Peace talks to begin...

Yesterday brought words that will hopefully be good news for our friends and loved ones in Honduras: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Pres. Zelaya [yesterday] and both he and interim president Robert Micheletti have agreed to begin the dialogue process tomorrow (Thursday), under the guidance of Costa Rican president Oscar Arias. Arias has made no mention of how long he believes the talks will go on, other than he will mediate the conversation for as long as necessary. Arias was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for helping to end the region’s civil wars – so hopefully that is a good sign!

Neither Zelaya nor Micheletti seems to want to give up the position of President and are hesitant of the term “negotiation”, but both are open to dialogue, which is hopeful. Both have made public comments that the last thing they want is violence and bloodshed to occur in their country, which is also a good sign. Zelaya has said that this dialogue will not be to negotiate, so much as to plan the exit of those responsible for the ousting (Newspaper La Hora, Guatemala), and with the backing of the international community for Zelaya, the pressure seems to be on the interim government (BBC World News).

All are well and safe at the Hogar, and again the volunteers are anxious (as are most Hondurans, I imagine!) for this all to pass. In speaking with Ubil, I was struck by the disappointment he must feel: a man who has spent his life dedicating so much time and energy into creating a safe and healthy environment for the children, a man who is so very clearly an agent of change in a world that desperately needs to be altered, only to be witness to the affects of a government creating such discord, out of the control of any one person.

Perhaps the helplessness we all feel at this point could serve as a good lesson to better understand those in Honduras and around the world: those who are stuck in a cycle of poverty, lack of education, and powerlessness to do much to change their fate, a fate that has been determined by a global society that favors the elite. Let us try to use this as an opportunity to stand in solidarity with those who have no voice, of our children who are vulnerable, and to be with those who feel helpless, who face what seems like a hopeless situation in faith.

Let us say our prayers with greater conviction and more frequently for the Honduran people.

Once more, we wait and hope.