REFLECTION

SOLIDARITY: A POWER WEAPON AGAINST INJUSTICE

Juan Manuel Camacho

In September 2013, the Constitutional Tribunal of the Dominican Republic passed the law 168/13, which snatched away citizenship from people who had been registered as Dominicans for eight decades (since 1929), but whose parents and/or grandparents were “irregular migrants” in the Dominican Republic. The law above all directly affects thousands of people of Haitian descent who until now were under the protection of the Constitution and of the laws in place at the moment of their birth. It is estimated that this law has affected about 2.3% of Dominicans and its implementation means the loss of citizenship (they became country-less). For many of them this law has a retroactive consequence based on the “alleged crime” of their parents and/or grandparents who came to and lived in this country. For these Dominicans, who are for the most part young, this law makes them criminals just for the fact of being born on this side of the island.

The law has not only hurt thousands of Dominicans, but is feeding the rest of the population with an anti-Haitian ideology that is deeply rooted in complex historical and social events. This ideology has been latent, but now is made explicit and legal, therefore creating more discomfort and social conflict. Self-proclaimed “nationalistic” sectors have taken to the streets to support the law of the Constitutional Tribunal, denying the injustice that this decision entails. Once again, what looms in the background is the resentment towards the Haitian people and their presence in the Dominican Republic. This injustice should be strongly condemned. It is a grave injustice that is being committed to this group of Dominicans of Haitian descent, in that they are all Dominicans born and raised in the Dominican Republic. Their parents and/or grandparents were the ones who crossed the border, not them.

THE IMPORTANCE OF HAND WASHING: MEKI, ETHIOPIA

Dr. Gemma Regales tells us of her experience in the health and disease prevention program that she conducts with the student population of the Apostolic Vicariate of Meki.

“The illnesses that we see daily, like diarrhea, intestinal parasites, skin problems, eye and respiratory infections, are the result of poor hygiene.  All of these illnesses, especially diarrhea, can be prevented by simple hand washing. There are five critical moments when we should all wash our hands:  before and after eating; after going to the bathroom; before, during and after preparing food; after touching animals; and after coughing and sneezing.”

Although in many countries, hygiene habits are regularly practiced, it is not that way where water is a scarce commodity, like in many parts of Ethiopia.  It is difficult to wash one’s hands correctly (and regularly) when one has to go all the way to far away fountain, stand in line, and carry the water on one’s head ...after the school day or after many other obligations... as in the case of mothers of families.
The health program in Meki Catholic School insists on prevention as the foremost way to have better health.  A good state of health increases the ability of school age children and adolescents to learn, decreases days absent from school due to sickness, and generates an important positive impact.  It also diminishes the cost of medical care for families, and the children influence the whole family with the new habits that they acquire from the health program.

reflection

BLIND, AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

Martí Colom

The three synoptic Gospels tell the story of the healing of a blind man in the vicinity of Jericho. The stories have important differences between them, as they respond to the particular literary project of each evangelist. In Mark, for instance (10:46b-52) the blind man has a name (Bartimaeus), while the blind in Matthew (20:29-34) and Luke (18:35-43) are anonymous. On the other hand, in Matthew there are two blind people who ask Jesus to heal them –not just one as in Mark and Luke. At the same time, there are some fundamental features of the episode that are repeated in the three Gospel accounts. Here our purpose is not to make a comparative study of the differences but to focus on the fact that the three passages describe, at the start of the section, the blind person (or people in the case of Matthew) sitting by the roadside; and at the end, after talking with Jesus and having their eyesight restored, they decide to follow Jesus. Mark specifies “on the road” (10:52).

Without going into a detailed analysis of all the nuances and levels of significance of the episode, we want to concentrate on this simple point: initially seated by the road, when the blind man has regained his sight he follows Jesus on the road. It seems important to us to understand that for the blind man being on the edge of the road was the cause of blindness, not its consequence. In other words, the blind man was not at the edge of the road because he was blind; he was blind because he was on the edge of the road.

A BIG PARTY: WATER FOR CAÑADA DE PIEDRA AND ALTAGRACIA (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)

It has been eleven years since Florinda Ramírez and Bienvenido Mancebo (who everyone affectionately calls El Ciego, “the blind man,” because of his droopy eyelids), set about to realize a dream to bring water to their communities. These villages, two little settlements called Cañada de Piedra and Altagracia, are located within the territory of La Sagrada Familia parish. Five hundred people live there. These people have never had accessible potable water for drinking, cooking and washing. Instead, while the men work in the nearby fields as day laborers, the women walk up to four miles round trip to get water from a well. In the process they must cross a main highway, with the danger of accidents and injuries, which they have suffered on multiple occasions. They carry 5 gallons buckets of water which, when full, weigh over 40 pounds.  At home, they carefully preserve the water because they know that the faster they use it, the sooner they will have to walk again under the Caribbean sun.

Today the dream has been made a reality. After years of visits to institutions and authorities, letters, commission trips and meetings, the communities have achieved their goal. A few years ago the Foundation for Development of the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana (FUNDASEP), together with Manos Unidas and Nuevos Caminos, two development agencies from Spain, and La Sagrada Familia parish in Sabana Yegua established a comprehensive development plan in which accessibility to water was an essential component. The Cañada de Piedra-Altagracia aqueduct was identified as the most pressing necessity.

It has been 18 months of hard work for brigades of volunteers building protection for the existing well, laying foundations, installing pipes, and building the elevated water tank of 50,000 gallons. 18 months of technical supervision by FUNDASEP and parish personnel and 18 months of much struggle.

Now both communities, totaling 123 families, have a sink and faucet at each home. They know the effort and money that the aqueduct has cost and have organized a system to assure its prudent operation, such as the distribution of water only every two days for limited hours. Everyone will fill all of their pitchers, pails and containers to make use of this precious resource and not let the water run uselessly. The water will change their lives and those of future generations.

We thank Florida, “El Ciego” and all of the community members for their tireless effort and faithful dedication to this beautiful project. And so today we are celebrating, with songs, dances, skits, and joy, the blessing of God who wants a dignified life for all. A great party to celebrate this wonderful achievement.