Father Tamayo's Journal: Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

Father Tamayo's Journal DAY ONE Touring with Father Tamayo by Susan Ellsworth, National Field Organizer For the past two days the Sierra Club's International Trade Program has, with the financial help of the National Wildlife Federation, Friends of the Earth and the Goldman Environmental Prize, taken Father Tamayo, from Honduras, through California. Father Tamayo has been spreading the word that International Trade that is fair and that benefits people and communities, NOT corporations, is an important part of the answer to fostering a socially and environmentally just society. This weekend has been an incredible experience, for reasons I will explain below, but first, a few lessons already learned after two days with Father Tamayo: Never ask a Goldman Prize-winning priest from Honduras, who has risked everything for his people and environment, to "keep it short." As much as we would like to provide immediate English translation of Father Tamayo's thoughts, they are just too extensive. English speakers will have to wait a week or so, before we can get translations up on the web. Don't underestimate the generosity of Sierra Club volunteers. The Loma Prieta Chapter volunteers out of San Jose, not only opened their homes to us, gave us their time and energy, and showed up in impressive numbers at a Saturday morning house party, BUT, they also gathered $500, on the spot, for Father Tamayo to return to Honduras with, to help in his work. Priests, even priests with bounties on their heads, can be quite funny. One of the very special perks that Sierra Club staffers have on this trip is the opportunity to get glimpses into Father Tamayo's personality. Whether offering condolences to his translator because his hair has been "clear cut," or asking whether we like the "skirt" he is wearing (his shirt was large, and he is not a tall man), Father Tamayo laughs easily. This weekend we have heard Father Tamayo tell the story of how he first became passionate about saving the environment: He saw a group of people about to bury a man who had recently died. The man was wrapped in plastic. Most of the woods in the surrounding area had been clear cut by US and European logging companies. There was not enough wood to bury this man properly. This story along with his rallying cries to defend Mother Earth and humanity from destruction, has been heard by Club volunteers, by 4,000 parishioners, by the media, and by Michael Franti, front man for the band Spearhead. Please take the time to read this amazing man's reflections. Scroll down for the English translation. Experiencias y vivencias de una visita a California con el Club Sierra por Padre José Andrés Tamayo Cortez Father Andres Tamayo delivers his acceptance speech at the Goldman Environmental Prize ceremony in San Francisco, April 18, 2005. Me siento humano. Me siento humano y hago armonía con la naturaleza. El hombre recoge su razón de ser frente a la naturaleza. En ese sentido me realizo. Me siento como responsable también de ella. Hay como una trascendencia de la vida, y sé que un pueblo, para poder ser digno, necesita como valorar, cuidar, lo que la naturaleza es. Por lo tanto, destruir a la naturaleza es destruir al hombre. Hacer un crimen contra la naturaleza es hacer un crimen contra el ser humano. Por eso yo siento el agradecimiento. Me siento parte de la naturaleza, no puedo ser un extraño. La misma naturaleza me da lo que necesito: La comida, el agua, el aire, y entonces, no lo podemos hablar de esta relación como una forma romántica, sino el sentido mismo de la vida. Una prolongación de la vida. Entonces, no puedo hablar de un simple instinto, sino que hablo de una vida donde me da la capacidad para conocer, para saber que yo necesito seguir existiendo. Me exige a invitar a otros para que cuidemos, respetemos, sigamos viviendo. Mi vida misma también es una prolongación. Como me gustaría, que en el día de mi muerte, al enterarme, sembrar un árbol. Para que así es ser como un agradecido. Como alguien que hereda vida, como la recibí de los demás. Quisiera ser vida para otra criatura de la naturaleza. Y es así como un pueblo puede sobrevivir. Sacando lo necesario para si mismo y no convirtiéndolo en simplemente dólar, ganancia, poder, explotación, destrucción, masacre. Creo que, ante esta realidad mundial, no tengo que volverme ciego a esta catástrofe. Por eso el tema del ambiente no es un tema de moda. Es una crisis. Es una crisis del valor moral que el hombre tiene y lo demuestra con la destrucción de la misma naturaleza. La naturaleza está en crisis porque el hombre también está en crisis, crisis de valores. Yo quisiera que la mayoría veamos esta realidad para no lamentarnos el día de mañana. Para no sacrificar los seres humanos. Para no estar viendo hambre donde hay riqueza. Yo quisiera que el mundo entendiera que la naturaleza es necesaria. Necesaria como el corazón del hombre. El hombre sin corazón no podría vivir. Yo digo, por ejemplo, cuando se cortan los árboles, le cortan el alma a la misma naturaleza. Entonces el hombre, en vez de ser natural, seria material, simplemente materia inerte. Entonces, pensemos también en que cómo es posible aquellos que no tenían ciencia, técnica, volverse tan sagrado, el hombre con la naturaleza, como el caso del indio, que adoraba, que danzaba, que le temía a la naturaleza, y se sentía bien. El no buscaba otro paraíso cuando sabe que allí lo tenía junto a él. Y esto lo hacía como agradecido, como volverlo un Dios. Cuando yo digo también porque no contentarse en solo saber que la naturaleza le da de comer. Y porque convertir en mercancía lo que simplemente es un don, es un regalo, es una existencia? El caso por ejemplo del agua, que lo podrían encontrar como un regalo, por que tiene que comprarlo? Por que si aquella agua era pura, porque tiene que renunciar a ello porque alguien lo contamino? Porque tienen que envenenar lo que un día recibió puro? Entonces yo diría que hay que renunciarla a la ambición. Renunciar a una ganancia. Y volvernos como iguales. Volvernos con el mismo derecho ante el regalo de la naturaleza. Ante todo, para mi es relatar un testimonio. Un testimonio de lo que padece Honduras. Y que he sentido de que los que me han escuchado también sienten que conocen una verdad. Y sienten que hay que hacer algo. Y donde no solo quieren ser espectadores, pero que quieren salir a la defensa, a la salvacion de esta misma naturaleza. Sienten que un dia podemos unir esfuerzos. Que estan preocupados también para salvar esta situación de la destrucción de la naturaleza. Juntos tenemos que levantar la voz, y hacer justicia con la naturaleza. Esto es lo que he sentido. Son unas personas que quieren hacer grande esta recuperación. Convívio alegre con amigos y socios del Club Sierra Ayer, al encontrame con los socios de Club Sierra, lo que vi es una espontaneidad en querer ayuda. Y a pesar de que son mayores de edad, ellos quieren heredar vida porque han recibido vida. No dudan de lo que estamos haciendo, sino que están seguros. Les preocupa también el caso de como se esta maltratando el pueblo latinoamericano. Ricardo Huerta translates for Father Tamayo as he speaks with members of the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club. Por la noche, tuvimos la oportunidad de cenar con amigos y los compañeros del Club Sierra, y también con el ex-presidente del Club Sierra, Larry, que nos explicó la historia de cómo se fundó el mismo Club. Me llama la atención la historia del Club Sierra y veo que su apertura esta aprovechando nuevas oportunidades para incluir urgentes temáticas del mundo, tales como: derechos humanos, libre comercio, comercio justo, y justicia social. Horizontes que le permite darle respuesta al ser humano en su integridad. Esto también le permite no sólo ser asistencialista, sino también prevenir peores consequencias, y unirse a los movimientos internacionales, como también buscar la raiz de los problemas donde no solo se fija en las víctimas, sino también en los victimarios: empresas transnacionales capitalistas. Pero no sólo eso, sino que también buscar respuesta en los que tienen en sus manos la solución como los congresistas y los senadores. Celebración eucarística en la iglesia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en San Jose, California Father Tamayo meets with a parishioner after mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Jose. El domingo fue una celebración de la vida. Una celebración del pueblo con su vida. Sentí que desempeñaba mi función de profeta. Anunciando, denunciando las injusticias. El crimen contra la naturaleza como entorno del hombre, como un abuso del capitalismo frente la creación de Dios. Pero al mismo tiempo, hacía un llamado a los participantes a ser valientes, a no tener miedo, a denunciar, a defender su dignidad, a defender lo que les pertenece. Sentí a un pueblo muy cerca de Dios, y me sentí como un pastor, como celoso y cuidadoso de sus ovejas. Sentí también de que, como autoridad de Dios, denunciando el plan del CAFTA como una amenaza, como un atentado contra el pueblo centroamericano. El pueblo estaba atento, sediento, de escuchar una voz que salía a la defensa de sus derechos. De una voz que le da esperanza a su propia vida. Sentí un pueblo muy cerca. El Parque Estatal Butano. Encuentro con la naturaleza y un inspirador musical A chance meeting with Spearhead's Michael Franti in Butano State Park. Presenté ante el altar del Dios, la vida del pueblo. El pueblo también se sintió consagrado con lo que vive. Lo que presenté ante el altar de Dios, lo viví frente el altar de la naturaleza, disfrutando, sintiendo la acogida de los árboles, de un aire que me purificaba. De una naturaleza que me llama para convivir con ella. De un ideal que el fundador del Club Sierra quiso ver realizado, que lo realizó, y que se prolonga a traves del trabajo del Club. Y hoy tiene su razón de ser, tal como lo pensó el fundador. Vengo satisfecho de haber contemplado a ella, a la naturaleza, y ella misma me regaló lo que ella es: la tranquilidad, la paz, la felicidad, el aire, y hasta la música, a través del mismo inspirador de un defensor del medio ambiente, que no solamente canta, pero vive lo que canta, como es el Michael Franti a quien de casualidad y fortuna me tocó conocer en el Parque Estatal Butano. Y que él mismo me desafió. Me retó con su mismo ideal. Porque él mismo me retó con su forma de ser, con su forma de vivir, y me retó llevar un mensaje a un festival donde está la oportunidad de seguir concientizando, seguir convenciendo a personas que están indiferentes ante el valor de la naturaleza. Es un día donde yo hablé de Dios y su creación, y afortunadamente, al encontrarme con la creación, ella me habló de Dios. Agradecimientos Estoy muy agradecido por la oportunidad que me han dado de expresar la realidad de Honduras y presenciar su disponibilidad en cuanto a las oportunidades de enfrentarse a nuevos retos y mostrar un compromiso a una visión del ambientalismo integral. En particular, agradezco a los socios del Club Sede San José, al ex-presidente del Club, Larry, a la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, a los Padres René y Javier, igualmente a los decanes, lectores y monaguios. Y por el gran apoyo que me han brindado el personal del Club Sierra, Margarete, Susan y Eric, sigo agradecido. Loma Prieta Chapter members pose with Father Tamayo. Volunteers donated $500 to his cause. Experiences on a visit to California with the Sierra Club by Father José Andrés Tamayo Cortez I feel human. I feel human and I am in harmony with nature. One recovers one's reason for being when surrounded by nature. This is how I find myself. I also feel responsible for nature. There is a transcendence in life, and I know that in order for a community to live a dignified life, it needs to value and care for nature. That means that destroying nature also destroys humankind. Crimes against nature are also crimes against human beings. This is why I am grateful. I feel part of nature; I cannot be foreign to it. The natural world provides me with what I need: food, water, air, and this is why we cannot speak of this relationship as a romantic one, but instead, one which holds the meaning of life. The persistence of life. So, I am not speaking of simple instinct, but of a life which allows me to know and understand that I need to continue living. A life which demands that I also invite others to care for nature, to respect it and continue living with nature. My life is also an extension of nature. I would like so much that when I die, a tree be planted at my burial. Because that is a way to be thankful, as someone who gives life, such as it was given to me. I would like to be able to give life to another one of nature's creatures. And that is the way a people can survive: taking only that which is necessary for oneself without converting it into dollars, profits, power, exploitation, destruction, massacre. I believe that, in the face this global reality, I do not have to close my eyes to this catastrophe. This is why the environment is not just a passing issue. It is a crisis. It is a crisis of human beings' moral values that is revealed in the destruction of nature. The natural world is in a state of crisis because human beings are also in a state of crisis, a crisis of values. And I wish that more of us could witness this reality so that we would not have to regret it tomorrow. So that there would be no human sacrifice. So that there would not be hunger where there is wealth. I wish that the world could understand that nature is necessary. It is as necessary as the heart is to a human being. A human being cannot live with out its heart. I often say, for example, that when they cut down the trees, they are cutting out the soul of the natural world. People become inanimate objects instead of natural beings. Why can't people be content in knowing that nature provides them with nourishment? And why is it necessary to convert nature - which is a gift, a present, an existence - into a commodity? This is the case of water - why does that which could be considered a gift have to be bought? Are we to abandon pure water because someone has contaminated it? Why would one poison what they received as pure? My thought is that it is necessary to reject ambition. To reject profits. And we have to become equals. Become equals who have the same rights in the face of Mother Nature. Above all, this trip is about sharing my testimony. A testimony of the suffering in Honduras. And I have felt that those who have heard me also feel that they know a greater truth. And they feel that something must be done. They do not want to be mere spectators, but they want to act in the defense and salvation of nature. They feel that one day we may unite forces. They are also worried about the destruction of nature. Together we must lift our voices, and do justice with regard to the environment. This is what I have felt. These are people who want to make environmental restoration a major project. Spending time with friends and associates of the Sierra Club Yesterday, as I met with members of the Sierra Club, I witnessed their spontaneous desire to help. This was an older group of people, and they wanted to give life because they have received life. They did not doubt the work we do, they believe in it. They are also worried about how the Latin American people are being mistreated. At night we had the opportunity to eat dinner with friends of the Sierra Club, as well as the Club's former president, Larry, who told us how the Sierra Club was founded. This story caught my attention and I see that they are open to new opportunities to include the most urgent global issues, such as human rights, free trade, fair trade, and social justice. These new horizons allow them to respond to human beings in all of their integrity. This allows them not only to offer aid and support, but also to prevent worsening consequences by uniting with international movements, as well as searching for the root of these issues by taking into consideration not only the victims but also the victimizers: the transnational capitalist companies. And in addition, they are also seeking responses with members of Congress, who hold the power to change things in their hands. Celebration of mass at the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe church in San José, California Sunday was a celebration of life. A celebration of a community's life. I felt that I fulfilled my role as a spokesperson. Exposing and denouncing injustices. Crimes against nature as the environment of human beings, capitalism's abuse of God's creation. At the same time, I asked the congregation to have courage, to not be afraid, to defend that which belongs to them. I felt that the people were very close to God, and I felt like a shepard, protective and watchful of his sheep. I also felt that, as God's spokesperson, it was my duty to denounce CAFTA as a threat, as an attack on the Central American people. The people were attentive, thirsting to hear a voice that spoke in defense of their rights. A voice that gave them hope. I felt very close to the people. Butano State Park. A meeting with nature and musical inspiration I presented the life of the people before God's altar. The people also felt consecrated in their experiences. What I presented before God's altar I also experienced before nature's altar, enjoying the welcome of the trees and the air that cleansed me. Appreciating the nature that called me to live within it. This is the ideal that the Sierra Club's founder hoped to accomplish, and did, and this ideal continues through the work of the Club. And today was meant to be, just as the Club's founder would have imagined. I am happy to have been able to contemplate nature, and I was presented with her gifts: tranquility, peace, happiness, air, and even music, through the inspiration of a defender of the environment, who not only sings, but also lives what he sings, as is the case of Michael Franti, who I had the chance and good fortune to meet at Butano State Park. And meeting him challenged and inspired me. He challenged me with his ideals. He challenged me with his way of being, his way of living, and he challenged me to bring a message to a music festival where there may be an opportunity to continue raising awareness, and continue convincing those who are indifferent of the value of nature. This was a day in which I spoke to God and his creation, and with unexpected great fortune, in the midst of God's creation, nature spoke to me of God. Acknowledgements I am very appreciative of the opportunity the Sierra Club has given me to share Honduras' reality and witness their interest in taking on new challenges and demonstrating their commitment to a vision of integrated environmentalism. In particular, I would like to thank the members of the San Jose chapter of the Sierra Club, the Club's former president Larry, the congregation of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Father René and Father Javier, as well as the ushers, readers, and altar boys and altar girls. And I am continually grateful for the support of the Sierra Club staff members, Margrete, Susan, and Eric. Top Photos: Courtesy Goldman Environmental Prize. All other images, Susan Ellsworth, Sierra Club. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use