At DGH we believe there is an intrinsic relationship between art, health, education and Human Rights. Art, in its various forms, inspires our daily work. Every other issue we’ll share some of the books, movies and music that have touched us. We invite you to recommend some works that have moved and enlightened you. Send your suggestions with a brief description to Monica Sanchez at newsletter@dghonline.org.
On the Front Line: Guerrilla Poems of El Salvador, Edited and Translated by C. Alegría and D. Flakoll, Curbstone Press, 1996, Fiction, ISBN 0-915306-86-7. In this collection of poetry the voices of the El Salvadoran insurgency spring to life with works of testimony, as well as acts of imagination, a record of the struggles, hopes, and dreams of a war-torn country. All the poems, whether of love or war, childbirth or the “disappeared,” radiate a hard-won optimism.
Clandestine Poems, by Roque Dalton, a Bilingual Edition Translated by Jack Hirschman, Curbstone Press, 1990, ISBN 0-915306-91-3. In Clandestine Poems, Roque Dalton invented five poets who express their concern over the situation in El Salvador. Written just before his assassination, Clandestine Poems delivers its political insights with biting humor, strength and tenderness.
Más Allá del Homo Sapiens, By Mariú Suárez, Trafford Books, 2000, Nonfiction, Spanish, ISBN 1-55212-522-X. This two-volume book by a DGH friend, Beyond the Homo Sapiens, painstakingly describes the reasons why the world was and still is corrupt and demeaning to its inhabitants. Her premise is that time is a wheel of continuous movement; the present is the fruit of the past, and the future is the fruit of the present; any hope for a better future, requires that we understand the past and change the present. This mystical and historical journey successfully re-interprets the historical events of the past 5,000 years, providing new insights for methods of self and universal improvement.
In the South Bronx of America, Photographs by Mel Rosenthal, Introduction by Grace Paley, Curbstone Press, 2001, Nonfiction, ISBN 1-915306-96-4. Residents of New York City’s South Bronx neighborhood live in the most severe and widespread poverty of any US metropolitan area. This book offers both an intimate view of life in this neighborhood and a context for understanding the last two decades of accelerated social decay. Documentary photographs counterpoint statements by residents, newspaper clips and brief statistical data. Rosenthal’s engaging photographs are the focus of the book, celebrating the vital human spirit that survives economic hardship and urban blight.
I Was Never Alone: A Prison Diary from El Salvador, by Nidia Diaz, Ocean Press, 1992, Nonfiction, ISBN 1-875284-13-3. A moving personal account of survival by a Salvadoran revolutionary leader whose 190-day imprisonment became the focus of an international human rights campaign.
Island Under Siege, by Pedro Prada, Ocean Press, 1995, Nonfiction, ISBN 1-875284-88-5. An excellent outline of how Cuba has been affected by almost four decades of blockade by the United States.
Homage to Chiapas: The New Indigenous Struggles in Mexico, By Bill Weinberg, Verso Books, 2000, Nonfiction, ISBN 1-85984-719-6. The Zapatistas in Chiapas have served as a catalyst for revolutionary indigenous movements across Mexico, pioneering a new model of resistance and posing a powerful threat to the stability of NAFTA. This book vividly depicts the grassroots struggles for land and local autonomy now underway with on-the-spot reportage from Tabasco, where fishermen blockade state owned oil wells to protest local pollution; from Central Mexico where plans for a giant computer complex and golf course spark an Indian uprising; as well as from Chiapas where the author interviews Subcommander Marcos.
I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala, By Rigoberta Menchu, Verso Books, 1987, Nonfiction, ISBN 0-860917-88-6. This book recounts the remarkable life of Nobel Peace Prize Winner Rigoberta Menchu, a young Guatemalan peasant woman. Her story reflects the experiences common to many Indian communities in Latin America today. Rigoberta suffered gross injustice and hardship in her early life when her brother, father and mother were murdered by the Guatemalan military. She learned Spanish and turned to catechist work as an expression of political revolt as well as religious commitment.
Under Fire, Directed by Roger Spottiswoode, Starring Nick Nolte, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris and Joanna Cassidy, 1983. What happens when journalists step over the line of professional detachment and become personally involved in the stories they are covering? That's the question at the heart of this acclaimed political thriller set in 1979 Nicaragua. The streets are filled with the violence of the civil war, the main character is caught in the crossfire and forced to flee with the people, the Sandinistas.
Salvador, Directed by Oliver Stone, Starring James Wood and James Beluchi, 1986. Engrossing true-life account of the violent civil war in El Salvador as told through the perspective of a has-been journalist trying for one last grasp at glory. He leaves San Francisco broke to cover the escalating conflict and hopefully return to his former stature as a war correspondent. What he finds is a nation torn by random violence, shifting ideologies, poverty and the malevolent influence of the US.
Fiction of War, Documentary by Sheila Franklin, 2000. The film contrasts statements made by public and military officials with those of human rights workers, church and community leaders, the displaced, and what we ourselves witnessed. It makes its point with up-close and personal interviews. Workers at the Center for Justice and Peace, a human rights organization, describe how the military forced them to the floor at gunpoint before searching their offices. A priest explains how paramilitaries entered a poor slum area neighborhood, killing eight people and kidnapping 40 more who were never seen or heard from again. One of the most enlightening interviews is conducted with former Colombian Army Colonel Carlos Val‡squez, who explains that the paramilitaries sometimes "do the work" of the army, resulting in what he calls a "dirty" compromise for the military. To order, call 413-323-7629 or visit www.1worldcommunication.org.
Outriders, Documentary by Pamela Yates and Peter Kinoy. This film depicts the cross-country trip taken by members of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union in 1998. The Kensington Welfare Rights Union is a group of poor and homeless people, who have organized to improve conditions for themselves and others like them. The bus trip was undertaken to gather stories from poor Americans across the country regarding the effects of welfare reform, which they then presented to the United Nations as evidence of the US government's violations of their economic human rights. For copies of the video visit www.kwru.org or call 800-724-8367.
Afro-American Blues & Game Songs, Library of Congress, 1999. Part of the Library of Congress’ Archive of Folk Song, this collection of rural African-American blues and folk, assembled by Alan Lomax on back southern roads between 1934 and 1941, is a vibrant lesson in music history. Despite its rough recording quality, the a capella hollers are movingly sung and certainly at the root of the blues experience.
Farewells & Fantasies: The Phil Ochs Collection, 3-CD Box Set, Atlantic, 1997. Among folk legends, Phil Oaks stands out with over a dozen years as a ringing voice against social and political injustice. His music and lyrics remain powerful, and in some cases topical, over 30 years later.
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In This Issue:
DGH in El Salvador: Earthquake Relief
DGH Locally: Liberation Medicine in the US
Creative Fundraising: Photography Exhibit
Welfare Reform & Immigrant Children
Human Rights In the Arts
The Olympic Living Wage Campaign
A Day's Life... Ben Lee
Cup-by-Cup Earthquake Relief
Dorothy Granada Under Attack Again
Contest Winners
This year DGH sponsored a photography contest to illustrate the need for universal health care. All entries were based on the theme of “Promoting health and human rights with those who have no voice.” We received many wonderful photos, making choosing the winners a difficult task for our distinguished panel of judges. Our thanks to all who shared their powerful images with us and our congratulations to the winners, listed below.
First Place:
Photo: Tan Binh, Vietnam
“While volunteering at a leper village near HoChiMihn City, I was touched by the evident affection and devotion of a young boy for his grandmother.”
Second Place:
Photo: San Carlos, Philippines
“This photo was taken in March 2000 of a young girl awaiting surgery by an Interplast volunteer surgical team in San Carlos, Philippines.”
Third Place:
- Kevin McGarvey, Indianapolis, IN, Second Year Medical Student
Photo: Nicaragua
- Eugene G. Ryan, Portugal Cove, NF, Canada, Professional Photographer
Photo: Nigeria, West Africa - Maya Vijayaraghaven, Jamaica Plain, MA, Masters in Medical Science Program
Photo: Calcutta, India - Stephanie Doniger, Long Beach, CA, Fourth Year Medical Student
Photo: Honduras
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