No Fear of Internal Conflicts
Sunday, 06 December 2009 03:25
Aila Abernathy, the creator of the Guatemala Project is the type of strong willed woman who can be thrown into the most dire of circumstances and succeed without a hint of apprehension.
Every year Abernathy organizes volunteers to travel into the most remote locations to aid Guatemalans in need.
To this day she packs mules and hikes into the humid, overgrown jungles of areas still inflicted by internal warfare.
To put it simply, she gets things done with a certain determination that she says, can only be gained from a strong faith in God.
"It is not easy witnessing some of the things I have seen and trying to juggle other people's miseries with my own," she said.
When asked about how she became involved with the Mayan Communities and how she started the Guatemala Project, she laughed.
"Everything is somewhat accidental, or else it was programmed from all time, I'm just not sure, " Abernathy said. "I suppose it all started because I attended St. Michaels."
Abernathy has attended the Episcopal Parish of St. Michael and All Angels for many years, but not until she received one particular fax, did she get involved with international humanitarian aid work.
The fax was an invitation from the church to attend a "walk in" visit to Guatemala.
Abernathy recalled that on a whim she said "sure," and with two-and-a-half weeks notice, she got time off work and then suddenly found herself walking through a village in Guatemala.
She said that this was the first time she knew of, where internationals entered into remote towns that were still under military control to peacefully assemble.
"It was like a strike, but we traveled thousands of miles to do it," she said.
She said most of the international peoples were going to see the different Communities of Population in Resistance groups or CPR's.
Abernathy recalled gaining a strong desire to help the people in the particular CPR-sierra group that she stayed with.
These peoples are primarily Ixil and Quiché Maya farmers from northern Quiché, Guatemala, one of the hardest hit areas during the long and violent internal conflict.
"It was an incredibly compelling experience," she said.
Abernathy said that very few people from the United States and North America attended the event.
"Most of the people were from Europe and solidarity groups within Guatemala," she said.
She explained that the solidarity groups would not have been able to enter the villages, without the support and presence of the international people who attended the event.
They may have faced resistance or even violence from the Guatemalan army.
"In fact, one guy was pulled off of a public bus and shot several times in the stomach," she said. "All of his video footage of the event was confiscated after he left."
Abernathy said she continued to take a lot of photographs even though there was great danger in doing so.
To this day, she shares some of her photographs with new volunteers to the project.
After leaving and being impacted by those days in Guatemala, Abernathy thought she wouldn't return that way a second time.
"But I did go back and the next time I returned I decided to actually do something for these people," she said.
Abernathy applied for a small grant to start her project, was approved and thus named it the St. Michael's Guatemala Project in 1993.
Since then, Abernathy, along with her volunteers, has successfully raised money and brought medical supplies and basic needs including food and shelter requirements to the isolated people.
Written by Emily Jones
News
- Tucson Reacts to TUSD Mexican-American Studies Elimination
- Bombing Range Offers Pristine Wilderness
- Alla Frefer: A Libyan-American Experience
- The Gangs of Tucson
- Local Group Asks Residents for City Planning Advice
- 2011 Democratic Election Night Party Live Coverage
- Tucson Elections
- Immigration live blog
Culture
People
Education
Health
Sports
- Former UA Tennis Player Redirects His Passion for the Game
- Soccer: The New Flavor of Tucson Sports
- 2012 FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup Kick Off
- International Student-Athletes, Bringing More Than Just Competition
- Bikes across borders
- Vacation for Both Sides of the Border
- International Athletes at the UA
- International Tennis Seniors' Final Homestand
Food
- Sushi Chef: Noboru Nakajima
- A Tortilla-Making Family Tradition
- Pin-up Pastries Enjoys Huge Success at Tucson Meet Yourself
- Tucson Eat Yourself: El Guero Canelo
- Tamales for Local Happiness
- A Festival Full of Culture
- Food Vendors Caught on Camera
- Pin-Up Serving Attractive Pastries at Tucson Meet Yourself
Twitter Updates
Who's Online
We have 16 guests onlineBorder Beat Blogs
By: Alexandra Newman
This blog compares Mexican and American women in terms of their culture's beauty ideals and traditional gender roles.
By: Audrey A. Fitzsimmons
The Southwest boasts of diverse ethnic backgrounds and a wealth of interesting personalities. Border Personalities is dedicated to the people of the Southwest and their stories.
By: Brett Haupt
A visual exploration of America’s last frontier -- pictures and videos from different areas of the wall and fence that separate two different worlds and insight into what really stands between the United States and Mexico, ramifications of wall building and what it means for the average citizen.
By: Charles Misra
Stories about martial arts and combat sports with a cultural twist, all finding a home in America's southwestern borderlands.
Culture CrossingBy: Chelsey Barthel
American borders are crossed every day by cultures of all kind. These stories tell the personal experiences of people from different lands, offering further insight into the difference of cultures.
By: Emily Kjesbo
Spotlighting Mexico’s top travel destinations, as well as a few of its hidden gems.
By: Hope Jamieson
Explore dance throughout the borderlands.
Border PeopleBy: Jamie Turow
Profiles of English language learners.
MLS Soccer comes to the DesertBy: Jeff Kessler
All about the 2012 Desert Diamond Cup, a 10 day exhibition soccer tournament featuring four Major League Soccor teams coming to Tucson.By: Jessica Hoerth
Meet some of the people in Tucson who have made the journey across the border as they share what they came in search of and what struggles they may have encountered along the way.
Border ShotsBy: Keith Perfetti
A photojournalist looks at how other photographers have viewed the border and shoots lesser known spots of the southwest.
By: Lauren Inouye
A look at Mexican and Latin films that reflect culture, politics, and society -- reviews, research and analysis.
By: Lauren Urratio
Fashion and how it is impacted by the border and international cultures.
Border AthletesBy: Lauren Sokol
Meet international student athletes at the University of Arizona, a look at the recruiting process that helped them find a temporary home in the desert, and culture changes that the athletes might have endured.
Public Safety and Crime near the U.S./Mexico Border
By: Lucy Valencia
Public safety along the border and any crime-related issues. A look at issues that occur within the justice system when Mexican and U.S. laws overlap.
A City of Musical DiversityBy: Maria Teracena
Tucson musicians influence and are influenced by the sounds of the world.
The Border ProjectBy: Melissa Guz
"The Border Project" is an art showcase located in the University of Arizona's Museum of Art. It has over 40+ art pieces related to border issues.
Athletics and the BorderBy: Preston Fawcett
Get to know high school coachs and athletes from Arizona border towns or from Mexico and their struggles to get to where they are.
A Mosaic AmericaBy: Rachel Kolinski
"Exploring Diversity one Face at a Time"
Educación en la FronteraBy: Shannon Maule
A look at higher education in regard to those who have and have not been able to travel from various countries to the United States. Stories from people in the higher education world relating to the border.
Music of the BorderBy: Steven Schiraldi
Music reviews of musical works by Mexican or other ethnic artists.