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Lewis & Clark Spring Break Trip

What we did:

On March 19th a group of 12 Lewis & Clark students and one faculty adviser arrived in Guarjila, Chalatenango, El Salvador. In El Salvador we visited countless historical sites, lived with host-families, and ultimately came to understand the reality of the civil war that plagued El Salvador from 1980-1992. Students were exposed to the brutality of war from both a personal perspective (through the stories of first-hand survivors) and from an academic perspective. On this trip Lewis & Clark students engaged in conversations about post-war healing, human development, U.S foreign policy, and international development, with members of the Tamarindo community in Guarjila. These conversations facilitated enriching and eye-opening dialogues that have had a formative impact on the lives of all individuals involved.

Impact:

“To say the Alternative Spring Break trip to El Salvador was the best thing I could do for Spring Break is an immense understatement. The experience I had there is something that is both immeasurable an irreplaceable. Living and working with the people of Guarjila lends itself to intense cultural exchange in the most welcoming environment one could ask for. Being able to experience such a rich and unique culture is something I will never forget, and hearing the past from the mouths of the people who lived it is something we cannot loose.”

“It’s hard to sum up this entire week with just a few adjectives, especially without sounding cheesy, but I can honestly say that this trip has changed me. Reading about wars and poverty is one thing, but seeing the aftermath, meeting the people, hearing their stories, and seeing how a war that’s been over for 20 years still affects them is completely different. Everything we did was incredible, but the best part was becoming close with the people of Guarjila. I didn’t expect to feel so involved and accepted so quickly into the community but it happened and it is something that will stick with me for the rest of my life.”

“It’s hard to know where to start because this trip has been such an experience. Never in my life have I formed as strong a community with a group of new people both from my group and the amazing Tamarindos in Guarjila. For me the most important part of my trip was the friendships it helped me form with the amazing people I met. John Guiliano’s work as a community facilitator and organizer is inspiring. The left of respect he commands and honestly deserves is immense. I have yet to determine how exactly this experience has changed me, but I’m sure I will not be able to accept the words of pro-Intervention/pro-war politicians without questioning the government’s motives, or without thinking about the resulting devastation. The story of the El Salvadoran Civil War is a small story that tells many stories. This trip is important for anyone willing to listen to an extremely well spoken, primary source from the war. I hope to return next year and lead a trip with the goal of recording more of the story told through the friendships and experiences obtained. Thank you for the opportunity and I hope others will be able to enjoy a similar experience.”

“If people and places define our lives then traveling to El Salvador was a life changing experience. From the moment we arrived in Guarjila I felt quickly embraced and welcomed into the community, despite the very real memories of a destructive civil war that plagued the country two decades earlier. The huge smiles and playfulness of the children brought joy, fun and love into my life this week we lived in Guarjila. Along with the locations we visited significant atrocities committed during the war, John’s words created emotions and vibrant depictions that helped to understand the past violence in El Salvador, but to also see hope for the future. We are the new revolution, and we have the power to change the world. John educated us in the importance of human dignity, the force of love, and that the civil war in El Salvador is a small piece of a much larger story. From this experience I feel that I have not only grown as a person, but that I now have the tools and knowledge to evaluate similar issues in the world. Most of all, I have new eyes to see war, violence and atrocities in a way that puts focus on soldiers and victims, taught me that where there is violence there are lies and provided me with a passion to discover the truth. The memories I have of the Tamarindo people will be with me forever and I hope I will be able to travel to Guarjila again.”