Entre Fey, Politico y Amor

Monday: Managua- Fernando Cardenal

Sunday, July 5th, had been spent traveling back to Ciudad Sandino and resting. Once Monday arrived we were to be back at the grindstone, however we started off the day rather differently. We began the morning with a special treat, a trip to Managua to see Father Fernando Cardenal speak about his experience with promoting the literacy campaign in the 80s.

Father Cardenal is among the most recognized names in Nicaragua. Not only for his work on the literacy campaign but for his work with the FSLN. He was the one FSLN member elected to represent the Nicaraguan people in denouncing Somoza as a dictator, torturer and murderer to the U.S. Congress.

He worked diligently to get the literacy campaign in the mountains off the ground. Although this occurred after the Revolution, there was still a great amount of fear in his heart because anti-revolutionaries were fervently against this campaign and were willing to demonstrate this. The first casuality was a young woman who counterrevolutionaries had stopped as she made her way up the mountain to begin literacy classes. Her only crime was wanting to teach people to read and write. Yet people were willing to kill over politics, to see the FSLN fail. They threatened to kill anyone who attempted to go up the mountain.

This scare tactic certainly had an affect on Father Cardenal. He thought they would have the same affect on the people. However, when he took a helicopter to where the classes were held, he was met by 39 young women who chanted, "Not by bullets or by hits will they take us from the literacy crusade." Their strength, courage and valor was felt by Nicaraguans everywhere. This slogan and another, "Our bunch will not be completely libereated until everyone can read." were repeated throughout the mountainsides and the literacy campaign continued.

The counterrevolutionaries managed to kill seven brigade members, threatening to masacre everyone if they continued their lessons. However, they soon realized that their threats were useless. Over 40,000 people were teaching in the cities and more than 60,000 young people were teaching in the rural mountains. The effects of this literacy campaign were profound in not only its original intent but also in the leadership skills that young people realized in themselves.
Father Cardenal's story is touching and I wish I had time to share what he told us of his first days in Jesuit school but I do not. He has written a book, "Priesthood in the Revolution" which I would highly recommend checking out sometime. What he shared with us in this morning was more effective than anything that I have done in Nicaragua thus far. His conviction to devote his life to the liberation of the poor and for justice permeates his life and this includes his politics. While being a fervent supporter of the FSLN in the past, he also recognizes the corruption of Daniel Ortega that has taken place in the last two decades. Father Cardenal has resigned from the FSLN and has also publicly denounced Daniel Ortega, as he denounced the Somoza regime so long ago.

He left us with a few words of wisdom, which he has suggested for uniting the people of Nicaragua, and really, any place that is divided by politics.

"Dialogue and Love are necessary. Dialogue borne from love is the only thing that brings divided communities together."

"If I commit myself to love, love will bring the liberation of others. Faith brings me to love, love brings me to work for the well being and liberation of all citizens. Liberation will always involve politics."

Thinking on these things, I realize that I am headed on the right path. The world is full of suffering yet it is also full of glorious wonders. I come from a privileged life and am capable of traveling the world to experience other cultures. However I am also capable of doing so much more for others, as I am realizing during my time here in Nicaragua. I am more certain now than ever before that I am to help make the world a better place for others. While I have the ability to join NGOs in their works, I am also educated in the politics of development organizations and so I would like to think that I am more able to be critical of an organization that I wish to be a part of some day.

The world is full of suffering but I am full of love. I'm not sure where life will take me next but I am certain that when I finish my Master's Degree I will be working with an organization of some sort to help in bettering society, whether it's in Appalachia, Central America or elsewhere.

Vacation Time in Nicaragua!

For a Saturday night, Fourth of July, the evening was quiet. The waves crashed gently against the rocks along the shore and a dog could be heard barking off in the distance. The only light was that cast by the nearly full moon reflecting on the lake's surface. The group had been laying on the dock naming the clouds as they formed, coming down the leeward side of Volcan Maderas, "That one looks like a poodle," said one. "Look over there! A swan!" said another. Although the trade winds cast these imagined creatures across Lago Colibolca, the temporality of the shape cumulus clouds was of no great import to this tranquil group.

Their giggles carried in the otherwise silent night and she smiled as she approached. She had been in the dining area, conversing with a Nicaraguan artisan/nomad who was rather keen on philosophy. Feeling a high from the great dialogue she has shared with this youth she asks, "So are you all still up for a swim?" Indeed, all but one of the group are ready to go for a late night swim.

She folds her clothes neatly and sets them on the dock then dives into the ebony hued water, sending ripples of silver across the surface. As she swims out towards the abyss following the trail of moonlight and feeling at home in the water, she reflects on the beauty that surrounds her and the blessings in her life as well as on the recent events which attribute to these.

Rewind: Friday- La Isla Ometepe

The day began, unofficially, as the five JHC volunteers awoke to the sound of howler monkeys calling out to one another at four in the morning. The volume and intensity of their howls suggested that the monkeys were no more than a hundred meters or so away... but then I am no good at guessing distances, let's say they were pretty damn close.

I digress.

Much later, the group officially woke up, they were to meet with Martha, a volunteer for Project Bonafide, sometime after breakfast for a tour of their farm. A wicked thunderstorm blew out the electricity and subsequently the water the night before and so there would be no showers this morning. This is no problem as the ground is thick with mud and the trek from Finca Magdalena to Bonafide's land would be messy.

Martha and Kat soon arrived at our hostel to lead us to their plot of land. After a jaunt through the mud laden forest and cattle fields we soon arrived to their corner of the island and they began giving us a tour of their farm. Project Bonafide is somewhat of an experiment in permaculture on this island with their primary concern being food security. This group of volunteers is trying to figure out which varieties of agriculture (including subsistence, medicinal and commercial) can exist sustainably in this microclimate while maximizing the uses of these materials. They showed us everything from mangoes to bamboo and fixed us a delicious lunch prepared with food from their crops. They are truly ambitious in that they want to teach the locals how to cook with these foods and how to use the building materials they are growing. Project Bonafide hopes to one day have a community kitchen in town where they can teach children how to cook and eat healthy foods. Although they seem to have much work to do before they can accomplish this as one of the hardest things one can do is to try and change someone's eating habits. Currently they have a system set up where community members can trade items such as beans and rice for plants from their nursery. This group has taken on a lot. It seems idealistic at the start, however, with what they've done so far it would be interesting to see what they are able to do for the people of this land.

Saturday- Hacienda Merida

Following our tour Friday, we hopped a bus to Merida where we were to spend two more evenings.

I had been to Hacienda Merida on my last visit to La Isla Ometepe and had an enjoyable time. There was no doubt in my mind that this would be any different.

We woke up to have breakfast and discussed possible plans for the day. Some wanted to go hiking, all wanted to go kayaking and some wanted to go swimming. The day seemed to promise sunshine and mild weather, unlike the last couple of days which had been overcast and rainy, so I made up my mind to stay behind while the others went for a hike to see petroglyphs.

Following breakfast I headed out to the dock with my book. There was a man standing knee deep in the water fishing while his partner sat on the dock watching him. I settled myself onto the concrete and began to read. There were virtually no sounds other than the lapping of the water against the shore. Occasionally birds cried out in the distance and a dog mustered the energy to bark. After some time the couple left the area of the dock and I was the only one on the lake. Between chapters I would set my book down and watch the clouds as the tradewinds pushed them out into the distance then as I began to sweat I would jump into the lake to cool off. This would be one of the few times that I'd have any time alone and I savored every moment.

The group returned from their hike late in the afternoon. I had just finished my lunch and it was after 2:30pm. They were hungry and sweaty but we were all still determined to go kayaking after everyone had eaten.

Our destination was the swamps of el Rio Isidrio. The five of us skimmed the water in our kayaks, watching the Islanders as they played on the shore. Egrets and other waterfowl lined the reeds and watched us as we made our way towards the mouth of the river. We kayaked in near silence, hoping to see birds that we had never before encountered. Indeed, there were King Fishers, Eagles, Toucans, Sandpipers and unidentifiable birds galore! It was awe inspiring.

Nothing, however, can top our exit from the river.

It was growing late in the evening and the sun was quickly setting. As the sun set over the Volcan Concepcion, the moon was rising over Volcan Maderas. What a blessing! To our right was the sun and to our left the moon. The hues of the evening were warm and the sounds of the insects and birds ushered in the night as the sun disappeared behind the volcano. We did not need our headlamps for the moon was so bright it lit our way back to the hostel, shining directly over the dock where we were to port our kayaks.

We made it back in time for dinner. This was to be our last evening on the island, Fourth of July, and after making the most of our day, we certainly made the most of our night. The others went out to the dock to talk and swim while I stayed behind in the dining area, comparing the writings of Kahlil Gibran to the Bible with a Nicaraguan traveling artisan. I felt so blessed to be able to have this conversation with this young man. His thoughts on living a life of love and respect very much mirrored my own and were apropos after all that had happened in Nicaragua thus far.

Life is good.