tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177745.post7242448450373301750..comments2024-03-28T11:30:20.005-05:00Comments on El Salvador Perspectives: Two Visitors, Two ViewsTimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02452039674856298357noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177745.post-5540466349356664232007-07-30T09:21:00.000-05:002007-07-30T09:21:00.000-05:00Tim, thanks for these two views. They reflect two...Tim, thanks for these two views. <BR/><BR/>They reflect two different visions of ES's future, not just its present. <BR/><BR/>Towarnicky visited a community that, for whatever reasons, has given up. Although I haven't visited it, I can imagine that it is also caught in the cycle of dependency: they only see outsiders (government, NGOs, etc) or people with money (family members sending remittances) as able to bring positive change. <BR/><BR/>Andrews visited a community I know well where, I can tell you, that many young people also leave for the US (this community has quite a colony going in Georgia). While things are far from perfect in Ciudad Romero and the surrounding communities, people haven't given up hope. Above all, they don't expect that outsiders or remittances will help them overcome all their challenges. They have a strong history and culture of being organized, working together, and using whatever resources they have at hand. Though short on cash, they have a wealth of human resources that they use to work small miracles. When international aid comes, they negotiate w/the NGOs to transform handouts into projects that will reduce their dependency. Rather than 2 years of food supplies after Hurricane Mitch (which, yes, many NGOs did provide in many communities), for example, they successfully negotiated w/many NGOs to get seeds and tools to immediately replant, technical assistance to learn how to grow crops that would be less vulnerable to flooding, and just enough food to last until they could harvest the next crop.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177745.post-86662771723506163912007-07-30T08:13:00.000-05:002007-07-30T08:13:00.000-05:00It is sad that the only hope for any kind of futur...It is sad that the only hope for any kind of future for many in ES is to go north. Many young people see it as a way to help their family. Yet they are unaware of the terrible costs to get there and the dangers of being a person without any rights or protection. The war hasn't finished, just changed how it is being fought.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177745.post-30355513728230199702007-07-29T23:22:00.000-05:002007-07-29T23:22:00.000-05:00it sucks and we all know it. things are pretty rou...it sucks and we all know it. things are pretty rough and they will continue to be, but i just can't help to think that slowly, painfully and eventually things will look up a bit, just a bit. my best wishes go for all the good, noble, humble salvadorean families. i just really hope things for them are at least tolerable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9177745.post-83754456995286256202007-07-29T17:07:00.000-05:002007-07-29T17:07:00.000-05:00The only dream for those salvadoreans who are not ...The only dream for those salvadoreans who are not in the inner circle of ARENA, is the road to the north. <BR/>Dream that is always a nightmare. Dream that will be beyond a nightmare now that 3,000 million dollars have been aproved for the building of the wall between Mexico en the USA.<BR/>Can you imagine how much the COYOTES are going to charge now?<BR/>As it is, they already charge between 6 and 7 thousand dollars to bring someone illigally from ES to USA.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com