A Crow's Eye View

Today's blog post comes to you again from Brendan Crow. Brendan has been with us for the last four weeks helping us run our summer camp program. He has been instrumental in both the Science and English programs, and has evened out the boy to girl ratio, probably for the first time in Manna's history. Brendan, it's been a pleasure, we'll be sad to see you go next week! Come back and visit soon!
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During my travels through Guate, my goals were simply to practice the Spanish I was learning and find a feasible way to stay in Guatemala for the near future. Then, a friend of mine gave me a lead with Manna Project in Guatemala and the timing couldn't have been better to help run their 5 week summer camp program. Now I'm living with 3 fantastic people that make up the heart and soul of MPI Guatemala. It has felt like I joined the family for a month to get a taste of the good life. Since living in Sololá, I've been able to use my Spanish in the daily routines here from navigating the market to preparing lesson plans for the week.

As for the summer camp, I've rediscovered my youthful days, though only half the energy I used to have. Soccer, basketball, and the all-time-favorite cat and mouse game (Gato y Ratones!) have brought me back to the treasured days of after-school programs. We have pick-up soccer or basketball before camp begins in the mornings, then class begins. I specifically help with Science and English. The purpose of science is learning through experiments. Lots of experiments. All planned around the ecosystem of the week, we've had a test of floatation in freshwater vs. salt water, smell tests of foods found in the rainforest, and even a semi-realistic version of quicksand (no kids were lost in the quicksand). This week we're in the Urban Ecosystem and decided to design a city made of paper.

The strategy of providing the hands on activities for the kids applies to English as well, however, with Roberto as the lead teacher I play more of a supporting role through lesson planning and assisting in the classroom. All of the kids have had 1 or 2 classes of English in the past, so after reviewing fruits and numbers through games of papa caliente (hot potato), Roberto and I decided to create a market in the classroom with fake money and real fruit. Turned out to be a huge success, and reminded me a little of what I felt like the first time in a Guatemalan market.

The past four weeks have flown by, and I'm sure the last one will too. Camp has been great, and I've had the bonus of attempting Kaqchikel at the same time as Spanish. In a couple weeks, I'm onto see more of the country before heading home, but I consider myself lucky to have found this group for the short-term.


All the best,

Brendan

Otto Perez: Real Change or a Return to Military Rule?

On November 6th, Otto Perez Molina of the Mano Duro Party was elected the new president of Guatemala. As the already unstable government prepares to turn over a new leaf, many wonder what changes lie ahead for this crime-ridden country. Today's blog comes to you from Brendan Crow, a month-long volunteer that's helping us run our summer camp program.

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What's different about General Otto Perez Molina and what direction will the country take now?
 
There has been much discussion about the 2011 Presidential Election in Guatemala, but many are reluctant to get their hopes up with the recent election of Otto Perez. The country has struggled to get back on track ever since the US organized coup of 1954 to oust the democratically elected president, Jacobo Árbenz. Though after multiple military dictatorships, Guatemala has returned to a more democratic forum. Despite the outspoken effort and promises by those in power today, the country still suffers from extreme poverty and one of the highest homicide rates in the world. With Otto Perez now at the head of the government, many hope for a decrease in the crime rate but not many believe he will bring change to the root problems of Guatemala. 

Perez, or Major Tito, as was the pseudonym Perez used as a mid-level commander for the Guatemalan Military in the 1980s, was the head of military intelligence in the Quiche department. During the violence, Quiche suffered the greatest number of atrocities but very little documentation has been found to understand Major Tito’s involvement in the violence (video). Perez still stands by the government’s actions during the violence claiming that his job was to win back the confidence of the people through constructive means. Several survivors of the violence claim he ordered the torture of suspected guerrillas and led the massacre of several villages in the Quiche department. In 1982, revolutionary militant groups united to form the URNG (Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity) and started a long series of peace talks. Fourteen years later in 1996, the Guatemalan Peace Accords were signed by the URNG and the government, including General Otto Perez Molina, who represented the military at the time.

By signing the Peace Accords, both sides agreed to drop arms and reach goals through peaceful means.  Ultimately, the Peace Accords had some success during the following year in 1997. A new structure created 3 levels of committees to increase involvement from Mayan communities in the democratic process in Guatemala. However, lines of permanent communication between the largely rural population and the government never developed and funding for the changes quickly dried up. Shortly after voting for change in critical areas of civil society, those in elected positions lost interest in implementing initiatives agreed upon a year earlier. Focus quickly turned to the impending election in 1999. Power today remains centered in the capital with little regard for the rural towns and villages.

All candidates throughout the electoral cycle this year mentioned the Peace Accords and Millennium Development goals but none were really willing to talk openly about them. The government pledged that the Peace Accords were widely distributed throughout the country, but actual awareness and understanding has a long way to go. With 22 different Mayan languages spoken and a literacy rate of 69%, publishing the document is hardly enough.

Amidst the evidence from Otto Perez's violent past, there is also evidence of hope. His actions in the 1980s to oust one of the most brutal dictators, Rios Montt, show that he has courage to stand for what is right. Following that, in 1992, he stood against President Jorge Serrano when he tried to dissolve congress and suspend the constitution. Finally, he is proud to list the Peace Accords as one of the accomplishments on his resume, despite the lack of progress in implementation. Recently, in his campaign he focused on a return to justice as part of his ‘firm hand’ against violence and drug trafficking. He recognizes that the challenge is steep with the rate of prosecution for violent crimes at an abysmal 2%. That said, the recent success of attorney general Claudia Paz y Paz to prosecute ex-military officers for the crimes against humanity will also be a measure of where Perez’s loyalty and support lie. Hopefully with time we'll see him put his words into action, and do more than just declare war against violence and drugs.

For a more complete analysis of the Peace Accords: http://www.c-r.org/our-work/accord/guatemala/index.php