Many of you may have noticed the picture of coca leaf tea on my blog, but do not be concerned about my consumption of illicit drugs. Cocaine is produced from the coca leaf, but only after a long complicated process that leaves it in a distorted state far removed from its natural character. The coca leaf forms a significant part of the altiplano diet and has been proven to relieve the effects of altitude sickness and to curb hunger. In addition the coca leaf is important in indigenous rituals.
However, because of the insatiable addiction to cocaine in western countries (eg US, Canada, Europe) exporting coca products such as tea is illegal and growth of the plant is under attack with countries such as the US sending "financial aid" in order to eradicate it. However, attempts in eradication are little more than a waste of tax payer money and an act of violence against the populations that grow coca: coca production has not decreased with the increase in aid, but rather the number of plants has increased with fewer plants being grown in large, easily visible plots and more grown in remote, smaller plots that are more difficult to find and subsequently eliminate.
A better option would be to address the problem of addiction that creates the demand that makes coca a profitable crop. Once the demand for the illicit drug has dropped so will the price and therefore the profitability of coca production. Also, it is more logical to target the chemicals used in the process to convert coca to cocaine (aka large companies) than small coca farmers who are mostly composed of poor campesinos making a living any way they can.
Coca is a justice issue for people in Bolivia and it should be as well for those of us whose countries are pumping large amounts of taxpayer money into its unnecessary eradication. The coca plant is part of God's creation and has many health benefits - perhaps it is the violence of addiction and forced eradication that we need to attack at its roots instead of the coca plant.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
John Paul Lederach: "The Moral Imagination:The Art and Soul of Peace Building"
John Paul Lederach invited his audience of 800 gathered in La Paz Thursday evening into the narratives of creative peacemakers who form the focus of his latest book titled “The Moral Imagination:The Art and Soul of Peace Building.” Two of the focal stories Lederach shared with his audience were taken from the contexts of Kenya and Colombia and served as the starting point for the author and renowned expert on peace and conflict transformation to engage his audience in dialogue about creative peace building.
“Markets of Peace,” were the creative vision of four women in Kenya who refused to accept the violent conflict of their context as their future reality. Even after the Association of Women for Peace was formed, the creativity of the women did not halt, but rather was extended to the elderly men of the community in an invitation to join them in their work for peace, leading to the development of the Council of the Elderly for Peace and, subsequently, the joining of the two organizations to form the Council for Peace for Wajir. The council began to address employment issues for young men, creating space to dialogue about the disarmament process.
“I commit myself to die before I kill” were the fearless words of a Colombian young man, one of four hundred campesinos present that day, who were faced with four “choices” given to them by the paramilitary soldiers surrounding them: 1) take up arms with the paramilitaries; 2) take up arms with the guerrillas; 3) leave their land; 4) die. However, the campesinos thought beyond the box of choices given to them, creating their own options: “Today we have begun to think for ourselves.” The young man who spoke so earnestly morally shamed the paramilitary captain by publicly acknowledging his previous involvement with the guerrillas and the violent acts he and his men participated in. The paramilitaries left and in their place was formed an association of campesino workers.
Peace construction in the midst of violent conflict seems not only counterintuitive, but inspires a deep questioning curiosity as to the “how” a creative vision for overcoming violent conflict can surge from, and see beyond, the context of violence even when one is living in that very context.
In response to the “how,” Lederach suggests four crucial aspects to the “artistic process” of peace building: the imagination of an unwavering commitment to dialogue that recognizes the entwinement of the well being of the “other” with one’s own; the imagination to recognize the potential present in complexity and the curiosity necessary to maintain it; the imagination to envision and create realities that do not yet exist; and the imagination to risk taking the unknown road.
Lederach paints the metaphor of a spider web connecting all humankind that extends to include even one's enemies. As such, the well-being of both are woven together and interdependent. However, without the creativity and imagination to see beyond the superficial, the web of interconnectedness remains invisible and polarization from the “other” continues.
The imagination that makes the web visible is the same that “finds in complexity a friend and the possibility for something unexpected” suggests Lederach. The creative peacemaker looks complexity in the face with the enthusiastic curiosity of a child, defying the simplistic side-choosing of polarization, and rather than be frustrated by the web’s complications, revels in the variety of perspectives and possibilities it offers.
Imperceptible possibilities call peacemakers to see beyond the obviously visible in order to envision blueprints for peace building. Lederach points out “…human beings are capable of creating things that do not yet exist.” It is this creative capacity that breathes imaginative vision into the peace building process: the ability to see beyond violent conflict, to see beneath it to its roots, and to envision a path for peace that acknowledges present need and future sustainability.
This path for peace is often an unfamiliar one, requiring, what Lederach identifies as “the imagination of risk.” The imagination of risk calls peace builders to the vulnerable adventure of “opening new spaces,” a journey down unknown roads with outcomes that are often uncertain and beyond one’s control.
Lederach paints the paradoxical picture of peace work as a beckoning “horizon that calls us and orients us, but that we can never reach.” Four brave Kenyan women and four hundred Colombian campesinos followed the call of the horizon and they are a testimony to the creative possibilities inherent in the processes of peace building that surge from a commitment to imaginative dialogue, vision, curiosity, and risk.
“Markets of Peace,” were the creative vision of four women in Kenya who refused to accept the violent conflict of their context as their future reality. Even after the Association of Women for Peace was formed, the creativity of the women did not halt, but rather was extended to the elderly men of the community in an invitation to join them in their work for peace, leading to the development of the Council of the Elderly for Peace and, subsequently, the joining of the two organizations to form the Council for Peace for Wajir. The council began to address employment issues for young men, creating space to dialogue about the disarmament process.
“I commit myself to die before I kill” were the fearless words of a Colombian young man, one of four hundred campesinos present that day, who were faced with four “choices” given to them by the paramilitary soldiers surrounding them: 1) take up arms with the paramilitaries; 2) take up arms with the guerrillas; 3) leave their land; 4) die. However, the campesinos thought beyond the box of choices given to them, creating their own options: “Today we have begun to think for ourselves.” The young man who spoke so earnestly morally shamed the paramilitary captain by publicly acknowledging his previous involvement with the guerrillas and the violent acts he and his men participated in. The paramilitaries left and in their place was formed an association of campesino workers.
Peace construction in the midst of violent conflict seems not only counterintuitive, but inspires a deep questioning curiosity as to the “how” a creative vision for overcoming violent conflict can surge from, and see beyond, the context of violence even when one is living in that very context.
In response to the “how,” Lederach suggests four crucial aspects to the “artistic process” of peace building: the imagination of an unwavering commitment to dialogue that recognizes the entwinement of the well being of the “other” with one’s own; the imagination to recognize the potential present in complexity and the curiosity necessary to maintain it; the imagination to envision and create realities that do not yet exist; and the imagination to risk taking the unknown road.
Lederach paints the metaphor of a spider web connecting all humankind that extends to include even one's enemies. As such, the well-being of both are woven together and interdependent. However, without the creativity and imagination to see beyond the superficial, the web of interconnectedness remains invisible and polarization from the “other” continues.
The imagination that makes the web visible is the same that “finds in complexity a friend and the possibility for something unexpected” suggests Lederach. The creative peacemaker looks complexity in the face with the enthusiastic curiosity of a child, defying the simplistic side-choosing of polarization, and rather than be frustrated by the web’s complications, revels in the variety of perspectives and possibilities it offers.
Imperceptible possibilities call peacemakers to see beyond the obviously visible in order to envision blueprints for peace building. Lederach points out “…human beings are capable of creating things that do not yet exist.” It is this creative capacity that breathes imaginative vision into the peace building process: the ability to see beyond violent conflict, to see beneath it to its roots, and to envision a path for peace that acknowledges present need and future sustainability.
This path for peace is often an unfamiliar one, requiring, what Lederach identifies as “the imagination of risk.” The imagination of risk calls peace builders to the vulnerable adventure of “opening new spaces,” a journey down unknown roads with outcomes that are often uncertain and beyond one’s control.
Lederach paints the paradoxical picture of peace work as a beckoning “horizon that calls us and orients us, but that we can never reach.” Four brave Kenyan women and four hundred Colombian campesinos followed the call of the horizon and they are a testimony to the creative possibilities inherent in the processes of peace building that surge from a commitment to imaginative dialogue, vision, curiosity, and risk.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
bruised news brief
This week has been a good snapshot of what some of my duties will be as a "Connecting People" person. I have been reading A LOT, translating, and trying to soak up all the information I can. It is all rather overwhelming, but I do have 3 years to learn it all. (Oh, and the bruise is just me getting clumsy with a micro door - hope you all enjoy the play on words :)
Friday, February 15, 2008
Exciting new plans
This next week I will be going to La Paz to attend a conference where John Paul Lederach will be speaking! JP Lederach is a well known scholar in Peace and Reconciliation work. I am, to say the least, thrilled to be able to attend! Also, while there the hope is that MCC Bolivia will be able to network with other NGOs working in the west of the country that share MCC's core values.
Another exciting development is that I may have the opportunity to study Quechua for a couple of weeks. Quechua is one of Bolivia's many indigenous languages, and although I am not certain how much I would be able to use it, the idea of learning another language, especially an indigenous language, is very appealing.
Also, my housing situation will remain as is until early March when I will be moving into the house across the street from the MCC office. Although I would prefer to live in a barrio, for the time being this move makes sense and will be convenient transition while I am learning my assignment duties. It is very likely that this will change later in the fall, but that is yet to be seen.
Another exciting development is that I may have the opportunity to study Quechua for a couple of weeks. Quechua is one of Bolivia's many indigenous languages, and although I am not certain how much I would be able to use it, the idea of learning another language, especially an indigenous language, is very appealing.
Also, my housing situation will remain as is until early March when I will be moving into the house across the street from the MCC office. Although I would prefer to live in a barrio, for the time being this move makes sense and will be convenient transition while I am learning my assignment duties. It is very likely that this will change later in the fall, but that is yet to be seen.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
One Week Down....
After a week in Santa Cruz it feels like I have learned a lot, but it's rather overwhelming to think about how much more I have to learn. And then I remember I have 3 years to learn it :)
I have come to rather enjoy my daily commutes in the micro from the Plan to the office. The micro has its own rhythm and you have to learn to move with it, to embrace the sway of the people, the ruts in the road and the way the bus adjusts to them. You have to adjust too or the ride isn't so pleasant.
For me the micro is an adventure - a cultural rollacoaster ride that, with every up and down in the road, gives me another glimpse into the reality of the people whose space I am sharing. But I wonder how different my attitude would be if I hadn't chosen to come here - riding the micro is a choice for me - I am not among the marginalized who are left with no other option but to ride the over-crowded, small, often dirty and sometimes dangerous micros. It is easy to be positive about something when you know it isn't permanent and when it's different. But if it were a reality I hadn't chosen, a monotonous chore, would I still see it as an adventure?
It's interesting to observe and participate in the "code" of the micros. Any passenger can ask the driver to stop at any given time. There are no set stops, which is undoubtedly an inconvenience for the driver, but great for passengers and people by the side of the road. Although pick-pocketing is a concern, in general people are kind to eachother. Women, pregnant or with children, get first choice of the precious few seats available, along with the elderly. Often bus drivers have to wait for elderly patrons to get on and off the bus, which can be dangerous if people at the back of the bus don't see them and begin to push.
Seeing anything in a micro can be a challenge. Especially if you are taller than 5', which I am. Today I actually rode in a micro that was so short my head rubbed the ceiling! The trick is to duck down so you can see out of the window, but when the micro is full that too can be a challenge. Fortunately, next to my house there is a bright pink and purple tienda that helps me know when to get off as long as I can see it!
I am hoping to begin with my actual job position soon and am very excited about the direction MCC Bolivia is hoping to take. Stay tuned for more details as I get into the thick of my assignment here. I have rambled on long enough and so I leave you with a slew of new pictures. The sketchy fruit has a name, but I don't know what it is! I can tell you that it is surprisingly tasty despite it's rather disgusting appearance :)
I have come to rather enjoy my daily commutes in the micro from the Plan to the office. The micro has its own rhythm and you have to learn to move with it, to embrace the sway of the people, the ruts in the road and the way the bus adjusts to them. You have to adjust too or the ride isn't so pleasant.
For me the micro is an adventure - a cultural rollacoaster ride that, with every up and down in the road, gives me another glimpse into the reality of the people whose space I am sharing. But I wonder how different my attitude would be if I hadn't chosen to come here - riding the micro is a choice for me - I am not among the marginalized who are left with no other option but to ride the over-crowded, small, often dirty and sometimes dangerous micros. It is easy to be positive about something when you know it isn't permanent and when it's different. But if it were a reality I hadn't chosen, a monotonous chore, would I still see it as an adventure?
It's interesting to observe and participate in the "code" of the micros. Any passenger can ask the driver to stop at any given time. There are no set stops, which is undoubtedly an inconvenience for the driver, but great for passengers and people by the side of the road. Although pick-pocketing is a concern, in general people are kind to eachother. Women, pregnant or with children, get first choice of the precious few seats available, along with the elderly. Often bus drivers have to wait for elderly patrons to get on and off the bus, which can be dangerous if people at the back of the bus don't see them and begin to push.
Seeing anything in a micro can be a challenge. Especially if you are taller than 5', which I am. Today I actually rode in a micro that was so short my head rubbed the ceiling! The trick is to duck down so you can see out of the window, but when the micro is full that too can be a challenge. Fortunately, next to my house there is a bright pink and purple tienda that helps me know when to get off as long as I can see it!
I am hoping to begin with my actual job position soon and am very excited about the direction MCC Bolivia is hoping to take. Stay tuned for more details as I get into the thick of my assignment here. I have rambled on long enough and so I leave you with a slew of new pictures. The sketchy fruit has a name, but I don't know what it is! I can tell you that it is surprisingly tasty despite it's rather disgusting appearance :)
Monday, February 11, 2008
Wild Weekend!!!
So this weekend got off to an interesting start with my move to the "Plan." Plan Tres Mil is a neighborhood that was started as a housing project for 3000 families who were displaced by flooding. Over the years it has become one of the only locations with affordable housing in Santa Cruz and so it has kept growing, but at a rate that has exceeded the infrastructural development.
As such, the "roads" to the Plan are more like a muddy maze littered with huge car-sized potholes that fill with water when it rains, making the roads impassible. This was the situation I encountered last evening after spending a relaxing day at a friend's house in the country. Once we had navegated through the maze, we discovered the road to my house was flooded and I was stranded! Fortunately I was able to stay at my friend's house for the night and today I will hopefully be able to reach my house.
Here are some interesting details about the Plan so you all can have a better idea of what it's like (and I will try to post pictures asap!)
The Plan is about a half an hour from the center, which means a 30-45 minute ride in the micro and even though it's still in the city it feels like living in the campo! There are dogs, chickens and horses that roam the dirt trails, leaving behind their evidence. A couple of small tiendas have set up shop in the Plan, but no internet cafes or other indications that the outside world even exists. We have one neighbor with a boisterous bunch of dogs and cats.
I am living with a delightful woman, her daughter and a little puppy named Nano. In our free time we watch novelas together (yay!!!) many of which are mexican so I'm feeling right at home! We do have running water, although it's not warm, but since it is typically hot here a cold shower is pretty refreshing!
It feels like I've been here a long time already and I'm starting to feel more comfortable. I'm looking forward to getting to know the details of my position and finding a fixed place to live and a community to settle into...Who knows what adventures the rest of the week will bring!
PS: It's amazing have a slight sunburn in February!!! (HaHa to those of you suffering in cold Ohio :)
As such, the "roads" to the Plan are more like a muddy maze littered with huge car-sized potholes that fill with water when it rains, making the roads impassible. This was the situation I encountered last evening after spending a relaxing day at a friend's house in the country. Once we had navegated through the maze, we discovered the road to my house was flooded and I was stranded! Fortunately I was able to stay at my friend's house for the night and today I will hopefully be able to reach my house.
Here are some interesting details about the Plan so you all can have a better idea of what it's like (and I will try to post pictures asap!)
The Plan is about a half an hour from the center, which means a 30-45 minute ride in the micro and even though it's still in the city it feels like living in the campo! There are dogs, chickens and horses that roam the dirt trails, leaving behind their evidence. A couple of small tiendas have set up shop in the Plan, but no internet cafes or other indications that the outside world even exists. We have one neighbor with a boisterous bunch of dogs and cats.
I am living with a delightful woman, her daughter and a little puppy named Nano. In our free time we watch novelas together (yay!!!) many of which are mexican so I'm feeling right at home! We do have running water, although it's not warm, but since it is typically hot here a cold shower is pretty refreshing!
It feels like I've been here a long time already and I'm starting to feel more comfortable. I'm looking forward to getting to know the details of my position and finding a fixed place to live and a community to settle into...Who knows what adventures the rest of the week will bring!
PS: It's amazing have a slight sunburn in February!!! (HaHa to those of you suffering in cold Ohio :)
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Blessed boredom
Revived from a good day's rest and a relaxing twilight hymnsing (yay for Be thou my vision!!), I felt ready for today's jaunt through the market and lesson on riding the micro (Bolivian for really small bus - so small my head nearly touches the ceiling :).
At the market we purchased a small local fruit called achachairú, which has a shell that peals off and inside is a delightful cotton-candy textured flesh, with a flavor that can only be described as uniquely pleasant. However, my textual senses were not nearly as delighted at lunch time when I tasted my first ever grilled egg plant (my skin is still crawling from the sliminess...). Fortunately, the rest of my lunch was quite good.
I learned several amusing things (in addition to a lot of really useful information) from my orientation outing this morning: treasure is best buried in your bra; skirts on a windy day are not the best idea; sunshine one second does not mean it won't rain the next; and if you smell a strange pee-like odor cross the street.
This afternoon I have a session on Bolivian politics. Meanwhile I hope to use my siesta time boredom to amuse you all with some photos from my backyard :)
At the market we purchased a small local fruit called achachairú, which has a shell that peals off and inside is a delightful cotton-candy textured flesh, with a flavor that can only be described as uniquely pleasant. However, my textual senses were not nearly as delighted at lunch time when I tasted my first ever grilled egg plant (my skin is still crawling from the sliminess...). Fortunately, the rest of my lunch was quite good.
I learned several amusing things (in addition to a lot of really useful information) from my orientation outing this morning: treasure is best buried in your bra; skirts on a windy day are not the best idea; sunshine one second does not mean it won't rain the next; and if you smell a strange pee-like odor cross the street.
This afternoon I have a session on Bolivian politics. Meanwhile I hope to use my siesta time boredom to amuse you all with some photos from my backyard :)
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Bolivia at last!
After an exhausting day of loooooooooong layovers I have finally arrived in Bolivia where I was greeted by the Bolivian team with a little reception of "Salteñas" - a tipical food here reminiscent of hard empanadas made with a sweet chicken and potato filling - something new and interesting for me. After a round of introductions (sound familiar?? ;), it was off to the office for some logistics and lunch is next on the menu. After a warm afternoon siesta, I´ll be off to explore my new home town of Santa Cruz, a bustling city of + 1 million people.
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