The attack on multi-culturalism really must stop. From the shooting in AZ that took down several, including Rep. Gifford, to the shooting  & bombing that took down innocents in Norway – hatred of diversity is on the rise … And it must stop. Hatred of certain groups will lead to hatred of all, and it [...]

To celebrate the Peace Corps 50th Anniversary, our local RPCV chapter held a global potluck. For our contribution, a fellow returned volunteer and I wanted to make authentic pupusas with authentic curtido and authentic salsa. We wanted everything to have an authentic flavor because it has been our experience that these items do not taste [...]

My writings are not dogmatic – simply introspective. Although my writings rarely reflect bible passages, the prescribed readings for Sunday, March 27, 2011, paralleled well with several manifestations in my life that same weekend. In Exodus, the Israelites marched through the Egyptian desert, looking for water, and questioned Yahweh’s presence amongst them (17: 3-7). Through [...]

Dr. Gabor Maté on the Stress-Disease Connection, Addiction, Attention Deficit Disorder and the Destruction of American Childhood. This show is interesting. From a cultural perspective, I can see why people in the US have more family problems than those of more traditional countries.

The homeless are everywhere – sometimes seen and sometimes not. In Geneva, they are unseen, but present. From Rome and Paris to New York and L.A., they are seen panhandling and loitering wherever they can. Closer to home, I come across them on street corners and parks, and the buses I ride traverse bridges that [...]

It’s usually hard for me to express my views concerning these topics. However, Manfred Max-Neef’s views on economics are in line with mine. Derrick Jensen’s call to action on environmental activism is also important. The entire uncut show can be found here: http://www.democracynow.org/shows/2010/11/26 Manfred Max-Neef – Barefoot Economics and Poverty: Part 1 Manfred Max-Neef – Barefoot [...]

I often wonder why the topic of immigration is so inflammatory in the United States – after all, we learn from an early age that the US is a nation of immigrants. Christopher Columbus did not set foot on uninhabited land, and the people that were here before, the Native Americans, believed in sharing and [...]

The video is in Spanish with English subtitles. The article/ El artículo, here / aquí, is in Spanish/es en Español.

Birthday Exorcism: How Satan Helped Me Find a Home From my Peace Corps journal. Published in El Camino, a publication of Peace Corps El Salvador, July / August 2006. Sometimes the best way to end up with an awesome housing set-up is to have your host family perform an exorcism for you. Two years ago, I transferred to [...]

From my Peace Corps journal. 21 Oct, 2004 I wait to get electricity.  I write by “candil” and “candela” in my rented house in Pañanalapa, surrounded by banana trees, cricket chrips, and moonlight. My fridge sits soundless atop of my concrete table in the kitchen.  Dogs bark in the distance.  ”Cultos” go on next door and further away [...]

Written during my training period in Las Cañas, San Vicente, El Salvador. (September 2003) One thing to get used to in the Salvadoran campo is the large variety of scary, biting, stinging, spitting, urinating, and defecating insects, arachnids and other larger animals.  With just cause, one of the first things issued to us as Peace Corps [...]

This is from an old journal I kept while in El Sal. Complaining About the Weather (April 2004) Invierno Season: - Shoes and clothes get muddy as soon as you step outdoors. - Laundry has to be done more often due to the mud. - Clothing never really dries; clothing accumulates moisture while in storage even after having been sun-dried. - Mold grows on [...]

Here is a video by Salvadorans on the environmental crisis.

I received this via email from a friend of mine. – madelacruz Subject: Another anti mining activist has been killed in El Salvador San Salvador, December 22, 2009 Alert from El Salvador As the Colectivo de Derechos Humanos Herbert Anaya Sanabria we are outraged with the assassination of one more environmental activist. Another anti mining activist has been killed in [...]

I was invited to a potluck and I needed to take something. It occurred to me that few people ever took chocolate as a dessert item to gatherings. Soft chocolate tablets can be bought for making into a hot beverage. But I never saw anyone eating chocolate. I guess chocolate is a luxury item in [...]

Salvadorans love corn. Better yet, they cannot live without corn. Corn feeds them, fills them, and gives them the caloric energy needed to carry on with daily activities. Corn gives them life, and they spend their lives cultivating corn. Perhaps that is why they have a special day to honor corn, around September 25. [...]

These environmental problems exist everywhere, but my focus is El Salvador. These images come from Santa Ana, put the same is seen throughout the country. Problems: Slash & Burn smoke increases incidence of air contamination & respiratory illness land clearing leads to increased erosion & health problems AgroChemical Over-Use many chemicals are highly toxic; lack of protection leads to health [...]

Decisiones y Posibilidades: La Amenaza del SIDA @ Yahoo! Video One of my projects involved working with the Ministry of Health to increase HIV/AIDS awareness amongst the youth in several hamlets within the Municipality of Nueva Concepción, Chalatenango. This skit was presented at a regional function. Other skits were created by some of the members and presented [...]

Size of El Salvador: 21,000 sq. Km; or 8,106 sq. mi. Population Density: 264 inhabitants/sq. Km; or 683 people/sq. mi. Background:In 1993, after the signing of the peace accords between the government and the guerilla groups, the first group of Peace Corps Volunteer entered El Salvador to aid community development in 3 areas: AgroForestry, Water, and Small Business. [...]