Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America

Honoring Gerardi Delegation to Guatemala, April 2008 

Reflection by Jackie Reidelberger 

Before arriving in Guatemala, I remember feeling uneasy and worried that the trip would leave me disheartened and weighed down by what I was going to see. Despite my anxiety, I expected to be moved and motivated by the anger I would surely feel after witnessing the effects of structural violence firsthand. What actually motivated me was something entirely different. Although I did often feel enraged by the stories I heard and the poverty I saw, I was truly inspired by the strength and compassion of the people I met in Guatemala. During our short time there, we met with so many resilient human rights workers. Organizations like Caritas, GAM, CONGCOOP, FAFG and many others are working to educate, empower, accompany and protect, promote healing and so much more.

Our visit to FAFG, Fundacion Antropologia Forense de Guatemala, was a part of the delegation that I found to be very moving and encouraging. This organization digs up Guatemala's past and uses the evidence they discover to bring the perpetrators of the genocide to justice. Not only does the exhumation of mass graves reveal the atrocities of the 36-year armed conflict and raise awareness to the injustices, but it allows families to grieve and re-bury their loved ones with honor and respect. It is an intensely emotional experience for the families who never had a real opportunity to mourn their family members when they died. It also empowers the families, who must go themselves and request the exhumation. The families then make the decision to press charges against those who committed the crime and testify in court. Impunity is such a severe problem in Guatemala that most people have lost faith in the justice system. Therefore, this work is so very important to remind indigenous Guatemalans, in particular, that they do have these rights as human beings, and encourages them to use their voices to demand them.

I was also very inspired by our visit with a group of indigenous women in Quiche who had purchased animals and seeds with micro-loans from a local non-profit organization. It was clear that they were happy to have creative responsibilities of their own that enabled them to make profit. Their ability to contribute to the income and well-being of their families empowered them, and this was evident in one young woman's remark that she wanted to become a doctor someday. It was experiences like this, meeting these brave women and hearing their stories, that reminded me that change was possible and that even small changes make enormous differences in people's lives.

It seemed to me that a lot of the work that human rights organizations in Guatemala do through their projects indirectly puts the hearts back into the people, so-to-speak. Their work creates community and ignites hope. I think this is what Bishop Gerardi would have wanted, and his message evidently continues to live on in the work of human rights groups in Guatemala today.

After visiting Guatemala and learning its people's history and present struggles, I feel a stronger sense of solidarity and a commitment to join in their struggle. Human rights workers in Guatemala risk their lives to promote peace and justice, and international support is often the only thing that can protect them and make it safer for them to continue doing this work. I continue to share their stories with friends, family, and people I meet, and I hope to visit Guatemala again someday. I am grateful for having had the opportunity to join this delegation and for the great group of people I traveled with and was able to share my thoughts and feelings with throughout the trip. This was an incredible experience and I will not forget it!

-Jackie Reidelberger