August 30, 2003
Inspired
My hosts here in Nicaragua have been Mike Boudreau and Ana Narvaez of Compas de Nicaragua. They have been excellent hosts, and Mike has worked tirelessly, translating and carting me around the country on the schedule set up by the Consumer Network, which is the largest activist group in the country.
Today we talked to two law students who have been at a conference on water issues in El Salvador for the past week. Countries from North, Central and South America participated. Based on what they were telling me, it sounds as though there's many common problems related to water, and not just accessibility and quality issues.
There's hording by those who have the economic and/or financial power to do so. There's interplay with other privatized utilities such as electricity--- so if your water pump is electric, and you can't afford to pay your bill, you may suddenly find yourself without electricity and water. The fact that a country may have a provision in their law that says individuals can't be denied water (Nicaragua has sucha provision) may not be as air tight as you'd hope. There are loopholes, and the young law students are already learning to watch out for carefully crafted language, illusory promises, and other such lawyerly manipulations of words.
The students expressed their concern over the concept of "letting the market decide". After all, "the market" is really just a relatively small group of individuals with interests of their own. The students inspired me with the sharpness of their minds, and their full belief in their ability to change things.
As we drove from the Network's office back to Mike & Ana's place in the barrio of La Primavera, I thought of the kind words the students gave me as we said goodbye. They were looking forward to seeing the documentary, and using it in the work of the Network. They seemed inspired, and I thought, who's inspiring who? I want to have as much belief as they do that my work can facilitate change. Maybe it's their age, maybe it's where they come from. Whatever the case, their enthusiasm is contageous.
If you have the chance to come to Nicaragua, I encourage it. Look up the Consumer Network. Look up Mike & Ana at Compas de Nicaragua. I intend to come back for a more relaxed visit sometime-- take in a baseball game, go to the islands on Lake Nicaragua, and revisit many places and people that have made this a great couple of weeks.
Posted by Joe Public at 03:48 PM | Comments (0)
August 28, 2003
Stumbling Through the Barrio
I came to Nicaragua expecting to stumble through the barrio-- not in the same way that term is used in the Counting Crows song, but rather in the sense that I know no Spanish, and I'm this working class gringo from New England who knows virtually nothing about Latin American cultures. The fact is, I came down here with the same expectation I had when I went to Iraq-- that at least a few locals would have some angry words for me (at least), as soon as the found out where I am from. After all, the US government has made a punching bag out of Nicaragua in the past. However, just as in Iraq, the people here have been nothing but welcoming.
Their kindness, openness, and generosity (though so many of them have next to nothing to offer, they'll gladly give a visitor what they have) is such that I shared my amazement one evening in Managua with Paul Baker of the Nicaragua network. We marveled at the way people who had seen so much dispair, violence, disappointment, etc. could be so filled with joy, laughter, and easy going friendliness. How? And once again, I recall a similar conversation taking place between the members of the Voices in Basra delegation three years ago. How do these people have such resiliance?
I don't have an answer. What I have is an inspiration-- from the Nicaraguan people, from the Iraqi people, and I'm sure when I have the pleasure of meeting folks in other countries in the future, I'll be inspired once again.
Today as Mike Boudreau of Compas de Nicaragua, who has been an absolutely phenominal guide and translator for me during these two weeks, and I drove out of a town on the Pacific coast that has been suffering with some serious water access problems, I was thinking about the inspiration I've received from Nicaraguans. And suddenly I had the simple and profound revelation that I have no excuse to be any less happy than Nicaraguans. Or Iraqis.
In fact, it's arguable that me and my fellow USA-ers should be even happier. But I don't think we are. I don't get a sense or a vibe when I walk into a massive grocery store, or drive on our good roads with great big SUVs wizzing by me, or see people with blank expressions watching large screen TVs that we are happier, or even as happy as some of the poorest people on Earth.
In a couple of days I leave this place. It has been a great and productive visit-- I can't wait to start putting together this new video. There are things that I can't wait to get home to. And it is hard to leave here.
Posted by Joe Public at 03:48 PM | Comments (0)
August 26, 2003
A Day at the Network
A good part of today was spent at the Consumer Network office. I was interviewing Gonzalo whose focus is on organizing actions in different parts of the country, particularly Managua. What struck me most during the interviews was the similarities in the challenges faced by the Network in their attempts to educate and organize around privatization issues, and the challenges faced by peace activists in the United States. Not that I came here thinking that those similarities wouldn´t exist.
Nicaragua is, in some ways, not the same place it was 20 years ago. Back then, as several people here have mentioned, it seemed like everyone was involved and aware. An alert and knowledgeable citizenry. Now activists face the same kinds of apathy and ignorance that we face in the U.S., and I´m sure most activists in most places encounter. One Nicaraguan summed it up by saying that nowadays lots of people in his country just sit around watching stupid TV shows and listening to sappy songs. Sound familiar?
As passionate as he is about his work, Gonzalo faces the same frustrations. One glaring difference between Nicaragua and the U.S. is, of course, the immense poverty in Nicaragua. Unemployment is at 70%. The country is deep in debt. So, as Gonzalo says, in addition to general apathy, there is also the fact that most people are thinking about today--- What are they going to feed their family? How are they going to survive?
Gonzalo believes that the distinction should be made between privatization and investment. A person or group that invests in something rightfully has a say in how things are done. But when a company acquires something-- like water-- it´s theirs, and they´re going to do what they want with it. Of course, what they want is to make money.
If the Network can reach people, and help them to realize that the water, for now anyway, is theirs--- and if they can get people to invest there time and energy, even if they have no money, then that´s a great start for pressuring the government to act responsibly in the face of the World Bank and IMF´s pressure to privatize Nicaragua´s water. At the same time, the Network is working on the government to invest in its people by finding ways to improve water quality and access. One suggestion (among several) that Gonzalo is for involves government officials (who are paid on a par with U.S. federal politicians) cutting their pay to half of what it is today, and putting the money into making improvements. It may sound far fetched to us in the U.S., but here where the disparity in income is even more glaring for most people, it may be a pressure point that will get some results when combined with concerns over water which is so essential to life itself. Anyone can relate to the importance of water, so Gonzalo and the rest at the Network press on.
Posted by Joe Public at 03:37 PM | Comments (0)
August 22, 2003
Let who decide?
Nicaraguans now refer to their country as ´the bullseye of Central America´´. The crosshairs are made up of the canal that is planned by neoconservatives like their leader, and ours, and the other line is the super highway that is on tap to run through Central America. As I said in my first entry, there are some people in Nicaragua who are very excited about changes such as this-- they see it as enormous progress. Based on what I´ve seen so far, it is far from a majority applauding.
To date, I have talked to only one Nicaraguan who thinks that the solution to Nicaragua´s water woes might come from huge multinational companies taking things over. Distribution, quality, and other issues have been discussed with people from a variety of backgrounds. In relative terms, there is a tremendous amount of fresh water in Nicaragua, though much of it is badly in need of treatment.
Why the lack of trust in ´letting the market decide´? Well, one surprise for me has been that Nicaraguans don´t even need to look outside their own country to answer that question. I came here thinking that they might make reference to what happened in Cochabamba, Bolivia a couple of years ago when the people there protested increased prices and worse accessiblity under Bechtel than what they had with public water. (One aside; a very reliable source stressed to me recently that the people of Cochabamba did not ´riot´ as our mainstream media stated. They protested-- nonviolently.) In fact Nicaraguans can simply point to other utilities that have been privatized in their country recently. Higher prices, decreased accessibility. Why should they believe that water will be any different? And since water is so essential to life, why should they ´take their chances´?
Posted by Joe Public at 03:30 PM | Comments (0)
August 20, 2003
Greetings From Nicaragua
Nicaragua has so much natural beauty, and so much poverty. As one new friend from the Consumer Network here pointed out, they are not a poor country. They are rich in resources. For those of you who saw 'Greetings From Missile Street', you may remember Kathy Kelly speaking of 'enforced poverty'. Such is the case in many places, and there are numerous methods by which this form of violence is executed.
There is also an invading hegemony here in Managua. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that the invasion has already taken place. Pepsi, Coke, McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Shell, Esso... on and on it goes. They're here. There are Nicaraguans who see this as progress. There seem to be more who, no matter what their political position on the matter, simply cannot afford to take part in the changes in any way.
Part of an effective invasion seems to involve erasing as much of a culture or country's history as possible. I have already heard from many people that most of the young Nicaraguans have no sense of history. They have no knowledge of the revolution that took place in the late 70s/ early 80s. And now, though a Sandanista minority still exists, it seems they may have lost their vision. More on that later.
The Consumer Network is a very dynamic group who work on, among other issues, water privatization issues. The network has referred me to many people and places where I can get more information on concerns being raised by what seems to be the impending beginnings of privatization of Nicaragua's water. It will be a busy couple of weeks, and I am very excited about it!
Posted by Joe Public at 02:54 PM | Comments (0)
August 13, 2003
Welcome to JPF blog
As Joe Public Films produces new documentaries, this blog page will serve as a place to check in on our progress. The page will be especially active when we are working in far away places. Look for entries from Nicaragua starting the week of August 18. Producer, Tom Jackson will be interviewing grassroots groups in Managua who oppose World Bank & IMF pressure on the Nicaraguan government to privatize the public water supply.
Posted by Joe Public at 02:52 PM | Comments (0)