PASSING OVER TO MEXICO TO RETURN TO CANADA

As I skimmed the course listings at Loyalist College, Belleville, Ontario,  Canada, I noticed a new offering, a graduate certificate entitled “International Support Worker.”  The second semester of the certificate studies would take the students to Chiapas State in the south of Mexico for a six week immersion experience.   I was hooked.  I could renew my Spanish language skills, make contact with the indigenous people of Mexico and grow in understanding of significant social, economic and religious phenomena affecting the Americas.  I challenged the first semester with Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (P.L.A.R.) -- another strength of Loyalist College programming that has contributed to indigenous communities throughout the Americas -- and I was accepted into the second semester.

Chiapas is the southernmost state in Mexico bordering on Guatemala.  I became aware of it in 1994 with news of the Zapatista uprising.  Chiapas  has large numbers of Mayan peoples, is predominantly agricultural and economically depressed.  The implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) January 1, 1994 was the catalyst for a protest that saw the indigenous Zapatista soldiers in their black face coverings occupying the ancient capital of the state, San Cristobal de las Casas.  This colonial city set high in the mountains was named after the Spanish Dominican protector of the Indian peoples, Fray Bartolomeo de las Casas, the first bishop of Chiapas.  It is a centre of significant iconic inspiration.

In 1994 I was Director of Field Education at Regis College of the Toronto School of Theology assisting in the formation of Master of Divinity students.  Chiapas attracted attention of students of theology and ministry for more than the Zapatista uprising.  The long-time bishop of Chiapas, Samuel Ruiz Garcia, had attempted to strengthen the Catholic church among the Mayan peoples with the formation of some 20,000 catechists and the ordination of hundreds of married male deacons.  The efforts of the Catholic diocese drew together themes of Liberation theology, Basic Christian Communities and broad efforts of inculturation leading to an Indigenous theology.

What follows originates in my blog contributions to the ISW group blog and is my personal journal.  The first section registers reflections on my experience in Mexico from January 23 to March 3 of 2011.  

A second section registers my return to Canada from Mexico.  The International Support Worker required a four week internship.  A political neophyte, I chose to intern with the Prince Edward Hastings Federal Liberal Association (PEHFLA) under the guidance of its President, Bob Cottrell.  It happened that my internship took place during the run-up to the federal election of 2011.   My blog journal presents my reflections during that intense period leading up to the election.

A third section traces my attempts to grow in engagement with peace and justice issues in this region of the world.