It’s been another good week here in Antigua.I’ve been here five weeks so far and each day passes more quickly than the last.I opted to stay here this weekend to rest and get caught up on some work so that I will be ready to travel the next few weekends.Hopefully this will include trips to Copán, a Classic period Maya archaeological site just over the eastern border into Honduras, Livingston, a town known for garífuna (Caribbean black) culture, and maybe some hiking around Coban and tour of the Cuevas de Candelabria in the eastern part of the country.Our program is taking a trip to Tikal in the Petén region farther north in about a month.
Yesterday we went out to a German restaurant to celebrate our program director Javier’s 25th birthday.I decided to fully embrace my German heritage and order sausages with sauerkraut (don’t worry Mom and Grandma, your sauerkraut is much better).Come the New Year 2010, I think I will eat more than a pittance of this wonderful food.I also got a break from Gallo (I’ve been told it’s similar to Coors light) and had some Moza “cerveza oscura” – dark beer.I enjoyed it, but (surprisingly) miss the beer at home.I never thought I’d say this, but perhaps I will make the men in my life proud and appreciate good beer someday.
As we drove through Guatemala city a month ago, there were a lot of messages painted on the city's walls. Here, "Libertad" and spray-painted on another wall, "¿DONDE ESTAN 45,000 DESAPARECIDOS?" - Where are the 45,000 disappeared?
We had our first colloquium lecturer yesterday.Daniel Hernandez is a photojournalist and artist who works to raise awareness about the genocide that happened here in Guatemala during the civil war from the 1960s-1990s.I don’t know about the rest of you, but I was pretty ignorant about Latin American history and politics until I came here.In my four semesters of Spanish, we talked a little about the Madres de Plaza Mayo protesting the desaparecidos – disappeared people – in Argentina.Now my eyes are opening so many similar situations that have happened throughout Latin America.It’s hard to take it in, especially recognizing the impact of United States intervention in Central America beginning in the fifties (’54 here in Guatemala).I am not saying we should hate our country because we’ve messed up – only that we, and our children, should never forget this, especially as we face tough issues like illegal immigration and everything in the Middle East.
Names of victims, civilians as well, from the civil war on the walls surrounding the national cathedral in Guatemala City, placed there by the Church in the late 1990s. To learn more, look up "Monsignor Juan Gerardi". The Church has done a lot of crappy things, but we should never forget people who died serving God's people.
Throughout their education, students complain constantly about learning history.I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked “why?”Until now, I didn’t have an answer.Now, as I learn about the history of conflict in Guatemala, I begin to understand.The military and the government still do not recognize and commemorate the 200,000 deaths that occurred during the civil war, the vast majority of whom were indigenous civilians at the hands of the army.The truth reports are kept from public schools, despite groups’ efforts to make them available.If Guatemalans cannot teach their children about what happened, then historical memory will die.The war, the genocide, will be forgotten.As a generation passes away, who will remember?Who will solve this country’s problems?Who will make sure the same violence does not repeat itself?
Why do we learn history?We are not so different.Our children, too, deserve to know the truth about our country, the victory and bravery along with the mistakes and the stories of those who have been silenced.Because they can.I finally realized yesterday that I’m not going to leave this job to someone else so that I can pursue a PhD and a career in academia.At least, not for now.
I had no idea about all those things in Latin America. We really need to broaden our "world history" classes beyond the boarders of Europe and the traditional "west." History constantly repeats itself, so we need to have a better learning curve.
I had no idea about all those things in Latin America. We really need to broaden our "world history" classes beyond the boarders of Europe and the traditional "west." History constantly repeats itself, so we need to have a better learning curve.
ReplyDeleteOn a happier note, Copan = epic win.