A COMMON FIGHT FOR JUSTICE IN SIUNA
Look around in your community: how many examples do you see of people from different backgrounds and experiences working together effectively? Open the paper, what do you read? Democrats vs. Republicans, rich vs. poor, black vs. white, east vs. west, north vs. south, men vs. women, and the list goes on. At GlobeMed, we are seeking to put an end to these divides by cultivating a generation of people who can identify the strengths and gaps of their own experience and collaborate effectively with people from different backgrounds whose strengths are complementary. So upon arriving in Siuna, Nicaragua, we were thrilled to find people of different cultures, ethnicities, and walks of life working together to bring dignity and justice to their community.
Salud Sin Limites (Health Unlimited) is an international organization that has an office in Siuna, in the far Northeast of Nicaragua. Siuna is in the “Autonomous Region” of Nicaragua which, as its name implies, has been historically disconnected and neglected from the rest of the country. This, combined with a history of international companies mining for all of their resources, has given way to many injustices in the community, one of which is a severe but ignored problem of domestic violence.
“Women are reporting new cases of violence in their homes to me on a daily basis,” explained the Ministry of Family Relation´s psychologist. “I don´t know what to do”.
The Comision Municipal de la Mujer, Niñez, Adolescencia y Discapacidad (CMMNAD) is made up of 18 community partners who are collaborating to construct a domestic violence shelter for women and children who need a place to escape from the violence of their homes. Salud Sin Limites has engaged GlobeMed at Duke in this fight, and the GlobeMed students have provided crucial support where the government has failed to meet commitments. The 18 partners consist of groups fighting for the rights of indigenous people, women, children, and the disabled, as well as psychologists, local professors, the police department, and more. They all have a common vision: to prevent domestic violence as being an acceptable part of life and provide security to women and children who otherwise will continue to be victims of abuse in their own homes.
While this collaboration was inspiring and exciting to witness, there are still many gaps in support due to unkept promises by the local government. Political pressures are causing delays, mistrust, and the perpetuation of violence in homes across Siuna. Nonetheless it is a privilege and honor for us to be able to support GlobeMed at Duke in their fight to work with CMMNAD to engage the local government, advance the rights of women and children, and to practice the art of collaboration with this incredible group of people in Siuna, Nicaragua.
Con Esperanza para La Justicia,
Alyssa y Ruby
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