Category: Partners

In Venezuela, Life Cannot Longer Wait

Posted on by Nate Radomski

About 6 million Venezuelans have left their country during the first two decades of the 21st century, the vast majority have been forced to flee, especially since 2016. This exodus is massive, precarious and multi-causal. Despite COVID-19, the migratory flow dynamics have regained their driving force. The vast majority of Venezuelans who walk, or have settled outside of Venezuela, do so in neighboring countries and in Latin American territory. The Venezuelan diaspora competes with that of Syria to top the world ranking of people in need of international protection. Meanwhile, the situation in Venezuela continues to deteriorate in terms of incompatibility of dignified life opportunities. If the question is to live, shouldn’t the international community offer a humanitarian response, with full access to rights and guaranteeing due protection? On World Refugee Day, we must remember that the Venezuelan exodus is an exodus of people seeking refuge.

From our perspective of a Network focused on Migrants, we could be tempted to fix our gaze, alone, on forced migration as a consequence of a country that is publicly and socially broken. We would have plenty of work. Despite the massive humanitarian urgency that the Venezuelan migratory flow represents; despite restrictive policies and various strategies of rejection and expulsion from countries of transit and destination; despite the growing political, media, and social trend that contributes to xenophobia and the criminalization of migration; despite the high risk of the journey, especially for certain vulnerable groups like women and children; despite the general precariousness of the conditions of walkers, etc… Despite all this, we cannot put aside the crisis that is being experienced within Venezuela. A profound multidimensional crisis, in which forced migration is only one of the expressions. A radical change in the internal situation of the country cannot be postponed. Today, Venezuela has an array of reasons that force millions of Venezuelans to flee the country – each time in worse conditions – or that condemn individuals to a life without possibilities (without hope?). Our call for the protection of the Venezuelan people who have left cannot silence the international responsibility, as humanity, to respond today to what is lived within Venezuela.

Let’s go back to the exodus. In recent years, rather than a change in the profile of who is fleeing, we have identified this profile has become generalized. Any Venezuelan is potentially a forced migrant because of the impossibility of accessing rights or the possibility of being subject to true risk within the country, there are not exceptions, but generalized features. For a long time, the conditions for the road have not been a determining factor in making the decision to move. The migratory call increasingly responds to a desperate attempt to live, regardless of the adjective or fundamentally broken right that we place next to it. This supposes an exponential increase in the migratory phenomenon with an absence of a true life project as a migrant, forced migration is proof that life, under certain conditions, can no longer be an expectation. Life is walking.

Linked to the lack of conditions to undertake the trip, we must bear in mind that the migration route, much earlier than at airports or official crossings between countries, begins at the door of the home or community. The internal transit in Venezuela towards the borders – at times remains invisible – posing extreme difficulty and high risks. This internal forced displacement requires humanitarian accompaniment and comprehensive protection. The scarcity of resources, limitations on humanitarian actors in Venezuela, and exposure to risks from legal and illegal frameworks in the country make humanitarian responses highly complicated.

The conditions of international transit propose other peculiarities and risks but fall under the same light as fragility, vulnerability, and precariousness. Crossing the border (either through official or unofficial paths) does not imply a triumphant arrival at a goal, nor does it necessarily imply the culmination of success. The humanitarian situation of the migrant walkers is alarming. There are many actors and situations of risk – trafficking and trafficking schemes throughout the continent, and shipwrecks in the Caribbean, among many others. Countries and the international community as a whole, cannot abstract from the collective responsibility for this map of disasters in the conditions of migration. Restrictive policies, the closure and militarization of borders, and other strategies to deter migration cause the disappearance and death of thousands of migrants, the alarming humanitarian situation, and deportation. Venezuelan forced migration is overwhelming and will continue to overwhelm any attempt to contain it, as long as the root causes of it remain.

The integration spaces in the host countries show very different realities. More than half of the Venezuelan people who make up this mass migration lack a regular situation in the country where they are, this implies an obvious limitation of access to rights and protection. In general, there are no reception policies that are truly comprehensive; that respond to the multiple dimensions of the human being; that take into consideration the differential approaches that respond to particularities of gender, age, ethnicity, sexual identity, and so on. The livelihoods of migrant populations have been especially affected during the pandemic. In many cases, the essential contribution they have made to society (care, food, etc.) has not been recognized. On the contrary, xenophobic discourses are constructed for electoral purposes, denying the human condition of the foreigner and identifying him/her as an invader or criminal. There are still territories that deny or limit access to the vaccine due to immigration status.

Every June 20 the international calendar reminds us of the reality of millions of refugees or people in need of international protection. Most never achieve recognition of their right to asylum. As UNHCR already did in May 2019, as well as a large part of civil society, we affirm that the Venezuelan forced migratory flow must be considered as a migratory flow in need of international protection. States must ensure access to territories and asylum procedures. This cannot be what limits access to other rights associated with any process of regularization and comprehensive reception. For this reason, the Red Jesuita con Migrantes and Magis Americas, along with other allied organizations and networks, within the framework of the Donors Conference in solidarity with Venezuelan Migrants and Refugees held June 17th in Canada, provided a set of recommendations to the international community to make a turn in its political action.

Life is what is at stake, and life cannot wait.

Batey Lechería: Fighting Discrimination and Inequality Through an Education with Values

Posted on by Nate Radomski

A look at the education of the boys and girls of Batey Lechería.

The Centro Educativo Santo Niño Jesús school is located in the Batey Lechería area, Santo Domingo Oeste, in the Dominican Republic. The Batey Lechería community is a community of Haitian descendants, currently experiencing migration from very vulnerable sectors of the DR.

This educational center was founded by the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ), a North American Congregation. They came to the DR in 1995, and from the beginning, were concerned with bringing quality education to those most in need. When the sisters arrived at Batey Lechería, this was a vulnerable area, whose only jobs were around cutting sugar cane, although a few women in the community were domestic workers in the city of Santo Domingo.

Before the arrival of the SHCJ Sisters, the Lechería community lacked basic services such as food, adequate housing, adequate water, health, and education. Additionally, the coexistence of the members of the community was not adequate, there was tension between the different immigrants.

The general education of the community before the arrival of the school was poor, there was not much thought about the future or regard for education as an important tool for development. Besides, the community was discriminated against due to the poverty level of its inhabitants.

Since the beginning of the Center, the SHCJ sisters, volunteers, teachers, assistants, administrators, and support staff promote objectives that link the good treatment between people, equal rights, creation of job opportunities, improvements to health, good nutrition, childcare, promotion of values and quality education for the excluded. We care about our students and work so receive a comprehensive and quality education; based on Christian values and respect for human rights. Furthermore, as the founder of Fe y Alegría José María Vélaz said, we maintain that “a poor person cannot have a poor education”. In the same way, the founder of the Congregation of the Holy Child Jesus, Cornelia Conelly says: “Actions, not words”, these conceptions are the basis for the mission, vision, principles, and values of the institution, which seek to activate the transformation of the context and improvement of the life of the community, through education and health.

I have worked at the Centro Educativo Santo Niño Jesús, since my adolescence, starting as a volunteer and occupying different positions. Today, as the Director of the Center, I have had the pleasure to see this community progressively change and advance. As a Center, we have contributed to the integral development of the community, emphasizing the importance of education and equality among human beings and the acceptance of people, regardless of their nationality, sex, religion, or origin.

We continuously work to answer the following questions: how do we deal with discrimination in the center? Is there discrimination between the actors of the educational community? Discrimination is something that occurs from person to person, from child to child. It is sad to say, but yes, discrimination exists between the same residents of one community. This is sometimes a culture assumed by boys and girls. To break these habits, the Center has implemented different activities, such as cultural weeks, the promotion of values, and general culture gatherings.

In the same way, we accept all students, providing equal opportunities. We do not condition education, all students have the same privileges in terms of the resources. Teachers integrate students equally, and an emphasis is made on respecting cultures and accepting people.

We also ask ourselves, has the Batey Lechería community changed? Has the school had any impact on this change? Yes, the community has changed with the collaboration of the Center, we have parents who value and support their children’s education from home, there are still many more to join, but we are firmly going down the right path.

Bartolo Álvarez, says that before, the young people of the community did not reach the third grade of primary school. Now, he has seen a change, young people finish secondary school. He tells us that the Center has been a torch of light for the community, for the progress of children and families. Since the arrival of the nuns, volunteers, and other collaborators an education based on infinite love has been provided to the youth of the community. These are people who live in extreme poverty, but every day wake up with faith and enthusiasm for life. It is for these people that the Center works to overcome inequality.

The Center has collaborated over the years in the development of the community, contributing to the well-being of adults, students, women, offering health programs, and community support. We have women like Rosy, who started a small business in the community, to guarantee the sustenance of her children, especially her little 8-year-old daughter.

Cristina Remarque has collaborated with the Center since she was nine years old, supporting young children who need help to focus in the classes. As she shares her knowledge with the little ones, she is motivated to continue in school and give her best. The Santo Niño Jesús school has accompanied this young woman on her path and we want to continue helping her in her studies, as she aims to go to college.

The Centro Educativo Santo Niño Jesús has managed to make progressive changes in the mentality of the people, we continue to fight against discrimination and inequality, giving a higher value to the education of children. To advance in offering quality education, and contributing to the development of the community, we need helping hands. Teacher training, maintenance, and the acquisition of teaching resources for our students, in these difficult times of a pandemic are essential. The Center, together with the infirmary, has worked hard to preserve the health of the community. We dream, create and believe in our people.

Since our foundation, we understood that we had to work together with the community, to achieve our common goals. We are firm believers that if the educational center advances, the community must also advance. We want to continue growing to improve the situation of our students, the families of the community, both in health and education.

I faithfully believe that the only way to break down social barriers is by teaching individuals to think, teaching them to be, to do, and to live together. At the same time, offering opportunities for transformation from accepting our identity and others as well as who we are.

UCA Managua’s Critical Role in the Future of Human Rights in Nicaragua

Posted on by Nate Radomski

The history of Latin America is one of individuals. From the time of colonization, our collective history has been mostly written by strongmen and caudillos forcing our nations to bend to their will and to the interests of those around them. Venezuela, for example, has had five republics, 24 constitutions and over three dozen presidents throughout its 209-year history. As one can imagine, these continuous changes prevent healthy institutions from developing and democratic traditions from taking root. In over 500 years of Latin American history, the only exception to this pattern has been universities.

Since their founding, universities have proven to be one of the few major institutions that have fiercely defended their right to self-determination. This idea culminated in what is known today as the autonomy of universities. This autonomy has allowed universities to be politically and administratively independent from external actors or political forces. It has also allowed universities to choose their own leadership, enact independent statutes and create educational programs. This academic freedom to create educational programs has been particularly critical to the development of the region by giving universities the freedom and responsibility to train qualified professionals and conduct independent research. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the autonomy of universities has allowed for the spread of free ideas. Currently, there is no greater example of this than the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) in Managua, Nicaragua.

Like other Jesuit institutions, UCA has focused on instilling its students with a sense of vocation, a desire for service and a drive to promote hope, reconciliation and liberation in their lives and in their communities. UCA also manifests its mission of justice in three programs: (1) scholarships to low-income students; (2) social services for marginalized and vulnerable communities; and (3) research to investigate socioeconomic challenges faced by Nicaragua in order to offer sustainable and impactful solutions.

A direct result of its open promotion of Jesuit and democratic values has led UCA to become a space for dialogue and a symbol for hope and endurance, educating generations of Nicaraguans that have turned these values into action. These same values, though, have also left the university open to attacks from the current regime.

In 2018, Nicaraguan university students, including students from UCA, took to the streets to peacefully protest government reforms that targeted vulnerable populations. The students’ protests were met with a brutal response from government forces, which included torture, illegal imprisonment, kidnappings and killings, among many other human rights violations. As a result of these abuses, UCA took concrete actions to defend its students. First, UCA President Fr. José Alberto “Chepe” Idiaquez S.J. began to openly speak out against the government’s actions. Second, UCA’s law clinic began providing pro bono services to students arrested by the government. Finally, the university made a strategic decision to take on more of an advocacy role by creating an international awareness campaign that highlighted the brutal actions of the government in Nicaragua.

These actions have not been without consequences, though. UCA has lost millions of dollars in government funding, which was used to support its scholarship program. The university also faces a constant barrage of bureaucratic sanctions, not to mention the threats, attacks and detainments faced by its students and staff. In spite of it all, UCA maintains its commitment to justice.

As a Venezuelan, I know this story all too well. Just like UCA, Venezuelan universities have been systematically suffocated by the government for the past two decades. And just as in Nicaragua, these tactics are usually discreet. Government forces rarely storm the campus gates. Rather, they use subtlety to convey their intent. Unexpected audits, arbitrary restrictions to public funds and the harassment of faculty and students all achieve their goal of slowly and methodically increasing pressure until universities are forced to make a decision: submit to the government narrative or cease operations.

It goes without saying, but attacks on higher education are one of the most insidious things autocratic governments can do. Universities are one of society’s best tools to preserve and expand knowledge. From healthcare to engineering, law to education and fine arts, higher education plays a vital role in the functioning of an independent and democratic society. Quite simply, the acts of unscrupulous individuals to limit access to knowledge places society’s future in jeopardy.

In order for Latin America to break free from its history of strongmen and caudillos, we need an informed and freethinking citizenry. Guaranteed access to lifelong learning opportunities, such as a higher education at institutions like UCA, is vital to creating more just, equitable and stable societies. But to preserve these institutions we must stand in solidarity with those brave students and faculty members who are fighting bullets with ideals. As individuals and as a society we must forgo the path of ambition and power and commit ourselves to hope, reconciliation and liberation.