Frontiers of Justice and Called to Witness Travelogues for 2007
The 2007 Called to Witness trip, sponsored in partnership with the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, will be held September 15-26, 2007 in Ecuador. Visit our travelogue to see who is going and journey with us.
The Frontiers of Justice program is a unique opportunity to bring first-hand experiences of the world into the classroom. Recently, Frontiers of Justice sponsored a trip to Kosovo.
Called to Witness Travel in Ecuador
The 2007 Called to Witness trip, sponsored in partnership with the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, will be held September 15-26, 2007. Following a 2-day orientation in Baltimore, the group will travel to Ecuador. The trip will give particular attention to the situation of poverty and exclusion of Ecuadorian children and young people in terms of livelihood, migration, education, and child labor; as well as programs developed in Ecuador to provide integral protection in areas of human mobility, education, child participation, emergency relief and solidarity-based livelihoods.
Check back in the next two weeks for postings to our travelogue. As time and internet capability allow, we will make a periodic posting telling the story of our journey and pilgrimage to Ecuador. If you are interested in learning more about Called to Witness or applying for the 2008 trip, visit the Called to Witness homepage.
The 2007 Called to Witness Delegation
- Claudia Brown
- Coordinator of Youth Ministry, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church
- Woodbridge, VA
- Joyce Francois
- Director, Office of Youth Ministry
- Archdiocese of Detroit, MI
- Elaine Menardi
- Director, Office of Youth Ministry
- Diocese of Cheyenne, WY
- Mark Pacione
- Director, Division of Youth & Young Adult Ministry
- Archdiocese of Baltimore, MD
- Caroline Rau
- Coordinator of Youth Ministries, Saint Athanasius Church
- Pittsburgh, PA
- John Rinaldo
- Consultant for Youth Ministry & Confirmation
- Archdiocese of Los Angeles, CA
- Michael Theisen
- Director of Membership Services
- National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry
- Ted Miles
- Catholic Relief Services
- Marcos Martinez
- Catholic Relief Services, Southwest Regional Office
- Laura Johnson
- Catholic Relief Services, Midwest Regional Office
When the student is ready to learn, the teacher arrives!
September 26, 2007
When the student is ready to learn, the teacher arrives!
The quote above was shared with us by Yazmina Zambrano, our CRS/Ecuador guide, when describing her hopeful view of education and systemic change within Ecuador. It is most applicable to our Called to Witness experience in Ecuador, albeit with a little rearranging of the verbs. On September 15, 10 "students" arrived in Ecuador ready to learn, and the teacher - the people of Ecuador, already there upon our arrival — had so much to offer.
We have learned much… Certainly, we have grown in our understanding of the impact of migration on families, caught a glimpse of the complex web of injustice that fosters child labor and exploitation, and witnessed the effect of long-term powerlessness and oppression. However, the teacher was clear to indicate that these are only part of the story. Within the harshness of poverty, the burden is eased through the commitment to journey together as community. In the face of loneliness and brokenness when families are split due to migration, courage, hope and forgiveness renew a commitment to right relationships. Amidst the confusion when answers seem absent, prayer, purity of heart and the knowledge that Christ journeys with us in solidarity instill fearless determination to press forward. This is what Ecuador teaches me. This is, in part, what Ecuador has to offer all of us.
Hospitality defines the people of Ecuador. For their tremendous hospitality, we thank Yazmina and the entire CRS/Ecuador staff, Padre Marco, Roberto, Carmen, the youth and communities of Misicata and Ba¤os, the Pastoral Social staff of the Cuenca Vicariate Office, el Red Juvenil, Natividad, Olga, CIELALT, the Good Shepherd sisters, Padre Fernando, the women of Casa Maria Amor, Carolina, Marian, Lupe, Ivan, the staff of Camari and MCCH, Kevin, the volunteers of Rostro de Cristo and the community members we met in Duran, Alexandra, the Ernesto Alban School and the Chaupi community, Wilma, Albert and Magdelena, the Masapan handcrafts community, and the youth and community leaders of La Silveria and Tahualag. Our lives are forever changed and richer because of the intersection of our journeys.
St. Francis de Sales once said, "We cannot help conforming ourselves to what we love." Ecuador has implanted in our hearts a love for minga (community that journeys together) and deepened in our hearts our love for and, subsequently, our commitment to justice and solidarity. To this teacher, we, your students, say "Muchisimas gracias! Siempre recordaremos nuestra visita a Ecuador y siempre los llevaremos en nuestras oraciones y en nuestra corazones."
— Ted Miles
The Minga Experience
September 25, 2007
"Minga" is a native Ecuadorian word that refers to the participation of the community in a shared project, like an old fashion barn-raising. It also implies a journey. Our Called to Witness team has participated in "dos mingas" this past week and both have added to the power this journey has been for us.
Youth leaders from the community of La Silveria present a traditional dance of Ecuador's indigenous people.
The first minga took place quite unexpectedly when we went to Cayambe (in the northern highlands) to visit a community of indigenous people who were trying to improve their school and attempting to get more children to go to school instead of working in the flour or banana industry where they are exploited and wind up as adults without an education. As we finished listening to what the community was doing to change the educational conditions, a man came in with a children's textbook and showed us a colorful image from one of them. The community leaders introduced him as a local artist and he informed us that we were going to paint a mural of the image on the side of the school building (a common practice in this colorful culture). We got excited thinking of being able to do something that was lasting and we showed our enthusiasm for the idea. However, when we got outside it was clear that we would not be painting a mural. Instead, we would be painting the outside of the entire school building, and playground equipment, and desks and the bathrooms. Only the local artist would be painting the mural - he had just wanted our approval of the picture.
It was a good thing there were many hands involved in this minga experience, including the hands of all the children of the school - none of whom had ever painted anything before. Just imagine getting 55 6-12 year olds together with rollers and paintbrushes and an oil-based paint and you get the idea of what this was like, including the fact that none of us had on our "painting clothes". But God is good and by God's grace we somehow managed to paint everything in the next 4-5 hours. At one point, the kids were using so much paint on the walls that the other adult leaders from the community asked us if we could take the kids to the soccer field so there would be enough paint to finish the project! Side note: No matter how small they look, don't ever take on a group of Ecuadorian kids in a game of soccer when you are nearly two miles above sea level. You don't stand a chance!
After the painting was done and we had eaten a meal, the community invited us to play some games and then had a ceremony thanking us for our visit and the work that was done. It was a memorable event that showed us the power of community and how it can come together to work toward changing a system that tends to exploit the powerless.
The second minga took place on Monday in the mountainous area of Riobamba with an indigenous community (Quichuans) who lived in a community named La Silveria. Their poverty was more intense than of those in Cayambe. In fact, we were the first US citizens that they had ever met. We began by celebrating mass in their native language in a cramped broken down church with sagging floors and ceilings and 2 lightbulbs. More than 150 people crammed into this 20 x 40 foot structure to celebrate this liturgy. They asked the Americanos to read the gospel (in English) and offer a reflection (in Spanish) and to sing two songs (the last one was a surprise request for us). Afterwards, we ate a very simple meal out of hand carved wood bowls with crudely carved wooden spoons. Then, they invited us to participate in the fiesta they had prepared, which included native dances and a skit.
We took a tour of their projects - a plant nursery, computer room and an impressive new brick church they were in the process of building. They told us that we would help them complete the concrete slab for the floor of the church. The next day we returned to witness an amazing building process. Both men and women helped to haul the sand, rock and mortar mix from a large pile outside the church to the middle of the unfinished floor using old seed bags. The most difficult process was getting the large amount of water that was needed to the church in order to mix the concrete. We had to fill and haul by hand nearly a hundred 5-gallon containers of water from the nearest well which was more than 200 hundred yards away. Even the women were lugging these containers on their backs using their shawls as backpacks. When the cement was mixed, it was hauled to where it was needed using the old seed bags. Then one man, using only one used 2x 4, began to form and level the concrete into a perfect slab. It was an incredible experience to be a part of.
At one point during the filling of the water containers, the woman who owned the spigot began to get anxious and worried. When asked why, she said that we were using a month's supply of water (which cost $3) for this project alone and she was concerned about being able to pay the bill. A representative from CRS told her that they would pay for the water and the woman smiled and laughed, relieved that this burden had been lifted from her.
Both of these minga experiences showed us the power of the people and the necessity to walk this journey with them, on their terms, so that we can support the process of empowerment that is needed for real change and real solidarity to occur. What a world it would be if there was more "mingaling" occurring!
— Michael Theisen
What I Know About Ecuador
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Yes, here in Ecuador, the toilet does swirl counter clockwise. But you need to do some more homework if you think that it does so because of the Coriolis Force. A toilet is too small to demonstrate the Coriolis Force and the direction of the swirl is caused by the direction of the spigots in the rim of the bowl. But yes, the toilet in my room does flush counter clockwise. I know. I checked it myself.
Yes, the people throughout Ecuador are some of the most welcoming people in all the world. I know. I have met them. I can give you names and email addresses.
Called to Witness participants visit with administration and faculty from the Ernesto Alban Community School near Cayambe to learn about the Support Our Youth (SOY) Project)
Yes, guinea pig is served as a delicacy here in Ecuador. I know. I have tried it and if you a guessing how it might taste, you are right. Tastes like chicken.
Yes, the native women in the Andean mountains in Ecuador do wear those cool retro hats that my Uncle Carlo used to wear in the 60's. I know, I saw them and even tried one on.
Yes, the people of Ecuador, particularly in the Andean Mountain region work collaboratively within the community to address the problems that communities in a poor nation like Ecuador face: employment, education, housing, care for the infirmed and those with special needs and most of all immigration. Just the other day we visited a school in Cayambe which has received support from the SOY program. SOY, (Support our Youth) is a collaborative project between several groups including Caritas, CARE and CRS. SOY is designed to help keep young people in school and to stop child labour. Many Ecuadorian children work on banana plantations or for the growers in the floral industry. The SOY program ends next year but the community in Cayambe is ready. They have already been supplying funds to hire four additional teachers, and they contribute funds for the school lunch program. Now they have struck a deal with the local community who will start to provide the funding for all 20 of the full scholarships that they received from SOY. The school divides the scholarships among the students to encourage them to stay in school and away from the banana and floral industries. Yes the people of Ecuador work collectively to address community problems. Because of SOY, 80% of the children in Cayambe are enrolled and attending school.
The community also got some cheap but friendly labor to help paint the school buildings. I know. I still have green paint on my jeans.
Yes, the Lord is indeed risen and alive in the Ecuadorian people. I have seen him in the lives of Carmen and Roberto, Alberto and Magdelena, Yasmina and the CRS Ecuadorian staff. I can show you where to put your fingers in the wounds they have bourn for their communities. I can show you the shroud of hope that they have left behind. I can show you the evidence of the resurrection through their kindness, persistence and commitment to solidarity. I have seen the marks of Jesus resurrection alive in communities before. They are clearly visible here in Ecuador.
Yes, Ecuador is a place full of holy people. I know. I have prayed with them and I am humbled to listen to them pray with me. And I know that I will never stop praying for them. This is what I know about Ecuador.
— Mark Pacione
Enchanting People
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Fair trade is not totally about economic growth but rather the entire development of the person. We were blessed to experience two Fair Trade sites. Our visit to the Tagua Craft Workshop demonstrated the process of taking the tagua seed from its original shelled state to the dyeing, cutting, drilling and polishing steps prior to it being turned into beautiful, jewelry. The eight skilled artists were very patient and articulate with their work.
The town of Calderon hosted a Masapan (bread dough ornament) Workshop with twenty-one partners filling various roles in the production of this traditional artwork. Both pride in their workmanship and self worth were evident as they shared their time and talent with us.
Joyce Francois engages in games with children at the Ernesto Alban Community School.
It is vital that we create a consciousness of fair trade, demanding that workers be treated with dignity and respect. Carmen, a Camari Fair Trade volunteer accompanying us, requested "Please spread the word now that you know. Plant the seeds and they will germinate." Let us do our part and then be hopeful for a garden filled with a variety of beautiful flowers blooming in God's light.
Fair Trade has many aspects to explore and it can impact many people. We all share a part in the building of a just supportive system of trade. What part we take is our choice. Let us be wise, prayerful and active in our decisions.
We also visited "La Mital de Mundo" (the middle of the world) and enjoyed lunch, music, and shopping as we continuously passed from the northern to the southern hemisphere.
Our weather has been beautiful, the people enchanting, and the many issues of life explored continue to tax our minds and hearts. May we continue to notice and appreciate the many moments of grace we have experienced and be thankful for all life that is gift.
— Claudia Brown
There's a Place in the Sun Where There's Hope for Everyone
Friday, September 21, 2007
The bus ride to Cayambe provided us with tremendous views including the third largest peak in Ecuador, Mount Cayambe. We arrived at the Ernesto Albon School to a sea of smiling Chaupi Indian faces. The area surrounding the school was by far the most beautiful country we have seen.
We were greeted by the children, Maria, the principal; Alexandra from the Care organization and Benjamin, the president of the school organization. The school is supported by the SOY program (Support our Youth). The program provides teacher training, food and scholarships for 20 students. To encourage enrollment in the school recreational activities were added to the program. In Ecuador recreational activities include music and art. The music and art has increased the confidence of the children in the school so they were able to do more in other subject areas like math and language arts.
CRS staff member, Yazmina (right), awaits the opportunity to translate the welcome to the community of La Silveria.
The community came together to work with us on a painting project. It was obvious to us that the community invested much time and effort in the school with support from the SOY project. Everyone from the community was involved in the project including the children. Within 6 hours two murals, the playground equipment and two buildings were painted. Our experience today once again allowed us to witness the giftedness of the Ecuadorian people.
It was an honor to interact with the children who accepted us with unconditional love. A large part of the day was spent in play. We played futbol (soccer), shared games from the states and after lunch the community challenged us to a series of Ecuadorian relays and tests of strength!
As I watched the children play in that amazing environment I reflected on God's plan for all his children to live in that "place in the sun where there IS hope for everyone." As we headed down the mountain we accept the challenge that someday we can be a part of that dream.
— Joyce Francois
It's another day's journey and we are blessed by it, every mile of the way
Thursday, September 20th
Yes, we have been called to witness, and we have witnessed! Over the past week we have witnessed poverty, despair, broken homes, victims of disease and injustices on many levels...but nothing we have seen prepared us for today's experience.
Our early morning flight into Guayaquil began with a vista of wealth, beautiful homes and upscale shops.....The Hollywood of Ecuador. In a matter of minutes we would be in for a culture shock!! Our hosts were the staff of Rostro de Cristo. Director, Kevin Roberts, and twelve young adult volunteers from the USA run an immersion program and volunteer in the community through Rostro de Cristo. We were asked, before entering the town of Duran, to remove our watches, all jewelry, and money, and to leave our cameras behind. This was done to eliminate all possible barriers. We were reminded by Kevin, that our purpose in having this experience is to get to know the people and their families -- developing relationships with these people, free of any distractions. Even though words could never adequately describe what we would see today, we totally understood the purpose of Kevin's request and left our cameras behind.
We first visited Padre Damien's House, a residential facility for adult victims of Hansen's disease, more commonly known as leprosy. We were surprised to see how happy, healthy and content the patients all were. It was more like an assisted living facility. We were welcomed with warm smiles, hugs and singing. After participating in a sing-along with them, we were invited to purchase some of their hand made crafts. One particular woman there touched my heart. She seemed to be so sad. I imagined that she missed her family. Most of the residents at Padre Damien's are there because they had been rejected by their families, due to the stigma attached to leprosy. A hug, a warm conversation and the purchase of her crafts made the elderly lady smile. The last face that I saw, as we left, was hers...smiling and waving with gnarled fingers.....whispering adios.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon in Duran, a squalid area formed on what was once swamp land. Duran is home to thousands of squatters....migrants, either from the Highlands, other regions in Ecuador or other countries, who moved on this landfill to have a better life. There are work opportunities in construction and the hotel and restaurant industries in Guayaquil; economic participation makes the harsh living conditions worth it for them. A one room bamboo shack, resting on stilts, is home for the squatters or "invasion" as their situation is referred to. They will live in their fragile bamboo homes for years, until the government gives them title to the land where they have squatted. Once receiving the title, and when finances permit, the families will begin purchasing rock and cement to build a more substantial residence. Right in the middle of one village, just steps from their front door, we saw a smoldering heap. This, we were told, was the garbage dump for the city and is something many live off of.
Through it all, hope is still alive. We visited three families today. We walked on rock and gravel floors, sat on home made benches and listened to stories about their families, their church and their community, a community they seem to love. A community they, believe, one day, will be a healthy and thriving place for their children. As I panned the room of one home I saw pictures of children tucked away on a make-shift shelf. In their parched, but well attended gardens, (they have not had rain since May), flowers bloomed.....all glimmers of hope.
The people of Duran are not sad people. They indeed are a people of hope. They feel that they are blessed to have what they have and are hopeful that change will come. And we did see signs of change...roads being built, sewer lines being laid, after school programs that provide meals being offered and new schools being built.
Today our prayers are with the families of Durant and the families of the poor and forgotten, world-wide. Days like today deepen our commitment to peace and social justice. We ask the Lord to strengthen those of us who have been "called," as the harvest is plentiful... there is so much to do in His vineyard.
Keep us uplifted in your prayers. Ciao!
— Laura Johnson
Something's Always Burning Here
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Something's always burning here. You can see the smoke. You can smell the fire. There is an underground heat that radiates hotter than any volcano could.
I think it must come from the hearts of the people who long to change the world. They have a vision of what the world could be. It is a vision that I have only glimpsed from time to time in my everyday life, and yet it is a dream that burns in my belly like the fire I see here in Ecuador. I can only guess that it must be grace.
We seldom think that God sends grace to the rest of the world. It is we who are blessed with material wealth, with a democratic society that functions well most of the time, with good homes, cars, food and clothing, everything that seems to come so easily for a lot of us. But God sends grace abundantly to all people, especially those who desperately want to receive it. Today, I wonder how desperately do we in the first world want to receive grace...maybe we just expect it to come easily like so much else in our lives.
The fire here in Ecuador is that grace working through the hearts of these people. They are not satisfied with the way the world works. They want a just world of where wealth is distributed equally. They want the means to support their children without having to leave their homes. They want the world to share all of its resources, with all of its people. They want the world to love all of its people, not only those with wealth and power. They can see a better life.
Youth from Misicata perform a traditional Ecuadoran dance at the farewell gathering in Cuenca.
This is what burns here in Ecuador-an intense love for each other and the hope that one day, we will be one human family.
— Elaine Menardi
Broken Homes
September 17, 2007
It is a sight to behold. Driving up and down the beautiful hills of Cuenca, you can't help but notice them. They are new and colorful homes that stand in bright contrast to the aging and small homes that surround them. They appear as a diamond in the rough amidst the poverty all round. And yet most of these modern homes yield a sadness to them, a sadness that can only be understood when one is able to listen to the stories that built them, for these are broken homes, homes that have demanded a steep price.
A view from the front of the bus as it approached the one lane bridge.
The price is the cost of undocumented migrants who feel "forced" to leave their homes, their families, and their land to reach for the illusion of the "better life" for the family they leave behind. This often told story began to unfold as soon as we touched down in Cuenca on Sunday and became all too clear as we made our way by bus to the rural area of San Isabel on Monday. Our first stop was a Messengers of Peace (Mensajeros de la Paz) center that cared for young people with disabilities, many of whom were abandoned due to parents migrating to the North or the costs associated in caring for a special child. The center was the only 24 hour care for persons with disabilities in all of Ecuador. Here we met the courageous and compassionate Marcie, a full-time house parent who, with her husband and 2 year old child, care for a houseful of special needs children 24 hours a day/7 days a week. She shares how the children call them "mama and papa". The children are lucky to have such a solid family. The same cannot be said for others we met this day.
Two mothers we met at our next stop - Olga and Natividad - offered powerful testimonies to the impact of migration upon families in Ecuador. Both tearfully shared the difficulty their families have been through when their husbands chose to migrate to the U.S. for better work. In doing so, each racked up more than $15,000 in loans (at very high interest) in order to pay the "Coyotes" - the illegal network that exhorts the immigrants in smuggling them North. This debt usually takes more than 5 years to repay so the families left behind do not begin to see much income from their husbands for a long time. During this time there is much struggle, loneliness and depression, especially by the children who want their "papa" to come back home. Sadly, most never do. Only an estimated 10% fulfill their promise to return from the North once they have acquired money to build a new house (or car or...). Many of these husbands create new families in the North and begin a new life, while their Ecuadorian families live day to day, many in beautiful new homes built with the money that was sent to them, but absent of the love and security they once knew as a family. In fact, some families choose never to live in these new homes, which stand as empty monuments to a broken dream.
We saw further consequences of the migration issues at our next stop when we visited an impressive youth led program called Red Juvenil (sponsored by Messengers of Peace). Nearly 80% of the teens in this area have at least one parent who has migrated North. The area has also experienced the loss of 80 youth by suicide in the last 5 years. In a community of 18,000 this is a staggering percentage. A young teen, Tatiana, witnessed to the pain caused when a parent leaves the homes in search of the better life. Had it not been for the Red Juvenil group and a caring father figure, Tatiana would have become another life lost to depression caused by this complex issue that is migration.
What we heard and saw on this day was only one part of the immigration issue that so profoundly impacts this beautiful country. As over a million migrate each year, there is a similar number who illegally immigrate into Ecuador from war torn Columbia and impoverished Peru. The issues impacting these people include exploitive labor and human trafficking (especially of children), discrimination, and violence.
Despite the gravity of the brokenness we heard on this day, we also experienced a vibrant hope and a love of life by these people that is hard to match. Perhaps it is best summed up by the tiny cable bridge our large bus had to cross in order to get to and from our last destination. As we approached the bridge, all on the bus became very quiet and wondered how we could possibly get across in the large bus that we traveled in. We held our collective breath and prayed as we literally inched across the planks that formed our roadway for the next 50 yards. As we made it to the other side, a loud cheer rang out for the driver and for our safety.
Approaching, the bridge we only saw the problems, but the driver - a native Ecuadorian - knew what we did not because he had traveled this road before. This crossing, like this day, taught us to trust in the power and hope of the people and to join them in solidarity in order to cross the bridges that divide one from another.
— Michael Theisen
Gracias A Dios / Thanks to God
September 16, 2007
Our first full day in Ecuador proved to be a tremendous treat for all of us. After being in Quito for less than 24 hours, we flew to Cuenca, which is in the southern Andes region of Ecuador. We were immediately whisked away by our hosts to Ricaurte, which is a community of 18,000 just outside of Cuenca (pop. 400,000, third largest city in Ecuador). There, we had an amazing meal, which included guinea pig! Some of us, like Ted (our group leader from CRS), devoured it. For others, it was less than appetizing, especially since we were able to see the guinea pig being slow roasted over a fire!
Youth from Ricuarte make a dramatic presentation on social justice.
During our first day, we visited three separate parish communities (Ricaurte, Baños, and Misicata) and their separate youth ministry groups. There were two things that immediately touched my heart.
First, they are one of the most hospitable communities I have ever been to! They were so excited to see us and they treated us like special guests. For most of the youth and adults, it was the first time that they had ever met anyone from the United States of America. We were immediately greeted with wonderful food and warm smiles. Not to mention, we had an impromptu dance that lasted an hour! The whole community joined in and by the end, we had done conga lines, salsa, limbo, and more! Needless to say, by the end of the dance, we were sweating and having a difficult time breathing, thanks to the high altitude.
Secondly, I was touched by the amount of hope and joy in the community. Ecuador suffers from many concerns, primarily the immigration issues. Families are torn apart as their father decides to move to the United States or Spain in search of their "dream." Each youth group was able to present to us what it was that they were doing for the youth of the community. This included education of human sexuality, HIV/AIDS, immigration issues, morality, and more. With all the struggles that they were dealing with, the over-arching theme of their groups was hope. I was in awe, especially because I was coming from a country where complaining and never being satisfied is a way of life!
At the end of the first night, we sat in a big circle with the community, created a bonfire, and had our final prayer where we lit our candles and offered a prayer aloud. My prayer was simple. "Watching the youth of these communities, I can see that there is much hope for these parishes, this country, and our world. Thanks be to God!"
-John Rinaldo
Llegada en Ecuador / Arrival in Ecuador
September 15, 2007
Called to Witness delegation gathers for their first meal in Ecuador. Clockwise left to right around the table: John Rinaldo, Elaine Menardi, Ted Miles, Michael Theisen, Marcos Martinez. Laura Johnson, Claudia Brown, Caroline Roach, Joyce Francois, Mark Pacione
After two days of orientation in Baltimore that carved time for community building, exploring what we mean by solidarity, and learning about the work of CRS, the Called to Witness delegation embarked on their journey to Ecuador. With the exception of a flight delay in Miami, the trip went off without a hitch, and after several months of preparation and a cancelled trip in March for security reasons, our group arrived safely. We were greeted by Yazmina Zambrano, CRS Ecuador, who embodied the welcoming hospitality of Ecuador. Los Quipus Hotel, our lodging for the first night, is charming, containing a court yard of hydrangeas and flowers in full bloom, boasting the quaint South American architecture and situated on a hill, providing remarkable views of the Andes Mountains that surround us. It sets the stage for what will be an extraordinary week.
We leave today for Cuenca, located in the south region of Ecuador. There we will be visiting communities in the effort to learn about the impact of migration on Ecuador, particularly families and young people. The experience will take us into rural areas and we will not have internet access until Wednesday, September 19. Look for our next posting sometime after that evening.
Frontiers of Justice Travel to Kosovo
Mirupafshim Kosova!
July 20, 2007
The third and final Frontiers of Justice trip to Kosovo has officially ended but Kosovo will always be in the hearts of the 18 teachers who have visited the land of the blackbirds.
We have come here to know more about Kosovo, hoping to raise awareness among Catholic high school students about this place. We have come here to find out ways we can build solidarity with the Kosovar people, hoping to connect our schools with Kosovar schools. We have come here with so many personal hopes and we leave with hearts full of gratitude for the warmth, generosity and hospitality of the Kosovar people. We are especially grateful to the CRS staff who have worked hard to ensure that everything went well, breaking bread with us in the evenings, and sharing with us their stories of survival and hope.
In a place where Catholics make up 5 percent of the population, the principles of Catholic social teaching are so alive in the work of CRS. The education project with the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian children, especially girls, focuses on the most underserved population in Kosovo — a very clear witness to the preferential option for the poor. The peacebuilding work with the youth in Mitrovica empowers Serb, Albanian and Bosniak youth to transform conflict and work towards peace in their divided city — showing how youth can make real the principle of community and participation.
The Partnership Against the Trafficking of Human Beings carefully works on interventions that are well researched and sensitive to the needs of young women vulnerable to trafficking and those who have been rescued — with the dignity of the human person at the core of their work. And the Frontiers of Justice global solidarity projects — where U.S. and Kosovar teachers have spent time to get to know each other, the U.S. teachers staying at the Kosovar teachers' homes before they mutually develop and implement projects that will link their students and schools — are affirming that solidarity crosses borders, faith traditions and histories.
We leave Kosovo with the faces and stories of those who have wonderfully accompanied us in this journey — the CRS staff Shkumbin, Gani, Vullnet, Diana, Vllora, Florent, Adelina, Enisa, Adnan, Lumi, Lee, Arbana, Petar, Burim; the Kosovar teachers who have welcomed us in their homes and lives; Fatoni and Fidan who took good care of us at our "home" base in Hotel Lyon; and the many Kosovar people who have welcomed us in Prishtina, Prizren, Lipjan, Mitrovica and Decani. We do not say goodbye but a Mirupafshim(see you again) to Kosovo, knowing that we now have "family" to welcome us.
—Neal Deles
Kosovo: an allegory…
July 19, 2007
Two houses stand side by side. They occupy the same land, but in so many ways live completely separate existences. Within their walls they hold different memories, different views and different hopes for what the new wind of spring may bring for them.
The land these homes share has been bloodied, worn and threadbare. A certain emptiness rests between them, as if they have faint recollections of each other at a different time, but now cannot seem to bridge the small space between them.
The first house is made of brick blocks and cement and covered with a Spanish tile roof. The brick appears strong but is decidedly incomplete, awaiting a coat of cement insulation and a stucco finish. The windows and doors may or may not be in place, but that doesn't keep the home from being occupied. If the windows are not yet a reality, then the holes they leave vacant are filled with more clay bricks, in bitter defiance of the climate outside. Nonetheless, the western wind flows though more in ambivalence than in defiance to the home's existence.
The interior of this home is also unfinished. While there may be paint and flooring in some rooms, the others still wait for the next round of construction. Construction comes in spurts, and the house gets completed on someone else's timeline, outside of the owner's control. This home stands, however, because it is built on a foundation of pure hope and dream. One only hopes that it is strong enough to bring it to completion.
Beside this house stands another home just as modest. The youth of the first home, however, stands in stark contrast to this one, whose scars show its premature aging. This home may only be a decade old, but it wears its finish as though it were a century. Black scars appear around the window frames, indications of the fire that had burned within, but has since been extinguished. Windows are broken, and the yard is unkempt — a passerby would find it hard to know if this home is even occupied. In many ways it is not. This home stands against the elements along with its neighbor, but the western winds that have blown this season seem to have worn this home into a state of sorrow that may be hard to recover from, even if someone wanted to try.
Few know what the interior of this home looks like today. The bars on the door are an indication of how guarded and wary this home has become, beaten and battered as it is. This home, however, is not one that lives in the present but the past, and in its frame one can see the dominance it once must have had in this neighborhood.
As a passerby to this land, I cannot help but see the pain that is shared in these houses. The first suffers the pain of waiting — hoping always for a completion which never seems to come. The second grieves the loss of its former glory. It is a shared pain that tugs them apart but holds them together at the same time. Two houses, one land — what will become of this neighborhood?
—Matt Gaudet
Kosovo's History
July 18, 2007
Today the group visited several historic sites in Kosovo — the tower that marks the 1389 Battle of Kosovo, the tomb of Sultan Murat who lead the Ottoman forces during the battle and the Jashari Family Memorial from Kosovo's contemporary history.
The final stop for the day was time for prayers and a wonderful interaction with the monks of the 700-year-old Serbian Orthodox Visoki Decani Monastery.
We started off at 9 a.m. and returned to Prishtina at 7:30 p.m. It was a long day but also a good time to see the sites that help to give more depth and context to the history of Kosovo.
—Neal Deles
Dispatches from the Kosovo Homes
July 17, 2007
On the heel of the home stays, U.S. and Kosovo teachers spent the past day and a half in Vermica, less than a mile from the Albanian border, to plan their global solidarity partnership projects.
Below are dispatches from the FOJ 2007 delegates on their two-day experience in the homes of their Kosovar partner teachers:
One Human Family
July 17, 2007
We have just parted from 'family' — our family here in Kosovo. The Family that we have been taught about through scripture every time we were addressed as Brothers and Sisters by one of the Apostles. I can't claim to understand the mysterious depths of Love, but I have experienced Love, and I try to respond to the invitation to "Love one another as I have loved you." I thought, before this trip, that I had it down. Was I in for a surprise!
Anita, my partner teacher, welcomed me into the home she shares with her extended family. This welcome was more than gracious hospitality. It was acceptance, warmth, openess, humility, and affection. It was love. I have learned so much about Love from the people with whom I spent such a short amount of time. I have discovered that the more love we share, the more of ourself we offer to others, the more we have to share. The cup never empties, on the contrary, it runs over. I discovered within myself a greater capacity to love because of the love given to me by my brothers and sisters here in Kosovo. I have a greater understanding now of our connectedness and I see clearly that we are all one human family.
—Julie Hagerty
Mitrovica
July 17, 2007
The people of Mitrovica are a remarkable folk. The city split in two with the South being primarily Albanian, and the North being Serbian; even with the split, day-to-day life goes on. People make the best of what they have.
I have spent two days staying with a family from Mitrovica. Even with the broken English and awkward attempts at Albanian, we made do. The teacher I stayed with, Lirije, teaches law at an Economic School in the center of Mitrovica. We spent hours talking over coffee, about our mutual lives as teachers. We have mutual concerns for our students, however, Lirije's students are dealing with far different problems than my students. Resources are slim, dropouts are high, and the infrastructure of the school is very shaky. But she makes do. Lirije welcomed me into her family from the start. She said she always wanted a daughter and now she has one in me. She, along with her husband and two sons, embraced me as one of their own. The generosity is unmatched. They trusted me enough to tell their stories of their time during the war in 1999, which I promised to always relay with reverence and accuracy. In the words of Husni — "it was war, and we must tell the story, and get it right."
My time in Mitrovica will always have special place in my heart. And in relaying Husni and Lirije's story — I promise to get it right.
—Becky Clark
The Hills Are Alive With The Sounds of Music
July 17, 2007
I have just returned from two days in Peje with my teaching partner Valbona. Peje is located in the western part of Kosova/Kosovo and is at the base of mountains that go over 6,000 feet in elevation. It is an absolutely gorgeous location, but more about that shortly!
When we visited the Ministry of Education earlier, the government official who spoke to us announced at the end that the person who was going to Peje would have a better time than anyone else. While I can hardly step on anyone else's toes and say I did, especially since I was not in their shoes, I can say that from beginning to end I had an awesome time, could not have asked for more, and believe the time was far too short. The good news is I have all kinds of invitations to come back not only to visit, but even had two invitations to come back and teach.
My host teacher, Valbona, teaches in the Technical Secondary School in Peje. Upon my arrival, we visited her parents in the countryside. They were just wonderfully gentle people with huge hearts and welcomed me with open arms. We had barely sat down for a small bite to eat when Valbona received a call from her principal, asking where we were, so we afterwards went to Peje to meet her. The two immediately put their heads together to brainstorm possibilites for meeting people. With everyone on summer vacation and a miscommunication on the date of my arrival (they expected me two days earlier), they were challenged to make spontaneous arrangements. A cell phone came out and the calls began.
I was amazed that through the networking with a few strategic calls and bumping into strategic individuals, including students as we walked around the city, plans for the next couple of days were quickly materializing. A couple of students agreed to see if they could find students to meet us at the school the next day at 10:00 a.m. Two teachers quickly returned from Prishtina, one of whom would be our chauffeur and navigator for the weekend, and met us at the Technical School, where I had a tour of the facilities. In many respects the school is like a BOCES [Board of Cooperative Educational Services] vocational school in the U.S., except that students in certain areas with high enough scores can go on to study at the university in engineering, architecture and related fields. Plans continued to unfold that evening as we went up into the lower elevations of the mountains to a restaurant for drinks. I couldn't begin to comprehend the fullness of what they were planning until the next day. I would have full reason to dance to the music in the mountains the next day.
We met two students the next morning at the school. They each gladly accepted a one-time-use camera (courtesy of my principal, Sr. Joan Agro) and the challenge of taking photos around Peje that they thought teenagers in the United States might like to see and would communicate a hint of their story. I had a tour of the auto mechanics training area of the school and then we went off to get food and drink for a picnic in the mountains.
Did we ever go into the mountains! Paved roads quickly turned into dirt roads, with some sections barely passable for two cars and others taking turns. I cannot tell you how many prayers I said as the road was so narrow and the drop off the edge on my side of the car! "Hail Mary full of grace" was none too inviting. One car had to pull back its mirror to allow us space to pass.
Road names like street names in Peje were nonexistent so we were into "make a turn at the big tree" kind of directions, it seemed. Up and up we went on narrower and narrower roads, with the car occasionally offering a rhythmic bang as we hit bottom, working the ruts. Would the car make it? (Wait until you see the picture of what it looked like! Hail Mary full of grace…)
After a few wrong turns and redirection, we eventually came across a backhoe blocking the road. Oh no, with two cars in our train would we have to back down this long narrow mountain? Ah! Alas it meant we were in the right direction and it backed up the mountain letting us pass, where shortly beyond we arrived at out destination, the family home of one of the teachers from Valbona's school.
Words cannot describe the beauty of the mountains, nor could the photography even capture the beauty of this simple home (a cabin to us back home) on the side of the hillside, peering out over a sloping mountainside below, and up to mountains that climbed so much higher than we already were.
We were invited into the home, a beautifully simple room with soft matresses in a horseshoe shape with a rug in between. After enjoying company, exchanging news, responding to curious questions, we all boarded the back of a large truck, driven by the hosting teacher's father and headed further up the mountain. The vegetation became less and less as we climbed, the fall-off the side of the road steeper and steeper ,and the road narrow and narrower, and the truck increasingly having difficulty getting traction. Finally we stopped and all climbed out to continue the ascent. Up and up we went, rising higher into the mountains, the view ever more beautiful. We found scattered shade to recoup energy, drink some water, and indulge in wild blueberries. Our group had grown since the beginning of the trip, and we all hiked, even one little boy in tow, whose main form of communication with me was sticking out his tongue at me followed with a big smile. I responded in kind.
I had spotted a local instrument on the wall of the home at which we had stopped, and the teacher, whose family home it was had brought it along. The name escapes me but it has a small bowl shaped base with a neck like a guitar, but only two strings. As we stopped to break and picnic the teacher would take it out to play and spring traditional songs. We ascended until we could see Montenegro in two directions and gain refreshment at a water source flowing out of the mountain. There we rested.
Someone had reached there before us in a vehicle coming from the other side of the mountain and was blasting traditional Albanian music. Our musically inclined teacher began a traditional dance and invited me to join him. How could I resist? The company so enchanting, the view of the mountains so awesome, I felt like I was already walking on water. I just cannot describe the feeling of the awesomeness of the experience. The hills were indeed alive with the sound of music and dance, and believe me, if I could have sang, I would have sang the song — but then again, if I had, all present would have needed the Hail Mary — Ha!
Down the mountain we go to the house, but there was still more to come. Now a traditional Albanian dinner was ready. More joy and picture-taking were to follow, before we headed down the mountain. I couldn't help but wave "Mirepafshim (good-bye in Albanian) mountains" as we left. I was truly sad to leave, and knew this was one of those once in a life-time experiences.
Peace to all!!!
—Ellen Brickwedde
Kosovo Perspectives
July 15, 2007
During our many briefings and encounters we hear words and phrases that hone in on the perspective of a particular person or organization. All want the same challenging outcome of freedom, peace, safety and economic stability that is bundelled in the word "status." How each of these words is extrapolated depends on who you are, your personal history, why you are in Kosovo at this point in time and more importantly on the deep ties of family and culture.
The United Nations, United States and KFOR all have a critical and interrelated presence in Kosovo focused on "capacity building," establishing a democratic "rule of law," helping Kosovo "stand-up," making the circumstances "right for investment." Democratic and humanitarian interests are combined with the belief that the outcome of status for Kosovo is pivotal to the future of the Balkans.
Interactions with religious leaders both Muslim and Catholic and conversations with teachers who are Serbian Orthodox include language that reminds that "faith connects people" and the importance of "exchanging ideas and attitudes" across cultural divides. In the confidence zone of the divided city, Mitrovica, we broke bread with five student leaders from the north Serbian side and the south Albanian side of the Ibar river. On the edge of a river that runs freely providing life-giving water to both sides of the city and sparkles in the sunlight we heard and felt hope as we shared pizza talked of music and media artists and learned of the CRS youth initiatives for a shared future across cultural lines as these students spoke with conviction that through knowledge, exchange and understanding "our generation will make the difference" for the future.
Kosovo is a place of multiple languages and expressions, many perspectives, legitimate questions, challenge, frustration and hope all woven together but can only be understood person by person.
—Sr. Mary Frances Taymans
Images of Kosovo
July 15, 2007
As the FOJ delegates spent the weekend staying in the homes of the Kosovar teachers with whom they are going to work with in the coming schoolyear here are pictures they took through our travels through Kosovo during our first five days…a glimpse of Kosovo through their eyes.
A Bridge that Divides
July 14, 2007
Today we visited the divided city of Mitrovica, a major flashpoint in the ongoing negotiations for the future of Kosovo. This used to be one of the richest cities in Kosovo due to the Trepca mine and factories that had employed over 30,000 people. The mine has been closed since the 1989 conflict. Due to its close proximity to Serbia, the city also has the largest concentration of Serbs, many of them internally displaced after the conflict, who live in the North. In the Southern side of the city, you would find the Albanians, among them are the internally displaced as well, families who had lived in the North prior to the conflict. Few people cross the main bridge over the Ibar River that naturally divides the city for fear of their safety. French soldiers and local police guard the bridge.
For more than five years now, CRS has worked on peacebuilding in Mitrovica, starting with the high school students in both sides of the city through the City Wide Youth Council(CWYC). The CWYC is an inter-ethnic body with elected representatives from nine high schools in both sides of the city. The members meet every month and work on projects that would bridge the divide in their city. We had lunch with Serb and Albanian members of the council and I had asked them if they were hopeful about the future of the Kosovo. Arbeera, a soft spoken junior at the Economic school looked straight at me and said, "I am hopeful about the future of a peaceful Kosovo. The generation after us will have a better life because we are going to teach them what we have learned about inter-ethnic collaboration, conflict transformation and tolerance."
—Neal Deles
An Outstanding Day
July 12, 2007
We had another outstanding day. We first visited the Faculty of Islamic Studies teaching college that was a CRS partner in a counter-trafficking projects. We sat down and talked with the dean and a few professors about the college and its place in Kosovo's future. The dean shared how the Islamic community in Kosovo has always been involved in inter-faith dialogue, values tolerance and aims to be a "connector" among religions and ethnicities in Kosovo.
The next stop was the "Alauddin Medrese," an Islamic secondary school that had connected with a U.S. Catholic school in Ohio through last year's FOJ project. When we walked in, a group of middle school students (many of the girls wearing scarves on their heads) who had used the school for summer sessions were performing for their peers. After the show we asked them if we could take their pictures. They were more than happy to oblige. The children were ecstatic to talk to us; wanted to find out where we came from and asked if they could email us. I was rather surprised how informal and engaging they were — not at all shy. I couldn't help thinking that students of the same age in the United States might be a bit more aloof if they were to meet adults from Kosovo. We all had a great time.
After a delicious lunch of meat and vegetables cooked in a clay pot (once again we left feeling as though we couldn't eat another meal for a week), we headed to another CRS partner, Kosova Population Foundation, to discuss the USAID funded Partnership Against Human Trafficking of Human Beings(PATH) project. The day before, the Islamic leaders and the Bishop of Kosovo signed a historic memorandum of agreement to pro-actively work together against human trafficking in Kosovo. The same time we were learning about PATH, CRS staff and partners were conducting a workshop for imams, Catholic priests and nuns on counter-trafficking interventions. An interesting part of the PATH project is a multi-media campaign targeted to young women who comprise the most vulnerable demographic based on groundbreaking PATH commissioned research in Kosovo. The campaign was developed in collaboration with a social-justice oriented ad agency and included bumper stickers, public service announcements, car air fresheners (we learned that Kosovars care a lot for their cars) and a booklet with comics and crossword puzzles geared to empower young women to make a choice against becoming victims of trafficking.
The final stop was the CRS office where we sat down with the staff and shared wonderful conversations over Turkish coffee. They were such a friendly and fun group of people that part of me wants to get a job with the CRS office here in Kosovo.
Tomorrow we are off to Mitrovica to meet our partner teachers! The time is finally here! I'm nervous and excited—just a giant ball of anticipation!
Tung!
—Becky Clark
"Pray for Kosovo"
July 12, 2007
The last words he spoke to us were direct and to the point:
"Pray for Kosovo"
It occurred to me that we have been here for four days now, and this was the first time anyone has framed Kosovo's situation so succinctly as part of God's plan. During meetings with Catholic Church leaders and CRS staff, our shared prayers were certainly there, but generally unspoken. Even among our own group, the need for God's saving action as an answer didn't seem to come completely instinctively. Rather, it was the parting words of a professor at the Islamic University here in Prishtina that really drove the message home.
"Pray for Kosovo"
We've wrapped our minds in knots trying to comprehend the history of these people and this land. We've discussed ad nauseum the ever present "status" question of Kosovo's independence. We delved into the lasting issues of bitterness, division, and ethnic strife and tackled the rising problems of human trafficking, unemployment, and school dropout rates. To all of these we seemed to come to no good solutions. Except one.
"Pray for Kosovo"
The meeting with the Islamic faculty leaders was perhaps one of the most enlightening on an overwhelmingly edifying trip. They spoke with a certain wisdom of what is to come in Kosovo. They recognized their duty as a majority religion in Kosovo. It will fall to them to call for religious tolerance and interreligious dialouge, and if they fail, so will Kosovo. To us westerners, it still seems awkward to see another faith take the lead in such discussions. But their reminder that we all share one God and one earth, and therefore need to share each other was a message we all could learn from. And in the end, they summed it up in those three little words:
"Pray for Kosovo"
—Matt Gaudet
Pushing in Prishtina
July 12, 2007
Tonight a group of us walked around the city and capped the evening by sitting down at an outdoor café.
While we were sitting at our table we were inundated by children begging for money. Some of them were offering peanuts in exchange for change, and some were just looking for some generosity. In the time span of about 45 minutes, five individual children approached us, some of them multiple times. Each of them were very forceful, often times just standing near us,refusing to move…determined to get our attention and just maybe some Euros.
The last child's face continues to resonate in my mind. She couldn't have been older than eight or nine, though she acted as if she was an adult in a child's body. She was very talkative, driven and smart. Shkumbin, one of the Kosovo CRS staff members who joined us this evening asked her to come and chat with him. In Albanian he asked her what her story was. She said that her family moved to the capital, Pristina, to make a better life for themselves, but when they got here there was no work. They couldn't afford to return back home, so each night her father tells her to go around to restaurants and beg. This is the reality for so many children from poor families in the capital. Shkumbin said before the war you would hardly ever see begging, but now it's about survival.
As in all cases, even in the United States, we are faced with the question: Do we help those begging and continue to contribute to this sometimes unending cycle? Or do we not give anything and risk a child going hungry for the night? Are we here to judge and ask questions or are we here to help when we see a need? I was humbled by Shkumbin tonight, each child that approached him he gave something to them. He said that he could never let a child go hungry. I was truly touched by his kindness and love.
—Stephanie Festa
A Full Day in Prizren
July 11, 2007
This was a day for Catholic meetings in a place where Catholics comprise 5 percent of the population. The first stop was Loyola High School in Prizren, a school established by a German Jesuit that follows the Kosovo national curriculum and does not offer any religious instruction. The school facilities are top notch and provide boarding facilities for students from other parts of Kosovo. The school's mission is to offer the best education to the youth of Kosovo regardless of their creed or ethnicity. Mark Gojari, the school's vice-principal and English teacher participated in last year's FOJ global solidarity partnership project and warmly welcomed the group to his school.
The next stop was a meeting with Don Shan Zheti, the chancellor of the Diocese of Prizren. He was such a warm and charismatic priest who shared with the group the long history of the Catholic Church in Kosovo. He also proudly shared how of the 65,000 Catholics in Kosovo, 80 percent go to Mass every Sunday. He broke bread with us over lunch and continued to inspire us with his enthusiasm for life and for the Church.
The final stop was a walk around the old town of Prizren, the capital of Kosovo during the Ottoman era and the current seat of the Catholic Church. We capped the day in this beautiful city with macchiato, ice cream and baklava. A fitting end to a light and spirit-filled day…
—Neal Deles
Gratitude
July 10, 2007
This afternoon we visited the Ulpiana High School in Lipjan, one of the first schools to participate in the FOJ global solidarity partnership project in 2005. Avdi Azemi, a former English teacher in the school worked in partnership with Allan Dodson, a drama teacher at Blessed Trinity Catholic in Atlanta. Allan taught Avdi how to use drama in teaching English while Avdi helped Allan and his students to write a play on Kosovo. The past schoolyear, Allan and his students contributed some money to help Avdi build a stage for his school.
Avdi is well loved by his students and it was evident during our visit today. Around twelve of his students showed up in the middle of summer to welcome us to their school and to talk to us about their experiences with the project. After the initial introductions, Fisnik, one of his students and the president of the student council, said that he had to say something, took out a piece of paper and read a speech thanking Avdi and CRS for our support of the project. He said that now they have built a stage that has been well used by the school with presentations, debates and plays and they are thankful for it. He ended his speech by saying that more than anything else it is the students who have greatly benefited from the project and they are very thankful for it.
There are moments when we are called to receive and to take in someone's expression of gratitude. This was one of those times. Fisnik's heartfelt and eloquent expression of thanks was a wonderful gift after the long weeks of preparing for this trip and a good reminder to hold a grateful heart as we continue with our journey through Kosovo.
—Neal Deles
Unconditional Love
July 10, 2007
Today we visited an RAE parent/teacher council in an RAE community. RAE stands for Roma/Ashkali/Egyptian communities. They are the most disadvantaged minority communities within the Kosovo region. The Ministry of Education and CRS are working hard to promote the importance of education within these communities. RAE communities are known for having low enrollment in education, as well as having a high dropout rate.
I was especially struck by a particular gentleman on the council. He happened to be a Roma parent. When it was his turn to speak to the group, he addressed us with complete gratitude. He expressed how grateful he was to be sitting among us. At one point I wanted to stand up and say, "No, we are honored to be in your presence." This was a man, who most likely was not educated himself, yet was so passionate about creating a better life for his children.
I began to reflect on two words: unconditional love. Today, being with the RAE communities especially this man, reminded me of the power of unconditional love…love for his family, love for his community, and love for the RAE people. There are so many issues present in his community (like a high unemployment rate), yet this man understood the importance of education and was willing to do anything possible to help inform the RAE communities.
At one point he asked the U.S. teachers if they had any suggestions for the council. You could almost feel how much this man yearned for a solution to the education problem that most RAE communities face. His honesty and sincerity was an inspiration to us all. I don't know if I've ever come across such a humble man.
Today, I walked on Holy Ground!
—Stephanie Festa
We Are Many Parts
July 10, 2007
I am a chatterbox! I process my thoughts out loud and enjoy the lighthearted banter and camaraderie that stems from connecting with others through language. During this time in Kosova, I am challenged to be quiet, to be still, to listen, to be.
Although my Albanian is improving (I can now greet people, thank them, and apologize to them if necessary), I rely more on the universal language of a smile, a tear, and a strong handshake to convey my willingness to learn from those we are so blessed to meet here.
Today we met some of the poorest of the poor in Kosova. Poor in a material sense but rich in hope, determination and love of their children. As we sat in the presence of men and women dedicated to finding a way to reverse the staggeringly high minoroty dropout rate (76%) of students, I was humbled by their gratitude toward us for being there. Not from any expectation of money or practical assistance, or spoken advice, but simple, honest appreciation for the gift of our listening which affirms our connection through our shared humanity. It is at these times I am reminded that we are many parts, we are all one body.
—Julie Hagerty
Tension Before Touchdown
July 9, 2007
Before I boarded the plane from Vienna to Prishtina, Neal (our fearless leader) mentioned that the Kosovars would most likely not take their proper seat assignments. Immediately, I went into the plane with the mindset that my seat would be taken. Sure enough, as I approached my seat I noticed a young man comfortably seated in my assigned seat. I proceeded to sit in the next available seat (which happened to be directly behind my original seat).
As the plane continued to fill my decision to take an alternate seat began to be a problem. Once the source of the confusion was discovered, the reality of the situation in Kosovo began to be revealed to me. A young man and his mother were seated next to me. Apparently the young man was seated in the wrong seat. The person who had the assigned seat, who appeared to be in his late twenties, sternly confronted the young man in Albanian.
The young man remained quiet for a bit, almost fearful of speaking. Fumbling for his ticket, he turned to the man with big eyes and answered him in English. The man proceeded to speak to him in broken English, this time with an even stronger tone. The man didn't seem happy, but moved to the young man's assigned seat.
Once we were airborne, I tried to strike up a conversation with the young man and his mother. I asked where they were headed and where they were coming from. The boy quickly answered my questions, but definitely appeared uncomfortable with our interaction. The mother didn't speak English. When the two spoke, they spoke quickly and quietly as to make sure no one could hear them.
I later discovered that the young man and his mother were Serbian. I began to realize that the tension that I felt before we took off wasn't frustration from a seating assignment, it stemmed from something deeper than that. This was about the tension we would soon discover in Kosovo.
Once we disembarked from the plane, the young man began to speak to Sr. Mary Frances and I…away from any Albanians.
We discovered he was a high school student living in Canada. He had left Kosovo two years before the war broke out…he and his mother were coming back HOME to visit.
So many displaced people, so much hurt, so much fear, but yet so much beauty and love underneath all of the tension. There is definitely a divide that was evident to me even before we landed in Prishtina…a divide that I'm sure will continue to reveal itself as we travel around throughout this country.
—Stephanie Festa
Amazing Progress
July 9, 2007
Tung! Our first full day can be summed up into a theme: Amazing progress has been achieved in a few short years in Kosovo. However, progress can only go so far when "status" is an issue. Today we visited the Ministry of Education, met representatives of the KFOR (the NATO-led Kosovo Force), had a good discussion with the Director of the Prime Minister's Office for Good Governance, and went to the USAID office.
We received a basic overview of many things that we will get to see and investigate more in depth over the next few days. From what we have observed, the Kosovars are working proactively in determining Kosovo's future. Kosovars are committed to rebuilding the basic structure that will ensure the stability of Kosovo such as education, the economy and the physical infrastructure. However, with all of the areas being rebuilt, the problem comes from not having a "status" in the international community. Kosovo is still officially considered a province of Serbia while the United Nations Security Council decides on whether to give it independence. This means funding is limited and many constraints are placed on the programs that are working towards a stabilized region. This becomes a Catch-22.
The people we have met here today were incredibly welcoming, passionate, warm, yet frustrated by the slow pace of the status determination. With so many people striving for a peaceful and stable region, why is it so difficult to assist them to achieve that goal?
— Becky Clark
Alleluia!
July 8, 2007
We finally arrived in Prishtina after 21 hours in airports and airplanes. We are all glad that there was nothing on the agenda for today except mass at a local Albanian parish. A night of rest will be nice before the week ahead.
The Albanian mass was quite interesting. The Church building, particularly from the inside, could have passed for an American Church. The art was typical, except for an eclectic (almost astrological) version of the stations of the cross. The building was structured like any small parish might look in the U.S., particularly one in the south or in an area where Catholicism is the minority, as it is here. And the congregation spanned all generations, right down to the teenage alter server, dressed in street clothes any of my students might wear. Ironically enough, Sister Mary Fran said that it was the same altar server last year at mass.
The marked difference between this parish and an American one was obviously the language. While I am not as versed in Albanian as some of my companions, I am confident that few of us understood the readings, let alone the homily. The structure of the mass was almost exactly the same, so we could follow most of it by our well practiced knowledge of the English version.
The one thing that struck me was that the only word I could understand through the whole mass was "Alleluia." This word, is apparently untranslatable, or at least the translation would not do it justice. It is a fitting word to begin our trip concentrating on. For the Joy of being here, the wonderment of the endeavor we are undertaking, and the Divine power that seems to be driving each of us here, there is only one word that fit…
Alleluia!!
Matt Gaudet
U.S. Catholic Teachers Embark on a Journey of Solidarity to Kosovo
July 5, 2007
The Frontiers of Justice program, a CRS/National Catholic Education Association program for Catholic high school teachers, will travel through Kosovo from July 8-20, 2007.
This year's Frontiers of Justice participants
- Our Lady of Victory Academy, Dobbs Ferry, NY
- Becky Clark,
- Bishop Blanchet High School, Seattle, WA
- Stephanie Festa,
- Mission College Preparatory High School, San Luis, Obispo
- Matthew Gaudet,
- Notre Dame Academy, Hingham, MA
- Julie Hagerty,
- Mount Notre Dame High School, Cincinnati, OH
- David Marsocci,
- Bishop Hendricken High School, Warwick, RI
- Sr. Mary Frances Taymans,
- NCEA Secondary Schools Department
- Neal Deles,
- CRS U.S. Operations
- Ellen Brickwedde,
This year's participants will visit CRS programs in education, counter-trafficking and peacebuilding. They will also be guests in the homes of Kosovo teachers with whom they will plan projects to connect their students in the coming school year. Join us in our journey — see our pictures in Kosovo, read first-hand reflections and become part of our stories of solidarity.