On Saturday, participants completed a week of both community service related and arts oriented workshops, and in this way the week, at least from my point of view, was an apt illustration of the ambiguous nature of social change. That is, I led a workshop in construction work on houses planned by the aid organization Casita Linda and a class on Documentary filmmaking in which participants were challenged to apply the ideals of social change to their own documentary films, and with this combination of activities I observed both hope and discouragement as the participants took their first steps toward practical social change.
Both groups, in fact, experienced this frustrating ambiguity. The construction group set out with high spirits and great energy, contributing to work being done on a house of a family with four young daughters, two children of adult age and a tired mother. They quickly befriended the children who would help with the construction work, and they were diligent in both seeking out miscellaneous tasks on the construction site and performing them with energetic attentiveness despite the heat of the midday sun. I was actually quite impressed with the group who despite the difficult working conditions, pushed themselves to contribute as much as possible in the week allotted.
By the end of the week however, I even joined the group with inkling feeling of discouragement as, to our muted frustration, we soon realized the impossible size of the task we all imagined we were taking part in. Everyone who takes part in this kind of construction work does so with, at least, the innocent desire to help, but the detrimental reality illustrated by the end of our week’s work was that this kind of aidwork will always be, on a large scale insufficient. We all grew to empathize greatly with the family to live in the home we were constructing, but we all knew well that after we would leave, and even after the completion of their home, that kind family would continue to live in a neighborhood where water can only be purchased in large plastic containers transported daily by Coca Cola trucks and where a dirt floor, in neatly packed, is a true indulgence especially when the family of stray dogs bringing fleas and yelping puppies living outdoors can no longer mix their excrement with the house’s foundation thanks to the brick walls built to contain the newly lain dirt. After we return to our comfortable lives with electricity and hardwood floor and refrigerators containing cold mineral enhanced water, this family, no less human than us and in the exact same situation as their endless surrounding neighbors would live on as such, without any just explanation for the disparity. We can build a house for a beautiful group of people, but poverty will continue to thrive, indefinitely, so it seems.
My documentary making class met similar roadblocks. One group set out to document the Mexican publics perspective on social change, intending to prove that anyone can be an agent of social change, no matter age, social class or interest. What they found, however, was that barely anyone in San Miguel Allende had a perspective. They found a few willing souls who gave heartfelt answers, but unfortunately that majority of the individuals they filmed on the streets either didn’t know what to say about the problems and potential for change in Mexico, or like the grandson of a onetime leading politician for Guanajuato state, argued there was nothing they could do. This frankly ugly reality was difficult to swallow for the participants and me alike, but as one of the participants, Roberto, remarked, this is all important to learn and should be documented.
Again I was impressed by the resilience of the group and I must admit I agreed. Both in the construction and documentary making workshops, we learned of a discouraging reality, one more imposing than that expected, but such an education, when met with intelligent idealism, can be cause for further action and therefore hope.
Luke Pizzato (AC '10-'12) - U.S.A.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Day 12 - En Mi Corazón
During community service that took place every morning of this week, a group of our participants ran sessions on Critical Engagement of Conflict, very much like what we had done with them the past week,only with a group of local children from one of the communities. The children, coming from very poor backgrounds, were funded by an organization to go to primary school. However, school for them means being told that they worth nothing and will never achieve anything in life. It means being hit by a ruler on the back and on the hands. It means being pulled by their hair and being called names. It means having their confidence beaten out of them, the confidence that they need if they ever want to leave the poverty cycle in which they are born.
The community services came to an end this morning, with a lot of tears, smiles, hugs, drawings as gifts for the facilitators. Many participants were extremely satisfied and content with the process of the week and have finished their (for some, first,) service, feeling helpful and capable of making at least a small change. And that is were it often starts. My role the past week was supervising a wonderful group of 3 girls that chose to teach animal rights through art to 6 to 12 year old children in the public library. From full mornings of painting their favorite animals to making an animal rights charter (“Do you need water, food, shade? So does your dog!”), to learning about the vision of children (monkeys in Europe have a different vision than monkeys in the Americas, who knew). The group changed size but reached it maximum capacity with 20 children, all engaged in the art and eager to talk to us. It was a very satisfying week for us, and I can proudly say I can communicate with children in Spanish. But only the basics of course. As one of the participants asked me “Que hora es?” (what time is it) I understood “Corazon” (heart). You can’t have it all.
The Constructive Engagement of Conflict workshops (CECW) changed a lot, both for participant and facilitator. One of the participants briefed me on how it was going with the workshops, as the facilitators were shocked with the situation of the children. A safe space of trust had to be created amongst them in order to have the children share their stories and engage in the activities. They struggled, but managed to do this. The goodbyes sounded almost more intense than the end of a year at Atlantic College. A lot of tears flowed and email addresses and phone numbers were exchanged.
Though the course of the day was very positive, a horrific event hit some of our facilitators very personally. We had an activity planned in the end of the afternoon to share international news, of which the most important and current event was the bombing and massacre in Norway. At the time 20 deaths were confirmed but later that evening it had run up to an unbelievable 90. The shootings took place at a political youth camp, a place where some of our facilitators knew a good number of people. Events like this hit so much harder when it affects those around you on such an intimate level. This was the action of one individual, but the harsh truth in Mexico is that these numbers are almost part of people's daily life; they are embedded in the social structure that is created by the War on Drugs.
However, I cannot lose hope. Rather the opposite: I gain so much more trust in the strength of people as I watch our participants. It is a cliché that needs be said. Yet again this week I was blown away by the dedication of the participants in the CECW, their personal involvement with the students’ situation and most of all their creative and innovative ideas driven by a passion to make change. They put a lot of effort in making the workshops more worthwhile than the original plan by making personal books of all the things they have been teaching this week. Moreover, they got in touch with the organization that funds the children to update them about the situation, which hopefully will make a worthwhile change. They are going to write an anonymous article and try and get it to provincial level. One of the participants was telling me of his plans to continue similar sessions at home and create a network across Mexico to do the same and battle the unjust behavior these children have experienced.
Though we facilitators are doing the ‘teaching’ in this project, I am not quite sure who is learning the most.
- Laura Brouwer (The Netherlands , AC 09-11)
- Laura Brouwer (The Netherlands , AC 09-11)
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Day 11 - Double "rrainbow"
Ever seen a double rainbow? Do you believe in its existence?
My answers to both questions were changed today.
My day started with a 12 year-old girl surprising me by stating that she was a big fan of a Korean pop group “Super Junior”. We were at the Children Rights Workshop in the Public Library held by four participants, who taught children about the Children Rights Charter.
On the bus from the library to the school where we hold most of the activities, two participants volunteered to teach me to pronounce the Spanish “rr”, which was one of the things that I had been struggling with since my first Spanish lesson despite all the practice. It was especially frustrating when some classmates seemed to have been born with the ability to do so, and the teachers kept saying that practicing is the only key. Like a lot of people, I was not entirely convinced.
After 20 minutes of diagram drawing, practicing and tips sharing, I was about to give up when the two girls screamed and hugged the ecstatic me despite all the stares and glares on the bus at the moment when I finally felt the vibration of my tongue for the very first time in my life. I still cannot pronounce every word with “rr” perfectly, but this was a step big enough to make my day. I spent all my free time in the rest of the day attempting to say words like “perro” and “ferrocarril”.
At the Radio-making Creative Workshop, the six participants were practically on “autopilot” after all our talking in the last 3 days. They had decided the theme of the radio programme to be “Diversity” and had their working plans ready. In fact, I was amazed and proud to be told earlier this morning that the group got up before 5am to meet and discuss about the radio programme. All I had to do was to set up my computer for them to do research on the Internet, follow them to interviews, answer questions when I was needed and read my book when I was not. The schedule is still tight and I am not sure as to whether we could finish the work by the last Creative Workshop on Saturday, but I am optimistic that the product will be impressive.
We finished the day with “fun but slightly violent games”, according to another facilitator, which ended just as thunder and heavy rain broke out. We went into “familias”, sharing thoughts and comments about out experiences today and “dulce de leche” made by one of the facilitators in a Mexican Candy-Making Workshop in the community service session in the morning.
When we walked out of the classroom and towards the bus, I found that everyone was looking at the sky.
Here I must recount a seemingly unrelated fact: a scene in a movie titled "Echoes of the Rainbow" (2010, Hong Kong) showed one of the lead characters telling his girlfriend there are times when “double rainbows” appear in the sky. I thought it was either a made-up fact to “wow” the girlfriend in the movie, or the directors´ creative imagination.
But that was precisely what I saw in the sky today. Two almost-perfect arcs with one having reversed colours, an “arcoíris doble”.
Amazed and awestruck, I could only gape and listen to a Mexican facilitator who calmly told me that it is perfectly normal in New Mexico—in fact, it is a norm rather than an exception. Five minutes on Wikipedia showed that rainbows always appear in pairs everywhere, though it is not always possible to see the second one. Immediately it seemed so stupid to have even doubted the existence of the phenomenon.
I did not believe in double rainbows, but today one appeared. I was not convinced that I would ever manage to do pronounce “rr”, but this evening I surprised myself by managing to pronounce “perro” perfectly once at dinner, according to a Mexican facilitator.
I wonder what other amazing things await in the next two weeks?
Sonia Hoi Ching Cheung (Hong Kong, AC 10-12)
My answers to both questions were changed today.
My day started with a 12 year-old girl surprising me by stating that she was a big fan of a Korean pop group “Super Junior”. We were at the Children Rights Workshop in the Public Library held by four participants, who taught children about the Children Rights Charter.
 |
| Children Rights Workshop |
On the bus from the library to the school where we hold most of the activities, two participants volunteered to teach me to pronounce the Spanish “rr”, which was one of the things that I had been struggling with since my first Spanish lesson despite all the practice. It was especially frustrating when some classmates seemed to have been born with the ability to do so, and the teachers kept saying that practicing is the only key. Like a lot of people, I was not entirely convinced.
After 20 minutes of diagram drawing, practicing and tips sharing, I was about to give up when the two girls screamed and hugged the ecstatic me despite all the stares and glares on the bus at the moment when I finally felt the vibration of my tongue for the very first time in my life. I still cannot pronounce every word with “rr” perfectly, but this was a step big enough to make my day. I spent all my free time in the rest of the day attempting to say words like “perro” and “ferrocarril”.
At the Radio-making Creative Workshop, the six participants were practically on “autopilot” after all our talking in the last 3 days. They had decided the theme of the radio programme to be “Diversity” and had their working plans ready. In fact, I was amazed and proud to be told earlier this morning that the group got up before 5am to meet and discuss about the radio programme. All I had to do was to set up my computer for them to do research on the Internet, follow them to interviews, answer questions when I was needed and read my book when I was not. The schedule is still tight and I am not sure as to whether we could finish the work by the last Creative Workshop on Saturday, but I am optimistic that the product will be impressive.
We finished the day with “fun but slightly violent games”, according to another facilitator, which ended just as thunder and heavy rain broke out. We went into “familias”, sharing thoughts and comments about out experiences today and “dulce de leche” made by one of the facilitators in a Mexican Candy-Making Workshop in the community service session in the morning.
When we walked out of the classroom and towards the bus, I found that everyone was looking at the sky.
Here I must recount a seemingly unrelated fact: a scene in a movie titled "Echoes of the Rainbow" (2010, Hong Kong) showed one of the lead characters telling his girlfriend there are times when “double rainbows” appear in the sky. I thought it was either a made-up fact to “wow” the girlfriend in the movie, or the directors´ creative imagination.
But that was precisely what I saw in the sky today. Two almost-perfect arcs with one having reversed colours, an “arcoíris doble”.
Amazed and awestruck, I could only gape and listen to a Mexican facilitator who calmly told me that it is perfectly normal in New Mexico—in fact, it is a norm rather than an exception. Five minutes on Wikipedia showed that rainbows always appear in pairs everywhere, though it is not always possible to see the second one. Immediately it seemed so stupid to have even doubted the existence of the phenomenon.
 |
| Double rainbow |
I did not believe in double rainbows, but today one appeared. I was not convinced that I would ever manage to do pronounce “rr”, but this evening I surprised myself by managing to pronounce “perro” perfectly once at dinner, according to a Mexican facilitator.
I wonder what other amazing things await in the next two weeks?
Sonia Hoi Ching Cheung (Hong Kong, AC 10-12)
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Day 10 - Respect
Today was incredible in many ways-- incredibly difficult (at times), but also incredibly rewarding. The day started with the Community Service Sessions: in my case construction. What we do in a nutshell is building a house for people in slums.
To see the participants work like they do in the Construction session is incredible, as they put so much energy in the overwhelming sun with hardly any breaks or food. A lot was done today, two and a half walls were plastered and brushed, real headway was made with the stove and 3 entire walls were painted. It was amazing, but we had to overcome some real problems! There were sunstrokes and 2 absent facilitators (one due to illness, and the other had to bring a participant to the doctor), and overcoming them resulted in my being completely exhausted afterwards.
What followed were the creative workshops, which were, for me, very enjoyable. Although I'm still (like my predecessor in blog writing) very much bothered by my limited spanish, although the participants are really (incredibly) helpful, it is still impossible to be who I want to be as a facilitator due to the language barrier. In my session, however, all the participants were very energised and showed a lot of initiative, which was very good to see!
The Evening Activity that followed was very relaxing as we did some (easy) fun games, which was incredible after such a tiring day.
Another big theme that was visible throughout the day was Respect, with the focus on the Facilitator-Participant relationship. It came up often during the day, for example in my family session, but this was not all! The participants had requested a meeting with both facilitators and participants, in which they wanted to apologise for any disrespect they might have shown the facilitators, and, in particular, Pato, the incredible organiser of this project. What I found very impressive is that it all came from the participants, without any interference or prompts from the facilitators. So I would like to end with saying that I think that the participants have done this amazingly! And that it really was one of the things that brightened up my day!
Even though there were some problems, I still think it was an amazing day! Looking forward to the next one!
Hans van Deursen (The Netherlands, AC 10-12)
To see the participants work like they do in the Construction session is incredible, as they put so much energy in the overwhelming sun with hardly any breaks or food. A lot was done today, two and a half walls were plastered and brushed, real headway was made with the stove and 3 entire walls were painted. It was amazing, but we had to overcome some real problems! There were sunstrokes and 2 absent facilitators (one due to illness, and the other had to bring a participant to the doctor), and overcoming them resulted in my being completely exhausted afterwards.
What followed were the creative workshops, which were, for me, very enjoyable. Although I'm still (like my predecessor in blog writing) very much bothered by my limited spanish, although the participants are really (incredibly) helpful, it is still impossible to be who I want to be as a facilitator due to the language barrier. In my session, however, all the participants were very energised and showed a lot of initiative, which was very good to see!
The Evening Activity that followed was very relaxing as we did some (easy) fun games, which was incredible after such a tiring day.
Another big theme that was visible throughout the day was Respect, with the focus on the Facilitator-Participant relationship. It came up often during the day, for example in my family session, but this was not all! The participants had requested a meeting with both facilitators and participants, in which they wanted to apologise for any disrespect they might have shown the facilitators, and, in particular, Pato, the incredible organiser of this project. What I found very impressive is that it all came from the participants, without any interference or prompts from the facilitators. So I would like to end with saying that I think that the participants have done this amazingly! And that it really was one of the things that brightened up my day!
Even though there were some problems, I still think it was an amazing day! Looking forward to the next one!
Hans van Deursen (The Netherlands, AC 10-12)
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Day 9 - A sense of purpose (?)
Second day of Community service and Creative workshops.
As we drove by the bus driver’s house (Already half an hour late, but needed to pick up his phone, obviously..) there was a dead dog in the road. It happens.
Bumpy road, bumping my head. AUU. Infinitively tired. Meaninglessly depressed.
Arriving at the site of our service session we discovered that there were a third of the kids we expected present. Well, nothing can be done but carry on.
Carry on doing what exactly?
Letting myself hinder by a massive language barrier I feel...
Useless. (That is an understatement)
Feeling the pain of my record breaking sunburn, I let myself to be misled into a purposeless universe
When escaping into the future really just make thing a lot worse.
Lie down and pretend you are somewhere else. Preferably inside someone else’s head.
Revising some spanish grammar as I noticed that the participants (who for have become facilitators for the occasion) do more than fine without me.
Giving it up.
Feeling a little sorry for myself, without any valid reason in particular.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLNPHqyX06s)
But...
It’s hard to drown in your own self-pity when you have people around you that just out of their awesomeness are so willing to show you that you are not unloved.
It is hard to not be baffled when they prove you such shiny talents.
It is impossible not to be impressed.
And regain your belief in humanity.
Oh, how quickly I recovered..
THANK YOU!
Facilitators and participants. Brilliant, brilliant people..
----
Watching how devoted they are to their work when they are trusted the great responsibility that comes with it, seeing how they connect with the kids. How they are fully present and exhaust themselves cause they are carried away with the feeling that they can give back infinitively.
Witnessing how they put into practice what they have learnt the past week makes me incredibly proud. And after dwelling in this delightful bliss of achievement for a little while I realize that I was really taking a greater share of the credit than what I ought to.
Cause it seems too incredible that they have developed into such capable leaders, enthusiastic friends and empathic listeners in a little more than a week. And it is to surreal to be true.
Giving it some thought, however, I believe we all strand at the truth that this great potential has always been there, and it has been nurtured throughout their individual journeys. And it exists within all of us.
If anything we may have facilitated it to flourish. And in new and thrilling ways. Illuminating at its best. And it would be slightly foolish of us all not to be proud of that.
Expressed with art techniques some never thought of before it was presented to them today. Finding out that you actually are more than capable of filming. Of making radio programs. And would you ever have thought that you so easily, simply by instinct, could present something meaningful and funny in front of an audience you barely trusted? Who would have thought
that exploring your vulnerability could result in such growth.
Given the responsibility of constructing a house and taking care of a group of kids, it suddenly turns out that what seemed like a scary challenge was nothing but an opportunity to prove to yourself that YOU can be one of the role models you always looked up to.
As the efforts have a ripple effect, through community service an creative workshops, I came to realize that we can all be a catalysis for positive change in each other lives. It is so bloody worth that extra little effort! FUA!
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLZa0u292nA)
-----
Trust and respect come in return; and with that an inevitable responsibility always follows.
Today one of the service groups experienced this, as some kids felt comfortable enough to share intimate and, to be honest- dreadful, stories from their day-to-day lives. As emphatic human beings one can of course not let that pass. Being supportive is half way, taking action is fulfilling one’s responsibility. Involving oneself in other’s problems, Becoming a part of their life and ultimately seeking to improve their reality is a great risk. Daunting. At times healthy to avoid.
But is there anything more rewarding and moral than risking it?
As we discussed the situation I came to think about all the small moments and actions that have had such a great impact on me (my moral code, how I see myself, the world and so on) and that add up to be my life.
It is easy to lose hope and get depressed when one witness or hear about how easily one person can seem to destroy another human. Or several. How some, or all of us, have a force within us so destructive that it can crush someone released.
Before getting carried away by this, take a moment to appreciate how some individuals seems to have given your lives so much light. Most of the time almost without realizing.
The participants working at the construction site in San Miguel’s most deprived areas came back half dead of tiredness, some sick, some bleeding a little and several bruised. And all surprisingly happy and shockingly energetic. Some you could never imagine being willing to get their hands dirty almost refused to stop working. In the most concrete way they had experienced how though it can be to build up again, brick by brick, what has been torn down by time and though circumstances. And what a marvelous feeling it is seeing your good intentions taking shape. The ever so rewarding sense of accomplishment when you settle at sustainable solutions and the results of your work finally become visible.
We can’t neglect the truth that is takes blood and sweat (literally) to repair broken destinies. And although it requires intensive session of (manual) work, it does not end there. The ability to patiently follow up the initiatives and never loose our capacity of empathy is an unavoidable necessity if one truly want to become a change maker.
Let’s remind each other every day. To keep listening. Keep trying. To improve, to grow.
And...
That it is always worth it.
-----
All my respect, admiration and gratefulness to everyone who make these experiences possible; in particular the course leader, Pato, but also all facilitators, participants and helpers. We’ll have loads of fun on the way, but Let’s not loose sight of what we are trying to do.
Allowing society and individuals to change to the better is truly a struggle, and mostly because it requires us to constantly reflect on our own actions.
But let’s never lose the belief in that there is a purpose to it all, and our search for that purpose is the most meaningful of it all - .
Though they at their best appear to be so tangible ideals may often seem incredibly obscure, vague.
After all, the best place to start will always be a good night’s sleep.
And let your colors determine the day that follows.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoA8GwHQJgw)
Ingvill Maria Daatland Hekne (Norway, AC 09-11)
As we drove by the bus driver’s house (Already half an hour late, but needed to pick up his phone, obviously..) there was a dead dog in the road. It happens.
Bumpy road, bumping my head. AUU. Infinitively tired. Meaninglessly depressed.
Arriving at the site of our service session we discovered that there were a third of the kids we expected present. Well, nothing can be done but carry on.
Carry on doing what exactly?
Letting myself hinder by a massive language barrier I feel...
Useless. (That is an understatement)
Feeling the pain of my record breaking sunburn, I let myself to be misled into a purposeless universe
When escaping into the future really just make thing a lot worse.
Lie down and pretend you are somewhere else. Preferably inside someone else’s head.
Revising some spanish grammar as I noticed that the participants (who for have become facilitators for the occasion) do more than fine without me.
Giving it up.
Feeling a little sorry for myself, without any valid reason in particular.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLNPHqyX06s)
But...
It’s hard to drown in your own self-pity when you have people around you that just out of their awesomeness are so willing to show you that you are not unloved.
It is hard to not be baffled when they prove you such shiny talents.
It is impossible not to be impressed.
And regain your belief in humanity.
Oh, how quickly I recovered..
THANK YOU!
Facilitators and participants. Brilliant, brilliant people..
----
Watching how devoted they are to their work when they are trusted the great responsibility that comes with it, seeing how they connect with the kids. How they are fully present and exhaust themselves cause they are carried away with the feeling that they can give back infinitively.
Witnessing how they put into practice what they have learnt the past week makes me incredibly proud. And after dwelling in this delightful bliss of achievement for a little while I realize that I was really taking a greater share of the credit than what I ought to.
Cause it seems too incredible that they have developed into such capable leaders, enthusiastic friends and empathic listeners in a little more than a week. And it is to surreal to be true.
Giving it some thought, however, I believe we all strand at the truth that this great potential has always been there, and it has been nurtured throughout their individual journeys. And it exists within all of us.
If anything we may have facilitated it to flourish. And in new and thrilling ways. Illuminating at its best. And it would be slightly foolish of us all not to be proud of that.
Expressed with art techniques some never thought of before it was presented to them today. Finding out that you actually are more than capable of filming. Of making radio programs. And would you ever have thought that you so easily, simply by instinct, could present something meaningful and funny in front of an audience you barely trusted? Who would have thought
that exploring your vulnerability could result in such growth.
Given the responsibility of constructing a house and taking care of a group of kids, it suddenly turns out that what seemed like a scary challenge was nothing but an opportunity to prove to yourself that YOU can be one of the role models you always looked up to.
As the efforts have a ripple effect, through community service an creative workshops, I came to realize that we can all be a catalysis for positive change in each other lives. It is so bloody worth that extra little effort! FUA!
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLZa0u292nA)
-----
Trust and respect come in return; and with that an inevitable responsibility always follows.
Today one of the service groups experienced this, as some kids felt comfortable enough to share intimate and, to be honest- dreadful, stories from their day-to-day lives. As emphatic human beings one can of course not let that pass. Being supportive is half way, taking action is fulfilling one’s responsibility. Involving oneself in other’s problems, Becoming a part of their life and ultimately seeking to improve their reality is a great risk. Daunting. At times healthy to avoid.
But is there anything more rewarding and moral than risking it?
As we discussed the situation I came to think about all the small moments and actions that have had such a great impact on me (my moral code, how I see myself, the world and so on) and that add up to be my life.
It is easy to lose hope and get depressed when one witness or hear about how easily one person can seem to destroy another human. Or several. How some, or all of us, have a force within us so destructive that it can crush someone released.
Before getting carried away by this, take a moment to appreciate how some individuals seems to have given your lives so much light. Most of the time almost without realizing.
The participants working at the construction site in San Miguel’s most deprived areas came back half dead of tiredness, some sick, some bleeding a little and several bruised. And all surprisingly happy and shockingly energetic. Some you could never imagine being willing to get their hands dirty almost refused to stop working. In the most concrete way they had experienced how though it can be to build up again, brick by brick, what has been torn down by time and though circumstances. And what a marvelous feeling it is seeing your good intentions taking shape. The ever so rewarding sense of accomplishment when you settle at sustainable solutions and the results of your work finally become visible.
We can’t neglect the truth that is takes blood and sweat (literally) to repair broken destinies. And although it requires intensive session of (manual) work, it does not end there. The ability to patiently follow up the initiatives and never loose our capacity of empathy is an unavoidable necessity if one truly want to become a change maker.
Let’s remind each other every day. To keep listening. Keep trying. To improve, to grow.
And...
That it is always worth it.
-----
All my respect, admiration and gratefulness to everyone who make these experiences possible; in particular the course leader, Pato, but also all facilitators, participants and helpers. We’ll have loads of fun on the way, but Let’s not loose sight of what we are trying to do.
Allowing society and individuals to change to the better is truly a struggle, and mostly because it requires us to constantly reflect on our own actions.
But let’s never lose the belief in that there is a purpose to it all, and our search for that purpose is the most meaningful of it all - .
Though they at their best appear to be so tangible ideals may often seem incredibly obscure, vague.
After all, the best place to start will always be a good night’s sleep.
And let your colors determine the day that follows.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoA8GwHQJgw)
Ingvill Maria Daatland Hekne (Norway, AC 09-11)
Monday, July 18, 2011
Day 8 – Into the Community and Beyond!
Community Service. Community Service. Community Service. I hadn’t realized how much I actually missed that concept. So hard, but still so rewarding. For the last year or so it has been a part of my weekly routine in my school. During my summer break I haven’t thought much about it, but after Mexican candy-making with small children today I realize how much a part of my life it has become. Together with the participants of the course my section is facilitating various art/creativity workshops for Mexican children between the age of 6-11 and more specifically for my group: Mexican candies!
As most of community service, it demands a lot of patience and concentration to help out 11-15 children at the same time. And that is exactly what makes it so good, the fact that you are spending time and energy on somebody else. Not only does it help the people/community you are serving, but it also transforms you and changes the way you think about the people around you in your daily life. In ¡Integrando a México! the participants do various kinds of community service together with us. Some build sustainable housing, some work with recycled art and flora, some organize Constructive Engagement of Conflict workshops for children, and some do creative workshops for other kids. We’ll be doing it for a week and it all started today.
We had some logistical problems, so not all of the workshops were able to run as planned, but all in all it was a good day. Those workshops that ran were mostly rewarding and a good learning experience. And since the logistical problems (hopefully) will be solved by tomorrow, I’m looking forward even more to the next sessions. After another bumpy ride with the bus back to the school we kicked off another bulk of sessions that will run throughout this week: the Creative Workshops. We got theatre, documentary making, radio production, music and visual arts. Having spent my night in the ranch where the participants are staying I was slightly sleepy at this point. It might have some connection to watching The Shining, an all-time horror classic, until the late hours of the night. It was a really nice night, and I really enjoy hanging out with them as they are really cool people. But yeah, sorry to my fellow workshop leaders Sonia and Fernando for that!
Despite some tiredness, most of the workshops went very well, and there are promising projects that hopefully will result in loads of creative development and learning, as well as some potentially cool products. At the end of the day we kicked off the first evening activity. They are supposed to be fun, engaging and also slightly more chilled activities at the end of the day. Today we had the Spy Game, a kind-of fake game that in the end turns out to be the Trust Game. In a competition between various teams, the participants became really suspicious of each other in a crazy witch hunt for the spies we had told them that each of the teams had. But afterwards we told all of them the truth, that there actually weren’t any spies. This meant that they had been accusing and sometimes expelling people from their teams without any reason, except for the mistakes they had made in the game. The message was powerful: Accept that people do mistakes and don’t judge them for them. Trust them instead to do their best.
But it’s late, and I have to go to bed. Or I’ll be tired tomorrow. And Pato is waiting. Good Night.
- Albert Andersen Øydvin (AC '10-'12) - Norway
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Day 6 - The End of CECW
I’ve become quite intrigued by the paradox of the nopales. These beautiful desert trees stand like sentinels on the dry plains along the highway, in the valleys between the mountains and on their rolling foothills that give San Miguel her shape. They’re strange plants with trunk and branches made of large cactus leaves, and they hang outwards with such weight and stiffness they seem impervious to wind. Most interesting, however, is their fruit, for while the leaves of the nopales are edible, their golfball sized fruit, bright red when ripe, is surprisingly sweet, but their tiny needles are so numerous and sharp that these ‘tunas’ are almost impossible to eat. They must be prepared carefully. Perhaps because these desert trees are particularly abundant on the grounds around the school where our program’s workshops are taught, or perhaps because I’ve been consistently amazed by Mexico’s unique landscape, as I learned of a more explicit image Mexico through the participants personal stories in a workshop on Saturday, I was reminded of this strange desert plant, and her fruit began to parallel the amazing complexity of Mexico and her people: their hope despite hopelessness.
To explain further, this Saturday we concluded our weeklong study of constructive engagement in conflict, and to move toward a more direct application of the theories we’ve taught, such as types of manifestation, evasion and effective confrontation of conflict, we began with a rather intimate group activity in which participants were encouraged to share stories of their own personal experience of social issues in Mexico. These could include anything from an account of gang violence, a period of economic instability in the household, friends’ stories of problems with drug abuse or teen pregnancy... anything that could help to illustrate to the group the pressing reality of Mexico’s present crises. To my surprise, however, the participants needed no illustration. I was expecting half of the group to have a relatively grave story to tell, and at that I thought I knew I could be setting an unrealistic expectation, but in a period of two hours all 22 participants told of a time in their lives where some sort of crisis threatened their safety or security, and the rest of us listened.
I could hardly believe the stories these young people told, but not because they seemed exaggerated. Rather, the harsh reality of their stories shocked me. These were kids, aged 15 to 18, and they’d experienced the kidnappings of family members, death threats to their family businesses, periods of economic desolation, early pregnancy, physical attacks on their homes or family businesses, family members lost in gang violence. To me, an American from a middle class background and a relatively secure community, this was a foreign world, and I was amazed at their courage, their strength, but even more so, their spirit, and their hope. Whenever one in the group was overcome with emotion the rest would wait in silence, those nearby would offer a hand or a kleenex, and the individual would recover and the story would continue. This solidarity in the face of what now seems to be, truly, a country in crisis, is what so impressed me, for despite experiences that no adult should have to tell of, these young people hadn’t let their hearts be hardened. Rather, though they may show a stoic front in the face of the world that has shown itself to be so ugly, they care dearly about their families and their friends and the future of their country.
We followed the session of shared stories with workshops exploring the future of the Mexico of their imagination. First they listed qualities of an optimistic future, a world with green energy, drug free borders, little immigration and economic stability. They then created an image of a pessimistic future, characterized by drug wars in the absorbing the country and poverty bringing the economy to a standstill. But in conclusion, they described a realistic but hopeful future for their country, one they intend to reach for but also intend to achieve, one inspiring because of its painstaking realism. One participant insisted on a revolutionary change, a new constitution that would eliminate corruption and allow for true functioning democracy. Though this idea was eventually struck from the list because it seemed to impossible to achieve in ten years time, the same intelligent radicalism that motivate such a drastic overhaul was the driving force behind the remaining points on the list of ideas. In reflecting on this list, I later realized something I found truly fantastic: these young people understand their country yet they’re unafraid to dream. Despite the fact that their experiences have shown them an ugly truth in their country’s current state, they still, somehow, maintain true impassioned hope. And in this way I think of the parallel of the nopales and their tunas, for just like these young visionaries this plant has accepted and adapted to the harsh environment of this unyielding land, but this has made its fruit no less sweet. They’ve both learned to live with the desolation of the present and protect within themselves the precious hope that awaits a better future.
- Luke Pizzato (AC '10-'12) - USA
- Luke Pizzato (AC '10-'12) - USA
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