What a week!
I have finally, officially talked too (and arranged
to continue talking to) a couple of local indigenous leaders and
communities. One was just luck. I went back to INDI (the
government's Indigenous Ministry) for a follow up interview and my
translator and I started talking to a man (you could tell by looking
at him he was clearly indigenous) waiting with us in the office. He
was in from "el interior" to talk to the President of INDI about a
crisis his community was suffering from a land invasion by some local
farmers who said they owned the land, even though the legal title
belongs to the indigenous group. He talked to us for almost an hour!
His story was amazing. A few years ago, his family was attacked
and he was shot at in the process of others trying to force them off
their land. (He showed us some knife scars on his arms, too.) It was
at that point, he said, that he realized he had no option but to
fight. Heavy stuff!
I was also treated to a horse-and-cart ride (so bumpy it almost
knocked my teeth out, but a lot of fun!) to a little indigenous
community just outside of Asuncion, called Lambare. It's understood
when you say "Lambare" that these are the indigenous communities near
the massive trash heap the "Municipalidad de Asucion" runs. It also,
of course, contains recycling, and what the indigenous peoples will do
is pick through the trash looking for recyclables to turn in for some
money. Very very sad--but the "never say die" spirit that I
encountered is amazing too. The two community leaders that Krista
(the local Peace Corps Volunteer who arranged the visit for us) and I
talked to have build a school and a community garden. They need tools
for it, though, and of course, books. And teachers, for that matter.
Impressively, the two men run a program about the Guanani people and
their culture, values, needs. He stated explicitly that its purpose
is to educate Paraguyans, especially the Munic. de Asuncion, about
them. I plan to go talk with him again next Thursday.
So--things are going well. I plan to keep on talking to as many
people as I can, and try to volunteer some at Santa Ana Communitario
(the school where the LearnServe Paraguay Program is based that I
described in my last email) if time allows. It's going by so fast!!
Questions? Post 'em if ya got 'em. If not, hope you enjoyed the field report.