URGENT ACTION: Support Human Rights Defenders

Honduran State Continues to Criminalize Human Rights Defenders

BACKGROUND: Many Development and Peace members and supporters are familiar with our work with partner CEHPRODEC for responsible mining in Honduras.  

Have you been at a speaking event with Pedro Landa? He speaks regularly and strongly about the Goldcorp-owned San Martin mine in the country’s Siria Valley and the struggle of the directly affected communities for respect to their right to live in a healthy environment and have access to a clean water supply.

The following action put out by another partner organization, COFADEH, a human rights committee, highlights the situation faced by Carlos Amador, Secretary of the Siria Valley Environmental Committee, a committee that has been active on mining and forestry issues facing their communities for several years now. 

Carlos and other local activists are increasingly concerned about the ease with which the government is granting permits to slowly deforest the area, which has already been environmentally damaged by open-pit mining.  In the face of mounting opposition by the local population to the destruction of the local forests, trees are now being chopped down by armed men, and tensions are escalating. 

In this context, a local powerful family has filed charges against 18 local environmental activists, who are opposed to the destruction of the forests.  This lawsuit illustrates the reduction of democratic space in Honduras for any opposition to the government, a space that has been reduced since the June 2009 coup d’etat which ousted democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya from Honduras.  It also illustrates the trend of criminalization of social protest. 

Development and Peace upholds the right of the Siria Valley Environmental Committee and local activists to protest against environmental degradation that is ultimately damaging the livelihoods of poor small-scale farmers.  Please support this action suggested by COFADEH.

URGENT ACTION: Honduran State Continues to Criminalize Human Rights Defenders

THE SITUATION: The Committee of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared in Honduras (Cofadeh) expresses its repudiation and concern for the Honduran State’s systemic practice of qualifying the most basic actions defending of nature and the rights accorded by the Constitution of the Republic as disturbing the peace, sabatoge and terrorism.

Various legal tools and policies are being used to inhibit the work of human rights defenders. In this particular case, defenders of the environment Carlos Danilo Amador and Marlon Hernández were detained by police, with warrants, between 6:30 and 7:00 AM on their way to work on charges of obstructing the excecution of an environmental management plan. Juan Ángel Reconco was detained in the early afternoon on the same charges. All are members of the Environmental Committee of the Siria Valley. Another 15 environmental defenders, also members of the committee, also have warrants out for their arrest on the same charge, and are at risk of arrest.

The charges are related to incidents that occured on April 7, 2010, when 600 residents of the Municipality of El Porvenir prevented logging of trees that protect the mini-watershed of the Guayabo Stream, known as el Tapalito, in the village of El Terrero.

This source supplies water for human consumption to 6 communities in the municipality, directly affecting 10,000 residents who have been protecting the area and forest for years. This protection was formalized on December 27, 2007 in an agreement with then AFE-COHDEFOR (State Forestry Administration – Honduran Corporation for Forestry Development), the Municipality of El Porvenir, and the residents.

The Environmental Committee and the affected communities consider that the management plan granted to Hayde Urrutia Mejía by the Honduran State is illegal because it deos not comply with the prerequisites established in the Forestry, Protected Areas and Wildlife Law, which requires an Environmental Impact Assessment including the participation of the population that could be affected by the project or activity under review. They also consider the management plan illegal due to irregularities regarding land tenancy.

The environmentalists in question are facing charges of Obstructing the Execution of a Management Plan, which carries a penaly of 4-6 years in prison according to article 186 of the above mentioned law. In the hearing that took place on July 5, 2011, Judge Ingrid Quiroz Banegas imposed precautionary measures on the defendants, including the requirements that they present themselves and sign-in at the courthouse every 15 days, do not leave the country, do not approach the mini-watershed of Tapalito, and do not approach the person, family, or dwelling of the beneficiary of the Management Plan, Hayde Urrutia Mejia.

In this particular case the justice system has not acted objectively and is instead favoring the executive branches of the state and criminalizing civil protest in the name of national (and international) interests, while the national (and international) interests in question are the precisely the reason for concern and protest on the part of the people and communities of the municipality of El Porvenir and leaders of the Environmental Committee of the Siria Valley.

THE ACTION: Cofadeh is requesting the national and international community to demand that:

1) the Honduran State take the necessary measures, including implementation the required mechanisms, to guarantee personal freedom, due process, and the right to defend human rights to Carlos Danilo Amador, Marlon Hernández, Juan Ángel Reconco and all other members of the Siria Valley Environmental Committee;

2) cease all acts of retaliation against them; and

3) guarantee in general the right to defend universally recognized human rights as established in the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, approved in 1998, and similar OAS Resolutions emitted in 1999 and 2000.

Please direct letters, calls and faxes to Honduran Justice officials and diplomatic representatives of your country of residence. (Fax and phone numbers are listed with calling codes from the US or Canada.)

HONDURAS:

UNITED STATES:

For more blog posts about Honduras, our partners’ work and our recent Solidarity Trip in May 2010, click here.

MINING: Talking profits and pollution

By Karen Luyckx (CAFOD)

On 5 May, I met with Canadian mining giant Goldcorp to talk about its San Martin mine in Honduras.

This was just one day after Goldcorp, in the lead up to its annual general meeting, published on its website that “reported net earnings from continuing operations in the first quarter of 2011 were $651 million compared to $232 million in the first quarter of 2010. Adjusted net earnings from continuing operations were $397 million, or $0.50 per share, compared to $159 million, or $0.22 per share, in the first quarter of 2010.”

Certainly such earnings seem to substantiate Goldcorp’s claim to being the “fastest growing, lowest-cost senior gold producer with operations and development projects in politically stable jurisdictions throughout the Americas”. In other words, great news for shareholders.

The thing is, I wasn’t there to discuss Goldcorp’s profits, instead I – together with CAFOD’s Honduran partner organisation CEHPRODEC and our Canadian sister agency Development and Peace – wanted to know how this claim to fastest growing and lowest cost (read highest profit margin) senior gold producer, sits alongside Goldcorp’s environmental and social responsibility record.

CAFOD has been looking at the environmental and social impact of mining for over 6 years now as CAFOD’s partner organisations from across the world have been telling us how in their experience mining can fuel conflict or pollute water sources in some of the poorest and most excluded communities.

In the case of Honduras, the people living near Goldcorp’s San Martin are small farmers whose long-term survival depends on raising animals and growing subsistence crops. When communities living downstream from the mine showed increasing concern about the water they use in the home and for farming, CAFOD commissioned international mine water management experts from Newcastle University who found evidence of pollution due to acid mine drainage.

Considering this, it was great to hear Goldcorp’s Vice President for corporate social responsibility finally say that the Newcastle University report with recommendations on how to better treat and prevent acid mine drainage (AMD) was “extremely well done” and that Goldcorp “responded to it internally”.

We were told that Goldcorp’s own environmental consultants “had the same comments and analysis” as experts Dr Jarvis and Dr Amezaga regarding the water quality. In other words, in 2008, water data for San Martin showed “typical characteristics of severe AMD” and “risks remain in relation to pollution due to AMD post-closure”.

We also welcomed Goldcorp’s openness to increase water sampling types and water monitoring frequency in order to get more certainty on the effectiveness of the AMD prevention system.

How disappointing then to hear that two weeks later at Goldcorp’s AGM, CEO Charles Jeannes – when talking about San Martin mine – did not openly acknowledge what was said to us in private: Goldcorp has to “continue monitoring to make sure [the pollution prevention system] works in the way we think it is working”.

We know that CEO Jeannes wasn’t asked explicitly about AMD in the AGM but if people in the vicinity of the mine are worried about the way in which the mine might be impacting on their health, surely it is in the company’s interest to publicly acknowledge what they are doing to prevent pollution.

zacate grande radio shut down

This morning while I was working on our blog and adding pictures to the posts from the Soldarity Trip to Honduras, I reflected on the inspiring people I met, people struggling for land, daily bread and a life free from violence.

For everyone on the trip our visit to the communities of Zacate Grande was a life-changing experience. 

In Zacate Grande we met with community leaders and people working for their newly organized Movement for the Recovery and Reclamation of Land in Zacate Grande (Movimiento de Recuperacion y Titulacion de tierres de Zacate Grande) and then hung out with the young people and their awesome new radio station. The community radio The Voice of Zacate Grande (97.1FM) delivers a signal radius of 25 miles to about 10 communities in the Gulf of Fonseca, all struggling for their land and their future. Although the situation and the experiences they shared were painful – the whole day with them was powerful.

As it must be for others who were on the trip, for the last 2 weeks the people we met have been in my heart and mind. For a recap, here are two blog posts on our time with the community:

http://youth.devp.org/2010/05/97-1-la-voz-de-zacate-grande/

http://youth.devp.org/2010/05/liar-who-preys/

But today I received bad news in an email from Pedro Landa, of Caritas Honduras:

Dear Genevieve:

It is good new knowing that you are much better. Unfortunately I have to communicate bad news about the people on Zacate Grande. In June 3 last week about 300 policemen and soldiers invaded the community and closed down the community radio to silence the voice of Zacate Grande. They also carried an order against five community leaders.

In the end the leaders were not imprisoned but the radio station shut down because a judge claimed it was on the land of Michael Facussé’s and that the establishment of the radio station itself was an offense. The Court also claimed those who had installed and operated the radio station had committed tax evasion because they had no authorization to operate. Caritas lawyers are trying to appeal the judgment. 

As was well said by a much appreciated journalist - this is a clear evidence of how powerful people want to silence the voices of communities facing an agrarian conflict. It’s an act of political censorship and a violation of the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights. 

Below you will find the report and protest made by Reporters Without Borders. I hope that you may help us to publicize these attacks made against the poorest people who are fighting against the powerful for their right to live in dignity.

Fraternally,

Pedro

Caritas Honduras and Caritas Choluteca, Development and Peace partners, directly support and work alongside the communities of Zacate Grande, including the leaders of the Movimiento de Recuperacion y Titulacion de tierres de Zacate Grande, and the Voice of Zacate Grande (97.1 FM). Caritas lawyers and human rights staff will continue to appeal the courts.

300 soldiers and police storm community radio in continuing coup against media by Reporters without Borders, June 4, 2010

Although nearly a year has gone by since the coup d’état of 28 June 2009, the authorities continue to adopt arbitrary repressive measures against opposition and community news media. The latest example is yesterday morning’s assault by troops and police on La Voz de Zacate Grande 97.1 FM, a community radio in the southern peninsula of Zacate Grande.

Armed with a warrant for the arrest of five peasant leaders, around 300 soldiers and police invaded the community and shut down its radio. Yellow tape bearing with the words “crime scene” now surrounds the small station, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) said.

Military occupation of news media before an official closure order was issued was typical of the methods used at the time of the coup. It was the procedure used to force Radio Progreso off the air just a few hours after President Manuel Zelaya’s ouster (http://en.rsf.org/honduras-radio-progreso-raid-shows-how-24-11-2009,35075.html).

The same procedure was followed when Radio Globo and Canal 36-Cholusat were closed during the state of siege that was declared in September in response to Zelaya’s clandestine return, and when cable TV antennae were seized in order to censor the foreign media (http://en.rsf.org/honduras-worse-feared-after-de-facto-regime-29-09-2009,34615.html).

The only possible explanation for yesterday’s raid was the desire to silence a radio station that spoke for a community involved in serious land dispute, just as the only possible explanation for the crime scene tape was to criminalise the people and their radio. Whether La Voz de Zacate Grande is paying the price for the land dispute or whether it is the primary target of this persecution (http://en.rsf.org/honduras-seventh-journalist-shot-dead-in-21-04-2010,37102.html), this is political censorship and a violation of the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights.

At the same time, Honduran legislation still fails to meet international standards regarding community media.

La Voz de Zacate Grande, which began broadcasting on 14 April, defends the cause of the Association for the Development of the Zacate Grande Peninsula (ADEPZA), whose representatives are accused by agro-industrial tycoon Miguel Facussé Barjum of occupying “his“ land and “tax fraud.” Its closure took place as the police executed warrants issued by the local judicial authorities for the arrest of five ADEPZA leaders.

Already deteriorated since the coup, the situation of media pluralism and press freedom has got worse since the installation of a new government on 27 January. Honduras has become the world’s most dangerous country for journalists in the past six months. The murders of six journalists and a presenter in the space of a month and a half have been followed by little progress in the investigations.

A warrant has, it is true, been issued for the arrest of four individuals accused of being the perpetrators and instigators of radio journalist David Meza Montesinos’ murder on 11 March in the Atlantic coast town of Ceiba. But there have been no developments in the murder of his colleague, Nahum Palacios Arteaga, who was gunned down three days later following threats believed to have come from the army (http://en.rsf.org/honduras-third-journalist-gunned-down-in-16-03-2010,36715.html).

This last case is the only one that has been included in the Reporters Without Borders press freedom barometer because it is the only one in which a link has been clearly established with the victim’s work as a journalist.

The authorities systematically exclude any link between these serious violations of free expression and the political violence of the past year. So how will they respond to the two resolutions adopted by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on 3 May and 2 June, urging them to guarantee the safety of 15 threatened Radio Progreso journalists, who include the station’s director, Jesuit priest Ismael Moreno, and its news editor, Karla Rivas? The station and its staff have been targeted because of their political and editorial positions.

Reporters Without Borders is maintaining contact with these people and holds the Honduran authorities responsible for their safety. The government cannot expect to be readmitted to the Organization of American States if it persists in its denial, or worst still, its complicity in certain violations. It should accept the principle of an independent international commission of enquiry.

http://en.rsf.org/honduras-300-soldiers-and-police-storm-04-06-2010,37673.html

97.1 FM La Voz de Zacate Grande

Solidarity Trip to Honduras – D&P with CCCM

Today we were in the community of Puerto Grande, on the island of Zacate Grande, in the southern coastal part of Honduras. The community was ready to meet us with a large circle of chairs in the shade of large trees (the temperature was over 35 degrees  - because of the climate this region is the desired playground of the rich).

Zacate Grande is a very beautiful region located between the gulf of Pacific ocean and the mountains. The vegetation is rich (bananas, corn, orange groves) but what is most appealing about this area is its breath taking view of the Pacific ocean. The people we met are part of a community of Hondurans that have been living there for a hundred years. They know the land and the land belongs to them.

A multi-million dollar entrepreneur has been putting pressure on the community to leave their land so that he can own it for his personal island and to sell as real estate. Pressure tactics range from showing up with an AK47, arresting young people who pick corn from the land that he has purchased, and arresting adults for resisting his oppressive tactics. He is a very wily and manipulative weasel.  There is a Honduran law that gives land rights to the people if they have lived ten years on the land, but this law is not being respected.

The youth of the community were there today to greet us and tell us about their experiences. They have built a radio station on some of this disputed land and are sharing their experience and raising the awareness of Hondurans to this situation. I could see how much pride they took in their work.  The youth really wanted to be at the radio station.  They loved it there and had made it their own, with hammocks up, news flash boards and even a soundproof room for programs. Their program runs from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm every day.

Of course, the multi-millionaire is trying to get them off this disputed land because it would make a prime lot (right by the sea). The two reasons he is using is that they are not paying taxes for the land and that they are on the disputed land, regardless of their historical presence.

One young lady came over to see us delegates from Development and Peace. When I asked her if she would like to work someday in the radio station, her eyes lit up…”Yes” she said with no hesitation. I guess this radio station is a ray of hope not only for the youth but for all members of the community.

Off to bed…tomorow we are off to the Canadian Embassy.

Kim Gottfried Piché

Becoming an apostle of justice

Solidarity Trip to Honduras – D&P with CCCM

I was struck this morning by the reading of Acts 1, 15-17, 20-26 that mention the criteria in order to become or to be considered an apostle. Since one of the twelve had failed, he had to be replaced to preserve their sacred number:  the new people of God is built on the Apostles in the same way that ancient Israel proceeds from the twelve sons of Jacob.

In order to be chosen as apostle, Matthias must have followed Jesus from his baptism to the ascension in order to “become (with the other apostles) a witness of his resurrection”. “Thus to have lived with Christ, to have listened to his teachings, to have shared in his intimacy, to have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead, is the irreplacable experience that allows the apostles to speak of him with assurance and which gave them the strength to seal their witnessing in their blood” (free translation from the French commentary in Magnificat for the mass of the 15th May, 2010).

I have met people in Honduras whose lives are at stake because of their witnessing of Christ in the poor. They are a non-violent Christian resistance and through their presence to the poor they teach me that to be with the poor you must have witnessed the baptism of empowerment, that you must eat and drink with the poor, that you must share the intimacy of their pain and their hopes and be ready to give your life for them to ascend to the justice and peace that God desires for all.

In short, to be an apostle of justice means to speak the truth of injustice and accompany people in their struggle and be ready to face death in order for justice to emerge and for life to rise.

I am humbled by this witnessing in the name of Jesus. I am simultaneously attracted and repelled by it, probably because I realize that I am not close enough to the poor. As this trip draws to an end, I pray that God frees me enough so that my witnessing, my life as a priest and as a missionary, be truly apostolic. Even in my short visit here, I see that being apostles of Jesus and apostles of justice are one and the same in order to witness the resurrection.

F. Daniel Renaud, o.m.i.

The Liar Who Preys On The Community That Prays

Solidarity Trip to Honduras – D&P with CCCM

Where were we today?  Down to the coast to a beautiful island called Zacate Grande. Have you ever heard of it? It is a disputed area, nestled in the southwest corner of Honduras bordering Nicaragua and El Salvador.  This region is home for about 800 families and within it, we visited Puerto Grande, one of the 10 villages on the island.  It was hot and humid, about 36 C.  The humidity sure added to the heat.   

This community is being forced off their land by a rich businessman, Miguel Facussé who is illegally claiming, in the grand scheme of things, that it is his land. These people have lived there for over 100 years.  He wants to develop it for tourism, condos and or just create hardship for a group of poor campesinos long enough to make him millions, or whatever —  more than he will ever need.  The stories are tragic as these campesinos hold onto whatever meagre existence they have managed to eke out as farmers and fisherfolk. 

We met with the youth activists, the leaders of the community, the lay church leaders (Delegates of the Word) and other men and women who are involved in the movement to resist the threat of expropriation.

We learned all about the work of their new movement – Movimiento de Recuperación y Titulación de Tierras de Zacate Grande (Movement for the Certification and Reclamation of Land in Zacate Grande). To hear a 17 year old young man share with us…

“We are arrested if found planting our maize or using the beach to launch our boats to go fishing.”

“It is the only thing we have and without our land and the ocean, we have nothing to eat. We fear that more of our fathers will be arrested.  We simply do not have the money to pay.”   

If arrested, the law demands these poor campesinos to pay a fine and fulfill probationary measures, in order to avoid imprisonment, but with no money they end up in jail. 

Thanks to Caritas Choluteca, our Development and Peace partner, who was our host these past two days, the people of Zacate Grande region have developed democratic and organizing skills to further commit themselves, have built a radio station, and created all sorts of social groups/committees to organize their efforts not only around this threatening social issue but also to deal more effectively with the affairs of the community and the region.  

Their greatest tools of defense are themselves, the community, and their radio station (run by the youth!) which allows them to reach out to each other and beyond Zacate Grande.  And, there is so much more to these people who resist being victims to this injustice that has come upon them since 1992.  
 
The mosaic is jarring: it is a home of the mangroves, a place of the pelicans, and now a land where a liar preys on innocent tillers of sparse soil of relentless rock and on fishers of protected ocean bays, who struggle to simply feed their children and each other. 

As we stood in a large circle and prayed before our meeting, an arching acaia tree casted a cool spotted shade over us.  I realized that like this tree, with the God of Justice in their hearts, they are not going to fall easily.  The massive root structure penetrated the parched soil to drink from the deep wells under our feet.   Yet, the greed of another will never have power over those who seek what is rightfully theirs. 

It was heart-wrenching to hear these people being attacked by such powers of a corrupt law, government and police colluding with a business baron who knows no boundaries. La lucha continua.

- Fr. David Shulist, S.J. Carleton University Roman Catholic Community (CURCC)

A moment of encouragement

Solidarity Trip to Honduras – D&P with CCCM

We just returned from two days in the diocese of Choluteca which included a visit to the community of Zacate Grande on the Pacific Coast and a visit to El Arca (L´arche community). It was hard to say “adios” to our new companeros and companeras at Caritas Choluteca.  

Before we did though, we all gathered in prayer by the sea and the mangroves to thank God for the blessing of meeting each other and being called to this community of justice, and to strengthen our faith and commitment to continue the work here in Honduras and in Canada.  Our two padres were able to give a special blessing to the Caritas team (at their request).

 A powerful moment of solidarity and encouragement.

Tomorrow, we head to the Canadian Embassy to hear their take on development in Honduras and to raise our concerns for the country and Canada´s involvement based on our visits of the past week.  Then we will have a chance to meet with catholic youth and campus ministry folks here.  Buenas Noches de Tegus!

- Lori Neale

Never the same again

Solidarity Trip to Honduras with D&P and CCCM

What an inspiring experience this social justice trip has been! The greeting by the Sisters  in Tegus (as the locals call Tegucigalpa) helps us to ground our many community visits with Caritas Honduras, a Development and Peace partner.

We hear and see first hand about the rampant corruption, the shameful practices of our Canadian mining companies, the seeds of hope from various projects that D and P is funding. http://www.caritas.hn/

Most of all, we connect with the dedicated and competent leaders and their capacity-building training and listen in shock and admiration to the people who learn to help themselves and direct their own development. It is beautiful to see how they have accessed their potential and how the intergenerational bonds are so strong through surmounting both inner and (amazingly persistant) external obstacles. Such dignity, such persistance, and such proud defiance in the face of the blatant human rights violations!!

At our daily Eucharists, it has become impossible for me to read the Word of God in the same way I used to. I have had a hard time holding back the tears as a man of God celebrating life when my brothers and sisters in Christ are being treated so inhumanly and have to fight so hard for justice and peace.

How can I say the peace of Christ without seing the joyful faces of people who fight for it tooth and nail. This experience has made me realize how central the message of justice and peace is to the Gospel. I will never be able to say mass the same way after this experience. Thanks be to God.   

Fr. Daniel Renaud, omi

Protecting the micro-cuencas (eco-systems)

Solidarity Trip to Honduras – Development and Peace with the Canadian Catholic Campus Ministers

In the morning, we visited a community that is trying to practice sustainable agriculture. This community gives me hope. The community is funded by Caritas and they put into practice a whole system that is ecological and feeds 8 families of about 60 people.

Unfortunately their land is on slopes and the better land is kept for those who are rich.

The community is making sure that there is crop rotation on their fields, that the forest is protected and that the soil doesn’t get eroded. They still use chemicals but are gradually eliminating them to become totally organic. This transition to a chemical free agriculture is a slow process. At the moment they cannot do it because they need to make sure that their families get fed.

We then went further up where we saw an oven with Canadian technology that uses only 30% of the wood of the previous ovens. I also got suited up to get a close look at their bee hives. Bees are very important, not only for the production of the honey that they can then sell but also for the pollinization of the plants. People then have a greater interest in protecting the plants.

We also witnessed a sick horse trying to give birth. But it probably will die because of a lack of resources (no vet nearby).

In the afternoon, we visited a group of people that formed a committee to fight against a Canadian mining company (Goldcorp) that has poisoned their water and destroyed the environment. The company has left and there is no accountability.

The Honduran government has turned a blind eye to them saying that ‘yes’ there are sick people in the community but there is no proof that it is attributable to the mining company.

We need to help these communities by informing Canadians on how these mining companies operate in the Global South.

Norbert Gottfried Piché

VIDEOS: CAFOD’s Unearth Justice Trailer and Voices from Honduras – a meeting with with the same people we spoke with, in the Siria Valley.

Solidarity Trip to Honduras

Tomorrow is the first day of the Solidarity Trip to Honduras – a special trip between Development & Peace and Canadian Catholic Campus Ministers.

From May 6-16 this group will have the amazing opportunity to be accompanied by D&P’s partner Caritas Honduras, to learn about solidarity and to be challenged to live out our faith in a global world.

Genevieve Gallant (D&P), Lori Neale (CCCM Coordinator), Fr. David Shulist (Carleton U), Fr. Daniel Renaud (St. Paul’s U), Kim and Norbert Piche (Ryerson U) are the Solidarity Trip participants. We will share with you our experiences visiting Caritas projects in Honduran dioceses, our learnings, our reflections.  

Come journey with us!

For our first blog post, we asked Kim what motivated her to join this special collaborative trip:

“I have had a chance to study the documents of the Latin American Episcopal council and some liberation theology, but I have not yet had the chance to travel and learn about the people and development of Central America. I see this trip as a way to integrate some of my theological experience with lived experience.

After some reflection and discussion with peers, I anticipate feeling better equipped to promote the work of D&P on campus, if this is the direction that the chaplaincy team decides to take in the future. I would also be interested in incorporate the teachings of the Latin American Bishops into future programming in Campus Ministry.”

“There is a real passion for social justice on the Ryerson Campus and students work incessantly to promote awareness of justice issues among students through various campaigns, rallies and action. These activities can range from inviting people like Vandana Shiva to speak about the demise of independent Indian farmers to local initiatives that advocate for the rights of people on social assistance to have access to special dietary allowance.

The real and tangible work that is happening on campus for social justice awareness and action is not necessarily associated with a faith or religion. In fact, observations lead me to believe that that many students on campus do not believe that Catholics have an interest in these matters.

The question that I ask is “Is it possible to  empower Catholic students who cheer from the sidelines at the justice work done on campus to a stronger leadership role?” Knowledge of the Catholic Social teachings and leadership among Catholics (including campus ministers!) will help strengthen the conviction that our tradition has something essential to offer the work of justice.

Right now, this conviction lays hidden in the hearts of many who stay watching tentatively from the sidelines.

The exposure trip to Honduras will enable me to see development work done in the global South through a Catholic organization for Development and Peace that coincides with what many students at Ryerson are passionate about.  The process of seeing, reflecting and acting that will be done by participants on this trip will be a learning tool that I hope to introduce and integrate into future programming.”

Thank you Kim! Come back in a few days for more news from Honduras…