“War is fun, peace is boring.”

The first chapter of a book I read recently mentioned that while we can talk of many different types of “war” (international war, civil war, cold war, etc), we can only talk about “peace” in the singular form. In other words, we can talk about ”wars” but not of “peaces”. So the challenge, the authors of the book suggested, is to envision different ways of creating and experiencing peace.

Later in class, someone mentioned that we talk more about war than about peace because war seems to be more exciting, full of action, adventure and adrenaline. Peace, on the other hand, is usually conceived as static, calm, quiet, maybe even boring and dull. Now the question is, how do such perceptions of violence, war and peace affect the way we live day by day? How do they influence our understandings of world affairs?

I think, for example, of the way our entertainment is full of reference to violence and harm. We start with “innocent” things such as jokes about harming others (either physically or verbally) or funny videos of people being hurt (whether intentionally or not), but then we have hundreds of TV series and movies that make violence and war appear funny, meaningless, just a game. In our day to day lives, violence and war are fun; peace is boring.

The challenge of envisioning many types of “peaces” is indeed difficult as our lives are full with references to violence (even if “it is only a joke”). But peace does not have to be boring. Sure, there can be some types of peaces that are less appealing to some. But we can certainly be at some kind of peace and enjoy ourselves. We can be at peace and still laugh and have a good time. I mean, we can, right?

I guess the real challenge comes in times of conflict. Can we think of ways of resolving conflict that do not require violence and aggression? In our daily interactions, can we think of ways of relating to each other that are in essence peaceful? We have become so used to violence that we usually think it is ok to use harmful words and aggressive behavior in our interactions among each other. But is it necessary? Is the only way?

It is no secret that peace is hard to establish and maintain. Will we take the challenge to, in our daily lives, choose peace above violence? As long as we don't choose peace, it will be hard to imagine then end of violence in bigger levels, like in cases of state violence and international wars. Peace is our choice.

Octubre, mes de la revolucion de 1944!

:: No hay respuestas magicas ni metodos milagrosos para resolver los problemas que enfrentamos, simplemente los de siempre: busqueda de entendimiento, educacion, organization, accion... y la clase de compromiso que persiste apesar de las tentaciones de desilucion, apesar de los tantos fracasos y pocos exitos, inspirado ...por la esperanza de un futuro mas brillante (Noam Chomsky)

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A finales del siglo XIX la economía guatemalteca comenzó a depender enormemente en la industria cafetera. Dicha transición intensificó la explotación colonial, el racismo y el autoritarianismo en el país... A través de medidas legales y sociales los campesinos se vieron obligados a dejar sus pequeños cultivos y a comenzar a trabajar en plantaciones. En las plantaciones los campesinos estaban a la disposición de los hacendados (dueños de las plantaciones)... Los hacendados usaron la autoridad que tenían sobre los campesinos para meterlos a la cárcel injustamente y abusar de ellos física y sexualmente.

Al comienzo del siglo XX, distintos grupos campesinos demandaron que el gobierno interveniera en contra del mal trato de los hacendados... Por diez años, entre 1944 y 1954 el gobierno intentó de una manera tangible responder al clamor del pueblo...

En junio de 1944 estudiantes universitarios y maestros de la capital, desafiaron el poder del dictador Jorge Ubico con una huelga y manifestaciones públicas a las que pronto se agregaron elementos de todos los sectores sociales.

Los movimientos pacíficos de junio derrocaron a Ubico. El triunvirato militar que les siguió en el mando, entregó luego la presidencia al general Ponce, a quien la Asamblea Nacional nombró presidente provisional. Pero como el pueblo de Guatemala ya no estaba dispuesto a soportar otra dictadura militar, el 20 de octubre de 1944 el Ejército Nacional apoyado por las masas trabajadoras, se sublevó y derrocó al general Ponce.

Después de las elecciones democráticas celebradas en diciembre de 1944, dos presidentes reformistas, Juan José Arévalo y su sucesor Jacabo Árbenz, restringieron muchas de las prerrogativas y privilegios de la oligarquía cafetera... Los nuevos gobiernos ratificaron una constitución social-democrática, restringieron el trabajo forzado, legalizaron los sindicatos, promulgaron un código de trabajo, expandieron el derecho al voto, y aprobaron una reforma agraria de gran escala...

El periodo de reforma terminó abruptamente en 1954, cuando la CIA derrocó a Árbenz.

Remember the Immigrant

We serve a God who directs us to care especially for those most vulnerable in society. Our Scriptures tell us of God's special concern for the "alien" or the "stranger," or as more contemporary translations say--the immigrant.

For the Lord our God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. God defends the cause of the orphan and the widow, and loves the immigrant, giving the immigrant food and clothing. And we are to love those who are immigrants, for God's people were immigrants in Egypt (Deuteronomy 10:17-19)

We ask God to open our eyes to the struggles of immigrant workers, for we know that:

We must not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether the worker is a resident or immigrant living in our town. We must pay the worker the wages promptly because the worker is poor and counting on it. (Deuteronomy 24:14)

God's desire is that those who build houses may live in them,

And that those who plant may eat. (Isaiah 65:22)

And yet we know this is not possible for many in our midst.

We know of:
farmworkers who cannot feed their families,
construction workers who have no homes,
nursing home workers who have no health care,
restaurant workers who could not afford a meal in the restaurant.


We know that too many immigrant workers among us are not receiving the fruits of their labor, nor the justice required by the courts.

God charges our judges to hear disputes and judge fairly, whether the case involves citizens or immigrants. (Deut. 1:16)

But our laws do not adequately protect immigrants. Our legal and social service programs exclude many immigrants. Our education programs undervalue immigrant children.

God tells us that the community is to have the same rules for citizens and for immigrants living among us. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. Citizens and immigrants shall be the same before the Lord. (Numbers 15:15)

When an immigrant lives in our land,

We will not mistreat him or her. We will treat an immigrant as one of our native born. We will love an immigrant as ourselves, for God's people were once immigrants in Egypt. (Leviticus 19:33-34)

And a special word to those who employ immigrant farmworkers:

Make sure immigrants get a day of rest. (Exodus 23:12)

To those who craft our immigration laws and policies, we lift up God's command:

Do not deprive the immigrant or the orphan of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. Remember that God's people were slaves in Egypt and the Lord our God redeemed them from there. (Deut. 24:17-18)

To all of us who seek to do God's will, help us to:

Love one another as God has loved us. Help us to treat immigrants with justice and compassion that God shows to each of us.


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This was one of the prayers that were shared last night at the rally in opposition to the new immigration law in Arizona. It was distributed in pamphlets by Interfaith Worker Justice (www.iwj.org).

More info about the rally:
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/may/29/rally-in-opposition-to-immigration-law/

Society, crazy indeed!

Today, as I read articles for my class "Sociology of Development", I get frustrated with the state of affairs (political, economic and social) in our world and for our lack of meaningful action to change things around.

My frustration drives me to remember Alex McCandles whose story was told in the movie Into The Wild. The following quotes from the movie and soundtrack describe my feelings at the moment:

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods; 

There is a rapture on the lonely shore;

There is society, where none intrudes,

By the deep sea, and music in its roar; 

I love not man the less, but Nature more... 

- Lord Byron

Society, you're a crazy breed.

I hope you're not lonely, without me.

Society, crazy indeed...

I hope you're not lonely, without me

Society, have mercy on me.

I hope you're not angry, if I disagree.

Society, crazy indeed.

I hope you're not lonely...

without me.

-Eddie Vedder