Caa-Yari

On Tuesday, November 27th, 2007, the Project for Sustainable Development and Human Promotion, through the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina and Uruguay (IELU), met with the farmers of the community Caa-Yari, which sits on the outskirts of Oberá, in the province of Misiones, Argentina. The role of the project is to accompany farmers in their own organizing, promoting their own dignity and creating sustainable development. During the meeting, the farmers began comparing prices of La Feria Franca (the open vegetable market of Misiones), the local supermarket, and the prices that the producers of Caa-Yari currently sell their vegetables at. The farmers noticed that within their own community, they were selling their products at different prices. The farmers began to discuss the importance of setting a standard price, so that they cannot not only create community among themselves, instead of competition, but also so that they can set a fair and just price for their products.
Later, we did a group dynamic. The group stayed in a circle, as it had been throughout the meeting. We passed a ball of string around. When each person tossed the string, s/he said what his/her dream for the farm is. There were many tears shed, as the farmers not only talked about their dreams, but also about their current reality of the farms that they live on. After each person said their dream, they held one side of the string, and threw the ball to someone else in the room. After the string was tossed, a large web was created, with each of us connected. We noticed what happens when tension is put in one area of the string and what happens when some people drop the string. We noticed the importance of us all holding an equal amount of weight on the string. To me, this a beautiful image of us as the body of Christ that is fully connected and dependent on all the parts of the body. We each have different functions and gifts, but we need each other to keep the web taught.
Please read our dreams, and pray these dreams with us. All of us are connected to this great web of life, whether that means as consumers or producers.


Our Dreams:

• Que mis hijos sean comprometidos en la chacra

That my children be committed to the farm.

• Tranquilizarse

That that farm can give me peace.

• Que mis hijos tengan el sueño de volver a sus raíces, volver a la chacra, ¡que funciona, y tengan algo para su futuro


That my children have dreams of returning to their roots, return to the farm, the farm works, so that they (my children) have something for their future.

• Poder quedarse en la chacra y no en la ciudad, que haya mas gente con voluntad, que puedan trabajar dignamente

To be able to stay on the farm and not the city, that there are more people with determination and that they are able to work on the farm with honour.

• Seguir luchando. Antes tenia el sueño de que todo iba cambiar, pero hoy le aconsejo a mis hijos, hijas que busquen trabajo afuera. Pero sigo apostando a tener un futuro con la chacra. Es muy importante el rol de la Iglesia, es bueno que nos estén acompañando y tenemos que estar mas en esto.

To keep fighting. Before I had the dream that everything was going to change, but today I advise my sons and daughters to look for work outside. But I continue betting that there will be a future with the farm. The role of the church is very important, it is good that it is accompanying us and we are better in this.

• Juntarnos y tener más. Poder juntos y poner en práctica.

To get together and have more. To be able to get together and put it into practice.

• Así como hay bailando por un sueño, nosotros hacemos “Trabajando por un sueño” siempre pensé mientras duermo mis plantas crecen. Y tengo algo. En la ciudad podemos tener un trabajo, pero que pasa cuando nos quedamos sin, en la chacra nunca te quedas sin trabajo. Algo se va a comer

This is how I dance with my dream, that we are: “working for a dream.” While I sleep, I always think of plants growing. And I have something. We can have work in the city, but something can happen when we situate ourselves without the farm. In the farm I am never without work. There is always something to eat.

• Estar en la chacra y seguir estando, y que las chacras sigan estando. Hoy todo se vende, yo quiero que quede por mis hijos, por mis nietos. Tenemos que tener diversificación hasta en la forestación. Por que el pino crece, pero después no crece nada, y que le dejamos a nuestros hijos. Plantar árboles. Volver a sembrar futuros montes: guatambú, anchico, hasta canela.

To be on the farm and to continue to be there, that the farms continue to be. Today we sell every thing, I want my children to stay, for my grandchildren. We have to have diversification until we have forestation. Why does the pine grow, but later nothing grows? And what do we leave for our children? To plant trees. To return to plant the future forests; to plant guatambú, anchico, up to canela (native trees of the area).

• Yo considero que es el rol de la Iglesia, acompañar esto pero también del estado y de todos.

I consider, what is the role of the church? To accompany this but also to be and to be of all people.

• Ayudar a mi hijo, seguir cultivando cuidando la tierra.

To help my children, to continue cultivating and taking care of the earth.

• La iglesia debería también ser una vos por el uso y abuso de los agroquímicos.

The church must also be a voice for the use and abuse of agro-chemicals.

• Descansar

To rest.

• Estar en la chacra y que este mi hijo

To be on the farm, and that my son be on the farm.

• Que la chacra sea con producciones y que siga en la familia, y que se quede en la familia.


That the farm be with production and that it continue in the family. And that my family can stay on the farm.

• Que salga bien lo que estamos ideando, empezando. Que podamos vender nuestro producto.

That every thing come out well that we are going, starting. That we can sell our product.

• Que Dios nos dé salud. Trabajo y el futuro para mis hijos. Que mi esposo mejore, por que si el esta enfermos toda la familia esta mal.

That God give us health. I work and the future for my children. That my wife get better, because if she is sick all of the family is bad.

• Mi abuelo me aconsejo plantar eucaliptos, será para mi futuro, yo probé vivir en la ciudad pero no me hallo. Es mejor en la chacra.


My grandfather advised me to plant eucalyptus. It will be for my future. I tried to live in the city but it did not let me. It is better on the farm.

• Mi deseo para el futuro que no haya más roundap, ni más tabaco, es una guerra. Más oportunidad de trabajar mejor.


My desire for the future is that there be no more roundup (a genetically engineered agrochemical), nor more tobacco, it is war. More opportunities to work the farm better.

• Mi deseo como consumidora; que las chacras den vidas a las futuras generaciones, y me gustaría que haya mas consumidores comprometidos y que apoyen por la mejor vida, una calidad buena de vida de los productores.


My desire, as a consumer, is that the farms give life to the future generations. And I would like for consumers to be more committed and that they support this better life, a better quality of life for the farmers.


May all of our dreams be realized!

El Foro de la Tierra - The Forum of the Earth

¡Alerta! ¡Alerta! ¡Alerta que camina la marcha campesina por América Latina!

Watch out! Watch out! Watch out for the farmer march in Latin America!


This past Friday, November 23rd, I took part the Forum of the Earth. The Forum was a space for farmers, with, or without, land to share their struggles and to reflect with other farmers in other parts of the province of Misiones, Argentina, as well as from Paraguay and Chile.
During the forum, each community shared with the forum the issues that the community is facing, based on lack of land, water, or forest. Not only did adults participate in the forum, but the future generations of Misiones were also present. The forum was opened with music from children from the community of the Guarani (the indigenous people of the province). They sang about their hopes and dreams for a future where they can again live on their land peacefully, with their own land and rights. Students from a local school also attended. And sons and daughters of farmers and other solidarity workers involved in the movement were also present.
Of course, mate was present. Whenever this drink, filled with Yerba mate is shared, I always feel a greater sense of community. And I cannot think of a better place to drink it than with those who work the yerba of the red earth of Misiones. For me, mate is a symbol of how the Argentina understands what it means to be community. It is a way for all people to meet on an equal level and to share with one another. With the mate, farmers and solidarity workers were meeting each other, wherever they are in the struggle. Some have been involved in the movement for years, and for others this was their first forum or organized meeting with other farmers.
After each community shared, they marked their area on a large map of Misiones. After all of the communities shared, it was quite impressive to see all of the communities that are actively in the struggle to claim their rights to their land and their survival. It is amazing to me to hear about how deforestation due to outside multinationals is ruining the land and way of life of these people!
After each community shared, we took to the streets of Misiones, chanting, ¨¡Alerta! ¡Alerta! ¡Alerta que camina la marcha campesina por América Latina!¨ For me, this is a clear sign of how I am accompanying the people of Misiones this year. First, I had the opportunity listen to their stories. Then, I had the opportunity to walk with them, to be with them in their struggle.
It was impossible for me to forget that I am an U.S. citizen during the forum. One of the technicians that I work with in the Seed Movement kept telling his friends, ¨She´s a Yankee! Can you believe it?!¨ Yes, I am a citizen of the United States. Yes, my country is doing much damage to the people of Misiones. But, my role is to listen and then share these stories with others from the U.S. so that we can learn how to be better stewards to God´s creation, to be better neighbors. My friend later followed his Yankee comment with, ¨But she´s in the struggle with us!¨ This is the ministry of presence.
The forum has made me think even more about the ways in which my country’s consumption affects the lives of the farmers in Argentina, and really all of God´s creation. Issues of deforestation and global warming were mentioned various times during the forum. When I think about the amount of paper the U.S. uses, and how it contributes to the deforestation of this area, this alone makes me cringe.
As a Christian that is beginning to enter this Advent season, I am pondering how to bring awareness to my U.S. brothers and sisters about the contradicting message of consumerism that my country brings to the world during this Christmas season. Is this how Christ wants us to celebrate his coming to this earth? I encourage my brothers and sisters to meditate on this new reign of God that Christ promises to bring, and how we as Christ´s body can celebrate its coming with joy and hope. Let us prepare ourselves for this new year.


¨Help Me to Believe in Beginnings¨ by Ted Loder


God of history and of my heart,
So much has happened to me during these whirlwind days:
I´ve known death and birth;
I´ve been brave and scared;
I´ve hurt, I´ve helped;
I´ve been honest, I´ve lied;
I´ve destroyed; I´ve created;
I´ve been with people, I´ve been lonely;
I´ve been loval, I´ve betrayed;
I´ve decided, I´ve waffled;
I´ve laughed and I´ve cried.
You know my frail heart and my frayed history-
And now another day begins.

Oh God, help me to believe in beginnings
and in my beginning again,
no matter how often I´ve failed before.

Help me to make beginnings:
To begin going out of my weary mind into fresh dreams,
daring to make my own bold tracks in the land of now;
to begin forgiving
that I may experience mercy;
to begin questioning the unquestionable
that I may know truth;
to begin disciplining
that I may create beauty;
to begin sacrificing
that I may accomplish justice;
to begin risking
that I may make peace;
to begin loving
that I may realize joy.

Help me to be a beginning for others,
to be a singer to the songless,
a storyteller to the aimless,
a befriender of the friendless;
to become a beginning of hope for the despairing,
of assurance to the doubting,
to reconciliation for the divided;
to become a beginning of freedom for the oppressed,
of comfort for the sorrowing,
of friendship for the forgotten;
to become a beginning of the beauty for the forlorn,
of sweetness for the soured,
of gentleness for the angry,
of wholeness for the broken,
of peace for the frightened and violent of the earth.

Help me to believe in beginnings,
to make a beginning,
to be a beginning,
so that I may not just grow old,
but grow new
each day this wild, amazing life
you call me to live
with the passion of Jesus Christ.