Los Torres Meeting 23 de junio del 2010
Where: Chucha’s house
When: Wed, June 23, 12 noon
Who: Chela, Holly and Saul Juarez (Cedesa), 26-28 people of Los Torres including 6 men, the rest women, and many children
When we arrived, on time (12 noon), only three people were present. Evidently, there was confusion about the day since June has five Wednesdays, most people thought the assembly was next week, the last Wednesday of the month. We waited a half hour then sent the three people present out to inform the others that the meeting was that day.
By 1 p.m. there were about 20 people, when Saul did the roll call (Concha was absent), and others came by later. Out of over fifty people who are on the roll, there are less than half now attending the assemblies.
Why? Because the cistern project is nearly finished. Chela said that the
assembly is not just about building cisterns, it’s about building community … a topic we would take up after choosing a coordinator, note-taker, and establishing the agenda for the day:
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Cistern building
Rotoplases
Visit by the Presidencia
Petitions: road, bridge and dry toilets
Invitation to CEDESA
Chela started off the discussion about building community by asking when was the first assembly in Los Torres with CEDESA? Various answers, last year, the year before; after some discussion, the general agreement was that it was October 2008. So we have been meeting for about a year and a half. What has happened in the past 18 months?
Many people chimed in: Now we have water, we harvest rain from our roofs, we know how to make cisterns. We have learned to work together and get along better, talk among ourselves, share ideas and work. With the assemblies we have learned how to talk better, before we were embarrassed to say anything, now we are more confident.
Chela explained that she learned how to speak in public by visiting communities and
participating in assemblies, and now she’s not afraid to talk to the bishop or the president.
What else have you learned?
Chucha, who is participating in the traspatio workshop said she has learned about covering the ground with leaves from the trees to retain humidity, separating organic from inorganic waste.
We are learning to grow our own food.
We’ve learned the difference between clean and contaminated water, using the cistern water for drinking and cooking.
Elena gave a very moving testimony: at first she was very interested in the assemblies and the cistern project, but when her husband left her, she got depressed because she was shut up in her house, not going out and not seeing anyone. Then someone told her that there was going to be a second phase, and she started going to the assemblies again and joined a mutual-aid group. She now feels happy to be participating, and that she has a cistern that she built with the help of
others, whom she too has helped.
Chela asked Elena to write up her testimony, that it is important that people learn and gain a lot when they are involved in community development, not just technical knowledge and getting things, but also feelings, solidarity and the benefits of working together.
Aurelia agreed that with the community assembly, you learn a new way of thinking. If you are closed up in your house, your problems make you sick, you need to let things out, to share your problems. If you work together with other people you can solve your problems.
Ofelia said that when families get together, in groups, you are united and stronger. It is important to share, to convivir (personally interact), work together, not only on the cisterns but for other projects, learning to develop your mind, your spirit and your feelings.
If you’re closed up in your house by yourself, you don’t learn anything.
Chela asked if we should stop having assemblies after the cisterns are finished. No …
Ofelia said that they still have a lot to learn.
Elena asked if there is a possibility of another phase, because now her relatives are interested.
Chela said they should start a new list.
Others mentioned the road, dry toilets, gardens, health issues.
Holly said that Los Torres is the pioneer in the region, that the experiences here are valuable to others in other communities. We hope to have a regional meeting when the other communities that are finishing up their cisterns are done, probably in August.
Chela took up the theme, drawing a map of the communities that are making cisterns now, and that have sent representatives to assemblies to inquire about community development, not only cisterns but also dry toilets, traspatio, health issues.
First, the cistern project started in Los Torres: then Montecillo, Cruz del Palmar and Vivienda de Arriba (currently finishing their cisterns); Capaderillo and Tierra Blanca, where we are meeting at community asemblies to plan cistern projects; San Isidro Capaderillo, La Tinaja, La Aurora, Vivienda de Abajo, Guerrero, Don Juan, Ojo Zarco.
People were proud of this, saying: All this started in Los Torres! We were the first!
Sabina said: They say, “Sell me some water from your cistern” and I say, “No, I won’t sell it you … I’ll give it to you!” We want to help other people learn how to make their own cisterns and have good water.
After thanking Chucha for loaning her house for the assemblies for all this time, Chela mentioned again that Los Torres, given its importance in the region, needs a public meeting place where they hold the assemblies, bring visitors, teach people from other communities.
Saul mentioned that there is still a lot to learn, and gave as an example questions of health – he passed around the book “Tu Cuerpo” that is being used in the Organizer’s Workshop (Taller de Promotores).
To move on to the items on the agenda:
I.
Cisterns (built in mutual-aid groups from steel and cement):
Group I – four are completed and storing rainwater, two are nearly done – Doña Piedad
and Dimas/Filomena. One member of the group is not working because his wife died, the
others are helping to finish the two remaining.
Group II – all are finished and storing rainwater
Group III – All are finished except one (Gilberto). Nicolasa says that they started
working together two weeks ago, and that’s why they are now nearly done.
II.
Rotoplas (black plastic cisterns purchased from Talego):
José Alvarado – with group #1
Alejandro Gonzales – with group #2
Consuelo Huerta – with group #3
José Alvarado’s roof needs to be covered because it is made of tejas (rounded clay tiles)which get very dirty because animals make nests in it and it is difficult to clean. Holly was asked to inquire with Rotary if there are funds for approximately 5 square meters of lamina (corrugated sheet metal).
Of the three rotoplases, each one is missing a tube/faucet. Holly will investigate with Talego.
III.
Visit by the Mayor
Luci did not come – she says that another appointment came up and sent a representative.
Chucha said that they gave her a letter apologizing, but everyone is unhappy that
the Mayor was not present at the event the the whole community prepared for her.
The three petitions were presented to the representative.
IV.
Petitions
Road: Alejandro delivered it to the Presidencia and got it signed and sealed by the
secretary of the office of the mayor. He showed the copy he got.
Bridge: Aurelia did not make a copy, delivered the original to the Mayor’s rep
Dry toilets: Elena did not make a copy, delivered the original to the Mayor’s rep
Priorities were established and committees assigned: the road (Alejandro, Miguel and
Matilde, with support-group Maria Soria, Carmela, Chucha and Andrea) and the dry
toilets (Elena, Ofelia, Aurelia, Magdalena and Hilaria).
Alejandro said that when he was collecting signatures, some people complained that
he is not ejiditario nor small property owner in Los Torres (he lives in San Miguel); he says that he would happily hand over the petition for the road to someone else if that’s necessary. No one spoke up to take over the good job he has been doing.
Saul said that it is now necessary for any petition from any community to be signed
by the Delegado and Community Council in order to be considered by the municipal
government.
A long discussion ensued regarding the change of delegado in Los Torres. Chucha
explained that there was a community-wide meeting called to chose the new delegado
but only 12 people came. A person named Samuel Garcia was chosen, with Rafael Cruz,
Alberto Morales and Rafael Barranca as council.
The question of legitimacy was raised, in terms of how many people are making these
decisions, and Saul said that the delegado and council has to be registered at the Mayor’s office. There is still time to change if there is disagreement.
Elena said that everyone had a chance to go to the meeting and that the people who didn’t go should respect the decision of those who did.
Chela suggested that people decide at the next assembly if the decision about the new
Delegado still stands or if they want to call for a more representative vote. She said that is the problem when there is no community assembly.
Miguel said that these assemblies don’t represent a majority.
Ofelia said that the only time that the whole community participates is during
Opportunidades meetings (government-sponsored “give-away” program).
Chela said that if people want democracy, they should make sure that there is a majority of families represented at the next assembly in order to decide about the delegado and community council.
V.
Invitation to CEDESA
On July 10, 11 a.m. there will be a celebration at CEDESA of “rescuing traditional
food of the region” (nopal, quelites, verdolagas, etc.) There will be people from many different communities where CEDESA has been working, and a reflection upon regional environmental issues and community development.
Several people expressed interest in renting a bus to go from Los Torres to CEDESA.
Holly and Saul will help to coordinate this.
The next assembly will be on July 28, at 11 a.m. (one hour earlier than usual, since there is another meeting scheduled in the afternoon).
The meeting was adjourned at 4:15 p.m.
This report was kindly recorded by Holly Yasui - Thanks Holly!!
