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From the Cracks

The global public health crisis has revealed “cracks” in our society and the dominant structures we uphold: deep social inequalities, an unjust & unhealthy relationship with the natural world, and an unsustainable, exploitative economic model. It has also disrupted our ways of “doing education,” exposing deep cracks in our higher education institutions; and the community-led movement to end systemic racism, supported by many students, faculty and administrators, is revealing even more cracks. These fractures in our systems intersect, forming a constellation that makes it abundantly clear that none of us will return to an old “normal” once this is behind us. Pachaysana sees these disruptions as a catalyst for change and an opportunity to re-imagine our work: re-creating international, intercultural, and online learning. 

Rather than filling these cracks, we hope to widen them, to continue to challenge and explore the dominant system, in order to plant seeds of change in them. We want to take this moment to introduce you to various new programs and projects born “from  the cracks:” from revolutionizing online programming, to grassroots community organizing, to our new storytelling podcast. We hope this will inspire you to find hope, healing, and opportunities for liberation in the cracks as well. 

Image: Artwork from international student Kaitlin Caffrey from a zine she made for her independent study project (Spring 2020).

"From the Cracks": Virtual Study Abroad Program for Spring 2021

While a return to our in-country programming has been delayed another semester, we have created a virtual study abroad program that is born “from the cracks.” With members from our partnering Ecuadorian communities and students from our partner institutions in the US, this program sparks the radical learning, healing and dreaming that these times demand from us.

This virtual program will be offered in the Spring 2021 semester over two modules of seven weeks each. With both Spanish and English optionals, all courses include either facilitation or participation from local Ecuadorian community members, and examine big human questions related to identity and systemic injustice. We explore interactive and “decolonizing” methodologies to foment a creative dialogue among internationals and locals, integrating epistemologies and voices from the Global South. In all our courses we place emphasis on our learning space where we rehearse the changes we hope to create in the world. In order to maintain our fair-trade model, part of tuition will go towards covering the internet costs for our local community participants for one year. Click here for more information on potential structures and fees, or contact us at info@pachaysana.org to learn more about how you can get involved!

What our current faculty partners and students say about our online programming:

“An illuminating and energizing method of forging dialogue and action… (that has) reverberated across my thinking and into my classes." - Richard Fletcher, Assoc Prof, Arts Education, Administration and Policy, The Ohio State University

"Virtual education that is engaging and memorable. After being online for two semesters now, I lost sense of community, creativity, and expression. Pachaysana brought new activity into my virtual education that helped me reflect and remember the material as well as become involved with the issues." - Student, UNC-Chapel Hill
 
"Students explored their whole selves in a community-oriented, immersive context that centered on the artful creation and universal impulse of human storytelling. It was a powerful experience to witness students trusting the power of embodied knowledge." -
Sarah dAngelo, Asst Professor, Theatre and Performance Studies; Native American and Indigenous Studies, Brown University

Image:  A screen-grab from our online courses last Spring. From art projects to skits, our online offerings always maintain our creative spirit (Spring 2020).

October: Month of Resistance

Earlier this month, Pintag Amaru, our community counterpart collective from Pintag, organized a march in remembrance of the indigenous-led National Strike of October 2019. Reviving our giant puppets from the Fall 2019 semester, as well as drums we created last semester, they marched through the streets of Pintag, in the hopes of keeping the spirit of resistance from last year's protest alive and remembering those who led the fight. A day before Indigenous People’s Day (also known as Columbus Day), the symbolic nature of the protest was palpable and powerful: celebrating the indigenous heritage of Ecuador, expressing gratitude for the leadership of indigenous folks in last year’s movement, and resisting modern manifestations of colonialism in the country, such as mining and the exploitation of the earth.  

As most community-led movements have been put on hold during the pandemic, we were inspired to see Pintag Amaru and other past counterparts from the area invite their community back into the resistance in ways that respected social-distancing and other public health recommendations. Additionally, the same day, other members of the collective joined firefighters in putting out a wildfire near the Antisana Volcano reserve in the mountains above Pintag. This concrete show of solidarity with the natural world added power and energy to the march. We are grateful to Pintag Amaru for continuing to be a model of solidarity, reciprocity, and resistance in a time where it is especially difficult to do so.  

Image: Photos from the commemorative march in Pintag this month, as well as community members from Pintag helping put out the wildfire in Antisana (Pintag, October 2020)

Pachaysana Podcast: “Desde las grietas

We’re so excited to announce our new Pachaysana podcast: "Desde las grietas." This project was born from a need to continue sharing stories of inspiration, hope, and resilience with our communities during the COVID19 pandemic & to rekindle our sense of community as we quarantine in different parts of the world. Translated into English, "desde las grietas" means "From the Cracks," referring to the purpose of this podcast: to telling stories of resistance and resilience from these cracks, with the hope of planting seeds that will grow towards the creation of a better and more just world. We will come out with a new episode each month. Each episode is a combination of dialogue, interviews, and storytelling around a specific theme. We have decided to do the podcast in Spanish to be able to share stories from communities here in Ecuador, but we hope they also serve our Spanish-speaking community in the U.S.! Feel free to use them as resources for your classes and other learning communities. 

In our first episode, "Stories of Resistance in the Pandemic," we explore quarantine from the cracks! Introducing the podcast, we discuss why we consider stories to be a powerful tool for changing our reality and our world, for healing, and for seeking justice. We talk to Maria Llulluna, a farmer and elder from the rural community of Valencia, and Javier Cevallos Perugachi, an artist and storyteller from Quito, for two different perspectives ("stories") from the pandemic. For updates on future episodes, follow our Facebook and Instagram pages. 


Image: Maria Llulluna (third from left), who we interviewed for the pilot episode of our podcast, teaches international students how to work the land (Pintag, Fall 2017).

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