Update from Cinquera, December 1, 2006

December 4, 2006

ARDM-Cinquera Monthly Update #2

 

Introduction:

This is the second in the series of monthly updates on the work of the Association for Reconstruction and Municipal Development (ARDM) and the social, political, economic and cultural panorama in Cinquera.  The ARDM, with support from U.S.-El Salvador Sister Cities local staff, has decided to share in this format news about its activities as well as reflections, reactions and analysis.  These updates are written first and foremost to share with Cinquera’s Sister City of Chicago, but should also be suitable for general distribution.  Information was presented to me in an informal and open style, this time accompanied by Flor and Virginia, the 2 young women selected by the ARDM to carry out the institutional communications project, putting information together to give out to solidarity relationships and local communities.

Jesse Kates-Chinoy,

Sister Cities E.S. Staff

 

 

Youth Organizing

The youth from the Cabañas micro-region have come together and they have identified leadership and skills training as a necessary component to strengthen the youth organizing in their communities.  They have carried out an inter-community workshop on leadership training with 43 youth leaders, who will each replicate the workshop in their community with the Community Council (directiva communal) and youth committee.

The ARDM youth organizer (Manuel Reynado) continues to work with the youth organizing in the community of San Benito (municipality of Cinquera), who are putting together their soccer team, and were able to successfully fundraise to buy uniforms for themelves.

The youth from the community of San Nicolas (Municipality of Cinquera) are organizing a mini intra-community (boys and girls) soccer tournament running from December 1st-31st.  The ARDM chipped in some prize money for the winning team, and for the youth committee.

The Cinquera (town center) youth group is getting ready to coordinate the day of the Cinquera patron saint festival assigned to the young people.  They are organizing a serenade of the elderly women at 5:00am, a greased pig contest, and other festivities, along with the youth theatre presentation in the evening.

The Cinquera youth theatre group “Los Radiola” continues to put together original plays and scripts and present them around town as well as other venues.  Their plays include: “Eva” which is about gender relations and women´s social and political participation, “The tied up donkey” which is about CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement, “The Cinquera Forest” which is about local environmental conservation and how it fits into the larger political and economic system, and “Cipitin” which is a children’s play.  They have presented their work at the Womens Forum in Cinquera, the Native Seed Interchange in neighboring Tejutepeque, the United Nations Development Program (UNPD) fair in San Salvador, the Community Organization Day in Tejutepeque.

The Youth Radio Project continues:  They have finished building their new “studio” (a brick alcove behind the ARDM office with egg-cartons pasted all over the inside walls for sound absorption.)  They have continued with their daily programming (5:00-7:00pm every day), and are getting better at putting shows together, as well as informational advertisements.

 

Historical Memory and Community Mobilization:

People from the community of Cinquera participated in the commemoration of the anniversary of the assassination of the 6 Jesuit priests at the Central American University, UCA.  2 bussloads of people from the community (120 people) made the trip into San Salvador for the all night vigil.

The community of cinquera also participated in neighboring Copapayo at the community-run anniversary of the Copapayo Massacre, on November 4th and 5th.

 

Native Seed Interchange:

The ARDM helped to organize a native seed interchange with the surrounding communities and municipalities.  This event marks the 1 year anniversary of the native seed project they started, helping people to conserve their corn and bean seeds, especially native varieties, instead of buying genetically altered seeds, or “Bettered Hybrid Seeds”, sold by the Cristiani Burkard corporation.  Yes, almost all farmers in El Salvador are forced to buy seeds from ex-president Cristiani, who sold the national seed company to himself and sells hybrid seeds that cannot be saved for the next year harvest, forcing people to buy from him again and again and again.  The ARDM supported 20 local farmers in developing and conserving native varieties, and organized an interchange where they could share with other native varieties from surrounding towns.  The ARDM is buying native seed from these first 20 producers to give to 30 new producers this coming agricultural season, and helping to train the producers on techniques of how to select the best seeds to save year after year.

 

Community Organizing Structures

The new Directiva Comunal set up in San Benito (remember last month’s update?) is working well.  They have managed to bring the community together well, and are working together on community security issues.

The ARDM community organizer, Lito, was successful in helping the community of El Guiligüiste (say Willy-Wee-Stay) put together it’s Water Project Administration Committee, a necessary (and difficult) step in assuring international and municipal support for its potable water project.

 

Land Purchase Project

The ARDM is still trying to secure support for its Land Purchase Program, to buy land from individual owners in the Cinquera forest.  Their goal is to buy at least the 200 contiguous hectares necessary for the government to recognize the area as a nationally protected forest.  Right now, though the forest extends far beyond that minimum, it is made up of the family plots of 114 separate owners, making it impossible for the government to legally recognize it.  The ARDM hopes to buy enough land to procure that protection.  They are prioritizing the purchase of land in Copapayo, families who otherwise would soon need to put that land into intensive agricultural production to have food to eat, and thus severely damage the forest.

Patron Saint Festival

From December 5th-10th is the Patron Saint Festival in Cinquera.  The community will be in festivities all week, including firecrackers each night, a big dance party, mass at the church, soccer tournaments, serenades, clowns, and other surprises.  This author’s particular favourite will be watching the ARDM soccer team get thoroughly clobbered in the local tournament.  They are organizers, not athletes!  But its all in good fun.

 

Sister Cities Strategic Planning Process

The ARDM will be organizing a community discussion of the first set of questions in the Sister Cities Strategic Planning process on December 15th.  They look forward to talking with the Chicago committee about their conclusions sometime in January.