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| Guatemala: A sacred sojourn |
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I just returned from a 10-day Service Oriented Field Experience (SOFE) to Guatemala with 25 students from Regis University. The SOFE experience is designed to enrich and deepen a participant’s understanding of the political, cultural, economic and social dynamics of another society. It can be a life transforming experience. It was for me.
Stepping into another country’s reality in juxtaposition to a tourist’s perspective requires historical and cultural context. Failure to grasp this as a prerequisite paints foreign visitors as mere merchants of exploitation unwilling to see the other side of the coin that has been flipped over for commercialistic endeavors. I saw the Other Guatemala.
I got in touch with a deep sense of humility about life and how much suffering continues in today’s world. As I walked through the callejones of Guatemala and observed young Guatemaltecos peep out of broken doors and windows in shantytowns a sense of “brown privilege” penetrated my corazon. Class privilege is something that all socially conscience Americans should come to terms with.
On top of ancient Mayan ruins and grounds, I observed a blended mass of Catholic religiosity and Mayan spirituality that added a dimension of religious diversity to my current perspective about this controversial phenomenon. What is sacrosanct to one culture ought to be respected and revered, not totally dismissed and characterized as savagery. The history of Mayan Indians is one of deep spiritual conviction and love of nature.
No religion has a cornerstone in Heaven. What illuminated in my mind was that strong cultural spirits never succumb totally to the will of another. One has to be left with some sense of self-respect in the process of exploitation and dehumanization. Mayan culture has withstood the forces of forced assimilation for centuries, maintaining a culture that will never totally disappear. I hope that the continued exploitation of this group is addressed through vigorous economic and political activity. The Peace Accords seem to be moving forward if only at a snail’s pace.
As I haggled with vendors who traveled through the winding dirt roads from the mountainside to the open marketplace on cobblestone streets, I saw Mayan Indians as exceptionally intelligent people, entrepreneurial in spirit with values of fairness and justice. Respect is the cornerstone of social interaction with foreigners. Learning this art is a survival skill that begins at an early age as Mayan children reverentially interact with patrons on the streets to sell their wares in the marketplace.
I traveled the countryside and saw the remnants of the encomienda and repartimiento economic systems as campesinos continue to farm their parcelados (plots) living under forms of communalism that were partially destroyed through capitalism, following the Conquest in the 15th century. The collectives that they form are for survival. They are not aspects of communism that historically became a rationalization for America to intervene in the affairs of this country.
We met with grass roots leaders and conversed with the widows of husbands, sons and daughters killed through atrocious and vicious acts during the 36-year civil war. This elicited excruciating pain and reminded me about how unfathomable humanity has become. Ancianitas with brown wrinkled skin and faces covered with historical pain told stories about the brutal attacks by the military on their villages. I was engulfed with sadness. These are disturbing images that will remain locked in the subconscious of my mind.
An ex-government official retold the story of clandestine military activity eliciting a sense of helplessness that crawled up my spine. It’s hard to imagine the level of fear that permeated the villages.
One military person shared his story regarding the role that the United States of America played in the 36-year civil war. A deep sense of shame penetrated my heart. America’s intervention and its subsequent training of the military resulted in military rule that destroyed trust between and among Guatemaltecos and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. I don’t think that it totally destroyed the will of the people to be free.
The collective memories in my mind are now stored but will hopefully serve as a motivation to strengthen my commitment to social justice in the world. And even though it may be in a different corner of the world when all human beings make a commitment to social change, it can happen.
During this Thanksgiving Day perhaps a taste of humble pie is in order as we see ourselves in juxtaposition to our brothers and sisters in Central America suffering from poverty and exploitation.
Ramón Del Castillo, Ph.D. is an Independent Journalist.
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