Maria Elena Gaspar, Crossing Borders student, and Javier Garcia pose for a picture after speaking about the Base Christian Community they are involved with.
As we continue our Crossing Borders journey, we recognize the importance of embracing life. As the week began, we had an eco-tour of San Anton (the neighborhood we live in) led by a local social worker who is involved in community projects. We learned about the current and past environments of the community. Due to excessive pollution, the community is suffering from unclean water and a polluted atmosphere. The pollution is increasing due to the largely populated city. Cuernavaca is a fast growing community and this makes it difficult to create a well-built city with sewage and waste disposals. Many people throw their garbage and waste into the river. We learned that the community is creating more trash receptacles so people can throw their garbage away. Also, the increase in the use of plastic over the years has been a great problem so the community started a recycling program. Another thing that the community is providing is the knowledge of how to construct and use dry toilets which are more environmentally friendly.
You can also see the community at work in the Base Christian Communities (BCC). A BCC is close to a Bible Study with a small amount of people where they take situations from their daily lives and compare them to a story in the Bible. They look at the Bible through their eyes as a source of liberation and hope. Then they act within the community. We had the opportunity to speak with Javier Garcia and Maria Elena Gaspar from a local youth group that is part of a BCC. As we, the Crossing Boarders students learn about Theology Liberation this youth group is acting. In the BCC they talk about the Reign of God. As they speak about this, they emphasize Jesus here on earth so protecting the environment and the earth is an important goal to accomplish. Some community activities they participate in are protests against decisions about the community that would hurt the environment and create an unjust atmosphere. They also get children involved in working with looking at their current reality and how to change it if need be. They volunteer in the area providing assistance with food or gifts at Christmas. Also, when people are protesting for justice they go and provide food for those who are participating. These groups take social justice to the next level. They learn, march for rights, create relationships, and utilize the talents they have to better the lives of others by getting people involved and empowering them to make change for the good.
This was an eye opener for me to see a youth group learn about liberation theology and how to use what they learn to benefit their community. They truly have been an inspiration to this community in Cuernavaca. One of their main points is to get to know Jesus, and they expressed to us that you couldn’t be a follower of Jesus if you don’t know Him. It is very interesting to see kids so young have such an influence on the community. They truly look at other’s viewpoints and where people within the group are coming from. They try to understand that everyone is coming from a different background and thinks about things differently. Appreciating these differences creates hope for change and is a great thing to learn as we all continue to truly live our lives.
As we continue our Crossing Borders journey, we recognize the importance of embracing life. As the week began, we had an eco-tour of San Anton (the neighborhood we live in) led by a local social worker who is involved in community projects. We learned about the current and past environments of the community. Due to excessive pollution, the community is suffering from unclean water and a polluted atmosphere. The pollution is increasing due to the largely populated city. Cuernavaca is a fast growing community and this makes it difficult to create a well-built city with sewage and waste disposals. Many people throw their garbage and waste into the river. We learned that the community is creating more trash receptacles so people can throw their garbage away. Also, the increase in the use of plastic over the years has been a great problem so the community started a recycling program. Another thing that the community is providing is the knowledge of how to construct and use dry toilets which are more environmentally friendly.
You can also see the community at work in the Base Christian Communities (BCC). A BCC is close to a Bible Study with a small amount of people where they take situations from their daily lives and compare them to a story in the Bible. They look at the Bible through their eyes as a source of liberation and hope. Then they act within the community. We had the opportunity to speak with Javier Garcia and Maria Elena Gaspar from a local youth group that is part of a BCC. As we, the Crossing Boarders students learn about Theology Liberation this youth group is acting. In the BCC they talk about the Reign of God. As they speak about this, they emphasize Jesus here on earth so protecting the environment and the earth is an important goal to accomplish. Some community activities they participate in are protests against decisions about the community that would hurt the environment and create an unjust atmosphere. They also get children involved in working with looking at their current reality and how to change it if need be. They volunteer in the area providing assistance with food or gifts at Christmas. Also, when people are protesting for justice they go and provide food for those who are participating. These groups take social justice to the next level. They learn, march for rights, create relationships, and utilize the talents they have to better the lives of others by getting people involved and empowering them to make change for the good.
This was an eye opener for me to see a youth group learn about liberation theology and how to use what they learn to benefit their community. They truly have been an inspiration to this community in Cuernavaca. One of their main points is to get to know Jesus, and they expressed to us that you couldn’t be a follower of Jesus if you don’t know Him. It is very interesting to see kids so young have such an influence on the community. They truly look at other’s viewpoints and where people within the group are coming from. They try to understand that everyone is coming from a different background and thinks about things differently. Appreciating these differences creates hope for change and is a great thing to learn as we all continue to truly live our lives.
Polluted water running through Cuernavaca on our eco-tour.
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While the mayor and the City Council will be able to propose and vote on municipal business, Susan Jacobucci, director of the state Division of Local Government services, will have final approval on all fiscal matters (expenditures above $4,500), union contracts and the hiring and firing of employees.
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williamgeorge
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I'm on the CIEE-Thailand program now, and I thought it was really interesting what you were saying about the presence of religion in the communities with which you are interacting. Our CIEE group just returned to campus from a very interesting exchange with a human rights activist in Thailand named P'Suvit. In our exchange, P'Suvit discussed the presence of Buddhism in Thai society and the role Buddhism plays or can play in creating change and mobilizing the marginalized villagers. He mentioned that one of the main goals in Buddhism is to question “How much is enough?”, and he keeps that goal in mind when informing villagers of their rights to participate in the development of their own community. I’m sure your experiences in Mesoamerica are making you question, just as my experiences here in Thailand are making me question, what is development really? And how much is enough?
It is interesting to read about the influence of liberation theology in what you are studying. I looked at liberation theology last year as part of a religion class at my home university.
I am a Christian, and as such, it was truly enlightening to hear some of the various perspectives that people hold, particularly in liberation theology, on the Bible, Jesus, and the world. More than a response, I supposed I have questions as to how this perspective is outside of a textbook in the reality of local communities. What are the essential teachings? You mentioned knowing Jesus as being particularly emphasized. Could you elaborate a bit more if you have the chance? Based off of your own spiritual experiences, how has such a dynamic and active faith impacted you? Sorry about all the questions! Just curious!
I am also on the CIEE program, and I was interested in your comments on the pollution of the urban areas. It's obviously a problem and byproduct of urban living and consumption. Last week, the CIEE group went to stay at the landfill, which just outside of Khon Kaen city. It was really sobering to see a mountain of plastic and waste. The landfill exists where a pond used to be. The government thought it would be a good idea to fill the hole with trash and bury it. However, the mountains of trash now pile high above the ground. It definitely makes you stop and consider what you are throwing away, since it will ultimately end up in the front yards of these families. Here in Thailand, every vendor wraps your food in several plastic bags, and every beverage comes with a straw. We’re becoming accustomed politely refusing the bag. I am definitely trying to adapt my habits to live more efficiently, since nobody likes a ton of pollution!
This past week we stayed in a community located in a landfill. The villagers worked as scavengers, picking through freshly dumped garbage from garbage trucks collected from the city of Khon Kaen. The problem of pollution and garbage was the main issue of the week. The scavengers in the landfill sorted out recyclables from the garbage including glass and plastic bottles and plastic bags for earnings, providing income for their family for the day. Doing the city a favor, these scavengers help to reduce the amount of garbage in the landfill, weeding out many items that is reusable. However, if the city implemented a recycling program, it would reduce the amount of garbage and work for the landfill community members. Also, there are serious health costs due to living in the landfill. Pollution, not only from the amount of garbage that is accumulated but also runoff into the land and waterways. In addition, there is an incinerator at the landfill that helps to reduce the amount of toxic waste like hypodermic needles, however because of insufficient funds, the smoke stack is very low, causing a great amount of toxic fumes in the air. Villagers are experiencing headaches, lung problems, and deteriorating health. In general, cities should consider employing a more efficient recycling program or advise people to concentrate on reducing waste.
I think it’s fantastic that you talk about trash programs and recycling initiatives for plastic bags in the small town you were in. With CIEE, we got the opportunity to live in a landfill for two nights and scavenge with our families during the days. We learned that in the past, most of the trash that came through consisted of banana leaves, but now plastic bag use has picked up considerably and I can personally attest to the gruesome number of plastic bags in the landfill—they were everywhere. Scavengers pick out thick plastic containers, glass bottles, aluminum cans, and cardboard, but they rarely bother to get plastic bags because they have so little value and must be cleaned once taken from the landfill. For those of us who weren’t already conscious of our plastic bag use, it was quite an awakening to see that they made up the majority of the non-organic waste not picked up by scavengers. I know it makes each of us think twice before we accept plastic bags for our convenience store purchases. If everyone were to have an experience in a landfill like we did, I believe the amount of garbage in the landfill could be greatly reduced.
Thinking back to the eco tour, I remember how shocked I was to learn that people literally threw their waste and trash into the water sources of Cuernavaca. I also now note that every morning and night on my way to and from school on my bus route, I drive past the new trash receptacle center, and I remember the efforts some of the community members have put forth to help the issue. I also find the strategy of dry toilets interesting; I looked up some more information on them, and they are extremely environmentally friendly. While they don’t pollute water or even use it, the urine, which is almost completely sterile, is used for fertilizer! This eco-friendly invention is such a great concept..I wonder how long it will take for them to catch on in the United States!
It is inspiring to hear about people at all levels in community coming together to raise awareness within the community about issues that need change. Specifically in terms of protecting the environment, I think it is critical for children to also take ownership and realize that by being aware and educated about the issue and how it affects society, they have the potential to curb the trends. I know that I never had an awareness about my environment until coming on this program to Thailand, and if many people are like me, there is definitely something to be said for initiating that sort of education in a more intentional way. Similarly, as a Christian, it really resonates with me that we are to be good stewards of the resources we’ve been given, which is why I feel that I have a newfound appreciation of the environment and the way things work in nature. I recently decided that whether in relation to social trends or economic development, it seems illogical to work against the natural way of the world simply for the sake of present-day convenience. At some point, having over-used the natural resources we have by not caring for the balance of the environment, I assume that it will be very inconvenient.
Lisa I’m really glad you focused on the activism in Cuernavaca, from people organizing to keep their environment clean to people interpreting the Bible (BCCs) in a context that encourages them to challenge social structures that are oppressive. The words activism and BCCs remind me of my host family, specifically my host mother. My host mother is a woman who has strong faith with the Catholic Church. During occasional nights we would do the rosary and Sunday mornings my mom was active in the church events. However, my mom took her faith an extra step, like many people involved with BCCs. She gathered with people to not only discuss Bible versus, but how ideas surrounding social justice and change can be implemented in their communities. As Margaret Mead said, ´´Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has´´.
CRH
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