interact - Progressio · interact summer 2007 Contents ... the Shuar indigenous group who works for indigenous people’s rights, ... development of this technology

The optionfor the poor

A new beginning for theChurch in Latin America

Summer 2007

interactThe magazine of

ISSN 1816-045X

Also in this issue:Water in El SalvadorHIV and AIDS in ZimbabweQat chewing in Yemen

interact summer 2007

Contents3 first person: seeing through a different lens

4 news: elections in East Timor

6 update: bulletins from the frontline

7 agenda: committed to peace and justice

7

insight: the option for the poor

8 A new beginningLatin American bishops take new step in church’s journey

10 Declaration of intentThe spirit of Medellín is alive and well

action

12 Putting the poor firstThe challenges posed by climate change

viewpoint

13 Clear waterA community in El Salvador fights for its rights

14 Helping handsYoung people in Zimbabwe face up to HIV and AIDS

reportage

16 Something to chew onThe culture of qat chewing in Yemen

Published August 2007 by Progressio

Unit 3, Canonbury Yard

190a New North Road,

London N1 7BJ

tel +44 (0)20 7354 0883

fax +44 (0)20 7359 0017

e-mail [email protected]

website www.progressio.org.uk

Progressio Ireland

c/o CORI, Bloomfield Avenue

Off Morehampton Road

Donnybrook, Dublin 4, Ireland

tel +353 (0)1 6144966

e-mail [email protected]

Charity reg. in Ireland no. CHY 14451

Company reg. no. 385465

Editor Alastair Whitson

Executive Director Christine Allen

Design Twenty-Five Educational

Printing APG (ISO 14001 accreditation for

international environmental standards).

Printed on REVIVE 100% chlorine free

recycled paper.

Recycle this magazine!

8

16

14

Progressio is the working name of the Catholic Institute for International Relations Charity reg. in the UK no. 294329 Company reg. no. 2002500

Except for articles written by Progressio staff, the views and opinions in Interact are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect Progressio policy.

18 interview: Melody Pazan

19 reflection: water for life

20 review: visions of development

The option for the poorThe insight section of this issue of Interactexamines the messages from the 5th GeneralConference of the Latin American and Caribbeanbishops held in Aparecida, Brazil, in May. Thearticles look in some detail at what it means to bean ‘advocate of justice and defender of the poor’.

A concern for the poor and powerless is at theheart of Progressio’s approach. We seek toempower people to tackle the poverty andinjustice that they face. This can be seen in thework described elsewhere in this Interact: inChristopher Nyamandi’s work with young peoplein Zimbabwe (see page 14), or Hans Joel’s workwith communities in El Salvador (page 13), orFrancisco Hernandez’s work with theenvironmental movement of Olancho in Honduras(page 6).

Progressio’s approach is always grounded inwhat we ‘see’ of the world: the experience of ourwork in countries in Latin America, Africa, theMiddle East and Asia; the views of our partnersand the people we work with in those countries;and, as our environmental advocacy coordinatorSol Oyuela describes (page 12), our analysis of theissues that the people we work with face.

But ultimately, what gives us our direction isnot just experience or analysis, but the values webring to the work that we do. To turn the phrasearound, this is what gives our work its value – itsmeaning and purpose. While poverty and injusticeexist, our values will always require us to act.

editorial

Cover picture: Women and children fromColumbe Alto in Cotopaxi province, Ecuador.Photo: Caroline Pankhurst/Progressio

18

Nic

k Si

reau

/Pro

gres

io

Summer 2007 interact 3

had previously been given funds foreconomic activities and providing themwith cash for everything they ask forwould foster dependency. Facilitating thegroup discussion therefore aimed tocome up with alternatives that wouldhelp solve the problem while at the sametime building the local people’s capacity.

At some point the discussion gottense when the group leader threatenedto stop working if their demand was notmet. To what extent was he representingthe sentiments of the group? That washard to say as his outbursts were metwith silence.

After further discussion, the groupcame up with a number of decisions.First, they were willing to work with usto analyse the situation and prepare aproposal. Second, since the issueinvolved the entire community, they werewilling to bring in other communitymembers instead of limiting it to thegroup members. This decision wasparticularly significant because I am toldthere are rifts among different sectors inthat community.

Third, since water is an issue that thegovernment ought to concern itself with,they were willing to network with thegovernment in finding the solution tothe problem. Finally, recognising that thewater problem is linked to environmentaldegradation, they were willing to workon rehabilitating and protecting theirmountains. To these decisions the leaderseemed amenable – in the end.

first person

PREPARING FOR A FIELD TRIP to threevillages where we are working withthe communities, myself and the

Caritas Dili staff tried to identifyindicators to measure a ‘goodcommunity group’. Tetun language isreally rather limited – everything is eitherdiak (good) or la diak (not good). Fine!But what exactly is grupo diak (goodgroup)?

We came up with various elementsthat make up a group or organisation,and which could be used in assessment,monitoring and evaluation: vision,objectives, plan, leadership, structure,resources, policies and procedures,financial control, and so on. But duringthe workshops I observed how difficult itwas for the staff to come up withconcrete and observable signs of a ‘goodgroup’. They could talk well in abstractterms about good leadership and goodwomen’s participation, but were back todiak and la diak when talking aboutwhat is a good group. It occurred to methat perhaps they hadn’t seen concreteevidence in practice of what makes agood group, perhaps because their workin communities had so far not beendirected at the detailed workings ofcommunity organisations.

At one of the villages, Turiscai, acommunity group (consisting of 13members) was asking for funds to builda water tank for their vegetable garden.However, Caritas Dili could not fund theproject, one reason being that the group

Seeing through a different lens

After the meeting, we learned thatthe posts of secretary and treasurer ofthe group had been vacant for sometime and the leader had beenfunctioning essentially as a one-personshow. The next day, after mass, a groupmember approached a Caritas Dili staffmember to say she was not happy aboutthe meeting because there was notransparency in the group. She wasunhappy that the leader had been askingfor more money when in fact there wasno system to ensure control over thefinancial resources.

Equipped with new analytical/conceptual tools, the staff member easilyrecognised the weaknesses of theorganisation, and is therefore now in abetter position to help ‘fix’ what is amiss.He was also appreciative of thefacilitation process – recognising that it isup to the people themselves to identifythe issues, make decisions and takeaction.

In the end, the conceptual/analyticaltools and the methods we introduce arelike lenses we provide, so that the peoplewe work with are able to see their workin a different light – one that willultimately lead to new and enhancedprogramme work.

Vicky Bautista is a Progressiodevelopment worker in East Timor,working as a capacity building advisorwith Caritas Dili. Vicky is from thePhilippines.

A woman at a community meeting in EastTimor in 2004. Vicky Bautista is now doingsimilar community capacity building work

with Caritas Dili in East Timor.

4 interact Summer 2007

composing proposals andchallenges for candidates. Somefear constitutional change couldactually be a step backwards fromthe existing constitution, drawn upin 1998, which on paper is veryprogressive, particularly regardingthe collective rights of indigenousgroups.

Ampam Karakas, a member ofthe Shuar indigenous group whoworks for indigenous people’srights, fears that the rights ofindigenous communities could beat risk: ‘I hope that the collectiverights of indigenous communitieswhich are recognised in the existingconstitution are maintained andincluded in the new constitution.The hope is that the newconstitution once approved willactually be respected and appliedin full for more than the 10 yearswhich the current constitution haslasted.’

Amira Herdoíza, executivedirector of La CorporaciónKIMIRINA, a Progressio Partnerorganisation, is uniting with otherNGOs working on HIV and AIDS tolobby for the new constitution tocontain a specific paragraph on HIVand AIDS.

‘We would like the state to

assume responsibility for providinganti-retrovirals for all those whoneed them and a commitment toensure that people living with HIVand AIDS are not dismissed fromtheir jobs,’ she said.

The electoral campaign will runfrom 14 August to 27 September,with the elections taking place on30 September 2007. The assemblyis due to begin work in mid-November. The draft of the newconstitution will be submitted to anational referendum later in theyear. Time will tell whether the newconstitution will really lead toempowerment of the marginalised.

Michelle Lowe is a Progressiodevelopment worker, working onadvocacy and communications inEcuador and Peru.

news

Ecuadorian organisations speakup on constitutional change

From Terminator to Zombie

Amira Herdoíza, executive director ofLa Corporación KIMIRINA.

security depends on re-plantingharvested seeds from year to year.Terminator also poses a threat tobiodiversity and the environment,as the terminator gene maycontaminate other plants.

At the 2006 UN Convention onBiodiversity (CBD) a ban on thefield testing and commercialisationof Terminator technology wasupheld. Despite the moratorium,private and public researchers areexpanding and refining thedevelopment of this technologythrough the controversial £3.4million Transcontainer project.

The people behindTranscontainer claim the researchwill help find a solution to theproblem of genetic contaminationof non-GM plants. But why areour taxes being spent on thedevelopment of a sophisticatedtechnology that seeks to address

biotechnology companies’contamination problems?

Most importantly, our money isfinancing the development of atechnology that will havecatastrophic effects on the lives ofpoor farmers, who cannot affordor don’t want to buy these typesof GM seeds. One of the proposednew technologies – dubbed‘zombie seeds’ – will force poorfarmers to pay biotech companiesfor a chemical treatment that willbring seeds back from the dead.

Progressio believes that thisresearch project is a way to getround the UN ban on Terminator,and we are committed to do ourutmost to support a strengtheningof the ban on Terminator at thenext CBD meeting in Berlin in May2008.

Sol Oyuela is Progressio’senvironmental advocacycoordinator.

EUROPEAN TAXPAYERS arefinancing a research projectcalled Transcontainer which is

working to develop a newgeneration of Terminator seeds,writes Sol Oyuela.

Terminator seeds are seeds thatare genetically modified so thatthey produce sterile seeds atharvest. Progressio, along withother NGOs, has expressedconcerns about the risks thatTerminator technology poses tothe 1.4 billion poor farmers in thedeveloping world, whose food

ECUADOR IS CAUGHT UP in‘constituent assembly fever’ –the new socialist president

Rafael Correa’s project to elect anassembly to rewrite the country’sconstitution, writes Michelle Lowe.

In April, 82 per cent of votersbacked the idea in a referendum,initiating a scramble amongprospective members of theconstituent assembly to collectenough signatures to register forthe elections. Civil societyorganisations are now entering intoa period of campaigning andlobbying candidates on the newconstitution.

Correa was inaugurated asPresident in January in a context ofwidespread mistrust and hostilitytowards the country’s mainstreampolitical parties. His electioncampaign promised a ‘citizens’revolution’. The aim is to give thecountry a fresh start by rewritingthe constitution to extend politicalparticipation and reduce the powerof the country’s political elite.

Networks of NGOs working ondifferent themes including HIV andAIDS and the environment are now

interactnowProgressio will be formally launching its campaign, ‘Say No toTerminator Seeds’, on World Food Day on 16 October. If youare interested in helping in our efforts to give poor farmers avoice in choosing how they want to feed their families,please contact us at [email protected]

You can also find out more about the campaign atwww.seedsaver.org.uk

PARLIAMENTARY elections inTimor-Leste on 30 June 2007have left no party with an

absolute majority in the 65-seatParliament with the squabblingparties disagreeing on who formsthe next government. This meanstension in the streets and noresolution of the country’sproblems, writes Steve Kibble.

Like the preceding presidentialelections, the parliamentaryelections were peaceful anddeemed free and fair byinternational and domesticobservers.

The former governing partyFretilin (Revolutionary Front for anIndependent Timor-Leste) saw itsmajority reduced from 57 per centin 2001 to 29 per cent followingmajor internal violence, scandalson arms being handed out to itssupporters, and perceptions ofcorruption and arrogance in someof its leaders. It wants to lead agrand coalition of all partieswhilst former president José‘Xanana’ Gusmao offers analternative Coalition of non-Fretilin parties.

The violence that erupted last


news

• widening a public debate onhow to use the largely unspentoil reserves in its PetroleumReserve amid widespreadpoverty

• working out coherent pro-poorpolicies, creating economicopportunities for themarginalised (especially in theagricultural sector)

• working on coherent policies inits relations with its powerfulneighbours: Australia on oilboundaries and division ofrevenues, and Indonesia onjustice following its illegal 24-year occupation of Timor-Leste

• pursuing justice andreconciliation on violence bothfrom the Indonesian occupationand the civil unrest in 2006

• undertaking security reform tocreate a functioning indigenouspolice and military

• dealing with youth groups’violence linked to massiveyouth unemployment,gender/domestic violence andethnic division

• rehousing the remaining 30,000internally displaced people

• installing a strong andindependent judiciary.

Steve Kibble is Progressio’sadvocacy coordinator for Africa,Middle East and Asia.

Timor-Leste still awaits a government

rights-based approach toeducating people about HIV andAIDS. Progressio developmentworker Mónika Galeano Velasco,who worked with CIPRODEH toproduce the book, said the aim isto tackle HIV ‘through educationand empowerment’. As well asproviding basic information aboutHIV and AIDS, the book covershuman rights, sexuality andgender, and advocacy skills, andprovides guidance on preparingworkshops on HIV and AIDS.

Described by Mónika as ‘asimple book full of hope’, El vuelode los gansos takes the image ofgeese flying as its theme. ‘To seegeese flying inspires our livesbecause it teaches us that livingtogether needs solidarity, the love

Book brings hope to Honduras

CIPRODEH, a Progressiopartner organisation inHonduras, has published a

book on HIV and AIDS preventiontargeted at gay and lesbianorganisations in the country.

The book, which has beendistributed to all gay and lesbianorganisations in Honduras, takes a

year when 60,000 people weredisplaced was internal rather than,as previously, a reaction to therepressive and illegal Indonesianoccupation which ended in 1999.Unresolved tensions arising fromthe occupation, such as impunityfor the perpetrators of violenceagainst the Timorese (despite atruth and reconciliation process),mean a divided and traumatisedsociety.

The immediate challenge facingwhatever new government ofTimor- Leste, the poorest Asiannation, is likely to be foodshortages affecting a fifth of thepopulation by October as a resultof a predicted 30 per cent fall infood production following drought.

Progressio will be working withits partners in Timor-Leste such asLuta Hamutak, Caritas Dili, theCatholic Church Commission forJustice and Peace, Rede FetoHaburas, the Human RightsFoundation and FONGTIL on theirpriorities for the new government.For its own part Progressioconsiders that the major issues forthe new administration wouldappear to be:

we give each other and thecommunication we establish withthe people living around us,’ shesaid.

‘In Honduras we have, like thegeese, started our own journey.We have learned that humansafety needs collectiveparticipation, and that to enjoy thejourney of discovery that is life, wemust share and live together withthe rest of the people.’

Progressio development workerFrancisco Hernandez-Montoya describesthe issues currently facing the people of

Olancho in Honduras

++ The dilemma of the vanishing water ++

In Honduras, the government and state bodies such as the State ForestAdministration emphatically deny any link between droughts, deforestation,and an increase in land used for farming by agribusinesses. This stance hashelped the timber industry in Honduras (80 per cent of which is estimated tobe illegal) to continue plundering the few forests the country has, anddestroying the way of life of people in rural areas.

In La Muralla National Park in eastern Olancho, timber companies removewood from the centre of the park without anyone preventing them from doingso. According to MAO, the Environmental Movement of Olancho, 26 of the 52water currents that have their source in this park have dried up in the lastfive years, which coincides with the period during which timber merchantshave been operating in the area. Seeking to protect the basins and bringorder to activities in these territories, MAO is asking the government to bringin a land planning law in Honduras. +

++ Research uncovers corruption ++

Since 2005, Global Witness and the Environmental Research Agency, thelatter contracted by the Washington-based Center for International Policy,have carried out fieldwork in Honduras on the issue of illegal logging. Thisresearch has uncovered strong and proven links between governmentofficials and timber industrialists. This ranges from granting felling permitswithout the necessary requirements being fulfilled, to the permissiveness ofgovernment officials towards infringements of forestry law – something thathappens routinely.

Despite the evidence, the Honduran authorities have been reluctant to actand have remained silent on the issue. In the last 30 years, these illegalactions have allowed the deforestation of more than half of the country’sforests, changes in microclimate have been caused, and the quality of life ofmore than two million people who live in wooded areas of the country hasbeen affected. These people, in the best of cases, now merely ‘survive’.

The timber industry in Honduras is similar to mining, in that only a fewbecome rich through it, while communities remain in misery. After morethan 50 years, there has not been one single example in Honduras of acommunity to which the timber industry has brought well-being or evenmaterial progress. +


update

bulletins from the

frontline

Fran

cisc

o H

erna

ndez

-Mon

toya

++ The government, in servingthe interests of the privatesector, crushes its own people ++

Salamá, Honduras. Today is another day inthe life of Don Ovidio (name changed for securityreasons), but it could be more important than herealises, because today Salamá’s Municipal LandPlan (POT, to use the Spanish acronym) is beingpresented. There is still, however, a big problem.Don Ovidio doesn’t know or doesn’t understandwhat it is about!

The same can be said for most of the region’s20,000 people. This is mainly due to the use ofdisinformation as a tool to undermine democracy,ignore the rights of the people, and demobilisecivil society organisations so that a certain fewmay take advantage.

Such an approach is very common in LatinAmerica but is employed with particular crueltyin Honduras. MAO is calling on the Hondurangovernment and the World Bank’s Forest andRural Productivity Project – those responsible forthe aforementioned POT – to rectify their actionsand develop a proposal that benefits and respectsthe human rights of the inhabitants of Salamá. +

++ Bringing the forests back tothe people ++

Tegucigalpa, Honduras. A proposed newforestry law is being discussed in the country’sparliament. The proposed law is a key tool in thefight against illegal logging and for communityparticipation in forest management.

Several organisations within the Coalition forEnvironmental Justice have worked shoulder toshoulder with MPs on the committee overseeing thelegislation to bring a stop to indiscriminateexploitation and ensure that Honduran forests areonce again a common asset of the Honduran people.

The law is facing great opposition, especiallyfrom MPs who receive support from the timbersector. Nevertheless, if the law is passed the resultwill be no less than the transformation of theforestry sector – as part of which the current stateforestry administration, a body with a long trackrecord of corruption, will disappear. +

++ Because life is defended with life! ++

On 22 December 2006, two environmental leaders from MAO, Heraldo Zuñigaand Roger Ivan Cartagena, were murdered by police forces in the Guarizamaarea. The two young men, fathers, and MAO activists for many years, were shotfrom behind. It is presumed that the deaths of the two environmentalists werea form of intimidation. To date, seven environmentalists have been murderedin the country without anyone having been prosecuted for these crimes. +

++ The Environmental Movement of Olancho (MAO) ++

MAO believes that in Honduras, ownership of natural resources should bereturned to the Honduran people. However, MAO is not against the sustainable,sensible and beneficial use of these resources. Our vision is of a forestry sectorfree from corruption, where communities can decide on the appropriate use ofresources, based on the premises of responsibility, auditing and protection ofnatural resources. We call for community certification of the forests and thereclamation of more than five million hectares plundered over the last 30years by so-called timber industrialists. +Francisco Hernandez-Montoya is a Progressio development worker workingwith the Movimiento Ambientalista de Olancho (MAO).

7Summer 2007 interact

AS WE CELEBRATE the 40thanniversary of the Pope’s letterPopulorum Progressio through

the livesimply project, we are alsoreminded how things have changed in40 years and how much our awarenessof issues has grown.

The core of the document wasconcerned with full human developmentand covered issues as forward thinkingas trade, international relations, andmodels of assistance which are just asrelevant today as they were whenwritten. However there are some notablegaps – the concern for the environment,patterns of economic and social changesbrought about by globalisation and themovement of peoples, relations acrossfaiths and the changed role andexpectations of women.

Some of these issues were looked atin the recent meeting of the LatinAmerican and Caribbean bishops. Theraft of issues facing the region are sharedby many other parts of the world, so thewords of the bishops and theircommitment merit reflection by all.

Despite the changes in contexts, it isgood to see some fundamental truthsthat were central to Vatican II being re-affirmed. The support for the‘preferential option for the poor’ iscritical in this. Looking at the mediaheadlines, you could be forgiven for notrealising that the church has, at its core,the gospel commitments to peace andjustice. This means a concern for thepoor and powerless in particular.

For us at Progressio, this concept is atthe core of our values and central to ourwork. We are an organisation concernedabout poverty, but it’s more than that –more than just reaching targets ordelivering basic needs. The concept ofthe preferential option for the poor goesbeyond a mechanistic approach totackling poverty. It’s about how you see

the world, whose perspective you have,and where you identify the power. Itmeans making choices that will make adifference to the lives of those in povertyand recognising that people in povertyneed to make choices too, to regaincontrol over their lives, to engage withsociety and to experience the dignitycentral to human beings.

The reaffirmation of the see–judge–act methodology is also very welcome,especially with the ‘see’ being first. Wehave to look at the world, to see thereality and pain and signs of hope,before we make any analysis orjudgement. Otherwise we run the risk ofimposing pre-conceived ideas. It’s asimple methodology but one that is verypowerful. Many Christian activists orthose involved in Justice and Peace workwill know this (or the pastoral cycle as itis also known) as it forms the bedrock oftheir activity and reflections.

For the church and the formation ofits people, the recognition of theimportance of communities of thegrassroots has never been more needed.

The problems of today challenge us tosee the world through the eyes of the

poor, writes Christine Allen agenda

Going to church in Baucau, Timor-Leste: church recognition of grassroots communities is key tothe formation of the church’s people.

Nic

k Si

reau

/Pro

gres

sio

agenda

Our commitment topeace and justice

It is here in the grassroots where thework is done and also where the changeis experienced. Power may be held at thetop, decisions made in layers above, butdaily life is in how individuals live theirlives and communities interact andengage.

For Progressio, that’s why – as well asdoing advocacy rooted in our values andvision of a just world marked by fullhuman development – we work withdevelopment workers. These are peopleinserted with communities andorganisations who work with respect tooffer support and guidance, and helppeople to find their own solutions totheir problems. Interact offers some ofthese stories, but they are just snapshotsfrom the wide range of our work.

In her article ‘A new beginning’ (page8), María Rosa Lorbés writes: ‘Sincereself-criticism is always a good first steptowards finding fresh motivation tocontinue the journey.’ How true this is,and how important the livesimply projectcan be in helping all of us to reflect onour work, our understanding of theworld and our relationships with ourbrothers and sisters globally. Whilst weare inspired by values and teachingthroughout history, we are called to seeour world now and to reflect on thechallenges of today to find a new way ofliving – simply, sustainably and insolidarity with the poor.

I hope that you will be interested tofind out more and meet Maria Rosawhen she speaks at our Annual GeneralMeeting in December.

Christine Allen is Progressio’s executivedirector.

THE 5TH GENERAL

CONFERENCE of the LatinAmerican and Caribbean

Episcopate saw itself as a newstep in the church’s journey,according to the finaldocument of the conferenceheld in May in Aparecida,Brazil. (The document,approved by the bishops, hasnot yet been ratified by the

from the assembly to thepeople of God and to all menand women of goodwill inLatin America, the bishopscommit to ‘maintaining ourpreferential and evangelicaloption for the poor withrenewed vigour’. In this way,the Latin American andCaribbean church, whichrepresents 43 per cent of theworld’s Catholics, returns to

Pope, but changes, if any, willalmost certainly be minor.) Inits reaffirmation of ‘the path offaithfulness, renewal andevangelisation of the LatinAmerican church in service ofits people,’ the bishops saw theconference as providing bothcontinuity and a newbeginning.

In their official message


María Rosa Lorbés, director of the Instituto Bartolomé delas Casas in Peru, welcomes a reaffirmation by Latin

American bishops of the ‘preferential option for the poor’


‘The Church is calledupon to be ‘theadvocate of justice anddefender of the poor’

The church of San Jeronimo in Cusco, Peru.

Gra

ham

Fre

er/P

rogr

essi

o

the roots of the gospel andreaffirms itself on its path,while responding withcreativity and vitality to thechallenges of the present.

Defender of the poorBenedict XVI establishedguidelines in his inauguralspeech, when he affirmed thatthe Church is called upon to be‘the advocate of justice anddefender of the poor’ in theface of ‘intolerable social andeconomic inequalities’, which‘are an obvious disgrace’. Sothat there is no doubt over theessential and fundamentalnature of this option for aChristian, the bishops –inspired by the Pope’s speech –affirm that ‘the preferentialoption is implicit in the simplefaith of Christ… This option isborn of our faith in JesusChrist, the God made man,who made himself our brother(cf. Hebrews 2:11-12).’

Another reaffirmation of thepath taken by the LatinAmerican church is given inthe decision by the bishopswho met at Aparecida to returnto the see–judge–act methodused in Puebla (1979) andMedellín (1968). They write:‘Many voices from all over thecontinent offered contributionsand suggestions, affirming that

A NEWBEGINNING



this method has helped to liveour vocation and mission moreintensely in the church, it hasenriched theological andpastoral work, and in general ithas motivated us to assume ourresponsibilities in the face ofthe particular context of ourcontinent.’

In the same way, thedocument’s appraisal of thebase ecclesial communities(grassroots Christiancommunities, known elsewherein Latin America simply as‘Christian communities’) issignificant: ‘In the ecclesialexperience of Latin Americaand the Caribbean, the baseecclesial communities haveoften acted as schools that trainfollowers and missionaries ofthe Lord. The generousdevotion of so many of theirmembers, who have even spilttheir blood, is proof of this...Deeply-rooted in the heart ofthe world, [the base ecclesialcommunities] are privilegedspaces for the communityexperience of faith, sources offraternity and solidarity, analternative to the currentsociety founded on selfishnessand on ruthless competition.’

Renewed focusBut the message that camefrom Aparecida is not justabout the reaffirmation of apath. It also places a newtheological and pastoralemphasis on issues such as theappreciation of indigenous andafro-american cultures and theexplicit commitment made bythe church to defend theirrights. It includes a pastoralconcern for protection of theenvironment, the challenge ofecumenicism and of inter-religious dialogue, and theurgent call to ‘listen to theoften silenced cry of womenwho are subjected to manyforms of exclusion, and toviolence in all its forms and atall stages of their lives.Amongst them, women whoare poor, indigenous or ofAfrican descent have suffered adouble marginalisation. There

is a pressing need for allwomen to be able to participatefully in ecclesial, family,cultural, social and economiclife, creating spaces andstructures that favour a greaterdegree of inclusion.’

This concern is characterisedby the phrase ‘the faces of thepoor’. The bishops state:‘Globalisation has caused theemergence of a greater numberof poor in our countries. Withspecial attention and incontinuity with the previousGeneral Conferences, we fixour gaze on the faces of thenewly excluded: migrants,victims of violence, displacedpeople and refugees, victims ofpeople trafficking andkidnappings, missing people,those ill with HIV and chronicillnesses, people addicted todrugs, elderly people, childrenwho are victims of prostitution,pornography and violence orchild labour, abused women,victims of violence, exclusionand of trafficking for sexualexploitation, people withdifferent abilities, large groupsof unemployed people, thoseexcluded by technologicalilliteracy, people who live onthe streets of major cities,indigenous people and peopleof African descent, farmerswithout land and miners.’

New challengeAs soon as we have the official

version of this document, itwill be very important to readit, study it, and try to bring itto life in our personal,community and ecclesiasticdaily life. The first thing is tolet ourselves be questioned byHim in depth, and to askourselves, in a climate ofspiritual reflection, howfaithful we are to the voice ofthe Lord, how attentive we areto the new signs of the timesand to what extent we live insolidarity with the poor.

Perhaps, as a first step, itwould be good to read theparagraph in which the bishopsseriously examine the ecclesial

‘[Christian communities are] sourcesof fraternity and solidarity, analternative to the current societyfounded on selfishness and onruthless competition’

conscience and lament ‘ourweak experiences of thepreferential option for thepoor’. For both people andinstitutions, sincere self-criticism is always a good firststep towards finding freshmotivation to continue thejourney.

This is an edited translation of theleading article from the June 2007edition of Signos (Signs), publishedby Instituto Bartolomé de lasCasas, Lima, Peru.

Instituto Bartolomé de las CasasThe Bartolomé de Las Casas Institute is a non profit organisation founded in 1974 bythe theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez and a group of professional Catholics who wantedto contribute to the process of integral freedom and human development in Peru fromthe Christian perspective of a preferential option for the poor.

Integral freedom implies that people work to strengthen democracy and encouragecitizen participation from the perspective of justice and solidarity which recognises thediversity which exists in the country and the promotion of consensus. This concept ofdevelopment also implies a concept of real freedom which enables people to overcomethe inhumane poverty in which the majority of Peruvian people live.

This process presupposes that poor people actively participate in society, that theyare not excluded or treated as objects but recognised and considered as subjects withhuman dignity, aspirations and the capacity to actively participate.

Charlotte Smith, a Progressio development worker, is currently supporting theInstitute with its international communications work.

For more information on the institute, see www.bcasas.org.pe

DECLARATIONOF INTENT

IWRITE THESE REFLECTIONS a fewweeks after the end of the5th General Conference of

bishops in Aparecida, Brazil,which I attended as an adviseron the outside to somePeruvian bishops.

For me, the conference wasan important reaffirmation, aswell as a new beginning, of theLatin American Church’s postVatican II identity, an identityfirst vigorously affirmed inMedellín in 1968. It representsa new beginning because itresponds to important changeswithin Latin America in recentdecades: the impact ofglobalisation, the continuingand even growing disparitiesbetween wealthy sectorsbenefiting from the neweconomic reality and thepoverty and exclusion ofmillions, and the threat ofecological devastation and itsconsequences especially for thepoor due to unfetteredeconomic exploitation. TheAparecida document tackles allof these and other challenges,and on the whole it comes off,I believe, with high marks.

Pope’s benchmarkThe Inaugural Address ofBenedict XVI, which served as abenchmark for the work of theconference, started from thePope’s affirmation that ‘thepreferential option for the pooris implicit in the christologicalfaith in the God who becamepoor for us in order to enrichus with His poverty (cf. 2 Cor 8-9).’ This is an explicitconfirmation of thefundamental thesis groundingboth experience andtheological reflection in LatinAmerica during the past 40years. God’s love extends to allpersons, and because of this,His love is most especiallydirected to the poor. Thepreferential option for the poorexcludes no one and is thus adeclaration of the universalityof God’s love. Benedict’s wordswere also an implicit rejectionof the idea that such an option,which is not optional forfollowers of Jesus, is not basedon sociological or ideologicalpremises. Its ground is faith inJesus.

Although the phrase justcited does not come at thebeginning of the address, thethemes touched on inBenedict’s talk to the bishopscan be, and I think should be,understood in the light of thepreferential option. Thesethemes include:Human development: ‘In the

effort to know the messageof Christ and to make it theguide for one’s life, it mustbe remembered thatevangelisation has alwaysbeen linked to humandevelopment and authenticChristian liberation.’

Populorum Progressio:‘[Populorum Progressio]makes clear that authenticdevelopment has to beintegral, that is, oriented tothe whole development ofeach and every person …and it invites everyone toovercome those grave socialinequalities and enormousdifferences in the access tomaterial goods.’

Globalisation: ‘Althoughcertain aspects [ofglobalisation] represent anachievement of the greathuman family …nevertheless it also carriesthe risk of vast monopoliesand the conversion ofeconomic gain as thesupreme value … As in allareas of human activity,globalisation must begoverned by ethics.’

Social structures: ‘Juststructures are … an



Cultivating the highlands in Cotopaxiprovince, Ecuador: campesinosthroughout Latin America rely onnatural resources for their livelihoods.

Car

olin

e Pa

nkhu

rst/

Prog

ress

io

Francis Chamberlain, s.j., considers what the Bishop’s Conference atAparecida means for the Latin American Church

indispensable condition for ajust society, but they do notarise or function without themoral consent of societyregarding fundamentalvalues and the necessity ofliving out these values withtheir necessaryrenunciations, even ofpersonal benefit.’

Latin American rootsThe Pope touches of course onother themes, but thestatements above demonstratethat Benedict put a very LatinAmerican flavour on his talk.None of the topics mentionedare new in theologicalreflection and pastoral practicein this part of the Catholicworld. But that is precisely thepoint: Benedict in effect put hisseal of approval on a way ofreflecting and living the Gospelthat has its roots in Medellínand the succeeding Episcopalconferences during these last40 years. In doing so, Benedictwas letting the bishops knowthat the ball was in their court,and on their terms.

For the bishops, the firstorder of business was thequestion of methodology. TheMedellín and Puebladocuments were structuredaround the methodology ofsee–judge–act. Santo Domingoin 1992 overturned thatmethod and put judging, thatis theological reflection, beforethe assessment (seeing) ofconcrete reality. It was saidthen, falsely I believe, thatChristian reflection and actingcannot be grounded on meresociological considerations. Thefallacy in this way of thinkingis based on the idea that‘seeing’ reality for a Christian isonly a sociological task. From atruly Christian perspective, theeffort to ‘see’ is always done inthe light of the Gospel.

Before the conference thegreat majority of nationalEpiscopal conferencesrequested that themethodology of see–judge–actbe reinstated. The decision onthe structure of the document

was therefore a crucial decisionby the bishops, not in any waya declaration of independencefrom Rome, but rather anaffirmation of Latin AmericanCatholic identity.

Defending natureAmong the major themescoming out of Aparecida, thatwill hopefully serve the Churchand Latin American society inthe coming years, was ecology.The South American continentis one of the richest areas ofbiodiversity in the world. TheAmazon rain forest producesclose to 30 per cent of theplanet’s oxygen. The continenthas immense resources inwater, minerals, timber, oil andgas. All of these resources are indanger of being destroyed byindiscriminant and unfetteredeconomic exploitation. Theconference forcefully expressedits concern over the growingdevastation and contaminationof the natural wealth of thecontinent, especially for thosecampesino and nativepopulations whose source oflivelihood is curtailed and eveneliminated by the destructionand contamination of thenatural environment of theregion.

The struggle for the defenseof the natural world is thus anew way of living thepreferential option for the poor.The Aparecida document putsit this way: ‘The naturalresources of Latin Americasuffer today an irrationalexploitation, which leaves [inits path] a march of destructionand even death throughout ourregion. The present economicmodel must assume anenormous responsibility. Itprivileges the excessive searchfor wealth, over and above thelives of individuals and peoplesand the care of the naturalenvironment. The devastationof our forests and itsbiodiversity by selfish anddepredatory practices implies amoral responsibility of thosewho so act. It puts in dangerthe lives of millions of persons

and, especially, the habitat ofcampesinos and Indians.’

Facing down povertyThe Aparecida document statesthat the present style ofglobalisation has produced‘new faces of the poor’.Globalisation is not somethingthat benefits all people, butonly a relatively select few. Thedocument proposes that theChurch join the struggle for anew kind of globalisation, whatthe bishops call ‘theglobalisation of solidarity’.Such global solidarity demandsworking for the common good:‘Work for the common globalgood must promote a justregulation of the world’seconomy, financialmovements, and commerce. Itis urgent that external debt becancelled to make investmentin the social sector viable.Regulations must be put inplace to prevent and controlcapital speculation. Justice incommerce must be promotedalong with the progressivelowering of protectionistbarriers by the powerful. Justprices for the raw materialsproduced by poor countries areurgently needed. There must benorms created for attractingand regulating foreigninvestment and other services.’

The Aparecida document isgood news for Latin Americaand its Church. It is not aperfect document: for example,the place of women in theChurch and in society isconsidered in the document,but one gets the feeling thatwhat was said was simply notenough. But at least thebishops took the ball thatBenedict threw them andplayed their own game. One ofthe priest delegates at the endof the conference put it thisway: ‘The spirit of Medellín isalive!’ It is a spirit that is aliveand well and open to the newchallenges of our day.

Francis Chamberlain is a memberof the Chicago Province of theSociety of Jesus.




CLIMATE CHANGE is finally making abelated appearance at the top ofthe political agenda, but it doesn’t

concern only politicians: most of us aremaking efforts to change our lifestyles inresponse to climate change. To people inthe North, this usually means savingenergy (turning off lights and appliances,using energy saving bulbs, switching to agreen energy provider) and polluting less(driving less, using a train instead of aplane, reducing, reusing and recycling ourwaste).

But have you ever stopped to thinkwhat climate change means to theworld’s poor? Last May, theIntergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange (IPCC) published a report thatconcluded that the most devastatingeffects of climate change will be felt bythose with the least resources to adapt –the 1.4 billion poor throughout thedeveloping world.

This finding shouldn’t come as asurprise to anyone. The livelihoods of theworld’s poor, especially in rural areas, arestrongly linked to a reliance on the naturalenvironment. The rural poor’s basic needsare met by natural resources. Theseprovide them with food, energy, water,housing, good health, and a means toemployment and income generation.

Links to povertyProgressio believes that responses to thechallenges of climate change need torecognise the mutually reinforcingrelationship between poverty and theenvironment.

Poor people stress that as the qualityof the physical environment declines(infertile soil, deforestation, pasturedegradation and decreasing fish stocks)their livelihood opportunities becomemore limited as their ability to generatean income is constrained. This makesthem more vulnerable to future shocks.

But environmental degradation is notonly a cause of poverty; it’s also aconsequence. The rural poor cannot butcontinue to rely on natural resources,even if this means over-exploiting thealready few resources that surround them.In some cases, this means working forwealthy members of their community inactivities that contribute to environmentaldegradation (such as mineral extractionand logging).

The mutually reinforcing relationshipbetween poverty and environmentalproblems requires solutions that addressboth aspects. For Progressio, this means

action

Putting thepoor first

Progressio’s environmental advocacy coordinator, Sol Oyuela,outlines the challenges posed by climate change

Lucy

Cat

hcar

t/Pr

ogre

ssio

People gaining control overthe resources that

determine their lives is keyto overcoming poverty

(Association of Municipalities of NuevaSegovia), one of our local partners inNicaragua, works in areas of extreme ruralpoverty where the unsustainableexploitation of natural resources is causingrapid environmental degradation. Theproject has been addressing the weaknessof local government institutions and thelack of participation of the poor(especially women) in natural resourcemanagement, planning mechanisms andlocal policy.

Overcoming obstaclesThese initiatives, like others thatProgressio supports, aim to enhance theresilience of local people in the face ofclimatic changes, whilst promoting theirown skills and knowledge about theirsocial and ecological context. They alsotake into consideration the needs,aspirations and circumstances of poorfarmers, by involving them in decision-making over environmental resources. Webelieve that the possibility of peoplegaining control over the resources thatdetermine their lives is key to overcomingpoverty.

We also believe that it is crucial tobring the voices of those most vulnerableto environmental degradation to globalpolicy debates. Our internationaladvocacy work on the environment aimsto make this a reality. Whilst the climatechange agenda has only recently becomeprominent in the North, poorcommunities in developing countries havebeen struggling with its effects for sometime. The international community has alot to learn from the strategies andtechniques that poor communities havedeveloped over the years to respond tonatural climate variability. We arecommitted to exploring andunderstanding what adaptation to climatechange means at the grassroots level, andpromoting the scaling up of thosesuccessful experiences.

Today northern countries are at lastfacing up to the problem. However, thechallenge now lies in incorporatingdeveloping countries into these processes.Given that their people are the mostvulnerable to the effects of climatechange, it is their needs and demandswhich need to be at the forefront ofglobal policy processes. Progressio’sprogrammes and advocacy work arecommitted to making this happen.

Sol Oyuela is Progressio’s environmentaladvocacy coordinator.

supporting the rational and localmanagement of natural resources toimprove the lives of the poor. Thisincludes promoting sustainable cultivationpractices and resource managementtechniques, whilst improving productivity,income and living conditions in smallfarming communities throughout thedeveloping world.

For example, in Ecuador Progressiosupports the work of a localenvironmental NGO called CEA(Coordinadora Ecuatoriana deAgroecologia). CEA promotesagroecology, building on traditionalknowledge and the use of local resourcesto develop farming systems that areenvironmentally sustainable and thatguarantee the food security of ruralcommunities.

To Progressio, finding sustainablesolutions to environmental and povertyproblems means including the poor in thedecisions on managing natural resourcesthat are so crucial for their lives. AMUNSE

Joan

ne G

reen

/Pro

gres

sio

Nic

k Si

reau

/Pro

gres

sio

13

poisoning which causes kidney failure.Recently 25 people have died.

The communities’ leaders thereforedeveloped a proposal for a new deep wellwhich they took to the governmentministry. They worked with the localmayor’s office to develop the proposal andlobby the government. They weresuccessful and the new well has beenmechanically dug to a depth of 80 metres.After they dug it the water was tested andit was perfect quality. However, thegovernment did not install pipes to deliverwater to their homes. ‘We are not usingthe water yet, it’s like we have the gas butnot the car. We know the water from theold wells is polluted but we still have todrink it,’ one of the leaders commented.

ProgressProgress has been made on many aspectsof the communities lives: for example,FUMA has also supported thecommunities with building compostinglatrines which has lowered the incidenceof diarrhoea. But there is still a long wayto go, and although the people have

Summer 2007 interact

IN THE FAR SOUTH-EAST of the small,crowded country of El Salvador liesLake Olomega. On first impressions,

the setting seems idyllic as the lake sitsnestled between steep hills overlookedby volcanoes. Yet this lake is both ablessing and a curse to the communitieswho live on its shores.

‘The day the fish die out, we die out,’says Josefa Elisabeth Avila, treasurer ofthe committee which represents all thelakeside communities, and outreachworker with Progressio partnerorganisation FUMA. The group has cometogether to decide on their needs, plansand priorities for the coming year.

Hans Joel, Progressio’s developmentworker with FUMA, stands on thesidelines of the meeting. He has workedwith these community representatives bytraining them in leadership, riskmanagement, advocacy and projectmanagement so that they can effectivelylobby the government to address someof the main problems they are facing.

Rural communities generally feelneglected by the government, accordingto Carmen Medina, Progressio’s countryrepresentative for El Salvador. Thegovernment, she says, is not interested inrural areas, except for the coffeeplantations because they are owned bywealthy people.

PollutionIn order to reduce pollution of the lakefrom animal faeces, the communitieslobbied the government to adopt a newlaw forbidding people from letting theircattle go near the lake. However, the lawis not being enforced. Some peoplesuspect that the mayor does not want toenforce it because he has cattle himself.So, the people are now asking forenvironmental police to be posted to thelake so that they can enforce this law.

One of the biggest priorities for thecommittee is securing access to cleandrinking water. The lake and surroundinggroundwater sources – which thecommunities use for drinking water – isheavily polluted: by fertiliser run-off fromthe hills where the communities cultivateland for food, by animal and humanfaeces, and by arsenic and other mineralswhich occur naturally due to the volcanicgeology of the area. The communitieshave to get their drinking water fromhand-dug wells which due to theirshallow depth are heavily polluted. As aresult many people are sick and evendying from diarrhoea and arsenic

viewpoint

achieved success in their lobbying efforts,they still face challenges in making surechange and new projects are fullyimplemented.

Yet one lasting positive impact thatHans and FUMA have left is a strongconfidence on the part of the communityleaders that they have the skills andability to make a difference to their ownlives. At the committee meeting, one ofthe community leaders, Toribio MejíaGranado, recalled that before Fuma’straining: ‘I was so shy that I thought if Ihave to say anything in front of anaudience, I will cry! But now I can get infront of any audience and I’m not evenafraid of the government and can evenfeel confident enough to speak to theMinister. In fact, recently there was apolitical rally nearby and I went up to theEl Salvadorian President and asked himfor help with our projects! We want tothank FUMA for teaching us how tostand up and express our needs.’

Joanne Green is Progressio’s advocacymanager.

Top left: Josefa ElisabethAvila; above: Hans Joel; left:Toribio Mejía Granado.

A community in El Salvador is standing up for its right to clean water,writes Joanne Green

Clearwater

Joan

ne G

reen

/Pro

gres

sio


Jani

ce F

low

er/P

rogr

essi

o

Jani

ce F

low

er/P

rogr

essi

o

revolved around fighting stigma anddiscrimination, positive living, self-helpand general information sharing. At thetime young people (especially boys) werenot involved in caring for people livingwith HIV and AIDS, so there was noconnection in their minds betweeninfection and its consequences. As theimpact of the pandemic continuedunabated, this gap could only be closedby involving young people in care work.

The attitude of adults is sometimes towant to protect young people, thusunderestimating their potential andpreventing them from reaching out toothers and contributing to theircommunities. The ‘Young People WeCare’ concept was therefore introducedto encourage and enable young peopleto participate in caring for familiesinfected or affected by HIV and AIDS.This concept, used in conjunction withother participatory methodologies suchas Peer Education Training and theStepping Stones Methodology, aims toencourage youths to support children,their peers and adults who are living incommunities and are infected or affectedby AIDS.

Helpinghands

viewpoint

Young men at the poultry project.

Young people in Zimbabwe arehelping their communities face

the challenges of HIV and AIDS,writes Progressio developmentworker Christopher Nyamandi

IN MANY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, youngpeople find it hard to get involved inHIV and AIDS initiatives due to socio-

cultural, economic and politicalchallenges. In Zimbabwe, thegovernment has addressed this problemby introducing coherent curricula on thepandemic for school children. This hasintroduced the HIV and AIDS agenda tochildren in school. The challenge now isto maintain the momentum with out ofschool youths, who are often grapplingwith the harsh economic context of highunemployment, hyperinflation andgeneral social decay.

Progressio partner organisationBatsirai has responded by setting up aninnovative youth programme that aimsto enable young people to themselves bethe agents of behavioural change,through training in peer education.Batsirai – which literally translated means‘a helping hand’ – believes that workingwith these youths presents a window ofhope for an HIV-free generation.Capturing them with information andbehaviour change tools is critical

because, with high unemployment, outof school youths are often idle and thusvulnerable to peer pressureexperimentation.

Youth friendlyBatsirai’s approach involves setting up‘youth friendly corners’ at heath centres(such as clinics and hospitals), schoolsand other community centres. Theyouths carry out HIV and AIDS activitiesthrough arts, sports and othercampaigns. One example is the youthfriendly corner at Alaska, a formermining suburb in Chinhoyi municipalitywhere the majority of the residents arenow unemployed following closure ofthe mine.

The Alaska Youth Friendly Cornerwas started in 2001 and currently has amembership of more than 25 out-of-school youths, of whom 10 are youngwomen. The primary aim was to carryout HIV and AIDS campaigns amongyouths using community based structuressuch as churches, clubs/societies andother community groups. The message

Progressio development worker ChristopherNyamandi.

15

He says: ‘Being a member of the grouphas given me an entrepreneurshipspirit… The skills I have learnt are notonly relevant for the group but I haveassimilated them into my personal life.’

The success of this group is evident.Members feel more secure and exude abeam of confidence. The songs theysing, the plays they perform, theirspeeches, the poetry and any otheractivity speak of one thing: HOPE. Ahope that through resilience,determination and self-reliance theyouths can make a difference in the faceof HIV and AIDS.

Christopher Nyamandi is a Progressiodevelopment worker with Batsirai. He isbased in Chinhoyi, 112 km west ofHarare.

Summer 2007 interact

Community careAfter the training, youths in Alaskabecame more involved in communityactivities such as road maintenance andrepair, visiting home-based care clients,counselling children (especially orphans)and helping people with chronic illnesswith household chores such as fetchingwater and firewood. To date the youthgroup has visited 203 households andoffered support and assistance to them.They have participated in seven funerals(usually Zimbabwean funerals areaccompanied by all-night vigils and areattended by adults) and have repaired500 metres of gravel road surface that isused by the public.

In addition to these care activities thegroup started recreational games andarts. They are involved in drama andpoetry and they have used these as atool for communicating AIDSinformation. Their group is nowregistered as a performing arts groupwith the National Arts Council, meaningthey can perform for a fee at anydesignated place. The group has sinceshot a video on child abuse and writtenover 12 plays that they perform atschools, churches, and other publicplaces. The group uses music during alltheir activities: in fact music seems to bea part of their daily life. They keepguests, group members and communityleaders entertained through music anddance every time they meet. Their musicrevolves around social life in present dayZimbabwe and gives emphasis to thefight against HIV and AIDS.

Building livelihoodsWith support from Batsirai, the grouphas also started two income generatingactivities: a poultry project and avegetable garden. After receiving 100chicks and poultry mash for the firstcycle of the poultry project, theymanaged to raise and sell the chickens tostart again for the second and thirdcycle. They have through repetitive cyclessold more than 225 chickens, anddonated others to households withchronically ill patients. The vegetablegarden, where carrots, cabbage andsweet potatoes are grown, also aims toserve the community at large. It isexpected to provide income to the groupto motivate the peer educators and alsoto push forward their humanitarianassistance to clients under home basedcare.

Raphael Grey, a former member ofthe group who is now employed inBotswana, said: ‘Being a member of thisyouth group helped me gain confidence.Now I can think critically and logically. I can express myself well and analysesituations to come up with rational andwell thought out decisions for mypersonal life and my family. Theinformation I gained helped me thinkabout protecting myself and my familyfrom HIV. Now I am happily married withtwo children and would not hesitate torecommend that parents send theirchildren to the youths group.’

Some members have also used theskills acquired from the Youth Corner todevelop their own livelihoods. A goodexample is Elvis Ngaura, 19 years old,who has started his own poultry project.

Chr

isto

pher

Nya

man

di

Elvis Ngaura with some of hischickens.

viewpoint

Growing up HIV has resulted in unusually high levels of orphans and vulnerable children. AtChikonohono Primary School in Chinhoyi, a teacher who did work experiencewith Batsirai during his studies has responded by setting up ‘The Helping HandProject’. Working with 38 pupils from a grade 4 class and with support fromBatsirai, the school resuscitated a dormant agricultural garden. The project’saims included generating an income to pay school fees and buying school itemsfor the most needy orphans, teaching and discussing HIV and AIDS-related lifeskills, and developing the children’s capacity for self help while strengtheningsocial cohesion within the school.

The first harvest, of peas and carrots, generated Z$24,000 in sales – arespectable sum at the time, considering that no fertilisers were used and theland is quite small. From this income, the club bought 28 exercise books andpaid school fees for one orphan. In addition some of the money was used tobuy seeds and fertiliser; Batsirai also contributed seeds and fertiliser. The teacherplans to inter-crop maize and beans so as to maintain or enhance the fertility ofthe soil. This is expected to boost income at the next harvest.

The project struggles with water shortages and thefts, but the school is in theprocess of engaging with the community to make people understand the valueof the garden to children in need. For their part, the children have learnt thatthrough their own efforts they can make a difference in the lives of theircolleagues. They have found that through group discussions they are free todiscuss their problems with their peers, and they are learning new life skills thatwill stand them in good stead for the future.

A local youth bundles qat for sale from his family stall.Traditionally most Yemeni men will buy their bundle of qatduring the lunchtime hours in preparation for an afternoonchewing session. Qat is a major part of Yemeni societyeconomically as well as socially. The financial transactionsinvolved in qat production and its sale – land, water,pesticides, fertilisers, picking, transport, bundling and sale –account for an estimated 16 per cent of the nationaleconomy and 22 per cent of the total workforce. Qatgradually loses potency from the moment it is picked, so thenetwork of growers, transporters and sellers is highlyorganised to ensure that freshly picked qat is alwaysavailable for sale by lunchtime in all cities, towns and villagesacross Yemen.

Qat fields often occupy the best agricultural land – an oasis ofgreen in an otherwise barren landscape. These fields are dottedwith watchtowers, from where armed men guard the valuable

qat bushes day and night. Qat – which has been grown, tradedand chewed in Yemen for centuries and has a social function

much like alcohol (which is banned in Yemen) – is now mostlycultivated on good fertile lands. For healthy growth and a goodcrop, qat requires a significant amount of regular watering – a

problem in such a water scarce country. A more recent problemassociated with the use of qat is the application of pesticides to

the plant which are then absorbed by the qat plant andsubsequently by the qat chewers themselves.

A typical rural village sits atop a hill in Yemen on theoutskirts of the capital Sana’a. The barren landscape istypical of much of rural Yemen, where water is a preciouscommodity. Available fresh water per person per year is only220 cubic metres – well below the internationally recognised‘scarcity level’ of 1,000 cubic metres per person per year.Experts working on water have predicted that the capitalSana’a could run dry as early as 2015. To address theproblem, governmental and non-governmental organisationsacross Yemen are undertaking a variety of programmesaimed at enabling communities to take control of theirwater resources, conserve and ration water in a moreequitable manner, and gain access to improved watersources – typically helping to lower the workload of womenand girls, the traditional drawers of water. Progressio-Yemenis currently researching the possibilities for Progressiodevelopment workers to work on issues around water inYemen.

somethingto chew on

Chewing qat is part ofthe culture in Yemen –

but it doesn’t comewithout a price

Words and pictures:David Tanner

reportage



A money changer with a ‘pouch’ of chewed qat leaves collectedin his cheek over a long afternoon’s chewing. Yemenis tend not toswallow or spit out the chewed qat but slowly collect it in onecheek (Somalis, who also chew qat, tend mostly to swallow thechewed leaves). Qat leaves contain a very low level of anamphetamine-like chemical which is absorbed into thebloodstream when chewed. If enough is chewed and for longenough, it can lead to a feeling of clarity and heightenedperception, and a mild sense of euphoria. Chewers tend tobecome more voluble, and the conversation tends to becomemore free-flowing, the longer the chewing session goes on. Qatreduces tiredness and prolonged chewing can lead to insomnia –indeed, it is often chewed by long distance lorry drivers to keepthem awake. Qat is not believed to be addictive and has fewlong-term medical side effects, but heavy use over a long periodcan in rare cases lead to psychological problems – although theuse of qat is certainly much less damaging than tobacco oralcohol, for example.

An afternoon qat chewing session in the mountain villageof Raymah. All over the country, Yemeni men gather in the

early afternoon to chew qat together and discusseverything and anything from politics, history and religion

to local gossip and rumour. Qat chewing sessions areexclusively male affairs: chewing qat is traditionally a male

preserve, and chewing by women is frowned upon.Because important matters are discussed and decided atqat chewing sessions, the tradition is a significant way in

which women in Yemen are excluded from participating indebate and decision-making.

reportage

A small bush festooned with plastic bags thrown away byqat chewers. Another problem associated with qat is theenvironmental pollution caused by the thousands andthousands of plastic bags that are used to carry and sell qatand are not disposed of properly. Roadsides, trees andbushes around qat selling and chewing areas are typicallystrewn with plastic bags, which, as they are non-biodegradable, last for hundreds of years. Rubbish collectionand disposal outside the main cities is limited, and litter is afrequent eyesore – and a growing health risk – by roadsidesand in villages and rural areas.

A range of locally grown vegetables on sale at a shop inthe capital, Sana’a. One of the problems associated with

the production of qat is that fertile land and water – bothextremely valuable and scarce resources in Yemen – are

given over to qat production rather than for theproduction of vegetables, fruits and grains. Additionally, as

qat is relatively expensive, it means that although itsproduction is highly profitable for those lucky enough to

grow it, the average man buying qat uses a significantproportion of the family income for its purchase. This can

result in a lack of funds for family needs such as children’sschool fees, clothing or even food: studies have revealed adirect link in some families between child malnutrition and

parental use of qat.

Nic

k Si

reau

/Pro

gres

sio


I’M THE CURRENT PRESIDENT of the UniversityWomen’s Association here at CuencaState University, in Ecuador. The

association aims to help female studentsrespond to the problems women face insociety. Drop-out rates at the universityare much higher for female than malestudents, and this is down todiscrimination, a lack of resources, a lackof support for women. Our aim is tochange this.

For the past two years, we havehelped GAMMA [a Progressio partnerorganisation] bring its exhibition onsexism in advertising to the university.The first time, it was a new issue for thestudents. Some of them understoodwhat it was about, and some didn’t.Some were a bit shocked by it. The nextyear, though, people were moreinterested, and joined in to vote for the

Movingforward

best and worst adverts [see Interact,spring 2007]. I think people have nowgrasped what it is about, and howsexism works in advertising and themedia.

When I was younger, I didn’t eventhink about what gender was. It wasn’tsomething that was even mentioned atschool. I only started to think aboutthese issues at university, through myinvolvement with the women’sorganisations. Women are marginalisedin lots of ways: because ofdiscrimination, because of poverty,because of neglect… I can even see anexample of this in my profession. I’mstudying medicine, and at the momentI’m on a psychiatry rotation, in apsychiatry surgery. And it’s mostlywomen who come for appointments,because of violence, because of suicideattempts, because of discrimination,because of the frustrations that womenface.

When I see this it gives me themotivation to continue the fight, tocontinue working with women, tocontinue supporting women, even

promoting ambitious projects in theuniversity. The women’s association ispushing for a university nursery, as lackof childcare is a big reason for femalestudents dropping out. I’m a mother, I’mdivorced, I’m studying for my degreepractically full-time, so I know theobstacles that women students have toovercome.

For women with children, if you don’thave the support of your parents or yourfamily, there is no opportunity to moveforward. Even among my classmates,there are women who say ‘I’m pregnant,I’m going to quit university’. We shouldsay to them ‘no’, because the womenwho drop out end up getting low-paidjobs and locking themselves into a stateof poverty. We know that men are theones who wash their hands when itcomes down to it, at least here inEcuador. That’s my situation too: I don’treceive any financial help from mydaughter’s father, I have to pay myuniversity fees, I’m studying and workingas well.

I guess for the rest of my life there willalways be difficulties, but one way oranother I will work them out. Womenare capable, and there have been manyexamples, and mine is just one suchcase, isn’t it?

In five years I see myself doing thesame, working for women, in thepolitical field. I really like politics, issuesto do with countries, struggles for… notjust women, but people. I think I’mgoing to stay within this same field.

From my experience, I will be sayingto my daughter, always move forward.Accept life’s difficulties but never letadversities bring you down. And trustyour family, trust people. Many timeswhen we encounter problems, wheneverything is black, everything is dark,there are friends around you who areready to lend a hand to help you.

The thing that has always motivatedme and has made me feel good aboutthings is to think about my daughter.When you’re a mother, you need to staycalm and look at the solution. I knowthat if I don’t do my part, I will just passmy problems onto my daughter. So Ihave to be the best I can, for her.

Melody Pazan was interviewed byBelisario Nieto, Progressio’s programmecoordinator for Latin America and theCaribbean.

Melody Pazan, a student and women’s activist, talks about thestruggles that she and other Ecuadorian women face

Belis

ario

Nie

to/P

rogr

essi

o

Melody Pazan overcomes challenges with asmile.

interview

‘Women are marginalised in lots of ways: because

of discrimination, because ofpoverty, because of neglect…’


THERE WAS WATER before thebeginning of humanity. It wasvapour and when it was condensed

it turned itself into drops of water. Thelife of micro-organisms began in thewater as did the living beings that intime came to live on the land.

During our existence as human beingswe have established a deep andpermanent relationship with water. Itbegins before we are born, as we growin the womb. Water facilitates theneurological process by which the brainproduces a thought. Our bodies aremade up of a high proportion of water. Itis essential to the physiological processesof our digestive and circulatory systems.

We belong to water because it givesus life; but water does not belong to us,it is free. It flows wherever it finds a bedto follow. It is both deep and superficialat the same time: it is within the bowelsof the earth, and it also gushes out tothe surface as a spring. It is immaterial

Water for lifewell as to possess and to limit it.

We used to find a lot of pure waterbut now the little we still have iscontaminated. It does not flow as it usedto do and occasionally, when it is notexpected, it bursts with all its power,flooding cities, forests and fields.

People worldwide are denied thehuman right to enjoy a decent life by thelack of water or the contamination ofthe supplies they have. But while manyare suffering the lack of the water theyneed, others are fighting between themto have control over it. They haveforgotten that it does not belong toanybody but is a natural resource of theplanet and a life resource too.

It is time for us to appreciate therelationship we have with water andovercome the perception that it is aninexhaustible resource. Global warmingand its consequences are showing us the

opposite. We will run out of water unlesswe take the responsibility to protect, topreserve and to respect the naturalresources we still have.

To restore the relationship betweenwater and the human being is a personal

A drawing by Lili Vanesa Membreño, a Grade 8 student in Culmi, Olancho, Honduras.

Take care of water as the water takes care of you, writesMónika Galeano Velasco

reflection

We belong to water becauseit gives us life; but waterdoes not belong to us

People worldwide aredenied the human right toenjoy a decent life by the

lack of water or thecontamination of the

supplies they have

choice. It is also an act of deep solidarityand love to Mother Nature, in order toachieve balance and harmony in ourtemporary and quick passage over theearth.

Mónika Galeano Velasco is a Progressiodevelopment worker with FundacionArcoiris in Honduras, working on humanrights and advocacy on HIV and AIDS.but also mouldable, becoming the shape

we want to give it when we contain it ina bottle or vessel.

It flows past the same places over andover again, but the water that runs pastis never the same, it is always new. Wecan see through it and yet it has hiddendepths. It is peaceful and it brings uspeace: it is enough to contemplate itsimmensity and at the same time to listento the sound of its voice to take awaythe sadness from the heart. We cancompare its purity with the love humanbeings are able to give.

Water has relaxing properties and itcan even relieve stress: to feel watersliding down the skin or to besubmerged in it is a delightful experiencethat can produce pleasant sensations ofpeace, calm and happiness.

Yet, even though water has animportant meaning for human life, wehave rejected its generosity. Ourrelationship is seriously damaged and themain cause of this serious damage is thehuman wish to have control over it, as

‘RELIGION IS LIKE A COW. It kicks, butit also gives milk,’ said theHindu mystic Ramakrishna.

Development theorists and agencieshave tended to shun the religious cow asretrograde and divisive, but recentlythere have been attempts to identify andrevalue the milch cow. One such was theWorld Faiths Development Dialogue setup in 1998 with the sponsorship of thethen Archbishop of Canterbury, GeorgeCarey and the then President of theWorld Bank, James Wolfensohn.

Wendy Tyndale was the firstcoordinator of the WFDD, and as theeditor of Visions of development: Faith-based initiatives (Ashgate, 2006) hasproduced an inspiring book featuring aselection of the many different faith andinter-faith movements and organisationsshe came to know in that role. Each isdescribed by one of its leaders and then‘case-studied’ by Tyndale. ‘Each in theirown way,’ she says, ‘they are wrestlingwith the question of what the most trulyhuman way of living might be in thecontext of our age.’

This may involve a radical change inthe way God is understood andworshipped. The germinal idea of India’sSwadhyaya movement, inspired by theBhagavad Gita, is ‘to develop anawareness of an in-dwelling God – thedivine presence in every human being …Devotion is not an introverted activity[but] a social force.’ Worship has to bechannelled ‘through constructive worktowards collective good’.

The Sarvodaya Movement in Sri Lankais based on Buddhist concepts, updatedto fit the needs and concerns of villagestoday. Sarvodaya means ‘awakening’(spiritual, moral, cultural, social, economicand political) which the movementbelieves can overcome ‘the psychologicalimpotence gripping the rural poor’ and,by ‘tapping their innermost beliefs andvalues’, awaken them to their personaland collective power.

Both Swadhyaya and Sarvodaya, bybringing out the best in every individualmember of the community regardless ofbackground, enable people to transformall aspects of life, including the naturalenvironment, by their own efforts. Theseare not small idealistic daydreams.Swadhyaya has drawn in more than 20million people in 100,000 villages andSarvodaya is working in about 15,000villages. It has also set up a Peace Centrefor Peoples of All Nations and is trainingyoung Hindus, Muslims, Christians andBuddhists in conflict resolution andbuilding ‘trust and understandingthrough programmes on health andeducation’. Such inclusiveness is animportant characteristic of all theinitiatives studied. It means openness topeople of all religions and castes and fullparticipation for women.

But the inclusiveness of the milch cowcan be a red rag to the kicking cow, asshown by the fascinating story of thestruggles of the fish workers of Kerala, astate with a sizeable Christianpopulation. In the southern tip almost allthe fisherfolk are Latin Catholics and inthe 1960s the local bishop and someprogressive clergy, inspired by Vatican II,started to support the fishermen whowere trying to hold on to their livelihoodin the face of the arrival of destructivemechanised trawlers.

This certainly produced a new view ofthe meaning of Christianity ‘as a livingfaith concerned not only with spiritualmatters but also with justice and peace inthis world’. The progressives helped thefish workers to start trade unions, whichin 1982 came together as a federation;and insisted that Muslims and Hindusshould be included. The inclusiveorganisation has flourished and broughtabout important improvements for thefishing communities, ‘inspired by an all-embracing spirituality: an empoweringenergy whose source, they say, is notconfined to any one spiritual tradition.’

The book also takes us to Cameroon,Brazil, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Indonesiaand Chile to see how different faiths, invery different situations, produce thatempowering energy. ‘In all the stories wesee how important the melding ofspirituality and common sense is forpeople who believe that development isabout human flourishing in all itsdimensions,’ writes Tyndale.

She does not expect any of thesemovements ‘to come up with a blueprintfor alternative development plans for theworld, but they can and do providesignposts to direct us towards a differentway of ordering life based on differentvalues and a different quality ofrelationships among human beings andbetween them and their naturalenvironment.’ How greatly we all needthat! The only shame with this invaluablebook is that, at £45, its message may bepriced out of the reach of many whowould benefit from reading it.

Marigold Best is the co-author withPamela Hussey of several Progressio/CIIRpublications, most recently the CommentA question of commitment. Marigold is aformer Latin America ProgrammeCoordinator for Quaker Peace & Service.


review

Visions ofdevelopment

Marigold Best reviews a new book that looks at the development role of faith and inter-faith movements

Documents

interact - Progressio · interact summer 2007 Contents ... the Shuar indigenous group who works for indigenous people’s rights, ... development of this technology