Fr David joins up with his fellow deligates

Dear Family, friends, colleagues,

I am not sure when or even if I will have access to the internet and www., whilst in ES, so to get ahead I have given some background from our own reliable BBC, some of what follows is from their website.

Please, please remember the Wellsprings Delegation who at the invitation of the UN, will God-willing, be election observers during the election process which takes place on Sunday 15th March, and pray for courage for the people to vote for change that will bring democracy closer for them. In El Salvador, and in particular in the community of El Tular, Wellsprings makes all the difference.

For more information about wellsprings: www.wellsprings.me.uk

Country profile: El Salvador

El Salvador, which is Spanish for "the saviour" - or Jesus Christ - has been wracked by civil war and a succession of natural disasters.

The tiny country is the most densely-populated state on the mainland of the Americas and is highly industrialised. But social inequality and a susceptibility to earthquakes have shaped much of modern El Salvador.

In the 1980s El Salvador was ravaged by a bitter civil war. This was stoked by gross inequality between a small and wealthy elite, which dominated the government and the economy, and the overwhelming majority of the population, many of whom lived - and continue to live - in abject squalor. The war left around 70,000 people dead and caused damage worth $2bn, but it also brought about important political reforms.

In 1992 a United Nations-brokered peace agreement ended the civil war, but no sooner had El Salvador begun to recover when it was hit by a series of natural disasters, notably Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and earthquakes in 2001. These left at least 1,200 people dead and more than a million others homeless.

The economy depends heavily on the money sent home by Salvadoreans living in the US. Poverty, civil war, natural disasters and their consequent dislocations have left their mark on El Salvador's society, which is among the most crime-ridden in the Americas.

Violent street gangs, known as "maras", have been described by President Saca as a "regional problem that requires regional solutions". One of the most notorious groups was started in the 1980s by Salvadoran immigrants in the US.

Facts

·                     Full name: Republic of El Salvador

·                     Population: 7 million (UN, 2008)

·                     Capital: San Salvador

·                     Area: 21,041 sq km (8,124 sq miles)

·                     Major language: Spanish

·                     Major religion: Christianity

·                     Life expectancy: 69 years (men), 75 years (women) (UN)

·                     Monetary unit: US dollar & Salvadoran colon

·                     Main exports: Offshore assembly exports, coffee, sugar,     shrimp, textiles, chemicals, electricity

·                     GNI per capita: US $2,850 (World Bank, 2007)

·                     Internet domain: .sv

·                     International dialling code: +503

Leaders

President: Elias Antonio (Tony) Saca

Tony Saca won a five-year term in presidential elections in March 2004. It was the fourth successive victory for the right-wing Arena party.

The former radio and TV sports presenter said he wanted to work with other parties in the government. He promised to crack down on criminal gangs, to strive for transparent government and to promote ties with the US.

Arena has been linked to death-squad murders during the civil war, but Mr Saca stressed that his victory was "a moment to forget all the past". He has rejected calls to scrap amnesty laws, which protect former officials from prosecution.

Mr Saca, who owns a radio network, backs the free-market policies of his Arena party predecessor Francisco Flores.

Antonio Saca was born to Palestinian parents from the West Bank town of Bethlehem.

Media

Press freedom is guaranteed under El Salvador's constitution, and the media freely and routinely criticise the government and report on opposition activities.

Broadcasting is dominated by private operators, with a handful of national TV networks. There are scores of radio stations in the capital alone. Cable TV is widely available and carries international channels.

Back to the blog which I am "dictating" as and when I can, to Andrew back in the UK to fill in for me. I will try and add/correct any mistakes if I can get access to a computer.

Wed 11/3

After a reasonable flight from Miami to San Salvador I arrived just before noon, I entered the arrivals hall with trepidation. With all the stories and warnings of what immigration could be like here I wondered how long I would be interrogated for.

Any worries I had were unfounded. The authorities were very pleasant and seemed to know I was going to be an independent election observer I went through with the minimum of fuss. Because I had a UK passport I was exempt from paying the $10 tourist visa fee which I was expecting to pay, an added bonus!

I was picked up by the ladies from Wellsprings (Maya & Alicia-Florris) and taken to our accommodation. I knew it was going to be basic and it sure is! however it is still a lot better than what many people have here! The rest of the delegation were arriving this evening so I was able to relax and catch up with the sleep I had missed out on last night - I had only managed about ½hour as my mind was working overtime. The rest of the group arrived and we spent time getting to know each other.

Thursday 12/3

Today, we have been to the Radison Hotel to register ourselves as Election Observers. We have also been on a tour round the city in our minbus (and I mean mini) and there are 11 of us!

We visited a memorial to some of the 70+ thousands of civilians who were murdered and/or who are known as ´the disappeared´...only 33,000 are recorded because the others - bodies have never been traced.

The UN back at the Truth and Justice Trial said as reparation the Government were meant to erect a monument which they never did. It was a colective of NGO´s who collaborated, collected the names and erected the monument to the dead - very moving and powerful.

It was then back to our accommodation and a G&T to help ward off the mossies!

Tomorow our training commences and the elction is on Sunday and we will be moving between voting booths across San Salvador. A very imaginative programme has been put together for us and I will try and keep you informed.

Friday 13/3

Today we were taken to a Christian Centre (Gabriel of Peace Centre) in San Salvador where we met up with others who were going to be part of the UN independent observation team, (there are some 2,800 observers in El Salvador in total) we are all part of the Church Team (IRCLES) and are from various denominations within the World Council of Churches, within our group are us Anglicans, Lutherans, Baptists, Roman Catholics and Association of Independent Churches. The whole event was a bit chaotic and we were left wondering what we had signed up to! We did however get a briefing on what we were to look for and what to do if we observed any irregularities, we were also told of some of the stories of fraud e.g. the ´dead´voting, non-existent people voting (e.g. having acquired bith certs. fraudulently to allow a vote), some 40,000 people from Central America possibly trying to vote who should not be elgible but ARENA party 'arrange' it.

With that finished we had lunch and set of on a sightseeing trip. We were taken in our mini-minibus (wish I hadn't eaten so much in the past couple of months), to the Botanical Gardens. The "flowers" were stunning BUT it is the wrong time of year with most coming to an end and the rest in bud, we did however get some good Photos.

After the Gardens it was back for dinner and an evening round the camp-fire singing ging-gang goolie or should that be G&T and a chat, that sounds more like it.

Tomorrow we get our observers waistcoats and hats. That should be interesting.

Saturday 14/3

Today we went to a kind of Community Centre where we were to hear first hand about human rights infringements, in particular those who are imprisoned.

The day began with Rosa talking about “rights” be it Youth, Gay, Women´s. We were told that ES is the second most violent country in Latin America, Columbia holding the “honour” of first place.

In 2009, there is a sort of re-enactment of the 70's, where "War is against you and amongst you". Although there is no civil war now, there are gang wars, and most of those killed are youths under 25 (reminiscent of youths at home in knife/gun crime - but larger scale), but gang violence didn’t start after war it was already going on with young folk well aware of how to make bombs and how to use weapons etc. and with a lot of young people interested in violence at different levels.

During war many people left ES and afterwards returned with preconceived ideas of what ES should be like - given the sacrifice - what they found was so very far from ´their dream......´

A torn up country, no policy for education of children, no policy for allowing “normal living”. Before and since the war people get up on a morning and leave their homes - and they don’t know if they will return.

In ÉS it is survival of the fittest - different to the once sense of family where a piece of bread fed a family because all were hungry, nowadays it is a case of - a piece of bread feeds me and my family can starve.....but obviously not in every situation.

In the gang culture which prevails, the only way to survive violence is to become violent. Youths have become the public enemy no.1 Violence is not just between gangs but is within families and within the State, Stress levels in many young peoples lives is way above normal.......

The Prison Situation

"Revenge over those who have done bad to the good ones, the good people - the honourable ones" - a statement about the penal system in ES

In ES there is a perversion of justice - war criminals still go free to this day, whilst in jail there are gang members, who have become so, because of the system, and the 'honourable - war criminals oppression' - gang members are tattooed, shaved heads - they stand out.

There are 19 prisons, built to accommodate 8,000 prisoners, there are 21,000 in prison at present, equating in most prisons to 3 prisoners in the space of 1 (the 19 does not include young offender prisons). The prisons are called Institutions of Re-education and Integration. The State is not fulfilling its role for providing skills - so on release a prisoner can enter society and be productive.

ARENA have said of gangs in ES "The gangs did it (a crime) aided by FMLN" they have even suggested links to extremist terrorists including Al Qaeda. Quite often, in fact nearly always gangs were fighting, are fighting for the 'right to have water'.

Three weeks ago, prisoners began non-violent tactics for human rights to be honoured. Rosa (our speaker) was not allowed to go into prison to talk to the prisoners about their human rights, because it may give them ideas above their station!!!!!!.

Pedro (name changed to protect speakers i.d.) spoke. He is poet, a student, a human rights activist, is an ex-prisoner, has been a member of MS Gang. He is constantly followed, threatened, accused in newspapers of being an instigator of human rights for prisoners.

Born in 1974 Pedro grew up not too far away from where we were sitting. During the Civil War, where Pedro lived was a hard place to be. Children knew how to play under the bullets and bombs, and learn to hit the ground! At High School during the signing of the Peace Agreements, Pedro’s best friend was killed which gave Pedro a reason to be part of MS13 Gang - believing the best way to deal with his friends death was through revenge and vengeance. After 2 years as an MS13 member, Pedro was detained in prison during which time he began to appreciate things differently. Inside prison so much injustice occurred which the outside world was unaware of.

Pedro reflected on the wrong path he had chosen. Students and an organisation called Crispas (Christians for Peace) worked with prisoners and the prisoners (bold to emphasise who began the project) to show these kids what their real talents were, tried to show that as humans we ALL make mistakes but we can change. The project was called OPRHH (pronounced opera) Optimism, Peace, Renovation, Hope, Harmony.

OPRHH helped prisoners to see their qualities like those that exist in us all, and to know that their lives could change. Workshops of: poetry, t-shirt printing, drawing, mosaics all took place. A small library opened. Everyone became fond of the project - here prisoners were doing good for someone else, for others.

OPRHH discovered that there were a lot of human rights violations in prisons. They took their complaints and findings to the H.R. Ombudsmen. The Group in prison had strengthened (artists etc.) and worked towards H.R. - they were accused of being ‘ante-system’ in an attempt to repress OPRHH.....

to be continued.......