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Letters from the FieldJanuary 2005 Dear Friends, Special greetings to you this New Year! The events of the past year with escalating violence in Iraq, the elections and now the devastating earthquake and tsunami, force us to embrace the grace of life and death and to open to the wonder of each moment. So I wish you great peace and love in the midst of it all this New Year. Our hearts especially feel the pain of the people of Indonesia and other Asian countries where Capacitar teams (led by Joan Condon and Mary Litell) have worked with the traumatized for the last three years. Many friends are asking if Capacitar will be part of the response efforts for victims of the tsunami. Yes, we are in the process of discerning how to return to the region sometime later this year. Our best work is done as a second or third wave into an area following the immediate emergency response. When people begin to put their lives back together, have the necessary means for survival and some basic infrastructure, that is when Capacitar skills are most needed to empower people to heal personal grief and trauma and to rebuild their communities. We have learned a lot about trauma response and the effectiveness of Capacitar's programs through our work after Central American wars, Hurricane Mitch, the Salvadoran earthquakes, September 11, work in conflict zones and in East Timor. We plan to look for funding and good collaborative partners so that Capacitar can be part of the long-range commitment for healing and transformation in the region. If you know of any individuals, groups or foundations who might want to support Capacitar in this effort, please let us know. Since my November letter from the field a lot has happened. I spent the holidays in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with my twin sister Mike. On Christmas Eve we celebrated Southwestern style with midnight Mass and beautiful carols in the historic Santa Fe cathedral along with a visit to the plaza and neighborhoods lined with farolitos and luminarias (candles and bonfires in the streets). It snowed lightly the day of my arrival, so the candles and luminarias with a full moon in the snow were stunning—a festive welcome of the Light that alone can dispel the darkness of our times. The day after Christmas Mike and I went to San Felipe reservation to view the remarkable Native American dances to bless the land and the season. We were among the very few non-natives present for the Eagle Dance and the Buffalo Dance. A number of brightly clad men (and a few women) danced to the pounding rhythm of drums and chanting in the large earthen plaza in the center of this poor pueblo. Alcohol, drugs, violence and unemployment plague the lives of most Pueblo Indians of the Southwest. So the dances and sacred ceremonies are an important means to reconnect young and old with their rich tradition and values as Native Americans. A week before my time in the snows of New Mexico, I was in the warm tropics of Belize with Capacitar Co-director Joan Condon to facilitate workshops in three regions of the country (Punta Gorda, Dangriga and Belize City). This was an unexpected trip for me to help out Denise Sausville, RSM, who had been scheduled to work with Joan. Denise's mother became gravely ill, so I was able to fill in at the last moment. Joan and I have worked on different occasions in Belize since 1999 with refugees, Belize Women's Commission, community leaders, police, health workers, teachers and schools. This year's workshops, funded by the Sisters of Mercy, focused on leadership training as well as on AIDS and caregivers. Most people know little about Belize (formerly British Honduras), a beautiful and very poor Caribbean country with a population of only 250,000. Because the population is so small, almost everyone knows everyone else, especially in certain circles. Belize is fascinating for its diverse languages and cultures—Creole (descendents of African slaves and British pirates), Garifuna (Black Caribs of African and Indian roots), Mayans (Mopans and Kekchis), whites with British or European roots, Salvadoran and Guatemalan refugees from Central American wars of the 1980s, along with Mennonites, Chinese and Indians. Many people speak with a mix of English, Spanish, Creole, Garifuna or Mayan dialects. Belize is popular with tourists because of its jungles and wildlife, a Jaguar reserve, over 500 species of birds, beautiful cayes, a barrier reef for great snorkeling and diving, and fascinating Mayan archaeological sites. In the midst of all our work Joan and I enjoyed several days at one of the beautiful cayes, resting, swimming and snorkeling on the coral reef. Belize has suffered from a number of hurricanes through the years with roads and infrastructure repeatedly destroyed. Most homes are poor wooden structures on stilts, many still bearing the ravages of the last hurricane. There is only one movie theater in the entire country and it usually shows the most violent of films (at the Princess Hotel in Belize City). The theater is next to the gambling casino where poor Belizians have been known to lose their home and possessions. Drugs and alcohol are an enormous problem especially with a large number of youth and unemployed males. There are basically four main asphalt highways linking different parts of the country, so travel is best by air or by boat, unless you have plenty of time for the bus to bounce along rough gravel roads. Joan and I opted for air because of limited time. We enjoyed hopping around the country in Tropic Air's single engine planes—rather exciting at times as you fly through the clouds over the jungle and the exquisitely blue Caribbean! Capacitar has a number of significant relationships in Belize with individuals and groups especially through the vision and work of Denise Sausville, RSM. Because of Denise's friend Sylvia Flores, Belize Minister of Human Development, Capacitar leadership trainings were scheduled with grassroots leaders in Punta Gorda and Dangriga. The Punta Gorda training included a fascinating mix of men and women—several local politicians, women police working with domestic violence, Mayan community leaders working in organic farming, leaders of development groups and heads of women's cooperatives. This was the first time these community leaders had ever reflected on the qualities of good leadership, leadership styles, conflict and collaboration. Belize has only been independent of British rule since 1981, so people still deal with the remnants of a patriarchal model in politics and most institutions, with jobs and appointments going to friends. In another workshop a year ago one overbearing, politically-connected woman had remarked: "I've never thought about the qualities of an effective leader. I wonder what people think of me?" So Joan has been developing a program integrating models and skills of leadership with Capacitar practices. We had a valuable experience piloting these materials and co-facilitating the training. During our time in Punta Gorda we stayed in the home of Eva Middleton, a dynamic woman with Garifuna roots. Eva has worked in development for many years and heads the commission on women and families in her region. Eva works with many poor rural communities, especially Mayan women, encouraging them in their struggles to better their lives. Maria and Estella, two of the Mopan Mayans who attended our training, also stayed with us in Eva's home. This was the first time these women had ever been overnight away from their families. Maria, who has 5 children, commented that she was glad her husband was away working on a banana plantation, because she would never have had his permission to stay overnight for the two-day training. Estella, a woman in her early 40s, had a different story. Because she was single without children, she had to live with her parents and obey her father even though she was 42 years old. Both women shared that men still have the practice of beating their women and children with a belt, especially if they are drunk or frustrated. But times are changing slowly as children are educated and move away from the community. For a girl education is the way out of poverty and oppression. Unfortunately, because of very high unemployment and few available jobs, even those with an advanced level of education are unable to use their skills and end up leaving the country. Large numbers of Belizians live in the U.S. or Europe where they work to support their families back home. Besides leadership trainings, we also offered workshops for health workers, caregivers and people with HIV/AIDS in Belize City and Dangriga. According to Paul Edwards, M.D., epidemiologist for the Ministry of Health who coordinated our training in Belize City, AIDS is growing rapidly because of sex tourism and the poverty of young women who have no other options for employment. From a U.N. presentation we learned that Belize now has the highest rate of HIV infection in Central America (2%+ of the population) and fifth highest among Caribbean countries. Actually no one really knows the rate because of lack of testing, few available statistics and a lot of denial of the issue. The Ministry of Health is trying to educate youth, develop testing programs and take effective measures to stem the rapidly growing rate of infection, but often is hampered in their efforts by conservative religious leaders and the denial of the people. There is a very great stigma attached to AIDS, so many who are infected prefer not to know their status, reject support groups, and are very guarded when they talk of deaths of family or friends who most likely were infected. It feels a lot like South Africa when I visited there in 1991 when there was great denial about AIDS and how the infection was spread. Joan and I ended our time in Belize deeply grateful for the love and warm hospitality of the Belizians. This is a small very beautiful country with a big heart so we hope to continue walking in solidarity with the people. There is a lot of interest in an in-depth Capacitar multicultural wellness and leadership program for Belize that we hope to get funded for the coming year. As I look back on Belize as well as on the many countries I have worked in this past year (South Africa, Botsana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and the U.S.) I continue to grow in appreciation and wonder at the beauty, wisdom and humor of the human heart in the midst of all the pain and trauma. Perhaps that is the great lesson to learn at the edge of human struggle when together we open ourselves to the messy dance of it all! In the words of Dostoyevsky in The Brothers Karamazov: Peace and blessings this New Year! |
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