Converted school buses with psychedelic spray paint on the sides are called chicken buses in Guatemala and yes, live chickens are welcome on board. Sometimes I am the lone foreigner, the Gringa Queen of the Chicken Bus. Squeezed between a sac of potatoes and fellow riders, I have confronted the conversational hotbeds that we are taught to avoid on first acquaintance. Welcome to religion and politics on wheels.
“You are not a Republican… are you?”
It is no secret that field work attracts like-minded individuals: Kindred spirits who unite over carpe diem attitudes and their commitment to protecting the environment, indigenous people, the uninsured, and the world’s ‘less fortunate’ at large. Among the younger professionals, these traits are often associated with the left side of any political spectrum. As such, any critique of Democratic administrations’ human rights policy -be that humanitarian intervention in the 1990s or present-day food aid delivery- or any defense of Republican era human rights approaches, such as President George W. Bush’s steps towards a global AIDS policy, provokes a “You are not a Republican, are you?” response. In a field in which tolerance and open-mindedness are the cornerstone of service, there can sometimes be a surprising marginalization of other perspectives, stemming from a largely uniform system of beliefs and the judgment that consequently flows from them.
Those Greeks… are they religious?
After naming Greek ancient philosophers, a passenger asked me: “Those Greeks… are they religious?” Most Greeks are nominally part of the Christian Orthodox church. The ‘in name only’ nature of the faith for some can be touchy. Strong manifestations of belief have followed me from Egypt, where work paused momentarily for the Muslim calls to prayer, to Uganda, where God was omnipresent in namesakes: “God Loves You Grocery and Secretarial Services” was a local convenience store. In the United States, the diversity of religious belief, acknowledgment of atheism and agnosticism, and commitment to not offending or alienating participants meant religion in its denominational form did not enter conflict management workshops often. In Latin America, where many of my program beneficiaries are believers of the same faith, where fewer agnostics and atheists abound, where religion is often a given, a unifier and a source of hope, I am still learning how to engage with my participants’ welcoming of God into the discussions without, on the one hand, transforming my work sessions into a church service and, on the other hand, dismissing participants’ valued convictions.
More questions
These conversational hot potatoes require careful navigation and often make me approach my work, or a new acquaintance, gingerly. They are simultaneously thought-provoking, fascinating opportunities to reflect on the complexities of one’s own beliefs: What is my relationship to God and how can private religious beliefs productively translate into discussions in the public forum? Where do my principles fit on the political spectrum? And how do I delicately, considerately and honestly have these conversations with individuals with different points of view without avoiding the crux, offending, or misrepresenting beliefs?
For a similar treatment of the difficult questions, read Tiago Genoveze’s post on La Vida Idealist. For more of Roxanne’s reflections, visit her blog.
Latest posts by roxannekrystalli
- Dear Latin America - June 22nd, 2010
- From Capacity Building to Building Homes: Relief Work in Guatemala - June 8th, 2010
- Hunting for Inspiration: Recommended Reading - May 18th, 2010
- On the Road - But Why? - May 11th, 2010
- The Tourist Trail Meets the Conflict Trail - May 4th, 2010
- "When are you coming back?" - April 27th, 2010
- Field Loneliness in Colombia - April 20th, 2010
- Love in the Time of Conflict - April 13th, 2010
