Winds of Peace Foundation

Steve Sheppard | August 23, 2009

I wrote a reflection here in May, 2007 about a circumstance facing the Indigenous People of Telpaneca, and how they had been forced to fight the same battle against the municipal and state government with regard to illegal squatters on their land.  One of the actions that had been taken in those days was the construction of several green outhouses on the farm properties, so that the municipal government could claim that the squatters had “improved” the farms and thus had a right to remain.  It seemed a ludicrous argument then and is even moreso now.

The Indigenous have continued to press their claims and rights through every legal means required of them, despite still more of the odious outhouses popping up on the lands as seen here.  (I took this photo from nearly the same spot as in my May 07 entry.)  Their most recent stop was before the Nicaragua Supreme Court just last Friday, as the President of the Indigenous, Jose Benito Basilio, presented a deposition on behalf of his people.  The court will consider the arguments of both sides before rendering its decision within the next months.

This is an important case, not just for Tepaneca, not just for Indigenous people, not even just for Nicaragua.  It’s a case of basic land rights which, if it fails at the Supreme Court level, will almost certainly be taken to the Inter-American Court of Justice for a hearing there.  At its root is the question of how to come to terms with the fundamental conflict between Indigenous patrimony and nationalistic authority.  When Indigenous people exert their ownership of land through titles acquired long before nation-states existed, whose claims to ownership shall prevail? 

The question is one which neither the Niacraguan nor other Inter-American Court governments may wish to defer to an outside court, because the ramifications are far-reaching.  But the Indigenous of Telpaneca have courageously and persistently fought for their lands despite artificial obstacles raised at every turn.   They have not swerved or hesitated in their quest for justice.  They have mobilized their members (1500 in a rally in Telpaneca just 2 weeks ago, without the support of any other Indigenous groups).  Their case is sound and backed by the evidence.  They give meaning to the Margaret Mead observation: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

We will watch the proceedings with great interest and hope….

 

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Steve Sheppard | August 19, 2009

One of the sites I visited last week was the Buculmay Cooperative, an outgrowth from the Women’s Council of the Indigenous People of Jinotega.  I’ve written before about how abused these women (and some men) were at the hands of the unscrupulous Board President, but take a look at where the coop is now!  They are in the middle of a pig-raising project financed in part by the government, and they are on track to become a model for this activity!  From less-than-obscurity to state-of-the art livestock, and with all of the recognition and self-esteem that such progress brings.

 

It’s one thing to develop a vision of what you want to become and a mission to specify how to get there.  But it’s another thing altogether to bring those concepts into reality, especially when you’re at the bottom of the pile socially and economically to begin with.  But with patience and a belief in the “rightness” of their independent walk, the Buculmay members are doing just that.

  

   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

From organizing themselves into a coop to learning the basics of collaborative work, as was happening in the above sessions, the members have been eager learners on their own behalf.  Some of the rudimentary business plans they created on their very first attempts were as good as some I’ve seen in mature corporations!  It was during this training session that the government became aware of the unusual extent of education that Buculmay was experiencing.  As a result, the government approached Buculmay with the proposal to manage the pig project!

 

One of the means by which this project is being funded is through the members’ own contributions, made possible by the crops that are raised and sold (yes, in addition to developing the pig-raising enterprise, these folks have “real” live, too).  Availing themselves of better seeds and fertilizers (not chemicals or GMO stuff), they have vastly improved their harvests.  Just contrast the corn crop in the foreground- grown under traditional means- with the field in the background, using newer methods and more indigenous inputs.  The volume difference is overwhelming, and these women are not necessarily farmers!  This could be Iowa corn!

 

The residence quarters for the Buculmay pigs is not some ramshackle sty.  With technical and construction advisors provided by the government, this modern facility features gravity-fed self-watering apparatus in each stall, grated floors for automatic removal of wastes, a bio-gas facility to capture waste product gas for fuel, four separate electrical sectors for energy efficiency and more.  Here you can see the installation of the main waterline.

 

I’m no pig farmer, but I know organization and efficiency when I see it.  Subsequent buildings to be constructed in Phase 2 of the project will allow separation of the animals according to maturity and need.  Note Julieta on the left, President of the Buculmay Cooperative and a lynchpin in their development.  With justification, she showed us the facility with extreme pride, undoubtedly recalling those dark days several years ago when everything seemed lost.  She did not imagine this!

 

This good-bye photo captures only a portion of the membership, but the image is in stark contrast to the group with whom we met those several years ago, who wondered how they might survive socially, economically and in every other way.  They stand taller, their smiles are wider and even the surroundings in which we met are brighter.  There is certain satisfaction, I suppose, when members of your community now seek you out to ask about membership in your coop, and the adversary who has oppressed you is now quiet in the face of your earned status as a credible and important entity in the community. 

Buculmay means “the place where corn becomes ground.” Basic.  Honest.  Of the earth.  It’s evident that this collection of courageous actors is true to its name….

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Tags: Buculmay Multi-Service Coop, Nicaragua Cooperative

Steve Sheppard | August 4, 2009

Take a look at this link, a book-in-progress from photojournalist Paul Dix.    This project will provide a stunning and real-life look at the aftermath of the war in Nicaragua, and provide some sense of why the country experiences the problems it does.  I found even these sample stories to be very moving.

Category: Reflections | 1 Comment »
Tags: Living with the Consequences, Paul Dix, War in Nicaragua