Rosthern Junior College 2009

Rosthern Junior College is a small, Mennonite residential school located in Saskatchewan, Canada. RJC has been sending groups to Guatemala for the past 7 years and was excited for the opportunity to connect with a new community outside of Guatemala City for the first time in February this year. The group spent four days working with the community in Carranza, a marginalized neighborhood about 45 minutes outside of the city, where they helped work on the construction of a room for the daycare program the small Mennonite church there has started. The group then had the opportunity to travel and connect with communities in Santiago Atitlan and at Bezaleel school in Altaverapaz, with whom RJC has a unique relationship. During their time here, the group kept a blog, sharing about their experiences as they happened. Below is a description of Day 5 of their two-week trip from the perspective of two of the students. To read more about their trip please visit: http://rjcservice.blogspot.com/

Day 5
Greetings

Today was our third and final work day at Carranza. It started off like many of the other days. We once again split into groups and set to working on our assigned tasks. The cement crew finished pouring the floor in the new building. The daycare group once again helped with arts and crafts before heading out to the park for an exhausting recess. Before lunch we were taken on a tour of some local families´ houses.

The first house we entered was next door to the church. The lady who lived there had just recently moved back from the coast. She had been forced to leave with her family due to gang activity that threatened them. To emphasize the importance of working with youth she told us a story of a boy she walked to church with. He was shot in the head right next to her by a gang member. This member also threatened that if she told anyone she would be next. The lady´s house was very basic and small. They had a terribly small kitchen with only the bare minimum and was very hot due to the metal siding and roof. She had a baby in a hammock and to quote Krista it was the ´cutest baby in the whole entire world´. The second house we visited was a small shack that doubled as a store. We stood in the garage as they told us about the lady´s health problems and the miracle that allowed her to regain her ability to walk.

After this tour we prepared ourselves for the Canada verses Guatemala soccer game. This epic game begain with team Canada (RJC) walking down the dirt lane waving small Canadain flags and singing O Canada. As we warmed up we observed the captain of team Guatemala (church minister Manuell) coming to the soccer pitch (dirty rough field) in a Jersey, cleats, and shinpads. We knew the game was a lost cause but this confirmed it. He proceeded to show off his mad soccer skills by juggling the ball while the rest of his team walked out in matching jerseys. With the fans screaming, team Canada´s starters walked onto the pitch. (actually the fans were Geraldine, Laurel, Abby and a smattering of younger children and the starters were whoever had the ambition to be trounced first). The game started off pretty well. The game seemed fairly close after Canada closed a two goal deficit. We soon dicovered that as soon as we scored a goal Guatemala quickly and easily scored again. Coming to the conclusion we were being toyed with, we picked up the pace. Even though they were very good at passing and handling the ball we had the advantage in height and managed to pick up a few headers. Eventually we resorted to playing an extra person and using a flying V to confuse our oppenents while shielding the stiker (Krisha) who had the ball. It didn´t work. Highlights of the game include Coby´s disbelief that our oppenents never subbed off or stopped for water. This prompted the comment ¨They´re like freakin cactuses¨!!!!!! O it was a blast. This intense and monumentus game concluded with a kind of tie. Actually we lost as last goal won but the number of goals was even at 5-5.


Exhausted, tired and sweaty we headed back to the church for lunch. Here we had the most tasty chicken ever and tried a funny looking rice drink that was O so good. In the afternoon we had a commisioning service on the recently poured cement pad. It was very touching as members of both cultures prayed for and with each other. Our gifts were given to Anthony (MCC head honcho) to be given to the Carranza church once the day care facility is done. Then we took a couple pictures on the cement and infront of the church, before saying our goodbye´s.

We again loaded into Bertha and drove to the market. This is the same market we visited our first day in Guatemala city. The drive back to Semilla was extremely long. We had the priviledge of being caught in rush hour traffic. This makes drivers even more daring than normal with more close calls than usual.

Due to a change in venue for the next couple of days blogging will not happen until

sunday evening at the earliest. Until then Adios Amigo´s !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Krista, Ian and the herd of RJC students

Bethesda Mennonite Work and Learn Team

Psalm 24:1

“The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it”

Where did we find bounty and God’s sovereignty in Guatemala?

-In the smiles and welcome from the people wherever we went.

-In the vast array of colors and sizes of flowers in bloom.

-In the joy of community celebration when believers gathered in worship.

-In the crystal clear pools of water at Semuc Champey.

-In the dedication to education exhibited by the workers and teachers at Bezaleel school.

-In the lush greenery of the hillsides.

Where did we yearn for more of God’s presence and grace?

-In stories of hardships people faced due to poverty.

-In stories of trauma to the people and land from the civil war.

-In the tragedy of continued violence in Guatemala City.

-In the city dump were too many people eeked out a living.

Whose souls did we save through our presence and witness there?

Our own.

Reflection written by Cathy Wismer, participant in the Bethesda Mennonite WAL Team January 10-24, 2009

The Bethesda Mennonite Church Work and Learn Team spent two weeks in Guatemala in January, learning about the history and context of the country in Guatemala City and then working and sharing with the communities of Bezaleel Q'eqchi' Mennonite School and Fundameno in Altaverapaz. The group helped paint the teachers' workroom and parts of the kitchen facilities at Bezaleel, as well as helped with painting and the construction of a sidewalk at Saraxoch, another school funded by Fundameno. The group spent time connecting with the students and staff at Bezaleel and with the community at the Mennonite church in Karcha - making some amazing New Year's Cookies for the congregation after the Sunday service! Even though it rained the majority of their time in Altaverapaz, the group was able to enjoy a sunny day visiting and relaxing at the beautiful Semuc Champey after their week of hard work.

Global Eyes

As previously mentioned, the mining issue is one that is greatly affecting communities in Guatemala, specifically in the San Marcos region of the country. Nate Howard is currently working with MCC in this area, supporting food security projects in various mountainous communities. Below is an article in which Nate shares his views on what is happening in the region as a result of globalization.

MCC Guatemala/El Salvador and MCC Canada are very interested in organizing a Learning Tour that would focus on these issues and the impact North American companies are having in Guatemala and other Latin American countries; please contact connecting@guatemala.mcc.org for more information.

Globalization’s Perils in a Guatemalan Gold Rush

By Nate Howard

“The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom…”

Introduction

If we take seriously that “His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made,” instead of seeing a separation between Creation and the Creator, we discover that Creation is “nothing less than the manifestation of God’s hidden Being.”

Thus, in light of our worship of a type of progress that destroys Creation and dehumanises people, I would say that there is less fear of God today than at any other time in the history of humanity. By intuition then, I believe that wisdom is lacking.

Central to the philosophy of progress, preached by our economists, scientists, and politicians, is the belief that universal peace is achievable through unlimited economic progress. Certainly the notion of personal enrichment is a powerful mover, but as wise men and women have always asked, can the foundation for peace really be achieved through the “cultivation and expansion of needs?”

Traditional wisdom leaves no room for the romanticism of peace sought by employing the powerful human drives of selfishness. “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.”

Problem

Like the province of San Marcos, Guatemala where I work, “there are many poor societies that have too little, but where is the rich society that says “Halt!” we have enough? There is none.”

Here in San Marcos, there are numerous anti-life manifestations of this unwillingness by the rich to practice restraint. One of the most severe is the presence of Goldcorp Inc. Goldcorp is a Canadian-owned mining company that began operations in Guatemnala in 2006 at the Marlin Mine in Sipicapa, San Marcos and continues today with preliminary explorations in areas across the Highlands, one being the region of Sibinal where MCC alongside the San Marcos Diocese has been implementing a food security program. Goldcorp’s mining operation in Guatemala, which is almost entirely given to the extraction of gold, is very difficult to justify on any grounds. To begin, there are serious environmental issues raised as a result of its operations. According to the Mineral Policy Institute (MPI), safe disposal of mine waste is generally recognized as the single largest environmental challenge facing the mining industry worldwide. Similarly, the United States Environmental Protection Agency named water contamination from mining as on of its top three ecological security threats to the world. In addition to the waste, which amounts to 20 tons of earth, cyanide and 250,000 tons of water an hour are involved in the process to create sellable gold. Besides the physical dangers to local communities and ecosystems, this excessive use of water is especially concerning as numerous communities in Sibinal are without potable water systems and deal with water shortages for the irrigation of their crops.

Another area of concern is Goldcorp’s contribution to social conflict in Guatemala. Through a formal consultation process, it is documented that the overwhelming majority of communities are opposed to the presence of the mine. Nevertheless, due to exceptional rights for multinational corporations guaranteed by recent fair trade agreements and clever legal tactics, Goldcorp has been allowed to pay little attention to the stated will of these primarily indigenous communities. In Sibinal for example, though 32 of the 32 villages in the region cast their lot in opposition to the mine, Goldcorp through contracts with the Guatemalan national government has obtained a license to explore an area 25 km². The result has been conflict. In December of 2004, and then again in January of 2005, blockades organized by indigenous peoples to stop the transport of materials to be used in the construction of the Marlin Mine, have ended in violent attacks perpetrated by the military and police. Since the mine began its operation, a number of clashes have arisen between local residents and the mine’s employees. As a result, indigenous leaders, many of which have been women, have faced intense legal harassment, and in some cases, jail time. Most recently, on August 9,2008, indigenous peoples once again took to the streets successfully blockading 16 points along Guatemala’s major highway system in protest to the mining exploration occurring throughout the highlands. The climate only continues to intensify.

Who benefits?

All these negative social and environmental factors aside, the distribution of profits, four-fifths of which are generated by the sale of gold for ornamental purposes, is laughable. The current mining law in Guatemala requires that 1% of the mine’s profits be left behind in Guatemala, of which half is supposed to be passed on to the local authorities in the areas being mined. In the end, due to corruption and other factors, it is estimated that about 01% of total profits actually trickles down to the communities affected by mining operations.

The obvious beneficiaries are Goldcorp’s executives (in 2007 the CEO was the highest paid executive in British Columbia, earning $17 million) and its shareholders, who were paid $31.7 million in the second quarter of 2007 alone. Nevertheless, those benefiting from Golcorp’s practices do not end with those directly invested. A few examples are the 17 million Canadians contributing to the Canadian Pension Plan that is one of Goldcorp’s largest investors, and the thousands benefiting from Goldcorp’s massive donations to such institutions as the University of British Colombia. As cited in a report from the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability, the reality is that most of Canada’s citizenry, due to its government’s relationship with the extractive industry through economic and political backing is benefiting from the more than 1000 Canadian mining companies that account for 40% of all mineral exploration undertaken globally. Sadly, these same companies have been implicated in human rights abuses and environmental disasters in more than thirty countries.

What can we do?

In confronting the philosophy of materialism, ultimately we are dealing with a meta-narrative issue, and thus, the resolution to our problem lies at the meta-narrative level. As a Christian, I know no greater authority on “right” meta-narratives than the church that adheres to its holy scripture. It is the church that can best begin to steer us towards something more virtuous; or at least bear witness to a different way. There are many places to start, but I can see none more effective than heeding the wisdom given us by our faith tradition and putting first our own house, or in this case church, in order in three distinct ways.

The first is simply to be less greedy and selfish ourselves. Rather than new needs, we should work to cultivate virtues such as restraint and moderation. Do we really need to buy new gold, silver, or diamonds? The church should be an example of temperance. Until then our collective voice is just one of the many. The second acquires its girth from the first. Instead of yielding to those and that which promotes a type of “progress” that is anti-life, we should render our full support to those who truly work for peace. There are great organizations out there doing great work that could use our support. This requires the church actively work to educate itself and learn. The third is to be hopeful. If I have learned anything in my three years here in Central America it is that hope is central to the Christian faith and something that we should always be about. However true hope is displayed through action and so congregational activities such as writing a letter to your church’s Member of Parliament or buying a share and then attending Goldcorp shareholders’ meetings to raise concerns are in order. Be creative…

Leonardo Boff, a trailblazing Brazilian theologian/ecologist who recently spoke here in Guatemala spoke wisdom by saying, “our Earth, this living bio-system, is groaning, nevertheless, these are not groans unto death but unto birth, and we along with her must choose life.”

Let us choose life…

About the Author

After serving for 18 months as MCC’s Hurricane Stan Response Coordinator, Nate Howard is currently working with MCC providing food security support for its programs in San Marcos, Guatemala. He has a Masters Degree in Business Administration and International Development from Eastern University in Philadelphia. Originally from Indiana, he has lived and worked for three and a half years in Central America.

Photos taken in San Marcos by Shannon Malburg

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Semana de Servicio

Semana de Servicio (Service Week) is a yearly event organized by MCC Guatemala/El Salvador and the Connecting Peoples Program. It is an opportunity for youth from the two countries to come together to learn and share about the context they are living in, to put into practice the idea of Christian service, and to do something that for many of them is often not an option; leave their hometown area and travel within their own country. This year's event took place at the end of November in the San Marcos region of Guatemala. The activity focused on various issues that are affecting this part of Guatemala, among them being environmental concerns centered around the mining in this area. To read more about this issue and the impact that North American companies are having in this region, please read "The Canadian mining industry in Latin America and the Caribbean", written by Rebecca Bartel, Policy Analyst for MCC Latin America and the Caribbean at: www.mcclatinamerica.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html

What follows is a brief summery of the event from the perspective of Jordan Penner, an MCC Worker serving in Altaverapaz, and Estefania Martinez, one of the youth that attended from El Salvador.

Written by Jorden Penner:

"Around fifty young people from various areas in El Salvador and Guatemala united in San Marcos (northwest Guatemala, near the Mexican border) to take part in the annual MCC Week of Service event. The youth, despite many hours of travel, were in high spirits as they took advantage of this unique opportunity to meet so many students of the same age group from different parts of El Salvador and Guatemala. Suffice it to say that comical differences and playful chiding were constant companions for the youth as they went about getting to know one another. While good company kept spirits high, the students kept a rapid fire schedule that included nature hikes, discussions, tree planting, presentations on threats to the environment in Guatemala, and a day and a night with a small, isolated community devastated by Hurricane Stan that receives MCC support for community development. In the community, the students helped in various small projects such as well digging and field clearing. Though the students (especially the Salvadoreños) suffered through a cold night in this community in the high mountains, everyone's hearts were filled with the warmth of their hospitable reception by this small, but welcoming, community. After four days together, the students parted ways sadly, but with new found knowledge about one another and the environmental challenges Guatemala faces in the future...and the desire to confront these challenges."

Written by Estefania Martínez, Iglesia Evangélica Menonita El Salvador, Metapán, El Salvador:

"Around 40 youth from El Salvador and Guatemala met up on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 to set out on our trip to San Marcos, Guatemala and then later on to the village of La Vega del Volcán, Tacaná, located near the Guatemala and Mexico border.

While in San Marcos, we were given a mini-workshop about mining, in which we learned that to make just one gold ring, massive amounts of earth need to be removed, along with lots of water and cyanide, to be able to separate the metal from the rocks as well, as well as removing all the trees and upper layers of soil to reach the part that contains the desired metal/s. Thursday in the morning, we left for La Vega del Volcán, an indigenous community that was hit hard by hurricane Stan, leaving in its’ wake many dead, along with families without homes. When we arrived, they gave us a tour of the area, all the while explaining to us how the destruction occurred. In the afternoon, we divided up into 3 work groups; some of us helped make a garden for an older person, another group dug a hole about 3 meters deep to be used in conjunction with an out-house, while the other group constructed a rock wall to prevent the river from flooding in the future. Then at night, we all sang and played with kids from the community for a while, before meeting up in the church to share with each other things about our countries. For example, us Salvadorians sang “El Sombrero Azul,” while some from Guatemala said the prayer to the Guatemalan flag and those from Lake Atitlan sang “Yo Tengo un Amigo que Me Ama” (I Have a Friend that Loves Me) in “Quiche”, their native language. Later on, families in the community opened up their homes to us to spend the night with them. I am personally very grateful to the family that hosted me, as even though they are of very simple means, they were a great example of what survival means to those of us that are used to having everything. My particular family even has to cross 2 rivers to get to their home.

The following day we headed by foot to a small community called Las Nuevas Maravillas where we celebrated Thanksgiving and then planted 8 little pine trees to help us remember how important the environment is in our lives."