I got a tattoo of a dream catcher before I graduated from high school. Aside from trying to be cool, it was an attempt to bind myself to the idealistic dreams I had about my potential contributions to the world- and a reminder for myself of the dreams and ideals I had as a naive 17 year-old who had never been outside the comforts of the world's richest countries.
Somehow, I knew it would be hard to remain as hopeful and energetic after actually attempting to change the world. Maybe the inkling came from seeing the spirit of the adults of the 21st century after many of them were done with the spirit of the sixties.
I was right. I've worked at non-profit organizations in post-conflict areas of extremely poor countries in the past, and learned some things that - in particularly frustrating moments - I think I would have rather not learned: that one can have all the good will in the world, but it takes a lot more than good intentions to overcome the tendencies of the "New World Order" that has left most of the people in the world behind. And, after facing some of the obstacles in the way of poverty alleviation: politics, corporate media, instability, cynicism, hopelessness, and poverty itself- a year after I got my symbolic dream catcher tattoo, I was glad I'd gotten it... I already felt like a part of my idealistic spirit had died.Then, last Sunday, I arrived in Esteli.
I feel like my heart could burst with the spirit of hope that pervades every organizational effort we've seen so far. As soon as we descended from the bus that brought us up north from Managua, we were surrounded by buildings covered in murals with messages like: "Nosotros debemos ser, el cambio que queremos ver" (Be the change you wish to see in the world [Gandhi]) or "Todos tienen derechos iguales" (Everyone has equal rights) or "Cada gotita cuenta" (Every drop of water counts!).
The hundreds of murals are an ongoing project of the organization Funarte, which offers free art classes for children of all ages, and women, who work together to choose an issue that they consider important to their community- from literacy to equality to education to aids, children's empowerment and women's rights and self-esteem - and come up with a sketch that will illustrate the progressive hopes and ideas of the new generation of Estelians.
These efforts have resulted in a socially conscious youth, a beautiful city, and a confident young population, not to mention the parents, who are perhaps more proud of their children than the children are of themselves.
The Funarte headquarters is one of the few two-story buildings I've seen in Esteli (hardly surprising considering the number of hurricanes and earthquakes Nicaragua has endured - and overcome.) It was build over a number of years by various local and foreign volunteers: first the main room, then the restroom, then a classroom, then another... then the staircase, then the office...
We learned that Funarte's mission is even more important than we first realized when we went to Radio las Cumiches (Kid's Radio), a radio station run by young people to advance children's rights, self-esteem, and well-being in Esteli. The man who introduced us to Radio las Cumiches explained the pervasiveness of generational discrimination that exists here- that many children are seen as objects that their parents own, a tendency that results in low self-esteem among children at best, and emotional, physical, and sexual abuse at worst.
Radio las Cumiches is a center where all children are free to express themselves qthout scensorship. The staff not only listens to and empowers children by providing a public space where children can broadcast their throughts, but supports and protects those who have experienced abuse by going to their homes to "investigate" and speak with their parents.
The children have a voice in their community through Radio las Cumiches, and share their experiences, good or bad, on air (with changed names) to facilitate awareness and dialogue regarding children's rights and their violation in Esteli.
I'm aiming to begin a children's theater project at the library in Esteli this summer, and I gained a lot from the radio talk. They told us that many children feel so badly about themselves that they feel they have nothing to contribute to the radio station... but they want to spend time there. So they do. And, as we learned, many of them do eventually find value in their voices, and take part in the live broadcasts.
Our trips to Funarte and Radio las Cumiches showcased a sense of responsibility, a creative approach to carrying out their duty to improve the world and the lives of the people in it, an unwavering feeling that they can do it, and a commitment to never give up. Esteli is an intentional community to the nth degree. The "yes we can" infection is contagious, and I caught it. We have two weeks left in our delegation; we'll travel to other projects across the country to advance our sense of the national social advancement efforts... but I can hardly wait to begin working, and becoming a part o the incredible efforts we've seen.
These efforts have resulted in a socially conscious youth, a beautiful city, and a confident young population, not to mention the parents, who are perhaps more proud of their children than the children are of themselves.
The Funarte headquarters is one of the few two-story buildings I've seen in Esteli (hardly surprising considering the number of hurricanes and earthquakes Nicaragua has endured - and overcome.) It was build over a number of years by various local and foreign volunteers: first the main room, then the restroom, then a classroom, then another... then the staircase, then the office...
We learned that Funarte's mission is even more important than we first realized when we went to Radio las Cumiches (Kid's Radio), a radio station run by young people to advance children's rights, self-esteem, and well-being in Esteli. The man who introduced us to Radio las Cumiches explained the pervasiveness of generational discrimination that exists here- that many children are seen as objects that their parents own, a tendency that results in low self-esteem among children at best, and emotional, physical, and sexual abuse at worst.
Radio las Cumiches is a center where all children are free to express themselves qthout scensorship. The staff not only listens to and empowers children by providing a public space where children can broadcast their throughts, but supports and protects those who have experienced abuse by going to their homes to "investigate" and speak with their parents.The children have a voice in their community through Radio las Cumiches, and share their experiences, good or bad, on air (with changed names) to facilitate awareness and dialogue regarding children's rights and their violation in Esteli.
I'm aiming to begin a children's theater project at the library in Esteli this summer, and I gained a lot from the radio talk. They told us that many children feel so badly about themselves that they feel they have nothing to contribute to the radio station... but they want to spend time there. So they do. And, as we learned, many of them do eventually find value in their voices, and take part in the live broadcasts.
Our trips to Funarte and Radio las Cumiches showcased a sense of responsibility, a creative approach to carrying out their duty to improve the world and the lives of the people in it, an unwavering feeling that they can do it, and a commitment to never give up. Esteli is an intentional community to the nth degree. The "yes we can" infection is contagious, and I caught it. We have two weeks left in our delegation; we'll travel to other projects across the country to advance our sense of the national social advancement efforts... but I can hardly wait to begin working, and becoming a part o the incredible efforts we've seen.
