June 5

Since arriving in Santo Domingo, and now as I sit in a truly inspiring eco-village in Bonao my thoughts about “helping” is dramatically changing. Today, we had a particularly meaningful discussion on what Justicia Global stands for, the good it does, and the struggles it goes through. In particular, the NGO’s and the charity model, which the US fully participates. As long as I can remember my dream was to help people, to alter their circumstances to the ways they see the world and the way the world sees them. I always thought it was an admirable quality within myself. My desire to make a difference… that quality is not the problem with that sentence; it is the pronoun “I.” The charity model is about a country or individual who bestows their knowledge and efforts upon others without the realization that there is knowledge and experience to be gained. Before arriving in the DR I had a hard time understanding the real harm that NGO’s and charity models could do. Isn’t something good better than nothing? But, through today’s discussion with members of Justicia Global and the beautifully intelligent people in this class, the knowledge that only the people can save the people has emerged. Real true justice and social transformation only occurs when those who have been illed stand up. No one should impose themselves or their views of a better society on others. To do so will be substituting ill-fitting ruling class with another. There is simply no point. Among that important realization has been the utter awe I have had with the men, women, and children in Justicia Global. Their organization strives for a society characterized by the culture of solidarity, justice, and love. They work for a vision bigger than one can see in a lifetime – and they are thrilled to be able to strive for change for their children or even their children’s children. To take a stand against the oppression and exploitation of all people (as they are called Global Justice, not DR Justice) is to start with the people. They organize people with the hope to broaden the consciousness of how the world works, and how it could work, and how we work together as people of that world. Being one who is extremely less proficient in Spanish I was concerned about how I was going to understand the people here and the work they are doing, but the passion, the heart of these people bypasses any and all language barriers. That fact alone speaks volumes about the organization, the cause, and the heart of the country that I am falling in love with.

Contributed by Margaret