Jesuit Archbishop Pedro Baretto (Archdiocese of Huancayo) has received death threats for his recent statement calling for responsible environmental regulation for a multi-metallic smelter in La Oroya, Peru. The smelter has been operated by Doe Run Peru a subsidiary of Renco Group (US privately held company) and was forced to shut down in 2009 after pressure from Church leaders.
I attended a training for social action trainers led by George Lakey, a Quaker, visiting professor at Swarthmore College, and director emeritus of Training for Change. It was a completely empowering weekend that has given me many effective tools that I continue to use today. One such tool was the Spectrum of Allies, which provided a solution to my dissonance about wanting peace, but being angry at and accusatory of everyone else. I have since introduced this tool to several student groups involved in various campaigns at Santa Clara.
During our time together in Mariona, my new friends Oti and Aida have filled many hours sharing their memories of Archbishop Oscar Romero. The strong hug he provided in a time of struggle. His homilies echoing from every radio in town. Even the horrors that they encountered at his funeral. But, as we shared a cup of coffee in a small room of Oti’s house, I asked them for a few words to describe this man and they both had to pause for a moment. “… love… solidarity… a voice for the voiceless… the fight… the defender of the poor…” As I listened to these two women speak, one word resounded in my mind “ejemplo.”
