Day by Day in El Salvador - Day Three

Just adding this in because it is so fun!

We will be spending all day at UCA - Universidad Centroamericana "José Simeón Cañas" (UCA)

UCA played an important part during the war sadly because of the massacre of the Jesuit priests and their housekeeper and her daughter.  

Now UCA has satellite campuses in various parts of the country including San Jose las Flores where they are training teachers.  This will be a good day!

All day:  Seminars at Central American University (UCA – Jesuit University) covering education topics, e.g. liberation theology, critical pedagogy, popular education, the role of the Church in social struggle, the legacy of Archbishop Romero and the Jesuit scholars.  Here is more about the university from Wikipedia:

"José Simeón Cañas" Central American University[1] (Universidad Centroamericana "José Simeón Cañas", UCA) is a private university with non-profit purposes in San Salvador, El Salvador, Central America run by the Society of Jesus. It was founded in September 1965 at the request of a group of Roman Catholic families who appealed to the Salvadoran government and to the Society of Jesus to create another university as an alternative to the University of El Salvador (Universidad de El Salvador).

UCA has since evolved to be one of the best institutions of higher learning in Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama).[2] This is the case, despite the university's focus on playing a decisive role in the transformation of the unjust Salvadoran society.[3] Such a focus within the Salvadoran context has driven the university to give priority to undergraduate degrees, research within the social sciences, popular presentation of research results ("proyección social") and local peer-reviewed journals. All of these are elements which formally reduce the university's impact in international rankings. In the 1970s and 1980s during the Civil War in El Salvador, UCA was known as the home of several internationally recognized Jesuit scholars and intellectuals, including Jon Sobrino, Ignacio Ellacuría, Ignacio Martín-Baró, and Segundo Montes. They were outspoken against the abuses of the Salvadoran military and government, and carried out research to demonstrate the effects of the war and poverty in the country. The extreme social conditions in El Salvador provided a very rich empirical basis for innovative research within sociology, social anthropology, philosophy, social psychology and theology. These scholars made important and lasting contributions within these fields. Ellacuría, Martín-Baró and Segundo Montes, along with three other Jesuit professors, their housekeeper and her daughter, were murdered by the Salvadoran Armed forces on November 16, 1989 in one of the most notorious episodes from the Civil War (see The murdered scholars of UCA).

This is a new day for us, we should take a careful look at this day - what are your impressions of this day?  Is this interesting for you?  This day was originally designed when this trip was going to be a university credit.  Does this work as an element in an introductory tour of El Salvador?  Please comment on this.

Related articles

• killing priests and nuns, because they support the poor
• Former guerrilla in El Salvador
• U.S. Sentences Salvadoran Linked to Massacre for Immigration Fraud

Salvaide Fundraiser - October 27th

Please contact the office if you want tickets! Please support Salvaide in the work they are doing with Salvadoran partners

Upcoming Orientation Day for Compadres

We are 5 weeks away from our next trip to El Salvador! Next week, we will be meeting as a group to prepare for the trip. We have a group of 5 people going down this time - the perfect size for group. I am including here the agenda for next Saturday. Soon, I will be blogging regularly in preparation for what promises to be an exciting summer!


Compadres Orientation
Summer 2011

El Salvador Exposure trip
Location: 148 Meadowlands Drive West – St. Gregory School



8:30 Arrival, welcoming
coffee


9:00 Welcome to the day
Introductions - group members we would ask participants to talk about yourselves a bit
Individual expectations – what do you see as your challenges, what do you want to achieve through this experience? We are asking participants to answer this question
outline of objectives for the day – what we plan to accomplish today - Paul


Discussion on this year’s objectives – how does this trip fit into the overall Compadres project overview of Compadres - Paul

9:45 Our partners in El Salvador – CRIPDES, CORDES, CCR, brief history of El Salvador - René Guerra Salazar – director of Salvaide

10:30 Break for coffee/snacks


11:00 review of trip agenda – where we will go, health and security, money, customs and cultural norms, weather, and living arrangements (especially in Las Flores) – René and Paul

12:00 lunch at La Cabana – local Salvadoran restaurant on Merivale – car pool


1:30 Social Issues and El Salvador

2:00 discussion on possible workshops in El Salvador -


3:00 future planning for trip – group discussion

Where we are right now

We are now a real group. We have four people (including me) for our trip for this year. For the first time, we have two teachers from the public board here in Ottawa. I am hoping that we will make new inroads into the public board with the help of these new participants!

We are working with a new executive director for Salvaide
Rene Guerra Salazar is the new director and he is currently in El Salvador getting to know our partners and some of the communities we will be working with.

We continue to work with Teachers Without Borders, although we will be working more in the background. Teachers Without Borders likes to work directly with in-country partners and we are doing our best to facilitate this. I am hoping that Rene and the TWB Mexico program officer will have the opportunity to develop some programming ideas for this year in El Salvador.

We are also trying to work with the Ottawa Catholic School Board to develop a course link to Religion courses offered by the University of Ottawa. This is complicated, slow business, but I know that we will be able to increase the size of this year's group if we are able to offer course credit for Catholic teachers. This is an attractive option for the university so I am hoping we will be able to work something out.

Right now, we are working on our program for this summer. I am hoping that Rene will be able to meet with some of our partners to firm up activities for July.

It is good to know that we have a trip confirmed for this year. For the first time, we have teachers who are interested in conducting workshops with teachers in El Salvador. This would be a new venture for us and offers us great new opportunities to enter into meaningful professional dialogue with Salvadoran teachers. Now we need to find ways to 'release' teachers so that these workshops will have lots of participation from local teachers.

All very exciting. More to follow as our 2011 program begins to take shape!

Paul



More exchanges like this planned for 2011

RALLY 4 MINING JUSTICE Parliament Hill, Ottawa June 15, 2010 4:30pm

Tell Government to Watch and pass Bill C-300!

JOIN US on Parliament Hill June 15, 4:30pm

SHOW the people of El Salvador they are not alone in their sovereign decision

REQUEST Pacific Rim to drop its illegitimate lawsuit

DEMAND JUSTICE FOR ALL PEOPLE affected by mining in-justice

TELL Government to pass Bill C-300!

Philadelphia based documentary filmmaker Jamie Moffett will be screening his work Return to El Salvador(www.returntoelsalvador.com) to Canadian Parliamentarians and Ambassadors on June 15th 2010 at the behest of MP John McKay sponsor of Bill C-300, a Corporate Accountability Bill, which is invested in the film's message.

One aspect of the film outlines the disappearance of prominent mining activist Marcelo Rivera. Marcelo's kidnapping, torture and murder signifies a shift in El Salvador. No longer are people being disappeared solely for political reasons, but now social leaders who would dare to stand up for the environment. Investigating further, his crew found more and more signs in this mysterious disappearance pointing towards the Vancouver-based Pacific Rim Mining Company.

Pacific Rim, a Canadian mining company is currently pursuing an unjust lawsuit against the government of El Salvador. In 2009, the people and the Government of El Salvador decided they didn't want gold mining extraction on their land. Immediately afterward, through chapter 10 of CAFTA, Pacific Rim filled a lawsuit against the Salvadorian state for a loss of investment and future profits for over 100 million dollars.

This is why we need to pass Bill C-300, it represents the best chance we have to assure that Canadian extractive companies follow human rights and environmental best practices when they operate overseas. It assures that government financial and political support will not be provided to companies that breach human rights and environmental standards.

RALLY FOR MINING JUSTICE endorsed by:

Association for Social Economic Development (ADES), El Salvador

Amanecer Ranchero FM 89.1

Amnesty International, Business and Human Rights Program

Barrio Nuevo

Breaking the Silence

Canadians Against Mining in El Salvador (CAMES)

Cafe Justicia,

Center for Alternative Mining Development Policy in La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA

Christian Hispanic Community of Emmanuel United Church

Comité pour les droits humains en Amérique latine / Committee for Human Rights in Latin America (CDHAL)

CLASP (Caribbean & Latin America Support Project - New Paltz, NY)

Council of Canadians

Education In Action

Emmanuel United Church

FMLN Ottawa-Gatineau

Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN)

Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Movement Ottawa (IPSMO)

Kingston Central American Solidarity Committee

Latin American Solidarity Network

Magazine Vision Latina

Mining Watch Canada

OPIRG

Ottawa-Gatineau Coalition against mining in El Salvador

Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), Social Justice Fund

Punto de Encuentro, CKCU FM 93.1

Rights Action

Salvadorian Canadian Association of Ottawa and National Capital Region (ASCORCAN)

Salvadorian Women’s Association of Ottawa-Gatineau

Salvaide

Swedish - Salvadorian Friendship Association of Stockholm (Sweden's capital)

Territorio Libre

Radio Victoria, Cabanas, El Salvador

Compadres Trip Flyer 2011

Join COMPADRES in El Salvador

Summer 2011

Collective of Ontario Teachers Moving for Peace, Action, Development, and

Relationship in El Salvador

Unite with us for the third trip in forging sustainable links between Ontario Teachers and communities in El Salvador

Why?

• “Because there is nothing more genuine and honest than being involved in communities taking charge of their own lives.” Maureen Bourke, Gr 12 religion teacher, Holy Trinity H.S.
• “Because it’s a total rush seeing that social justice and economic sustainability is about survival and not just trendy catchphrases.” Wayne Ng, social worker, Student Services
• Because you love adventure and learning outside of the box
• Because you want to learn about meaningful partnerships with grassroots development agencies such as Development and Peace, Salvaide, CRIPDES, etc..
• Because your sense of social justice and analysis of the critical issues affecting people in the North and the South matters
• Because you want to share with teachers involved in social change in El Salvador
• Because you want to witness El Salvadoran social movements as…

• Communities attempting to protect their own land from Canadian mining ventures

• Workers defending their rights in maquila and agro-export plantations
• Farmers collectivizing over the impact of biotechnology on food security
• Peasants (campesinos) struggling to recuperate land
• Women struggling to fully participate in their society

• Because you want to apply such experiences to the social teachings of the Church

Tentative dates: First week in July (depends on flight availability)
Time commitment: 1 pre-trip orientation session, 1 formation day
Length of trip and approximate costs: 12 days, $2200.00, all inclusive

Find out more: Paul McGuire, 613-218-9615, paul.mcguire@ottawacatholicschools.ca

Join us on Facebook – go to

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=28878058470#!/pages/Compadres-El-Salvador-Canada/172458377507

or go to our web site – www.compadres-elsalvador-canada.ca

Romero

El Salvador 2005 Journal XIII

What can the young people do? This is another question that we were faced with at Laura Lopez. The young people in these small communities are looking to their future. If a school is built it will prepare kids for high school. The next step becomes the challenge. It is very difficult for these small communities to get their kids to the next town to attend high school. Many students become discouraged at this stage and drop out. There is no sense that the government is ready to invest in the education of their citizens. There is

children of Laura Lopez

really very little chance that these students will make it to college or university.

In Suchitoto, PROGRESO runs a local scholarship program for high school students. High school scholarships amount to $80.00 a month. This covers food, transportation and the school uniform. At this point, seventeen students are receiving this assistance. These students are chosen from 75 local communities. Students are chosen for this assistance by a general community assembly. The entire family is assessed for their ability to support the student in their studies.

I have found in other countries that education is the key to development. In El Salvador the path to higher education is torturous. Only 20% of students reach junior high. At least 70% of the population don’t know how to write. The older population is uneducated. Teachers in the rural areas teach with a grade 3 education.

As a result, many people see that their only solution is to leave the country. This works out very well for the government. People who leave for jobs in Canada and the USA send home $250 million each year. This is a great boost to the economy with no outlay of money by the government.

El Salvador 2005 Journal XII

Laura Lopez

One incredible thing about this community was their level of social organization. We were introduced to members of the school council, the women’s committee, the pastoral team, the youth group, the woman’s soccer team and the community directorate. Our welcoming committee had representatives from all these groups; they were our hosts for the day. Each committee member had an opportunity to present some aspect of the community’s history.

These people are very politically aware. You could say that when they originally settled in the area they were squatters. This is an area that was controlled by the FMLN during the war. The government, still controlled by the ARENA party was not going to make it easy for the people to gain control of the land. During the first election campaign in 1994, the FMLN won control of the local seat in Suchitoto, which has jurisdiction in the Laura Lopez area. With the help of the FMLN in the Legislative Assembly, the people were able to gain legal title to the land. With the help of groups like PROGRESO, they continue to make great progress. This is a community that has a vision for its future.

These people face great challenges. Each of them has their own story of struggle during the war. Most have family members who were killed during the war. In some cases they witnessed the death of a loved one as they tried to avoid the army. The land is rich producing rice, cucumber, squash, many varieties of corn and beans, green pepper and peanuts. However, Mexico exports cheap corn to El Salvador. Salvadoran farmers receive no support from their own government for fertilizers or pesticides. They have no access to long-term credit so farmers have no way to export what they produce. There is a feeling in this country that agriculture doesn’t work, that there is no way to compete with the agricultural giants to the North.

When you have a chance to see fields of beautiful corn and beans it is really hard to understand how this idea has taken hold in El Salvador.

At the same time, the Salvadoran Government wants to bring cheap goods into the country. CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement, promises to flood El Salvador with cheap American and Mexican goods. El Salvador, struggling back from the devastation of a civil war has little to counter this flood of goods. We did not meet many people who saw any salvation in CAFTA.

To fight back, these people are trying to produce the goods that have sustained them for centuries. As they say, “Let’s do resistance with very concrete projects.” They are starting to look at very different economic models that can support a local economy. If these communities can feed each other and trade their surplus locally they may find a way out of the economic sinkhole they currently find themselves in.

El Salvador 2005 Journal XI

The children of Laura Lopez

Community meeting

The first few days of our time in El Salvador were full of meetings. This was our education to the history, economics and social dynamics of the country. Armed with this incredible information, we headed out into the countryside to meet and talk to the people. I will start with our visit to Laura Lopez.

Laura Lopez is a resettled community supported by CRIPDES. We visited the community after a long drive out of San Salvador. The community was resettled in 1992 and is named after a lay worker associated with Rutilio Grande who was killed in this area during the war. We actually saw her picture and read a description of her work at the university later in San Salvador.

The first families arrived in an area that had been depopulated by the military. They arrived only with what they could carry. They tented under the shade of the mango trees and were soon followed by other families. Within the month, there were thirty families living in the area. At this point they had no housing materials, just pots and pans. PROGRESO, the local name for CRIPDES and FUNPROCOOP helped the families to build homes. The Archbishop also helped the families and they began to divide the land into plots.

In the next thirteen years, the community grew. People continued to move to the area and Laura Lopez built a school for their children. The community now also has electricity and water. They hope soon to have a clinic in the community as well. On our tour of the community we were taken to the future site of the health centre. There are now 60 families living in the area.

El Salvador 2005 Journal X

Groups like the CDC are the real opposition in El Salvador. They produce a weekly radio show and are regularly quoted in the newspaper. They also place ads on TV. Interestingly, the Canadian Ambassador did not know about this organization.

Privatization is a major focus for the CDC. Since the 1990’s privatization of services has become the trend in Latin America. Senior’s pensions, electricity, telecommunications, transportation have all been privatized in El Salvador. Health care was threatened and now water is a major concern. Control of water is now passing to local control. There is real concern that municipalities will be pressured to look for needed capital from the private sector.

The CDC has conducted price comparisons with other Latin American countries on a number of services. In cases where privatization has taken hold the cost of services has risen. For example, the price for power (154 Kw/hr) in El Salvador is $20.43. In Costa Rica the price is $9.35. In Honduras the price for the same amount of power is $10.22. Power in Costa Rica and Honduras is public. As privatization has increased so has the cost of living. In twelve years, the cost of living has gone up $300.00 per month. The average minimum wage during the same period has gone up $58.00. People are working just to survive.

The CDC will continue to work to build the social network necessary to educate Salvadorans on their situation. It is a daunting task, but they realize that the only way to confront this unfair situation is for people to become aware of the causes of the economic squeeze they now find themselves in.

El Salvador 2005 Journal IX

Access to services is a human right. As women’s groups trained by the Consensus Table work to pressure local governments through the budget process and training programs, it is hoped that progress for women will be possible.




A sample of one of the gender policy documents published by the Consensus Table

We continued our education by spending the afternoon with CDC – Centro Para La Defensa del Consumidor. Knowledge is power and this agency has done a great deal of work to protect the Salvadoran consumer through research and data gathering. They maintain that once organized, people can struggle successfully for their own rights.

They work to support the protection of human rights by pressuring government agencies to respect the rights of the people. They work at the grassroots level with links to national and international organizations on issues like genetic engineering, health care, CAFTA (free trade), and water.

CDC teaches people to become more vigilant. ANDA, the country’s water agency has been infamous for its over billing of the people. CDC has trained people to read their water bills accurately. They have revealed that ANDA has over billed its consumers by over $20 million dollars. This effort was organized through ‘fairs’ where people were invited to bring their water bills for analysis. During these sessions the corruption of ANDA was exposed.



This is a poster from CDC. It shows a woman with her water bill. The headline relates how ANDA, the government water agency has defrauded the people of $20 million dollars by overcharging on its bills.

El Salvador Journal 2005 Part V

We went to a lot of meetings in the first two days in El Salvador. On our second full day we met with Equipo Maiz, the Corn Team, who gave us an alternative history of El Salvador. History is so important if we want to get a true measure of the character of a country. This is the specialty of Equipo Maiz. They have worked since 1983 with small communities to develop a greater understanding of the people’s situation. Through workshops on gender issues, civil participation, privatization and leadership, they hope to equip people with the knowledge to better understand their current situation. They also specialize in telling the story of El Salvador’s past.

A key point in the story. In 1932, the government exterminated over 30,000 indigenous people after a failed revolt. This has resulted in the total denial of the native heritage of the Salvadorans. Unlike Mexico and Guatemala, there is no talk of an indigenous culture in El Salvador. There are really only two indigenous communities now in El Salvador. You can see the native heritage in the faces of the people, but the culture is kept in check. People fear a return to the 1930’s. They have good reason for their fears. Other countries like Haiti and Guatemala have suffered from similar disasters.



Equipo Maiz uses artwork to illustrate their talks on the history of El Salvador

El Salvador Journal 2005 Part IV

The past and the future are so close here. We were on our way to see a community that is growing and developing, but we had to pay homage to the past first. You can’t understand El Salvador without listening to the stories of the struggle. In Rio Lempe, I would like to think that the people are beginning to turn the corner on this long battle.

Funding has provided support for the development of local products including gourmet cheese, organic fruits, cashews and sugar. Community supports include an eye clinic, a water purification plant that provides good drinking water to the community, biological pesticide control and a biogenerator that provides methane gas for cooking.

The community has also developed a fishing co-op that seeks to return a greater share of the profits to local fishermen. Training has also been provided on filleting and salting processes. CORDES has also supported the development of an eco-tourism facility - Hostal Lempa Mar.

Hostal Lempa Mar consists of four cabins that can sleep three persons each. The hostal is located on the Lempa River and offers and excellent restaurant where visitors can enjoy local produce including red snapper taken from the Lempa. Apart from the peace and serenity of the Lempa, this facility also offers kayaking and boat rides on the Lempa. During the week, these same boats are used by the fishing co-op.

Profits from the Hostal stay in the community and all employees of the Hostal are members of the local community. Plans are in place to develop hiking trails in the area and it is hoped that Hostal Lempa Mar will soon be able to promote to the international community through the Internet.



Hostal Lempa Mar. Great fish and an afternoon ride on the Lempa

This area was devestated in the recent flooding

El Salvador Journal 2005 Part I

This is the first journal I wrote while in El Salvador in 2005 as part of a Development and Peace delegation

El Salvador Journal







Twelve days of journeying and learning






Paul McGuire July 2005

 
 
 
 
 

I will not tire of declaring that if we really want an effective end to violence we must remove the violence that lies at the root of all violence: structural violence, social injustice, exclusion of citizens from the management of the country, repression. All this is what constitutes the primal cause, from which the rest flows naturally.

Oscar Romero SEPTEMBER 23, 1979


This is my journal documenting my trip this year to El Salvador. I took over one hundred pages of notes while on my trip. I do not intend to make this a faithful recording of these notes. Rather, this will be my account; words and images of ten days of learning. I hope this journal will serve as an accurate recounting that will help people gain a better understanding of what took place.




Our days centered on encounters with Salvadoran groups. We usually met with these groups for three hours. This gave us a chance to learn about their history, their current work projects and their goals for the future. We became very good listeners and the stories that we heard were inspiring.



Travel to El Salvador can take the better part of a day. We left Ottawa at 6:30 in the morning and arrived in the capitol, San Salvador around 8:00 PM. We met our guide, Miguel at the airport and we were transported to the Oasis, our home for the next ten days.

The Oasis is an incredible place. Run by ex-combatants, Damian and his wife, Carolina. We met groups, mainly from the US, who were there to work and visit sites from the war and local work projects. The place was rarely empty, a very interesting mix of people. There is some hope here. The United States has done a great deal to hurt this country. It is refreshing to see so many American students willing to learn some of the history of the long relationship that exists between the United States and El Salvador.

Oasis, San Salvador

Pacific Rim - panel discussion

Pacific Rim, a Canadian mining corporation with operations in El Salvador, has launched arbitration procedures against the Salvadoran government and is demanding millions of dollars in compensation for “failure to fulfill its obligations” under the C...entral America Free Trade Agreement, CAFTA-DR. If the law suit succeeds, other companies that hold exploration licenses covering over 20% of the country’s surface will follow suit. Is CAFTA the new “El Dorado” of Canadian mining companies in Central America? This panel invites you to debate these and other important related topics

Invited speakers:

Bernardo Belloso and William Castillo, Reps of the 2009 Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award Winners: La Mesa Nacional Frente a la Mineria en El Salvador; and

Jorge Velarde, Ph.D. Candidate, Université du Québec en Outaouais

Date: Friday, October 23, 2009
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: University of Ottawa--Colonel By Hall, room B205



This public lecture will be presented in French and Spanish. English translation will be available. A short documentary will be presented to facilitate the discussion.

Event sponsored by The School of International Development and Global Studies, Territorio Libre, SalvAIDE and the Salvadorian Canadian Association of Ottawa

Continuing problems with Pacific Rim in El Salvador

This article comes from upside down world. It goes into the Pacific Rim response to accusations made against it regarding the violence in Cabañas. Investor confidence in the company seems high and plans to pursue the lawsuit against El Salvador continue on track.

Compadres Journal Part VI

It seems to me that there are some good possibilities for partnership in this area. Unlike San Jose Las Flores, there are few international partners working with the schools. The University of Barcelona sends students each year to work in the schools. There is some exchange of information through this partnership, but the teachers want more. Here we can explore ways to exchange ideas and develop strong, sustainable links.

There seems to be some amount of hope in the country now. We met with many civil society organizations who now for the first time feel that they will be heard by the government. In the case of CRIPES, there is the possibility of government funding. Some of their senior members are now part of the government. Their agenda for change is quite ambitious. In our discussions with their leaders they outlined their plans. The strategic plan for the future of CRIPDES is designed to build a new world for Salvadorans. They are putting the focus on the welfare of the people. There is a driving desire to change the poverty that has existed for years. People need to reclaim their right to speak and advocate for themselves. Specifically, CRIPDES needs to create opportunities for youth so that they stay in the country. The first step is to provide greater access to higher education. There is also a need for a political plan to protect the environment and provide clean drinking water for all people. It is essential that organizations continue to work with women’s groups as well. CRIPDES also plans to continue work on mining and water privatization, lack of access to resources and credit. There also needs to be more security so that people feel safe in their local areas.




discussions with local CRIPDES group in
Bajo Lempa

Another Salvadoran organization, CORDES clearly outlines what needs to be done for the growth of the country and its people. This is taken from an interview with the CORDES director of international relations.

CORDES works closely with CRIPDES in many communities especially in the area of local economic development. CORDES is active in half of the Departments of El Salvador. More specifically; they work to support food production, technical assistance, housing and infrastructure. After the war, there was no infrastructure. With the help of international agencies, CORDES has been able to work on the development of many communities. Their main source of funding is from international groups and they have established links with some universities in other countries.

CORDES started working during the war accompanying Salvadorans in their struggle. Sine the war, their work has developed in three distinct directions:




1) Analysis of the condition of the people and their social and economic conditions
2) Developing a plan for the future – what dreams do Salvadorans have for their future?
3) Economic and social development for the people

What would you like to be?

One of the really interesting visits on this trip was to one of the schools in the Bajo Lempa area.

We had time here to talk with the students about their future.  Their answers reflect that students where ever they are want the same things for themselves and their families.

Notes from high school students – what do you want to do in the future?

“I want to be a lawyer to fight the injustice that occurs is El Salvador”

“I would like to study journalism because it is active and I like the news”

“I want to go to university and be a professional and get a doctorate”

“I want to get a good job to help my community and help my family”

“I want to get a college education. It is very difficult because transportation is expensive. If I can’t go I would like to find work”

“I want to get a degree in language or business”

“I would like to be a lawyer so I can be a help to my country that has suffered so much”

“It is our role to help people in return; they have helped us”

“I want to study communications so that I can defend myself and am prepared”

“I want to get a degree in public accounting and help those in need and to defend myself”

“I would like to study medicine in the university”


For these students to get to university, they will need assistance.

I wonder how many of these students will get the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. It has always struck me as so unfair that students with so much energy and promise do not get the opportunity to develop their skills to the point where they can lead change in their country.

At the same time, there is no question that education is the key to their future.  Over the years since this visit, I have met many young committed Salvadorans who are doing their utmost to make their country strong.

We can never lose hope when so many young people aspire to change the world.

Compadres Journal Part IV

This is a system just now receiving support from their government. The current vice-president is a former teacher. Teachers now have growing expectations that things will change for the better. What a wonderful time to get involved in partnership with Salvadoran educators!

We visited schools in the Bajo Lempa area and in San Jose Las Flores. There is a great discrepancy between the schools in these areas. San Jose Las Flores has a thriving school community headed by Nelson, a true education innovator. Their first schools were built from the rubble of crumbling buildings. Nelson started teaching with a third grade education. His students used charcoal to write on rocks. By the end of the war, a group of teachers were able to upgrade their education and become certified. Now there is a branch of UCA, the Jesuit University in San Jose Las Flores. Over 300 students have signed up to take courses at this satellite school. Teachers now receive training in the community. This community has had a long-lasting connection with the Sisters of Ascension in Spain and from the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts through the Sister Cities Program. Linkages with groups outside the country work very well to assist the Salvadoran people to develop strong, vital communities. This is part of the social and economic rebuilding that needs to take place throughout the country. While communities like San Jose Las Flores receive a good deal of help from international donors, there is no question that the local people are the ones in control.

The schools in Bajo Lempa receive less support. Teachers in this area are poorly paid and many student come to school without food or water. Transportation is a major expense for parents costing up to $1.00 a day. The teachers are completely dedicated, apart from teaching; they are responsible for the physical maintenance of the school. The administrator of the school has the standard duties of one running a school, but she receives no compensation for these duties.

Meeting with high school students in Bajo Lempa was a wonderful experience. For over an hour we asked them about their lives and struggles, but we mainly focused on their hopes. I record them all here, one thing is very obvious, they want to be a part of the change that is coming to El Salvador.



meeting with high school students
in the Bajo Lempa area