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.
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