As a political science student at SU, i learned about the existence of a country named El Salvador at the same time i learned that it was a brutal place with a raging war going on. Ronald Reagan, Jesuits, murders, conspiracies... it was all too much. I moved on to learning about other places as I figured I would never go there.. I learned enough to not want to know more. it was too hard emotionally and intellectually to take it all in. However, I want to work in international work and work in international justice. But, by working in international justice one can´t go work in a peaceful country. Uh, what´s the point? Why work in international justice if there is no work to be done.
Tonight I heard Jim McGovern receive his honorary degree in human rights from the University of Central America. What struck me about his speech was that he spoke about how Salvadoreans are a resilient people. How Salvadoreans have suffered so much yet are so determined that their country succeed. He worked on bringing the world´s attention of the atrocities in El Salvador to the world. He worked and talked and traveled and talked and became angry about what was going on. then the murders of the Jesuits and their two companions brought the beginning of the end. But, he was the one that started the momentun. If not for him, the assassinated would have died in vain. He stood up for El Salvador. He didn´t turn his back because the conspiracy, the murders and the atrocities were too much to bear. He faced it head on. That´s he brought change to an entire people. That´s how he saved a people and a country.
The ceremony today inspired and shamed me. But, I ultimately I plan on taking the inspiration and making it into action. Leaving the shame behind.
Norma Linda Ureña
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