On Monday a delegation from the Organization of American States arrived in Honduras to meet with the de facto government, in the hopes of their acceptance of the mediation peace plan proposal developed mainly by President Oscar Arias (of Costa Rica). This delegation included representatives from Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. The proposed plan, which the delegation was hoping to persuade Honduras' interim government to accept, would include the reinstatement of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, and bump up the November elections to a bit earlier (to hold them in October).
This meeting concluded yesterday without success. Micheletti's government in Honduras rejected the proposal, saying that they will go ahead with elections in November, as planned, regardless of whether or not the international community recognizes the current government and whether or not they will recognize the future results of the November election. Micheletti has made it clear that the de facto government is not fearful of sanctions from other nations that have and may continue to ensue following the ousting of Manuel Zelaya.
According to BBC World News, after meeting with the delegation, Micheletti spoke:
"We are not afraid of an embargo by anybody. The country can carry on firmly and calmly without your support and that of other nations."
"Nobody is coming here to impose anything on us, unless troops come from somewhere else and force us."
The U.S. has announced that it will cease issuing visas from its embassy in Honduras as a result of the interim government refusing to accept the proposal.
The good news is that things are going well at the Hogar, and our children are safe and well. The incoming group of volunteers have now all arrived to Guatemala/Honduras for language school, and are gaining expertise in the language while beginning to get accostumed to the Central American culture. They will arrive at the orphanage mid-September.
Thank you all for your prayers. May we continue to ask for God's guidance and intervention during these difficult times in Honduras.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
In other words...
These "other words" is what we are waiting for.
The Organization of American States, following the consent of the de facto interim government in Honduras, has decided to send a delegation of chancellors to Honduras. The mission of this group is to insist on a negotiated solution to the national crisis this Central American country has been experiencing since the 28th of June.
According to BBC World News, "The OAS hopes Mr. Micheletti can be persuaded to accept a detailed plan proposed by the Costa Rican President, Oscar Arias. Under this, Mr. Zelaya would return to serve out his presidency and a government of national reconciliation would be set up. There would be an amnesty for political crimes committed during the crisis, and presidential elections would be brought forward to 28 October."
A date has yet to be set for this reunion to take place.
Meanwhile, on the ground in Honduras supporters of Zelaya continue to gather and make their voices heard. Jean Monahan, the mother of one of our current volunteers, who just recently returned from a visit to see her daughter in Honduras on Tuesday, offered the following observation:
“About an hour from the airport yesterday we met up with the marchers heading to San Pedro Sula, so we inched along with them -- quite an adventure. They were all calm and cheerful and the police even seemed to be enjoying themselves."
It is interesting that the current situation in Honduras continues to be referred to as a "national crisis." Interesting, because in the area where our orphanage is located, and the places where our children come from, the struggle to survive every day can - and should - be considered a crisis. Amigos offers children a respite from this crisis, a chance to be well-fed, educated, loved, and breathe a bit more easily. But that daily life crisis continues for so many.
Jean Monahan concludes her reflection with a beautiful note, a few poignant "other words" that we may let sit on our hearts:
"I would encourage any parents who can do so to go visit and they will be impressed by the peace and beauty of the people, even in their simple life. I am reminded of Mother Teresa's insight that loneliness is the greatest poverty.”
Let us continue to unite our prayers in hope for a restoration of peace to this beautiful Central American nation, and for an end to the daily crisis of all the children.
The Organization of American States, following the consent of the de facto interim government in Honduras, has decided to send a delegation of chancellors to Honduras. The mission of this group is to insist on a negotiated solution to the national crisis this Central American country has been experiencing since the 28th of June.
According to BBC World News, "The OAS hopes Mr. Micheletti can be persuaded to accept a detailed plan proposed by the Costa Rican President, Oscar Arias. Under this, Mr. Zelaya would return to serve out his presidency and a government of national reconciliation would be set up. There would be an amnesty for political crimes committed during the crisis, and presidential elections would be brought forward to 28 October."
A date has yet to be set for this reunion to take place.
Meanwhile, on the ground in Honduras supporters of Zelaya continue to gather and make their voices heard. Jean Monahan, the mother of one of our current volunteers, who just recently returned from a visit to see her daughter in Honduras on Tuesday, offered the following observation:
“About an hour from the airport yesterday we met up with the marchers heading to San Pedro Sula, so we inched along with them -- quite an adventure. They were all calm and cheerful and the police even seemed to be enjoying themselves."
It is interesting that the current situation in Honduras continues to be referred to as a "national crisis." Interesting, because in the area where our orphanage is located, and the places where our children come from, the struggle to survive every day can - and should - be considered a crisis. Amigos offers children a respite from this crisis, a chance to be well-fed, educated, loved, and breathe a bit more easily. But that daily life crisis continues for so many.
Jean Monahan concludes her reflection with a beautiful note, a few poignant "other words" that we may let sit on our hearts:
"I would encourage any parents who can do so to go visit and they will be impressed by the peace and beauty of the people, even in their simple life. I am reminded of Mother Teresa's insight that loneliness is the greatest poverty.”
Let us continue to unite our prayers in hope for a restoration of peace to this beautiful Central American nation, and for an end to the daily crisis of all the children.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Hacia adelante... Moving forward!
Yesterday it was estimated that a few thousand supporters gathered in the streets of Tegucigalpa in support of the reinstatement of President Manuel Zelaya. Smaller groups of people came together in San Pedro Sula (the country's second largest city) in support of the same.
Today, Zelaya was set to meet with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, "to analyze the situation of this Central American nation, victim of the military coup which took place on the 28 of June" (translated from today's article in www.telesurtv.net).
In other news, things at the Hogar are continuing well. The boys are healthy, and we have just brought on board a new director for our school who comes with a great deal of experience and knowledge in education, so hopefully this will be a good step for Holy Family School at Amigos.
About half of our incoming volunteers have arrived in Guatemala and begun language school. We would ask for your prayers for one of our volunteers who has unfortunately suffered a bit from the change of culture, diet, etc., and could use some intercession to get her health back on the right track.
The rest of our volunteers are headed down to language school in the next week and a half, and our prayers are with them as well as they prepare for their departure.
Finally, remember to mark your calendars!
On Sunday, October 4, 2009 from 1:00pm - 5:00pm Amigos de Jesús will be having a community picnic complete with food, games, events and FUN! A few of our boys will be coming up from the Hogar to meet and spend time with you, Amigos' generous and faithful supporters.
We would love for you to come to noon mass and then stay for the festivities!
Mass will be at St. Patrick’s Church in Malvern, PA and will be followed by the picnic at Malvern Preparatory School, Malvern, PA. All are welcome!
Be on the lookout in our next newsletter for more information and an RSVP form! We hope you will be able to join us for this exciting event!
Today, Zelaya was set to meet with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, "to analyze the situation of this Central American nation, victim of the military coup which took place on the 28 of June" (translated from today's article in www.telesurtv.net).
In other news, things at the Hogar are continuing well. The boys are healthy, and we have just brought on board a new director for our school who comes with a great deal of experience and knowledge in education, so hopefully this will be a good step for Holy Family School at Amigos.
About half of our incoming volunteers have arrived in Guatemala and begun language school. We would ask for your prayers for one of our volunteers who has unfortunately suffered a bit from the change of culture, diet, etc., and could use some intercession to get her health back on the right track.
The rest of our volunteers are headed down to language school in the next week and a half, and our prayers are with them as well as they prepare for their departure.
Finally, remember to mark your calendars!
On Sunday, October 4, 2009 from 1:00pm - 5:00pm Amigos de Jesús will be having a community picnic complete with food, games, events and FUN! A few of our boys will be coming up from the Hogar to meet and spend time with you, Amigos' generous and faithful supporters.
We would love for you to come to noon mass and then stay for the festivities!
Mass will be at St. Patrick’s Church in Malvern, PA and will be followed by the picnic at Malvern Preparatory School, Malvern, PA. All are welcome!
Be on the lookout in our next newsletter for more information and an RSVP form! We hope you will be able to join us for this exciting event!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Update
The nation of Honduras continues to be in a state of division as the days pass.
Just a few days ago, on Friday, July 24th, President Zelaya attempted to enter his home country on foot by way of the shared border with Nicaragua. He made it only a few steps onto Honduran soil before he was forced to retreat back across the border. He returned to border again on Saturday, in a second unsuccessful attempt to cross into Honduras.
While the peace talks (mediated by Costa Rica's president Oscar Arias) have not resulted in any sort of solution, the Honduran military made it clear in a recent press release that there is no disunity: they are subordinate to the Honduran government. Yet the question remains: who is, and who will be, the true Honduran government?
The country is divided in the support of Zelaya and Micheletti. It does not seem that Zelaya is helping his cause by attempting to force his way back into Honduras - in fact, on Friday US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called this move "reckless." While this might not be the ideal way to go about it, Zelaya does not seem to be willing to negotiate at all on his return. The waiting game continues.
Meanwhile, at Amigos all are far from any sort of action/reaction to what is going on. The public schools re-opened last Monday and the colegio boys are back to their studies. Volunteers are continuing to suspend travel to San Pedro Sula; Ubil and others are keeping a close eye, monitoring the political situation and the daily occurrences in Honduras.
We continue to pray for peace and resolution in Honduras. Additionally, we ask for your prayers for our incoming volunteers, who have begun to depart for language school in Guatemala! Hopefully this is a time of new beginnings, exciting paths to be explored, and safety and stability for all.
Just a few days ago, on Friday, July 24th, President Zelaya attempted to enter his home country on foot by way of the shared border with Nicaragua. He made it only a few steps onto Honduran soil before he was forced to retreat back across the border. He returned to border again on Saturday, in a second unsuccessful attempt to cross into Honduras.
While the peace talks (mediated by Costa Rica's president Oscar Arias) have not resulted in any sort of solution, the Honduran military made it clear in a recent press release that there is no disunity: they are subordinate to the Honduran government. Yet the question remains: who is, and who will be, the true Honduran government?
The country is divided in the support of Zelaya and Micheletti. It does not seem that Zelaya is helping his cause by attempting to force his way back into Honduras - in fact, on Friday US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called this move "reckless." While this might not be the ideal way to go about it, Zelaya does not seem to be willing to negotiate at all on his return. The waiting game continues.
Meanwhile, at Amigos all are far from any sort of action/reaction to what is going on. The public schools re-opened last Monday and the colegio boys are back to their studies. Volunteers are continuing to suspend travel to San Pedro Sula; Ubil and others are keeping a close eye, monitoring the political situation and the daily occurrences in Honduras.
We continue to pray for peace and resolution in Honduras. Additionally, we ask for your prayers for our incoming volunteers, who have begun to depart for language school in Guatemala! Hopefully this is a time of new beginnings, exciting paths to be explored, and safety and stability for all.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
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.
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.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Esperar: to wait; to hope
We continue waiting today as the holiday weekend here in the US has passed; we find ourselves standing in solidarity with the people of Honduras in curiosity and anticipation of what is yet to come.
Last week, the OAS (Organization of American States) met and decided to grant the current interim government in Honduras 72 hours to concede to the return of Zelaya (the ousted president). On Saturday, after waiting and hoping for the interim government to act, the OAS suspended Honduras from the coalition as a result of failure to allow Zelaya to return to the country. (This is the first time the OAS has taken such a measure since the removal of Cuba in 1962.)
Yesterday (Sunday), Zelaya decided to take action a bit more into his own hands by attempting to fly back to Honduras, accompanied by the Presidents of Argentina and Ecuador, as well as the head of the OAS. However the military (in support of the current interim government) as well as anti-Zelaya protestors, lined the runway in Tegucigalpa and prevented the plane from landing. Zelaya was diverted to Nicaragua, from where he would proceed to El Salvador.
The country seems quite split in this political arena, as many pro-Zelaya supporters were also present there in Tegucigalpa, rallying for Zelaya's return.
With continued prayers for tranquility, the restoration of peace and the return of democracy to Honduras, thanks for reading.
Last week, the OAS (Organization of American States) met and decided to grant the current interim government in Honduras 72 hours to concede to the return of Zelaya (the ousted president). On Saturday, after waiting and hoping for the interim government to act, the OAS suspended Honduras from the coalition as a result of failure to allow Zelaya to return to the country. (This is the first time the OAS has taken such a measure since the removal of Cuba in 1962.)
Yesterday (Sunday), Zelaya decided to take action a bit more into his own hands by attempting to fly back to Honduras, accompanied by the Presidents of Argentina and Ecuador, as well as the head of the OAS. However the military (in support of the current interim government) as well as anti-Zelaya protestors, lined the runway in Tegucigalpa and prevented the plane from landing. Zelaya was diverted to Nicaragua, from where he would proceed to El Salvador.
The country seems quite split in this political arena, as many pro-Zelaya supporters were also present there in Tegucigalpa, rallying for Zelaya's return.
According to BBC world news, the interim government in Honduras, spearheaded by the appointed (interim) president Roberto Micheletti, offered that they are open to negotiation with the international community; what they are not open to is the return of the deposed president Zelaya.
Zelaya has commented that he will attempt again today or tomorrow to return to his home country, though there are also some news reports that say Zelaya may possibly head back to Washington to continue conversing with international leaders before taking more action.
From here in Philadelphia, we continue speaking with Ubil and the volunteers in Honduras on a near daily basis, ensuring their safety and health as the days progress. They all seem in good spirits, though more than ready for this current situation to come to an end, for fellow volunteers to return to the hogar, the colegio (high school) boys to return to school (all public schools have been closed since the ousting occurred over a week ago), and life to assume a welcome state of "normalcy."
So once more, we wait to see what the days will bring and how things will proceed.
*An interesting note: in Spanish, the words “to wait” and “to hope” are the same: esperar. There is perhaps comfort to be found in this simple reminder of God’s presence and plan for all of us.With continued prayers for tranquility, the restoration of peace and the return of democracy to Honduras, thanks for reading.
A Letter from A Parent
Below you will find an email from Kevin, a father of one of the current volunteers at Amigos. This will perhaps grant some insight into Amigos from a different point of view. We thank him for his words, support for his son and for the Amigos community.
***
As the father of one of the current volunteers, I thought it might be helpful to... know about our experiences with Amigos de Jesús and my contact with our son Dan over the last few days. We had the good fortune to visit Dan and the orphanage in February. It is a wonderful place with many excellent staff and a superb group of young volunteers. My wife and I were tremendously impressed with the commitment and the maturity of the young people who are currently serving the children.
As I am sure you know, the orphanage is in a rural area surrounded by some small villages. The reputation of the orphanage and the people who work there is very high among the local people. Indeed, a large number of local people work or have worked at the orphanage in recent years.
The year has been a wonderful one for Dan. He and the other volunteers feel a great sense of purpose and accomplishment and also feel strongly supported by the staff in the United States. I am sure the new group of volunteers will feel the same. Hopefully, conditions will return to a more normal state very soon.
Sincerely, Kevin
***
As the father of one of the current volunteers, I thought it might be helpful to... know about our experiences with Amigos de Jesús and my contact with our son Dan over the last few days. We had the good fortune to visit Dan and the orphanage in February. It is a wonderful place with many excellent staff and a superb group of young volunteers. My wife and I were tremendously impressed with the commitment and the maturity of the young people who are currently serving the children.
As I am sure you know, the orphanage is in a rural area surrounded by some small villages. The reputation of the orphanage and the people who work there is very high among the local people. Indeed, a large number of local people work or have worked at the orphanage in recent years.
The year has been a wonderful one for Dan. He and the other volunteers feel a great sense of purpose and accomplishment and also feel strongly supported by the staff in the United States. I am sure the new group of volunteers will feel the same. Hopefully, conditions will return to a more normal state very soon.
Sincerely, Kevin
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