FromAegean: COLOMBIA 2018 - 4 - COLOMBIA THE LAND OF SMART AND HUMANE PEOPLE

Today is the second day of the conference organized by AFECTO, the major child abuse prevention NGO in Colombia. This conference has been going on for over two decades at the end of July every year. At the conference I meet beautiful new people in addition to those that I already know.

Some of the opening panel members from the conference

Ron Slaby, who is a well-rounded researcher from Harvard University also works on violence prevention, specifically in the school districts all over the USA. One of the school districts in their project is Maquoketa, Iowa! He has a daughter, who is a SW and specializes on trauma informed care! His wife and he also are very active politically to help America take Trump’s robbers clan off the backs of American people. They, as a whole family are people after my own heart. When I disclose this to him, he smiles gracefully and tells me he agrees that we have lots in common.

Ronald Slaby lecturing on bullying and its effects

CJ Mody is a prosecutor from San Diego, who is extremely competent on how child abuse cases should be prosecuted. At our first breakfast at the hotel, he tells me he comes from Zoroastrian background. His family immigrated to the US from India, however, their roots are from Iran, where Zoroastrians were a relatively big group, and still is there. However, since Zoroastrians are mandated to marry other Zoroastrians, their number is dwindling down just like in CJ’s family. He is married to a Hungarian woman and their daughter cannot be a Zoroastrian even if she wanted to.

CJ Mody during his lecture on how to prosecute perpetrators of child abuse

I do a bit of internet search after I come back home. It becomes visible in human recorded history in 5^th century BC. It was the state religion of Iran territory before Islam took root and dominance there for about a millennium. Islam suppressed it from 7^th century AC and currently there are about 190,000 Zoroastrians, most living in India and in Iran. Zoroastrians preach “Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds”; they preach “There is only one path and that is the path of Truth” and “Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do, and then all beneficial rewards will come to you also”. Very consistent with Buddhist philosophy! Interestingly enough, Buddhism also entered the center stage of human history around 5^th century BC. I wonder if Christ had ever heard about Buddhist philosophy as he was coming of age.

Walter Lambert during the pizza party at our host Miguel Barrios' house with Miguel and Catalina's older sons

Walter Lambert is a Child abuse pediatrician in his 60s, whose family is originally from Cuba. He has all the characteristics of a Latino man, long hair, long beard, a devout Christian and dedicated to prevention of child abuse both in Miami where he practices and in Colombia, to which country he has been coming for decades to do training on child abuse. His fluency in Spanish certainly makes him an exceptional resource for AFECTO.

Loyd in the center of the panel leaning over most likely organizing something for the next activity!

Loyd, Walter’s cousin is also of Cuban descent and as warm a personality as Walter. Both of them have more Latino, boiling blood than American, for sure. Both in their way of taking initiative to solve problems, their generosity, their warmth, and making sure everybody is included in all activities. I become aware of where we will have dinner and what time we are meeting where to be shuttled, from either one of them. On my last day in Bogota, during lunch break, a group of Colombian colleagues and our Cuban cousins decide to go to a restaurant named “Madre” (mother) near the emerald district. They invite me enthusiastically and I go. I order a delicious salad, but I decide “Next time I come to Bogota, I am having one of those brick oven baked authentic pizzas”.

Madre, an authentic brick oven pizza place in old town in Bogota

Frank and Jean are two peace warriors working on an educational program in numerous school districts in America to teach our children peaceful conflict resolution methods without pointing fingers at anyone, even domestic violence perpetrators. They collaborate with Ron in obtaining the tools to teach school districts to us. They teach at the conference, how they just help everybody understand how victims feel when they are treated violently. They give examples of how even students with violent tendencies learn from this technique and develop an understanding toward the consequences of violent behaviors that lead to change without blaming. That is also a Buddhist conflict resolution method: “Change can happen only after compassionate acceptance of what is…”

This is how I approach change nowadays rather than forcing it...

Carlos, a Colombian pediatrician from Cali; Alvaroz, an emeritus pediatrician from Medellin, Vicki, who took the banner from Alvaroz from Medellin are other warm, caring, competent colleagues, who do their best to change the trajectory of the child protection field in Colombia. The farewell dinner is at a restaurant owned and run by a friend of Isabel’s. It is a lovely old home full of all kinds of nick nacks. We are served a soup called sancocho made with yuca, plantain, and chicken seasoned with lots of cilantro and other herbs and spices. It becomes my second most favorite soup in Colmbia, the other being ajiaco, which is a potato chicken soup, as delicious as this one.

The group at Madre with Vicki who always has the biggest smile and Jean and Frank at the top of the table along with Walter and other colleagues

On the way to the restaurant I tell Alvaro, who is with me in the taxi that I could easily move to Colombia. I ask him which city would be the best. Of course his choice for me is Medellin, first of all it is easier to live in Medellin with its 3M population considering Bogota’s 8M. It is also warmer than Bogota. Walter votes for Bogota. Lyod rejects my idea of having a car in Colombia when taxis are so cheap. Alvaroz announces my “plan” to all Colombians during the dinner. I announce back to make a decision, first I need to visit each major city in the country. That is a plan…

Alvaroz to the left in the front and Julios, Isabel's husband, another engine of AFECTO, to the right at one of our collective dinners

I feel at home with these people with their kindness, their hospitality, their generosity, and their friendship. As Isa and I discuss plans on how to bring child abuse management skills to the front line providers, I am excited to come back to this country. I know that they will do well, with such level of passion in doing good work, nobody can fail… On my way to Lima tomorrow, I will meet a young man on the plane. Mauricio, a law student in his last year is on his way to Argentina to work on a human-rights related project on a 5-month scholarship.

A colorful street from old town in Bogota

Despite coming from a family of engineers, after studying engineering following his father’s and brother’s footsteps he left the field, went to law school, and now is on the way to dedicating his life to human rights field. He will, one more time trigger hope in my heart and I leave him with the thoughts that the future belongs to the young generation. Men of Mauricio’s caliber will move the wheel of history forward to a better future for all including us, aging generation. As I leave Bogota, I leave more of me behind with those Colombian friends and down-to-earth colleagues that I connected with. We all hope our collaboration will continue and I hope next time I return to Colambia, I will be able to see its Amazonian region... And Isabel is on board with that plan! Hasta luego, companiaros!!!