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The Mesoamerican region shares cultural and historical ties, as well the scars of violence from the late 20th Century rooted in the gap between poor and rich and the alliance of the US government with repressive and corrupt regimes and oligarchies there. The poverty, inequality, oppression, and injustices that fostered civil wars remain unresolved. Simmering conflicts involve human rights, land ownership, land use, trade, globalization, and youth gangs. Many conflicts also exist at both the family and community levels. Family violence remains a serious and often neglected problem. More violence exists in the streets of many parts of the region today than during the civil wars just a few years ago. Perhaps most urgently, the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), basically NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) for Latin America, gives reason to believe that the violence may escalate. At the very least, it presents formidable new challenges to the region. This international economic integration plan has won the support of the Interamerican Development Bank and the governments of 34 countries in the western hemisphere. FTAA, and its Central American component CAFTA, are similar to NAFTA in both its goals and lack of grassroots input in the development process. When NAFTA went into effect on January 1st, 1994, the Zapatista rebels rose up in Chiapas, denouncing NAFTA and the economic and social marginalization of the poor and indigenous people of the region. In light of the violence that NAFTA provoked, there is reason to be concerned that the CAFTA and FTAA might heighten tensions and lead to similar outbreaks. Although the Mesoamerican region has nominally been at peace for several years, it remains vulnerable to widespread violence while its economic, political, and social problems persist. As long as leaders - from the grassroots to the government - lack the skills and values to work together and promote peace as an ultimate goal of democracy and the general well being, peace remains fragile. The Culture, Spirituality, and Theology of Peace can provide local communities with the tools to respond to these threats of violence and create the bases for true development. Religion and spirituality remain a strong force in Central and North America but are no longer powerfully linked to the broader projects of social, political and economic empowerment. This project seeks to revive this link so as to strengthen the peacemaking and development efforts of local communities. Most importantly, the project will help ground these efforts in local principles and values so that they can take root and succeed. To effect meaningful change in this respect the people of the United States must be involved and committed to changing the overall organization of economic and social relations across the Americas. Mesoamerican poverty and the region's fragile peace will only be addressed when economic relations with the United States are structured so as to support sustainable economic and social stability in the region. It is in this context that the participation of people from the United States, and in particular religious leaders in a position to influence the perceptions and actions of their communities, is a necessary component of the overall goal of moving towards peace in the region. The Culture, Spirituality, and Theology of Peace Project What is the Spirituality of Peace? What is the Theology of Peace? |