El Salvador Galleries

2009 Inauguration : Many thanks to the SHARE Foundation, especially Jose Artiga, for making this such a memorable experience with the people of El Salvador. El SalvadorPresidential Inauguration - June 1, 2009 Photos by Linda Panetta To print or publish call 215.694.4240 To schedule a slide presentation and / or photo exhibit call or email us at: Linda@OpticalRealities.org To view additional photos visit: www.OpticalRealities.org

2009 Inauguration

Julia Garcia : "MOTHERS IN ARMS" CONVERSATIONS WITH FEMALE EX-COMBATANTS IN EL SALVADOR Photoghraphy: Linda Panetta Contributing Interviewers and Editors: Marcia Bailey, Caroline Cargo, Katy Friggle-Norton, Gwenyth Lewis, Kathy Stayton General Editor: Betsy Morgan ------------------- THE WOMEN WE INTERVIEWED Julia Garcia, the mother of three, and a resident of La Limonera, is a leader in Mujeres Ganaderas, a cattle cooperative organized by and for women in the Bajo Lempa region. Currrently she participates in a project to exhume, re-bury with dignity, and remember victims of the La Quesera massacre which occurred in October, 1981, and in which most of her brother’s family was killed along with many neighbors. Nidia Díaz, the mother of a grown son, is currently serving as a member of the Central American Parliament. During the war she was captured by a member of the US Central Intelligence Agency and turned over to the Salvadoran military, which imprisoned and tortured her. Her experiences from that time have been recorded in a book entitled I was Never Alone. She currently lives in San Salvador. Claudia Perez, the mother of six, is an indigenous hammock maker who lives in the Perquion region with her partner Samuel and sells her wares primarily through a church parish in Boston, Massachusetts. Conscripted into the guerrilla army as a cook, she has become an advocate for all of those who “fall through the cracks” in military and civilian bureaucracy, especially those who, like her, never learned to read and write. Morena Herrera, mother of three daughters, is founder of Las Dignas, a women’s organization interested in all aspects of women’s lives, including their reproductive health. Having lost several partners in the war, she tells a tragic story, but it is also the story of awakening--of awakening to the needs and rights of women and to a vision of an FMLN agenda that embraces the rights of all. She currently lives in Suchitoto. Marisol Galindo, mother of three, is an entrepreneur living in Perquion where she owns a small restaurant, works as a consultant to tourism and local development for the Morazaon district, and advocates for environmental issues and eco-tourism. She was a comandate in the guerrilla unit for which Claudia worked as a cook and continues to be a sage analyst of social reality as well as a grounded visionary for the future of El Salvador. SUPPORTING VOICES Rufina Amaya, has the tragic distinction of being the sole survivor of the El Mozote massacre which took the lives of 800 campesinos in the hills of Morazan in December, 1981. Her account was denied by both the Salvadoran government and the US State Department for over a decade. After the Peace Accords were signed in 1992, a team of forensic anthropologists went in to investigate the site and validated her story. Mark Danner published a very moving account of the massacre and of Rufina’s experience, The Massacre at El Mozote, in 1994. Deysi Cheyne serves as the Director of IMU (Instituto de Investigación, Capacitación y Desarrollo de la Mujer–Institute for Research, Training and Development of Women). She was a support person in the negotiations leading up to the Peace Accords and currently travels widely as an advocate for Salvadoran women’s development. Yanira, was trained as a medic during the war and worked both in encampments and in hospitals caring for wounded guerrillas. At one point she was captured with her daughter and tortured for many days. She still chooses to go by her nom de guerre, giving as one reason that it is the only name her daughter knows her by. Ana Maria, presently a squatter in Santa Ana as a result of the 2005 volcanic eruption, was captured and tortured by the Salvadoran military when she was only 15 years old. Her own persecution and that of others propelled her “into the mountains” where the guerrillas trained. Tania Gochez, university educated and fluently bi-lingual, worked in intelligence and fought on the front lines of the 1980s war. An important link in her story is between the tragic shooting of her sister Delfi at a demonstration against the government and her current concern for the safety of her teen-age daughter, also, significantly, named Delfi.

Julia Garcia

"MOTHERS IN ARMS" CONVERSATIONS WITH FEMALE EX-COMBATANTS IN EL SALVADOR Photoghraphy: Linda Panetta Contributing Interviewers and Editors: Marcia Bailey, Caroline Cargo, Katy Friggle-Norton, Gwenyth Lewis, Kathy Stayton General Editor: Betsy Morgan ------------------- THE WOMEN WE INTERVIEWED Julia Garcia, the mother of ...

Updated: Jul 23, 2009 8:52am PST

El Salvador Gallery : El Salvador Photos by Linda Panetta To print or publish call 215.694.4240 Proceeds support our educational programs and outreach to communities. To schedule a slide presentation and / or photo exhibit at your school, a conference, place of worship, or other venue call or email us at: Linda@OpticalRealities.org To view additional photos visit: www.OpticalRealities.org

El Salvador Gallery

El Salvador Photos by Linda Panetta To print or publish call 215.694.4240 Proceeds support our educational programs and outreach to communities. To schedule a slide presentation and / or photo exhibit at your school, a conference, place of worship, or other venue call or email us at: Linda@OpticalRealities.org To view additional ...

Updated: Nov 13, 2009 5:35pm PST

Rufina Amaya : Rufina Amaya Born 1943 - Deceased March 6, 2007 I feel blessed to have known Rufina and will always be humbled by her devotion commitment to the truth and finding justice. She was and always will be such an important part of my own journey. She is and always will remain an incredible inspiration for continuing our own efforts for working towards a more just and peaceful tomorrow. Rufina was the sole survivor of the 1981 El Mozote (El Salvador) massacre. She helplessly watched as her children we killed; her husband beheaded and her entire community massacred. Though she wanted to die herself after witnessing so much horror she instead plead with God to let her live so that the truth of what happened would not be buried in the mass graves entombing her loved ones. Her amazing courage and commitment to working for truth, justice and an end to impunity continued till her final days. Her story of survival and determination has inspired people from around the world; her courage and convictions will continue to influence the lives of countless people. Rufina’s unyielding resolve for justice not only unearthed the truth about the El Mozote massacre, but it also brought to light the many horrific crimes and massacres that had been perpetrated by the Salvadoran military, as well as U.S. complicity in some of these atrocities. I feel blessed to have known Rufina and will always be humbled by her unyielding commitment to educating others and working for justice. She was and always will be such an important part of my own journey and remains an incredible inspiration. Rufina will be greatly missed but never forgotten. Presente! CLICK HERE to view additional photos and information about Rufina and the commemorative museum in Perquin, El Salvador. Inaugural ceremony: March 6, 2010. --------------- Photos by Linda Panetta To print or publish call 215.694.4240 Proceeds support our educational programs and outreach to communities. To schedule a slide presentation and / or photo exhibit call or email us at: Linda@OpticalRealities.org.

Rufina Amaya

Rufina Amaya Born 1943 - Deceased March 6, 2007 I feel blessed to have known Rufina and will always be humbled by her devotion commitment to the truth and finding justice. She was and always will be such an important part of my own journey. She is and always will remain an incredible inspiration for continuing our own efforts for wor ...

Updated: Nov 17, 2009 6:17pm PST

Mujeres Cooperativistas (ACAMG) : Mujeres Cooperativistas (ACAMG) Asociacion Cooperativa De Aprovisionamiento, Ahorro Credito y Consumo De Mujeres Del Bajo Lempa "Marta Gonzalez" Bajo Lempa, El Salvador Nine years ago, the SHARE Foundation made the strategic decision to accompany the people of the Bajo Lempa. During this time, we have seen the communities here go from barren to fruitful. We were there as people returned to their land and faced the daily struggle to grow enough food for their families. With SHARE’s support, the Bajo Lempa has attained a level of development that is now attracting bigger funds from abroad. Their partners are working on a regional level and many projects are self-sustaining. The Marta Gonzalez Cattlewomen’s Cooperative makes grants to women to purchase cattle. This year, we supported the continued line of credit, as well their comprehensive plan to train promoters to provide technical assistance and finance skills to new members. The cooperative expects to be self-sustaining soon. The Cooperative also is committed to replanting crops to develop food availability for residents and cattle and working on remedies for sick cattle infected from the flood water. For more information on how you can support the Women’s Coop visit: http://www.share-elsalvador.org/programs/localdev.htm

Mujeres Cooperativistas (ACAMG)

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