multiply by three...

During my time here in Central America I've thought a great deal about life in post-war countries. About what war does to the infrastructure and the economy of a nation; but more so, what it does to the psyche of a people.

Guatemala survived 36 years of war. Thirty-six years of 'internal conflict' affects the way a country acts internally, obviously. It affects the way that people treat each other and talk to each other and the decisions they make. One of our speakers mentioned a sociological study that claims a country needs 3 times the number of years spent in war in order to leave behind the culture of fear and distrust that it generates. Which would mean Guatemala is looking at 108 years...and they're only 14 year in, with 94 to go.

That's a pretty dismal panorama...but in the face of that idea, we still see organization. And perhaps more than in certain communities in peaceful countries. It's pretty incredible when communities - whether out of necessities or ideals - rise out of such an extreme culture of fear to organize and help/support each other. Both post-war and peaceful countries need our encouragement in doing so, it seem. So here's to organizing, and here's to breaking down barriers constructed by fear, and here's to healing.


(mural from PLQ with a quote from Pablo Neruda: 'Podrán cortar las flores, pero no podrán detener la primavera.'/'They can cut down the flowers, but they can't stop spring.')