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Field of Dreams; Fields of Reality
are fighting each other. There is injustice, with impunity, in the
midst of poverty and starvation. At the same time awareness is
increasing. The conscience of the people is stronger. European
groups, the un, put pressure on the government and demand that
Mexico recognize violations of human rights; Canada offers sup-
port for peace, and even the United States is admitting complicity.
The social justice issue in Latin American and Chiapas cannot
be silenced. But we must ask, can solidarity produce change? Forty
percent of the Mexican army is here in Chiapas to control a small
group. But it is a group that has learned to use the media, and to
control the mass media is to control knowledge. The government
wants to clean up San Cristóbal and Chiapas for tourism, but as
tourists you are expected to be blind and mute while you are trav-
eling in Chiapas.
We are nodding our heads vigorously. Erin has stopped taking notes
and has begun to sketch. Samuel continues.
We have begun to solve our problems from within. In Bachejon,
the killers have come together with the victims in mediation, to
discuss situations that are community problems. They chose from
the community those who are to be representatives to the diocese.
Dignity and respect are the laws guiding the future of the church.
We are making agreements, performing pastoral activities that go
beyond San Andrés.
He pauses. Since we are a group of women, someone poses the ob-
vious question—how is the Church addressing the role and rights of
women? The bishop crosses his legs, and smiles, settling into story-
telling mode.
Sometimes, I am visiting in the pueblos. We sit in a circle, the men
and the women, and I look around and say,
“How come it is that all of you men are wearing shoes, and all of
the women are barefoot?” And the men look uncomfortable, but
they answer,
“Well, Padre, es que shoes are very expensive and we men have to
walk long distances to the milpas, through the bosques... .”
