Sheree (an Australian volunteer) and I with Nobel Peace Prize winner, Rigoberta Menchú, who also participated in the vigil
Finally…..a Chance for Justice
One cold (for Guatemala), rainy Tuesday evening, 27th June, we gathered, along with members of different religious orders, and human rights and social justice organisations, in front of the National Palace of Justice in Guatemala City. There was singing, speeches, painting, praying – some cried and others stood by in silence, but everyone’s purpose was the same – to show support for the Spanish tribunal which had recently arrived in Guatemala. Photos of victims of the Guatemalan genocide were displayed on the palace steps and around the plaza, the faces that will never be forgotten, no matter how soon justice is achieved.
It was a great honour for the organisers, and all those present, that Rigoberta Menchú and Rosalina Tuyuc also participated in the vigil. And it was also a great honour for me to get my photo taken with Rigoberta!
In Fundamar (the Marist Brothers' Solidarity Office where I’m volunteering), we are following closely all new developments, and I feel proud to have been a part of the vigil.
Uspantán
Tucked away towards the north-west of the country is the municipality of Uspantán which I had previously only heard of through projects I’ve been working on. However, it was amazing to finally visit and to see not only the completed projects that Fundamar has worked on, but also to meet those who have benefited from them, and to discover new needs in the area. The parish of San Miguel where most of the projects are based is a different world to anything I've seen here before. It took hours of winding through the gorgeous scenery of the mountains in a pick-up truck to get to some of the villages and the people were so welcoming and yet live so simply; it was quite humbling. After downing some “atol” in the village of El Palmar where we’re building a centre for women’s capacity-building, we visited a carpentry workshop tucked in a valley between two mountains which serves the whole region. It’s an old school building and the machinery is way past its sell-by-date, so they’re looking for a new workshop plus equipment. Apart from that, we also visited a completed primary school where 50 kids are now hard at work (albeit without the desks and chairs they’ve been promised by the mayor…) and a youth centre in the village of Sicaché and a half-finished community centre in Chitapol. The four days there really had a profound effect on me and highlighted the huge difference between rural and urban poverty here. Casa Alianza
Things ticking along well in the Casa Alianza library – it’s good to feel that we’ve made some progress with some students' computer skills. That a few of the old-timers absconded recently is sad. However, I just want to enjoy my last few weeks here with the students – they´re busy asking me what my leaving present to them will be!!
One Month To Go
I can't believe it's nearly coming to an end. It's really been an incredible journey for me and has changed so much about the way I think and live - an experience I would recommend to everyone. But before the final farewell, I have a trip to our projects in El Salvador to look forward to so won’t start to get too sad just yet!!!
