Camino Claro Blog

We mentioned Pavones’ Anti-Tuna Farm Festival that took place a few weeks ago, you saw some pictures and heard Jacob’s positive feedback on the memorable event; so we thought it was time to give those who were interested some info on the legal side of the issue in the Golfo Dulce…

Remember, you can always check out our previous posts or Pretoma’s website for more background on the ongoing tuna farm proposals in our precious gulf.

Golfito’s municipal council vows not to issue permits for Granjas Atuneras SA

Gerardo Mendoza and Susanne Mesen, president and treasurer of the “No a las Granjas Atuneras” association (ANAGA) went to the Municipal Council’s meeting in Golfito a few weeks ago and petitioned the newly elected representatives to oppose the tuna farm project. They were successful and the council voted not to issue permits for tuna farming within the next six years and they pronounced themselves against tuna farming in all of Costa Rica. The previous Consejo Municipal had also refused to issue permits for Granjas Atuneras SA’s operation. Thank you Gerardo and Susanne!

Permits issued by SETENA may be revoked

SETENA (Secretaria Tecnica Nacional Ambiental - which is part of MINAET, The Ministry of Environment) however, did issue permits for the tuna project but then was forced by the court to look into charges that Granjas Atuneras‘ environmental impact report contained fraudulent statements such as claiming that the people around the gulf who were interviewed for the report pronounced themselves in favor of the project (not true). Granjas Atuneras also claimed that the currents only flow out of the gulf and not into it and therefore there is no risk of polluting the gulf. To the residents around the Golfo Dulce it is obvious that these statements are false. Let’s hope that SETENA will come to the same conclusion. If they do, Granjas Atuneras‘ permits will be revoked. This should be decided soon.

Pavones’ Festival: all about raising awareness

Perhaps the 2010 Anti-Tuna Farm Festival’s greatest success was acquiring 390 signatures for a petition that will be sent to Costa Rica’s new president, Laura Chinchilla, and SETENA, in which Pavones and surrounding communities state their opposition to the tuna farms and ask for revocation of the permits. The more people that sign the petition, the harder it is for SETENA to claim that the community approves of the tuna farm project.

Additionally, the local fisherman succeeded in having the Golfo Dulce declared Area for Responsible Fisheries. This means shrimpers are banned permanently as well as all fishing vessels that are bigger than a panga (small motor boat), and net fishing is outlawed.

GREAT JOB and THANK YOU to everyone in Pavones: members of the ANAGA committee, individuals and businesses who donated prizes for the Festival, and people who got out and signed the petition! You are all making a difference…now on to a few more pictures of the event:

ECC’s teacher, Lisa, with Apalonia, the vice president of ANAGA and also the voice for the Guaymi Indigenous community on the Tuna Farm issue. At the chicha barrel! (Jacob on the traditional fermented corn drink: “tastes like kombucha, feels like moonshine)

A few of the Guaymi Indegenous protesters

Carlos and Maruja, Pavones locals, enjoying the party with the rest of the pueblo

A big thank you to Lili from Mira Olas Cabinas for keeping us updated with current information. Thanks also to Jacob for his excellent photography skills!

More updates to come soon so keep tuning in.

~Haley

As you might remember from one of our posts back in May, the pending installation of the tuna farms in the Golfo Dulce continues to be a great threat to our home in many ways. Thus, the battle continues…

The Corrupt Tuna Project

Last June, MINAET (The Costa Rican Ministry of Environment) approved and granted most of the necessary permits for Granjas Atuneras, S.A. to install the destructive tuna farms in the Golfo Dulce. However, MINAET acted prematurely and suspiciously, as it was soon discovered that the permits were illegally issued. Business was conducted in violation of the Supreme Court’s decision to put the project on hold until ocean currents have been thoroughly studied and it has been established that fecal matter from the fish would indeed not enter the Golfo Dulce.

This study was recently completed and apparently it was altered in order to show the preferred results; that the ocean currents will not bring waste into the Gulf. This is, of course, ridiculous because it is common knowledge that our ocean currents go both ways and the prevailing winds are onshore, coming from the south and pushing the surface water into the gulf.

So, with the study results against us and the Ministry of Environment obviously working for bribes, Pavones’ community members have come together to form an official Anti-Tuna Farm Association, established at the beginning of this month.

Pavones Community Fights Corruption

The Anti-Tuna Farm Association represents the voice of all community members; locals, foreigners, and most importantly, the Guaymi Indigenous population. The Guaymi make up 60% of the voters in our district and they see the project as an invasion of their territory. The establishment of such a heterogeneous Association will allow us to more powerfully oppose Granjas Atuneras, S.A.

A few weeks ago I spoke with Vela Miles, one of the “movers and shakers” here in Pavones. She deserves many thanks for her hard work and dedication to the tuna project battle, but being a head member of the Anti-Tuna Farm Association is just one way she is invaluable to this community. Vela stated that now that the Association has legal status they are in the process of “asking the municipality of Golfito to approve the popular vote (plebiscito) in the district of Pavones. This allows Pavones to vote and voice their position. That is our constitutional right.” The municipality cannot install the tuna farms until Pavones votes on it.

As of now, the Association will continue to send letters to the municipality and work to educate this region on the negative affects of the Tuna Farms. The only thing preventing the installation of the Tuna Farms are the permits from the municipality. Although everything else has been approved, Pavones is still putting up a hard fight against the Granjas Atuneras.

ECC Student Speaks Out

All members- and all ages!- of the community will be affected by the impending tuna farms if it goes through. Below, 9-year-old ECC student, Leilani, voices her opinion about the impending tuna project: check out an excerpt of her very well-written (did I mention she is an ECC student?:) letter to Costa Rican President Oscar Arias.

“The other day I went surfing here in Pavones. It was such a beautiful day. The water was clear and pretty. I saw a manta ray jumping, a pelican diving in for his breakfast, and a sea turtle floating by. When I went under the water, I could hear the whales singing. Have you ever heard whales? They sing the most beautiful songs! As I came up from under the water, I had a terrible thought… Will there come a day when this Gulf that I love so much be so contaminated from the tuna farms that the manta rays will no longer jump? Will there be a day that the pelicans no longer come here to fish for their breakfast? Will there be a day that the turtles no longer want to lay their eggs on our beaches? Will there be a day when the whales no longer want to come and sing their sweet songs?
I hope with all my heart that this day will never come! This is why I am writing you today. I am asking you to please, please help us to stop the tuna farms from coming here!!! Please use all your power as president to stop this project from contaminating our beautiful Golfo Dulce.

Thank you for you time,
Leilani McGonagle
PS. I heard you recently were sick with Swine Flu. I hope you are feeling better!”

It’s never too late to make a donation to this important cause- EVERYTHING COUNTS. Thanks for your support,

Sincerely,
Raphel & Haley

2^nd Annual GSOP High School Program

Two action-packed months have passed and it is definitely time for another ECC Newsletter. June has been our busiest month so far this year and we have lots of exciting things to share with our supporters.

First, this month welcomed ECC’s 2009 highlight as we hosted our 2^nd annual Global Services Outreach Program (GSOP). GSOP is ECC’s cultural integration and community service program for American high school students. Students are invited to come to Pavones with an open mind and experience the unique and diverse culture of our little town. Their visit was comprised of the following activities:

Art and Community Service Projects

The group from Kalapuya High School in Eugene, OR kicked off their community service work by painting the inside of Escuela Camino Claro. It looks beautiful and I can’t resist including a little excerpt from a Thank You letter written by one of our 7-year old ESL students:

Thank you for painting the school.

It looks beautiful and nice.

I like the color yellow. Hakuna Matata.

Please paint my house.

After painting our building, the students worked on a park improvement project for the next two weeks. A playground was recently built in the center of Pavones and though it is all the craze among the kids it was in need of a few aesthetic improvements. Under the guidance of Hadas Barkan, our dear friend and one of Pavones’ most talented artists/teachers/volunteers, Kalapuya students worked VERY hard making changes. They spent many hours beautifying the park area as well as building, designing, and painting benches to provide seating in the park for the community! The benches look beautiful and we are so grateful to the students for making what was just a playground placed in an empty lot into a truly community space.

Guaymi Indigenous Reservations Home-stay

During the second weekend of their stay, the students hiked 2 hours along the beach for a 3-night home-stay at the Guaymi Indigenous Reservation. The students braved torrential rains, encounters with poisonous snakes, ravenous mosquitoes, and humble portions of rice and beans while learning first-hand about the Guaymi culture and lifestyle.

Life Stories Series

Members of the community were invited to share a meal and their life stories with the group. Students were able to see the Pavones from the perspective of a variety of community members, all who offered a unique perspective on daily life, development, and changes in Pavones.

Between the park improvement project, Guaymi visit, beach clean-ups, a visit to the local high school, evening local speakers, the Kalapuya students had a packed schedule during their three weeks in Pavones. Of course they still found time to enjoy the beach, try a hand at surfing, and mingle with local peers. I was really impressed with how well these students immersed themselves in the culture and formed friendships with many locals. It was a great experience for all!

Recycling in Pavones

One of our other accomplishments these past two months was our first successful community recycle pick-up. Over the years several Pavones community members have made whole-hearted attempts to organize a sustainable recycling system. These efforts eventually failed due to location and lack of participation and organization.

Determined to try again, Haley and I have been working with Lili, the owner of one of the most beautiful rustic hotels in Pavones, Mira Olas, to implement a recycling system. Due to Pavones’ remote location and pot-hole ridden gravel roads strewn with precarious wooden bridges, it is a challenge in itself just to convince the recycling truck to make the trek out to our small town. The truck will make the laborious trip if we can promise a worthwhile amount of recycling, which it is difficult to estimate considering we are just starting this project and are only accepting a few items such as aluminum cans, plastic beverage bottles, and glass.

A week before the scheduled pick-up, black plastic bags and overflowing cardboard boxes had piled up along the side of Escuela Camino Claro. It may be a small beginning but we are determined to make it a success. Though it is not ideal to have our building serve as a recycling center, we will continue to host the community’s “trash” until a sustainable recycling center can be built in Pavones.

All work and no play… well, you know the rest

In the midst of all of these activities, Haley and I continued teaching our classes and managing ECC. We found time to work on a mural at the local public school with Hadas, participate in the Anti-Tuna Farm Celebration (all in the blog!), and, of course, log some hours enjoying the sun and surf. A little exhausted, we are presently welcoming our two-week vacation and have both taken a short hiatus from Pavones. Such success and excitement calls for a little breather! Thank you to all who helped make each of the past two months possible. We are so grateful.

As I decompress for these next two weeks, I like to remember the words of my 7-year old students in order to help me relax and enjoy each present moment…

Hakuna Matata. Please paint my house!

Raphel

Global Services Outreach Program (GSOP): Community service and cultural integration excursion for high school students.

Escuela Camino Claro’s pilot GSOP was a great success last year and we are thrilled to see another equally enthusiastic, open-minded, and motivated group of students again this year. Well into their three-week Central America adventure, the Kalapuya High School group from Eugene, Oregon has already accrued a multitude of new experiences; ones they will no doubt remember for the rest of their lives. These seven students have also already begun to immerse themselves in the community of Pavones and make some positive changes in our town.

The group’s itinerary is packed with lots of volunteer, outdoor, and community integration activities that will better our town while at the same time provide these teenagers with the opportunity to become integrated in other cultures. It’s a joy for us ECC teachers, as active members of Pavones, to help coordinate this program and witness cultural boundaries being broken!

What will they be doing here in Pavones?

The following are the primary activities the high school group will be involved in

Park Improvement Project: Landscaping, planting trees, and cleaning up the children’s playground area that was recently installed in Pavones’ center.

Guaymi Indigenous Reservation Homestay: Three nights with Guaymi families in the indigenous reservation located in the mountains outside of Pavones. Families are able to share their culture, generate income, and teach the high school students what rustic living really means (and we really mean rustic!).

Life Stories Series: Several notable members of the community, locals and foreigners alike, are invited to dine with the group and share their perspective on Pavones’ history and the changes taking place.

A Day in Colegio: Each student is paired with a local high school student and will accompany them for a half-day of school, including the bus ride and attending their classes.

Painting Escuela Camino Claro: Last year was outside, this year is inside (the group already finished and it looks GREAT, thank you!!!)

So let’s get started!

Put your heads together for the Park Improvement Project

The “Play” has already become the number one hangout for local kids- BUT, it is greatly in need of some changes. The group spent day one drawing maps and making plans for the work to come. Installing trash bins, gardening, building benches, and putting up tire swings turned out to be the top priorities, although there were lots of great ideas. It all sure brought back memories of elementary school recess (wall-ball, four-square, tether ball…remember?).

While planning, students consulted with head coordinator, Hadas, and created makeshift blueprints for the new and improved “Play”.

The next step was a bit of weeding and beautification of the walking path by adding stones and coconut shells.

Next was constructing benches: the hard part was trekking through the mud to gather logs for the bases. As you can see, it IS the beginning of the rainy season! Then the sun graced us with its presence during the building part and now they are ready to be painted tomorrow.

This is only the beginning…

So keep checking us out for more posts about the students’ progress as the next few weeks progress.

You can check out last year’s Kalapuya High School group on ECC’s website’s photo gallery.