which we discuss afterwards together.  This is a good warm-up, since our basic human rights often overlap with our basic needs. The results from this warm-up have varied, but almost always the first thing people seem to think of is God (because “God gives us life in the first place”) followed by air, water, food, etc. Group work has proven to be very successful in the communities, as individuals who cannot read/write still have the opportunity to give their input and participate in the conversation.

Next, I explain that the content of the charla comes from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed by the United Nations in 1948 after WWII. It’s important that the participants know that these rights aren’t just something that I came up with, but rather have been written down and have authority. Likewise, since many people here don’t have much confianza (confidence) in the national government (one individual commented to me that every time there is a new president, they always change the constitution in some way or another) it helps for them to know that this is an international agreement. 

The goal of the charla is that the participants learn the rights they have according to the Declaration. Each person in the group(s) gets 1-2 cards, each containing a human right. Together in their groups they discuss how to organize the rights, according to three categories…Satisfy Needs, Enjoy Security, or Participate. Afterwards we reconvene as a whole group, discussing where and why we are placing the cards according to the categories, as well as what each different human right entails for us. I also use examples to stress the idea of equality between men and women in relation to their human rights, as women’s rights are more likely to be violated, not only in Honduras, but all over the world.

That is basically the meat of the charla. Afterwards, depending on time and if the group is still animated, we do another activity using brief stories I’ve written to identify human rights and determine whether or not they are being violated, by whom, and who has the responsibility to protect them, etc. But the conversations that result between people during the charlas are by far the most important part of the learning process.

A long and narrow walkway of a woman´s home
made conversation a bit of a challenge
As much as I’ve planned the charla, with each community it has ended up different, according to lots of different variables. In some groups, a few men have been in attendance, which can be a good thing (men need to hear that women have the same rights as them too!) but I also have to be careful and make sure that the men don’t also dominate the conversation. Even if they have good, egalitarian commentaries to offer, it doesn’t do the women any good to sit there passively (it’s a basic human right to have an opinion and participate, so I emphasize that we practice it in the charla!). Likewise, women bring their young children to the charla and this can cause natural distractions for the group as well. Then there´s the actual physical space we have available for the charla...is it a classroom? A church? Someone`s home? One time in a classroom a huge rainstorm came, and the sound of the rain on the tin roof was deafening - we had to take a break until it passed. While I cannot plan for these and other variables, with each charla I get better at managing them and rolling with the punches.

But - So what? How is this charla helping people in the communities?  What good does it do for people to know their basic human rights, especially if these rights are constantly being violated or not fulfilled?? These are questions I’ve wrestled with in this work. But the responses I’ve received from community members have reminded me that this topic is worth something in the long run.

In one community, a woman who barely spoke during the charla
told me afterwards in confidence that she was a victim
of domestic abuse. "Thank-you for this charla, I have
new strength now to press forward."


Men can serve as role models for other men attending the charlas. In La Cumbre a male participant (not pictured here) shared
how he enjoys cooking for his wife. Unfortunately, many men wouldn´t think twice about helping with familial responsibilities. This would be seen as being a "dundo" (unmanly) according to machismo culture.

When women receive knowledge of their basic human rights, it improves their self'-esteem and sense of self-worth. Maybe
they have never been told before that they are equal to men. Ultimately, the charlas are meant to generate a culture change, in which women are no longer treated or viewed as inferior.
Working together in groups in the charla promotes solidarity in the communities, as individuals collaborate to make sense of this topic. My hope is that after the charla they will support one another in the protection of their human rights, as well as the promotion of equality between men and women in their community.

In the charla we also talk about the right to participate in organized groups, which leads to a discussion on how many women are serving as representatives of different organizations (community boards, municipality committees, religious groups, etc.) But we also talk about how it´s not just necessary that there are women serving in these groups, but also important to evaluate which type of position they are filling….rarely is it a role with much power.

As I continue my work with the charlas, the current coffee harvesting season may prove to be a new challenge. The harvest is just beginning, and both men and women go to work in the fields...my counterparts have warned me that as the harvest really gets underway I may see fewer numbers of participants in the charlas as a result. Coffee harvesters earn approximately 30 lempiras ($1.50) per gallon of coffee beans picked. On average, a person will pick anywheres from 4-8 gallons in a day, meaning 120-240 lempiras in a day`s wage ($7-$12). This may not seem like a lot, and in reality, with the rising food prices (remember the beans) here it isn't that much. But families can make $12 stretch a good ways, and since agriculture is the main economy here, the coffee harvest is what many families depend on to make ends meet. 
When I visit communities, I also have a short 30 minute charla for the schools on children´s rights. Together, we learn a song I wrote called "My Human Rights". It's always a fun time!
Already I am working on the planning for another charla on the topic of gender . After receiving the human rights charla, I think communities are in a prime position to receive more education on gender norms, and how this can generate inequality between men and women. Working in these topics is super exiting for me. There is so much machismo (male superiority) in Latin America, and while I am certainly not ridding Honduras of it single-handedly, I do believe that I am making a small difference here in this corner of the world. I have already met strong women and men in the communities, whom, influenced by the work of CASM, have come to recognize machismo as a problem in society. Hopefully my contribution with these charlas will continue to promote gender equality amongst people here, improving the lives of both men and women.

Speaking of gender, this past Monday, after our usual weekly devotional, our CASM team had a meeting in order to do a “Gender Diagnostic Analysis”. CASM as an institution is analyzing indicators of gender inequality within the institution, that is to say, that all the regional CASM offices are doing the same analysis to be reviewed by the administration. Together as a group we reviewed whether or not CASM’s mission/vision statements, internal structure, project processes from start to finish, promotional materials, etc. were up to par with gender equality standards. I really have to applaud CASM for doing this analysis because it demonstrates a real commitment to ensuring gender equality among employees as well as in the work we do with the communities. In one of my earliest posts I mentioned the issue of homosexuality, and this was also a subject discussed within the analysis. Apparently, in years before, there was a case of a coordinator in a regional office who was supposedly dismissed for being homosexual. But times are changing, and now CASM is committed to promoting the equal rights of EVERYONE involved in its work, and that is HUGE! I think every organization should do an analysis akin to this…kudos to CASM for making it a priority!

I’ve already told you what I’ve been up to personally with the charlas, but our CASM office as a whole has been involved in so many different projects this past month I can scarcely keep track of it all!! Here are some snapshots/updates on our work….
At the end of September we celebrated the Day of No Violence in Trascerros. Women from all of the surrounding communities were invited to participate in the march that morning through  town.
Unfortunately, the rain we had early that morning made it impossible for most people to travel safely here.
Still, the women who were able to come proudly shared their messages with us.

"Education is the vaccine to counter violence. Say no to violence, yes to Educacion!"

Day of No Violence - We got crafty at CASM and made a
mural to share for the municipal demonstration. Each hand print
has a different human right written on it. When these rights
are respected we can achieve a "Culture of Peace".

Taly, our youngest CASM staff member, representing with
her fellow classmates in the march.
"For a non-violent person, the whole world is their family."

Eugenia proudly carries her sign "Beatings are not the only
violence...Words, Silence, Betrayal, Scorn, and Indifference
also HURT."

Dona Transito (far left) has been participating in the Day of No Violence marches year after year.
One day I had the opportunity to visit her home, where she showed me the many signs she had
saved from each demonstration.


Representatives from each community were invited to participate in a 3-day training workshop CASM sponsored
at an organic homestead  called Naranjochino. This month, trainees are passing on the knowledge they learned
in mini workshops held in their communities.

Micro-irrigation systems were one of the highlights of the training, which  CASM
will help communities implement into their home farming practices. 
CASM gave a business administration workshop to a women`s microbusiness.
Here, Maximina practices balancing a checkbook to keep record of the group`s earnings/spendings. 

Another Feria Gastronomica was held in La Reina at the end of September.

Students gave a presentation on the importance of eating one`s fruits and vegetables....

Women preparing the chaya and carrot fritters to share with those gathered for the festival.

CASM bought beans for beneficiaries in the communities to grow. Finding the beans was a challenge - the people prefer red beans, but due to the extremely dry summer we had, these were super hard to come by! We settled for black beans, but finding them at a reasonable price was still problematic. After much price checking, we were finally able to make the purchase, and this week the beans were distributed to the communities. 
CASM is currently in the process of finding and negotiating the purchase of young milking cows to deliver to families for our "Pasa de Cadena" (Passing Chain) program. Families who receive a cow promise to give the first offspring to CASM to benefit another family in their community. I`m no cow expert, but it's important that the cows are good for milking (versus meat), aren`t too big (many families have limited land space for the animals...the cow pictured here didn`t pass inspection), while at the same time are sturdy enough to make it up the steep roads to the communities.

Last month materials were delivered for the construction of latrines, pilas (water basins), and energy-efficient ovens.
While CASM provided cement, tubing, the toilet, and tin roofing, recipients were responsible for the construction of the
structure to hold the latrine. Here Lanilla stands proudly next to their beautiful new latrine protected by adobe clay walls, complete with a door/latch, and even a light inside! It`s great to see the enthusiasm and creativity that people contribute to these projects that we offer, it makes the investment feel all the more worthwhile. 

In order to do so many activities all at the same time, CASM definitely has to have a plan to carry them all out. Sometimes these plans don’t work as perfectly as we’d like. The rain pours, the beans we hope for just aren’t there, the prices are higher than we expected….but we press onward, readjusting and finding better solutions along the way!


There is a season for everything. My friends and family back home are busting out their Halloween décor, scoping out the candy prices, and planning parties and jack-o-lanterns to be ready for the 31st. While I do miss this part of home, I honestly wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now but Honduras. Despite the challenges and changes in plans I have here, all in all, it’s a pretty great season of my life to be in right now!

In Solidarity,

Malinda


No comments:

Post a Comment