Newsletter: Winter, 1999

Global Solidarity and The Tree of Life
— Pat Cane, Founder/ Executive Director

"The time for healing of the wounds has come. The time to build is upon us …We must act together as a united people for reconciliation, for the birth of a new world." Nelson Mandela challenges us to action as the human family stands before the new millennium. In preparing to celebrate this moment in history, it is important to recognize our interconnection with all who have gone before us as well as the generations to come. The Tree of Life in the art of the African people powerfully expresses our profound interconnection. People intertwine to form trunk and branches on the Tree of Life. Each generation stands on the back of the past, while supporting and upholding the generations of the future.

When I first saw this image of the Tree of Life in South Africa, I was struck by its graceful flow. From a distance the Tree seems to be one whole being, while close up the uniqueness of each individual person appears. The birth of the new world that Mandela speaks of depends upon the unique gift of each person. No one is left out of the Tree of Life. Each person is precious and necessary to the whole: rich and poor, young and old, all races, colors and creeds. Yet can we truly celebrate the millennium when at this moment in history there is such disparity on the Tree of Life; when the suffering of the many is caused by the affluence of the few.

At John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio I recently heard an address by Dean Brackley, S.J, who replaced one of the six university Jesuits assassinated by the Salvadoran military in San Salvador. Rev. Brackley quoted a UN report on the rapidly growing income gap between the richest fifth and the poorest fifth of our world. In 1960 the income gap was 30 to 1, and in 1999 the gap has grown to 74 to 1. With all the advances in science and technology, there has also been a marked increase in economic inequality. The number of poor women and children on the planet is now double the number of poor men.

Yet in spite of social disintegration and violence on the global level, Rev. Brackley sees great hope in the efforts of grassroots peoples. Groups of ordinary people working together around the world are pushing for change from the bottom up desiring to heal the wounds and to create a new world. According to Brackley, what is needed now is the the globalization of solidarity and the formation of a new generation of human beings with eyes open to suffering and hearts open to respond—humans capable of putting the best of the new to serve and heal the misery of the many. And from the vulnerability and suffering, as well as the love and generosity of the poor, we will all learn what is most important, and what is often missing in our lives, blinded by materialism and greed.

In recent CAPACITAR trauma workshops in Nicaragua, I saw remarkable examples of this generosity and love. Often the very poor are the most generous, giving from the abundance of their poverty. In Managua I worked with grassroots healers, themselves very poor, who give of their time and resources to help survivors who lost families and possessions in Hurricane Mitch. Alba, who witnessed her brothers shot in the Contra war and understands the meaning of forgiveness, works to heal and empower people who lost everything in the floods. Mary Bolt and Martha Cabrerra, psychologists of Centro Antonio Valdivieso, work with the traumatized in Posoltega, where the volcano collapsed and buried thousands of people. During our time together in Posoltega, one poor woman gave us a loaf of her bread in gratitude for our visit. Martha and Mary spoke of the new revolution taking place in their people. In the midst of overwhelming poverty and corruption, a deeper change is occurring in many people—a true revolution and transformation of the heart.

As CAPACITAR we commit ourselves in global solidarity to do what we can to plant a new heart, knowing that in the process we too are healed and transformed. This issue of the newsletter focuses on CAPACITAR's work to tend the Tree of Life in many places. Over the last eleven years we have grown standing on and supported by the gifts of many people. As we reach out in solidarity, we commit ourselves to global healing for the benefit and support of future generations. Thank you for your support of our efforts. We wish you and your families many blessings for the holidays and the new millennium!

Capacitar — 1988-1999
Over the last eleven years CAPACITAR has grown through the efforts of many. The Tree of Life that we help tend has branched out to include people in eleven countries and eleven states. We celebrate together this millennium in joy and thanksgiving for the gift of each person. And we reach out to the generations of the future committing ourselves to global healing and solidarity.