Lempira Lempira Bill Y'all

Buenas.

As the majority of my morning has been slightly more disheartening than normal, I am hoping that by the end of this blog (and my cup of extremely fuerte cafe) I will have a sonrisa on my face.

Instead of beginning my day at ASJ, el taxista that is Dennis Cerrato took me to the building that houses PAG (Proyecto Aldea Global: http://www.paghonduras.org/) to meet up with Abe and spend some time with the head honcho at the organization--Chester Thomas. Chester is another gringo, but like Kurt VerBeek, he has lived in Honduras hace mucho tiempo. However, unlike Kurt VerBeek, his outlook on the current and future situation in this country is incredibly bleak. In so many words, Chet--looking, as he put it, "tired & frustrated"--explained that Honduras is a mess and that unless the government changes its stance on corruption and changes the way it operates, the future generations are going to suffer.

I was at PAG to speak to Chet about the specific role his organization plays in the movement Transformemos Honduras, and while I left with some knowledge about the potential impact of the movement (in other words, Chester's prediction of what the movement will amount to), sali knowing more about the problem than about the potential solution.

The problem involves a number of things, Chet explained. The first is apathy. People in Honduras complain an awful lot about the situation, but they do not act accordingly. This is a response I have noted on various occasions when I ask los catrachos about what they think of the current government. Obviously they speak a lot about the golpe de estado, but they also mention over and over that the corrupt practices of las autoridades have reached atrocious levels. But do they ever do anything about it? Claro que no. Luckily, their excuses for acting are running out due to the initiation of Transformemos Honduras.

Another problem according to Chet is the rampant violence that has overtaken the country. Apparently, although violence in communities like Nueva Suyapa has decreased due to the work that ASJ is doing with the Peace & Justice project, violence in the entire pais has increased tremendously. Chet used a figure like 50 to express how many murders are committed each day! In his opinion, this violence is attributed to a. low employment rates (people have no problem killing for money because they need it so bad) and b. the drug trade. About the latter reason we talked for about 10 minutes because Chet is convinced that the problems present in Honduras are directly related (and even caused by) the problems we have in the US. His claim (and it is completely logical) is that without the demand for drugs in the US, there would be no need for trafficking or for the conflicts that erupt on account of the trade. He expanded by referring to an event in the news recently in which California announced it would be legalizing marijuana. This news apparently has the effect of provoking discussion in Central America about whether it is appropriate then to legalize marijuana (consumption as well as transport), which then turns into a discussion about what else to legalize because of the actions we take. In other words, the decisiones our government makes directly affect the decisiones that governments in this neck of the woods make.

To continue on--and finish--the topic of murder, a sobering quote I took down from one of the staff members working with the Transformemos Honduras movement is that killing human beings has become just as easy as killing rats. Whoa.

Another contextual issue that Chet spoke about was the unemployment that has reached levels of 30% - 40% in this country. He labeled this one of the biggest problems that is facing the country today (and that the government has overlooked throughout the years), and he proposed solving the problem by pressuring the government to use civil works projects as a way of providing at least a small means of employment for more people. He also proposed a requirement that a certain portion of these jobs go to young people, if only to provide sufficient training for them to get better jobs after the temporary employment. You would think that the government--entrusted to serve the people and maintain the stability of the country--would think to do the same thing...

From the issue of employment arose a very interesting discussion about the methods people use here to "get by," as Chet called it. He admitted to being very impressed with Hondurans' ability to survive even when the conditions do not allow such resilience to take place. Specifically he talked about the poorest of the poor--those in "extremely bad" situations--who find ways to get by each day without any evidence of work, money, etc. Almost as a challenge, he invited someone to research and even write a book about how exactly these individuals are making it. Hmmm.... He finished by expressing doubt that the average United States citizen could be nearly as resourceful as un hondureno if the situation called for it. I hate to admit it, but estoy de acuerdo. Can you imagine a recently-laid off factory worker with an empty refrigerator walking the streets of your city selling lottery cards so that he can buy himself a sandwich? Or can you picture in your head an entire family of gringos selling candy, gum, or newspapers so that they have a roof over their heads tonight? Sure, there are people in difficult situations in the United States; I will not discount their struggles. But when people here are literally struggling to SURVIVE, they come up with a scheme to acquire un pedacito de pan. They have no government assistance. They have no safety net. They have just their wits to save them.

Just a few more cositas, les prometo.

After speaking with Abe yesterday about the ever-present power of money in keeping the earth rotating as it should, it was timely and "affirming" to hear Chet talk about the role money plays in keeping Honduras in the position it is in the world--poor, unstable, and corrupt. The talking points that I found intriguing: 1. People here only think corruption is bad when they don't get their share. 2. For governmental corruption to be eliminated, we need to offer a monetary incentive to the individuals involved to convince them to speak out about the weasely ways of their companeros. Chet said he would gladly contribute to the fondo if he had the pisto to do so, but he is also doubtful that the fund would last long because of all the people who would want to take advantage of such an opportunity. As he put it, "people won't speak up about corruption unless they know for certain they will still have a job at the end of the day."

All of these points bring us back to Transformemos Honduras, the movement that has been gaining momentum since the coup and that seeks to (among many things) eliminate the corruption that cripples the country. When I asked Chet if the movement will be able to deal with the numerous malos that he outlined in our discussion, he responded with the most affirmative statement of the day. No, he did not give a resounding "Si!" He simply predicted that the movement--of which his organization is a partner--will succeed if the groups involved come from all spheres of society--not just religious or non-profit--and if the movement "goes public" with the information it finds and with its criticism. In other words, he is hopeful....I think.

Mr. Thomas did not convince me that Honduras has a future. He is personally afraid for his grandchildren's well-being; he is tired and frustrated and occasionally feels that the organization he directs is doing more harm than good (one of the stories he shared involved a community in which an apple orchard was introduced into the community to increase food supply and commerce, but instead of improving the well-being of the gente involved, the money received from the venture was used by los varones to drink night after night); and he does not envision an end to the corruption. However, he is committed to the work he is doing, and he has an approach to development that other organizations do not. He is a big believer in "social auditing," which basically relates to the analysis one does of an organization's projects. Of his own organization and of others (including the political organization known as the government), he follows up on the different initiatives to ensure that the impact is what it should be and that money is being used the way it should be to better the lives of the intended audience. Social auditing...what a concept.

Ya. This post is largo, I know, but there was a lot to digest from the meeting this morning. Before I forget, I have to sure something comical. For those of you who are familiar with the speech patterns of Hondurans, you know that they end most of their phrases with "va." Well, when Abe and I were washing our dirty dishes in the sink yesterday, another staff member approached us and said "le pone a lavar, va?" (time to wash, huh?). I thought he said "le pone a la barba" (you are putting on on a beard) and immediately felt the need to ask Abe to explain this new hondurenismo. Alas, it was simply a misinterpretation on my part...