So You Say You Want a Revolution...

Meetings, meetings and more meetings over the past few days...to help me understand the history and current economic, political and social situation for the country.

Breakfast 27 de junio

Dagoberto Gutierrez came to breakfast. This man is incredible. He was a Rebel Commander for the Guerrilla's in the war. He is a noted lawyer, theologian and public figure. He's in the news here often, cracking down on the right-side party. And he spoke to us about the violence and unrest going on in the world - politically, economically and socially. He spoke a lot about how our democracies have turned into dictatorships disguised. We vote, yet the money and power at the top still push down all regulations, laws and policies, often only those that benefit them. And it's gone on for too long, it no longer works anymore. Being in Dago's presence was special. He was so poignant and you could feel an energy around him that was big...I know I'll be following the politics down here a lot more closely after this.

Dago & the other Canadians who joined us for the night.

10:00 27 de junio at Universidad Luterana Salvadore

Met with the President of the University, Fidel. Dagoberto is actually the VP of this University so he had heard a bit about us through him. This meeting was something else. We walk into his office and sit on these black leather couches. It wasn't a big luxurious room though, very modest. There's a large portrait of Che Guevara on the wall. Fidel didn't take off his aviator glasses once while he spoke to us about the state of E.S. I don't want to mention too much of what these guys said, but underlying themes included "The people need to rise up and it's time for revolution" and "We need to take the power and land and put that in the hands of the peasant farmers, rather than the transnationals or the rich...we need to invest in organic agriculture first and in the development of youth." I'll remember this meeting forever. All we needed was some Scotch and cigars and it would've been straight out of a movie. Unfortunately I wanted to be as sauve as him and therefore I did not ask to take his picture. But I really wish I would have. Forever in my mind!

9:00 28 de junio
Schafik Handel's son came to speak with Jim & I this morning about various topics. Schafik was the leader of the FLMN (leftist) party here for a long time, but died of a heart attack in 2006, before he was able to be president. He was very well respected and liked here and very well-known, so we were a bit surprised when he showed up to talk to us Canadians. He showed up wearing red, of course, the FMLN party colour. He explained to us some of the things that this leftist party is and has been trying to do since getting elected in 2009. They are the first leftist government to be elected, ever, in El Salvador and it's been a trying time. There has been so. much. corruption in their predecessor's parties and this is a transition time for them. They are making some progress; however, and one of those projects is called ALBA. It works around selling Venezuelan oil and every profit from that goes into rural development agriculture projects - with seed and fertilizer packages that are NOT from the transnational (criminals) like Monsanto and friends. Bueno.

2:00 28 de junio
Martinez (lawyer) from FESPED: a Human Rights organization
This man was only a year older than me and already practising law for a wonderful foundation here in San Salvador. They really look at the government's policies and analyze them from a human rights prospective...holding them accountable and taking them to the courts if need be. And right now, they are doing just that. I won't go into the minutiae since I've done a lot of that lately. But this man was one of the great ones...the youth that is taking his opportunity to learn and be a defender of his country to the fullest. 

He did say to us at one point, "I am surprised to see two Canadians who will give up an afternoon to learn the history of our country and culture." I was surprised to hear him say that. Give up an afternoon???? I find this fascinating.

4:00 27 de junio IMU offices - a Women's Rights NGO

Here we met with Dago's wife, Deysi Cheyne. She is the Director and a long time friend of Jim and Brenda's. I've heard so much about her that meeting her was a bit dream-like. She's beautiful and has a presence you can feel. She too was a guerrilla in the war, fighting for social justice in the rebel hills. During the war (1985) there was the third ever World Women's Conference held in Kenya and they came back from that knowing that gender quality was something that was needed in El Salvador. Ten years later, in Beijing, the idea was born for a government office to be held by women in ES. And IMU came out of that - as a Non Governmental Organization to hold the powers-that-be accountable and to pressure them when necessary. This organization has made a great deal of progress in the past 20 years and specifically in the past three years, in gender equality, lowering the femicide (murder specifically because of gender) rate, lowering domestic violence rates and pushing for things like maternal health and rural women education and economic empowerment. It's definitely an organization I plan to do work with one day.

Deysi said something specifically to me that really stayed with me. She said something to the effect of, "We are fighting for something that we've never had, but you in Canada have it. Now it's a time for you to continue progressing and never let it go backwards. That must be your struggle. The struggle to keep and honour your rights." 

Amen. To all the women in Canada. 

On a lighter note, we stopped at a gas station to feel our tires this morning and had to cut the hubcap off as it was tied on with little tags. We asked the man beside us if he had a pocket knife or scissors in his car...and he pulled out a machete. 

no. big. deal.

Remember to not perch on the toilet people.

Papusas! The national food.

Central America. Gotta love it.

The underlying theme here for everyone that has talked to us, no matter their position in the country, is that the country is in dire need of sustainable food systems set in place. So I am grateful that that's what I'm here for. Actual details on the Food Security Project that I'm going to be working on to come...we head for the country to walk among the fields with the people this weekend and next week.