Third Annual Vigil to Close the School of the Americas, Ft. Benning , GA

        The SOA Watch began in 1990 in Ft. Benning, GA as a small grassroots organization aimed at shutting down the School of the Americas after the Nov 16, 1989 murder of the 6 Jesuit priests other horrific massacres in Latin America. The SOA Watch has grown into a large and diverse organization over the years, still fighting for the rights and lives of those in Central America that have been and continue to be affected by millitaries that are trained by the School of the Americas (U.S. military school located in Ft. Benning, GA.)

         The School of the Americas was established in 1946 during the Cold War as The Latin American Training Center in the Panama Canal Zone at the U.S. army base Ft. Amador. It quickly expanded, and in 1949 it was moved to Fort Gulick and renamed U.S. Army Caribbean Training Center. The expansion didn't end there. In 1963 it was renamed the School of the Americas and was once again relocated to its current location of Fort Benning, GA in 1984. The SOA taught American military courses in Spanish to military officers of the Western Hemisphere. Its claimed mission was to foster a mutual relationship of transparency and cooperation with these nations. In actuality, as many citizens of these nations came to find out, its mission was to be the big brother to hostile and corrupt militaries, providing funding and training in exchange for "cooperation" otherwise known as control over the region. During the mid 90's the SOA came under heavy criticism by the Center for International Policy for encouraging and influencing human rights violations in multiple Latin American countries. As a result of this criticism and heavy international pressure, and in attempt to disassociate itself from its horrible past, the School of the Americas was "shut down" (renamed) and the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHISC) was opened in January of 2001.

        

   At this years Vigil there will be multiple workshops and rallies focused on the United States current immigration laws (especially the one recently passed in Alabama) and foreign policy in Latin America. The Vigil began this morning at 10am and will continue through Sunday.

 If you are interested in attending any of the events check out the SOA Watch's website for more information on schedule and location details.

Even if you can't make it to Georgia this weekend you can still make an impact by learning more about the SOA , writing to the President to shut down the SOA and taking action in your area.

2010 Vigil video

Salvadoran Secondary Schooling in a State of Decline

             The Ministry of Education (MOE/ MINED) has reported that the Salvadoran education system is struggling. MINED reports that the national average of the Middle School Learning and Aptitude Test (PAES) is the lowest it has been since the test was implemented in 1997. The highest average was 6.4 in 1998, but it has steadily declined in recent years to 5.43 in 2009, 5.14 in 2010 and to a staggering low of 4.85 this year. Experts believe this significant decline is due to "the incomplete development of the curriculum because of the breaks between the school year due to strikes magisterial and 10-day suspension of classes by the rains of Tropical Depression 12-E" (La Prensa Grafica). In addition to this, experts believe that gang violence has begun to have a significant impact on the decline in scores as well. As of yesterday, MINED reported that 126 students have been killed 119 of which were secondary (middle school) students. This number is drastically higher than last year when MINED reported a total of 52 students killed, and there are still two months left in the year!
              The Minster of Education has acknowledged these disturbing statistics and has declared that it is "Our duty is to make an assessment and appropriate corrections that will improve. We will discuss with teachers what are the basic contents for the capabilities and competencies that young people should at the end of its average level." In addition to this, he has also mentioned the need to increase the amount of 'alternatives to violence programs' available to youth throughout El Salvador.

As the 22nd Anniversary Approaches Salvadorans Commemorate the 6 Jesuits and 2 Women

As the 22nd anniversary of the assassination of the 6 Jesuits and 2 women approaches, we should take time to join in solidarity with our Salvadoran friends who have already begun commemorating the lives of these martyrs. A mass and vigil was held Saturday night to remember and honor the lives of these individuals and also to encourage others to live their lives in imitation of Jesus as the martyrs did.
The following is a translated article from DiarioCoLatino that discusses the impact of their assassination and how it is still important today, 22 years later.

"Our martyrs, killed for acting like Jesus " :Rector Oliva
Ivan EscobarDiario Co Latino Writing
 The courage to denounce, at a time when El Salvador was at one of its darkest times, and have a critical vision, especially attached to defending the rights of the majority, were some of the reasons why the "power" decided end the lives of two women and six Jesuit priests, the night of November 16, 1989.
22 years have passed since that tragic event occurred, a slaughter committed by a group of soldiers, who received the Order of Staff, held amid the shadows of the night, and a society convulsed, the vilest murder .
At that time, the guerrillas drove the General Offensive "all the way" and in a desperate measure, the military, through terror,  wanted to stop the momentum of the guerrillas. At first, they blamed the FMLN murderers, and even formed a committee to report it internationally.But also, after 22 years of collective murder, justice has started to turn in favor of the victims. And in Spain, a judge kept open a trial against a group of soldiers who ordered the slaughter, with the consent of former President Alfredo Cristiani. In the past month, the judge who took the case, has requested the Government of Spain to ask El Salvador for their extradition  in order to judge them in that European nation.
Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas, Archbishop of San Salvador, said Sunday that "as a church we are the victim in the slaughter of the Jesuits, they were our priests and as many who have lost loved ones in this war, and even worse, because they were slaughtered ... we are seeking justice and truth. "He urged those who "committed the murder, we ask you ... do not seek to obstruct justice, this process in Spain, we leave in the hands of justice."
On Saturday night, in the Central American University "Jose Simeon Cañas" (UCA), the religious communities in different parts of the country and from different nations remembered their martyrs: the six Jesuit priests, Ignacio Ellacuria, then rector of the UCA, Ignacio Martin-Baro, vice rector academic, Segundo Montes, Director of the Institute of Human Rights of the UCA, Juan Ramon Moreno, Director of the Library of Theology, Amando Lopez, Professor of Philosophy, Joaquin Lopez y Lopez, founder University, and the collaborators Elba and Celina Ramos.
The cold night did not stop hundreds of people who came to be participants in the commemoration, which began with the traditional procession of lanterns, continued with Mass and ended with the vigil.
The priest Andreu Oliva, rector of the UCA, urged people to "imitate the Salvadoran martyrs" before, during and after armed conflict, to continue dying for the sole reason "to imitate Jesus."
In his message, called the inner peace, combat the root of the problems faced by Salvadorans, like crime, poverty, unemployment and the collapse of the prison system, among others,
"The Martyrs of El Salvador were taken seriously for committing these words ... as Jesus, defend the poor, denouncing sin ... for all this cost them their lives, for the love of neighbor," stressed the religious, in a crowd people, mostly young people who gathered at the traditional day that ended at dawn on Sunday.
Archbishop Escobar Alas, recalled yesterday that "they had a vision of peace."
"True servants of Christ"The priest Sariego Jesus, the Jesuit Provincial for Central America, arrived Sunday to the Crypt of the Cathedral, to officiate at the Mass in honor of anniversaries religious assassinated in 1989.
At Mass, the priest said that the murdered Jesuits "were true servants of Christ, who never deserved to die." He added that as Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero, the UCA martyrs "believed in this town. They loved this town ... under this poverty was a treasure that was worth it to leave (his) talent, "he said.

No Sugar Coating to it, Funes Addresses the State of Affairs in E.S

            According to an interview by DiarioCoLatino with Gerson Martinez, Minister of Public Works, as of November 5^th progress in El Salvador is being made to address

“the impact of contingency, rehabilitation, rehabilitation reconstruction, but we have to turn around, we have to make a turning, change, change the old concepts of reconstruction, which has been an eternal return and that has flooded cities, where the river banks slums and there is an eternal return. That's what we have to change to a change of direction and move towards a new concept for reconstruction. A reconstruction articulated to the adaptability of social and productive infrastructure, climate change. A reconstruction concept also articulated the logic of development, but sustainable development, friendly nature in harmony with the environment, that is the way that it moves now El Salvador.”

Martinez also makes a point that it is important for Salvadorans to reconsider how they live as a country, not just how the roads and bridges are built. In the past many people in the rural lands of E.S. have redirected rivers and built levees in order to make farming more feasible. Even though this has been beneficial to the mercantile wealth of the people and country, recent storms are proving it to be more problematic than beneficial. In fact, when asked if the levees and riverwalls should be rebuilt Martinez responded:

“Nature can not be mastered. The riverbeds you can change, but the rivers have memory and return to their own causes. You can violate the dictates of nature, but nature has the final word... This is not about rebuilding today, only to restore, to replace what was destroyed, we can not keep doing more of the same and the same way, we have to replace what was destroyed, but under new technical standards, increase the bridge heights, increase water flow, new construction standards for housing.”

“ We are making progress in addressing the impact of contingency, rehabilitation, rehabilitation reconstruction, but we have to turn around, we have to make a turning, change, change the old concepts of reconstruction, which has been an eternal return and that has flooded cities, where the river banks slums and there is an eternal return. That's what we have to change to a change of direction and move towards a new concept for reconstruction. A reconstruction articulated to the adaptability of social and productive infrastructure, climate change. A reconstruction concept also articulated the logic of development, but sustainable development, friendly nature in harmony with the environment, that is the way that it moves now El Salvador”

This need for innovation was also stressed by President Funes on Tuesday when a temporary bridge was opened in La Libertad. He stated that the government’s purpose is to reengineer the entire country “A restructuring is based on responsible management of environmental risk.” Unfortunately, the price of innovation and reconstruction is well above what El Salvador can manage on their own. Even after recently receiving a grant and a donation of 7,000,500 hygiene kits and clothing from the Inter-American Development Bank to supplement previously received loans and grants, the cost of reconstruction and repair is still too much for El Salvador to bear on its own. President Funes admits to this and announced that his intentions are not to beg but: “We have to appeal for international aid to rebuild the country... but we need a fiscal pact where those who have more, give more to bring sufficient resources to the state coffers.” Funes concludes by stating: “I was going to say we all have to put in a bit, but it was for 20 years and nothing helped. Better say, we all have to turn our will, our spirit of solidarity, putting our hearts, our minds and our hands in the heart of the people to get ahead, and God help us”.