The Esperanza Project is many things at once: It’s an online newspaper, it’s a networking tool and it’s a digital media empowerment and networking project for a sustainable future. It’s about a journey, but it’s also about being deeply rooted in whatever corner of the planet you find yourself, and making it the best that it can be.
The Project began with an epic journey planned by travel writer Tracy L. Barnett for the entire year of 2010, beginning in Mexico in January and ending in Patagonia in December. The idea is to visit and document creative and resourceful sustainability projects throughout the Americas, sharing ideas and gleaning inspiration from those she meets along the way.
At the same time, she hopes to raise the visibility of these unsung heroes while sharing multimedia and social media networking skills and a forum on which to share their work and their ideas. And most importantly, as the word “Esperanza” implies, it’s a search for hope in dangerous times.
Why Now?
Closing in on the first decade of the new century, fear is in the air here in the richest nation on the planet. Economic crisis. Massive layoffs. Melting icecaps. Rising sea levels.
This is a time for a new vision, and The Esperanza Project seeks new voices to help articulate that vision. It’s very much a forward-looking response, one that seeks to utilize new media technology to promote an inclusive, democratic and sustainable transition to a future less reliant on fossil fuels and rampant consumerism. It’s also an approach that looks to the elders and the First Nations for a wisdom that predates the industrial age.
Why Latin America?
From the barrios of Nueva York in the north to the pampas of Patagonia in the far south, the Spanish-speaking Americas provide a vibrant, passionate, imaginative answer to the imminent global threat that we share, a resourceful response characteristic of the Latino culture.
The same people who persist in planting flowers in front of the poorest hovels; the same people who still hold forth on poetry and politics, with equal amounts of ardor, and who still believe in both; the same people whose murals have splashed life and history onto the barren walls of the inner cities of this hemisphere – these are a people who have not been defeated by poverty, and they will not be defeated by crisis.
Art and music, imagination and irony, and a defiant, brilliant joy characterize the Latin American approach to transition, a shorthand term for the paradigm shift that awaits, if we can seize the moment and coordinate our efforts as a global community before it’s too late.
Why Tracy?
Most recently an award-winning travel writer, Tracy Barnett’s two-decade journalism career has included a master’s degree in science writing and many years as an investigative and environmental reporter. She has taught journalism at one of the top journalism schools in the country, founded a Spanish-language bilingual newspaper there and went on to help start a group of Spanish-language dailies in Texas. She has traveled widely, but Latin America is the place that feels most like home. Tracy@tracybarnettonline.com.
Collaborators
Spanish-Language Editor: Jorge Luis Sierra is a Mexican journalist specializing in international affairs, security and defense. He reported on the Iraq War in 2003 and has covered border issues and the Latino community in the US. His reports appear in a variety of publications on both sides of the border. He is the author of the book El Enemigo Interno: Fuerza Armadas y Contrainsurgencia en México and dozens of chapters in books on the drug trade, counterinsurgency and the armed forces. He was founding editor of Rumbo del Valle in McAllen, Texas, and lead writer for the Houston Chronicle’s weekly newspaper La Voz. He is founder of The McAllen Times and lives in Edinburgh, Texas. jlsierrag@yahoo.com.
Cofounder, Organization Design and Development Collaborator: Tami Brunk is a freelance writer and organizational design consultant bringing greater visibility and abundance to community-based sustainability initiatives across the globe. She holds a B.A. in Biology from the University of Missouri-Columbia and an M.S. in Environmental Writing from the University of Missoula-Montana. She co-founded the Marda Permaculture Farm in the West Bank of Palestine and is co-director of the Seven Sisters Project.
Web Designer / Online Services Robert Metzger is the owner of OpenAllOver.com, which provides Online Web Design, Email, and more.
OpenAllOver.com is based out of Houston, which means this is where we grew up. Becoming a part of your local community is as important to us as designing websites.
Tracy L. Barnett is the founding editor of The Esperanza Project. She can be reached at tracy@tracybarnettonline.com. 
My heart grieves for the continued destruction of our planet, it’s animals and people…..mining of nuclear the clean energy not so clean, stripping of our forests, oil companies drilling deeper and deeper, polluting our waters and our land, mining of natural gases which are by no means natural, mining of dirty coal, the lack of respect for our indigenous cultures, the lack of respect for our human spirits……all in the name to feed our unrelenting thirst for energy and the corporations who exploit. I pray we become a smarter society before it is too late with no way to turn back.
Mitakuye (my relative),
I, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nation, ask you to understand an Indigenous
perspective on what has happened in America, what we call “Turtle Island.” My words seek to unite the global Community through a message from our sacred ceremonies to unite spiritually, each in our own ways of beliefs in the Creator.
We have been warned from Ancient Prophecies of these times we live in today, but have also been given a very important message about a solution to turn these terrible times around.
To understand the depth of this message you must recognize the importance of Sacred Sites and realize the interconnectedness of what is happening today, in reflection of the continued massacres that are occurring on other lands and our own Americas.
I have been learning about these important issues since the age of 12, upon receiving the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle and its teachings. Our people have striven to protect Sacred Sites from the beginning of time. These places have been violated for centuries and have brought us to the predicament that we are in at the global level.
Look around you. Our Mother Earth is very ill from these violations, and we are on the brink of destroying the possibility of a healthy and nurturing survival for generations to come, our children’s children.
Our ancestors have been trying to protect our Sacred Site called the Sacred Black Hills in South Dakota, “Heart of Everything That Is,” from continued violations. Our ancestors never saw a satellite view of this site, but now that those pictures are available, we see that it is in the shape of a heart and, when fast-forwarded, it looks like a heart pumping.
The Dine (Navajo) have been protecting Big Mountain, calling it the liver, and we are suffering and going to suffer more from the extraction of the coal from there and the poison processes used in doing so.
The Aborigines have warned of the contaminating effects of global warming on the Coral Reefs, which they see as Mother Earth’s blood purifier.
The Indigenous people of the rainforest relay that the rainforest are the lungs of the planet and need protection.
The Gwich’in Nation has had to face oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain, also known to the Gwich’in as “Where life begins!”
The coastal plain is the birthplace of many life forms of the Animal Nations. The death of these Animal Nations will destroy Indigenous Nations in this territory.
As these destructive developments continue all over the world, we will witness many more extinct Animal, Plant, and Human Nations, because of mankind’s misuse of power and their lack of understanding of the “balance of life.”
The Indigenous people warn that these destructive developments will cause havoc globally. There are many, many more Indigenous awarenesses and knowledge about Mother Earth’s Sacred Sites, her Chakras, connections to our spirit that will surely affect our future generations.
There needs to be a fast move toward other forms of
energy that
are safe for all Nations upon Mother Earth. We need
to understand
the types of minds that are continuing to destroy
the spirit of our whole global community. Unless we do this,
the powers of destruction will overwhelm us. Our
Ancestors foretold that water would someday be for sale. Back
then, this was hard to believe, since the water was so
plentiful, so pure, and so full of energy, nutrition, and spirit.
Today we have to buy pure water, and even then the
nutritional minerals have been taken out; it’s just empty
liquid. Someday water will be like gold, too expensive to afford.
Not everyone will have the right to drink safe
water. We fail to appreciate and honor our Sacred Sites, ripping out
the minerals and gifts that lay underneath them as if Mother
Earth were simply a resource, instead of the Source of Life itself.
Attacking Nations and having to utilize more
resources to carry out destruction in the name of peace is not the
answer! We need to understand how all these decisions affect the
Global Nation; we will not be immune to its repercussions. Allowing
continual contamination of our food and land is affecting the
way we think.
A “disease of the mind” has set in world leaders
and many members of our global community, with their belief
that a solution of retaliation and destruction of peoples
will bring Peace.
In our Prophecies it is told that we are now at the
crossroads:
Either unite spiritually as a Global Nation, or be
faced with chaos, disasters, diseases, and tears from our
relatives’ eyes.
We are the only species that is destroying the
Source of Life, meaning Mother Earth, in the name of power, mineral
resources, and ownership of land, using chemicals and methods
of warfare that are doing irreversible damage, as Mother Earth
is becoming tired and cannot sustain any more impacts of war.
I ask you to join me on this endeavor. Our vision is
for the Peoples of all continents, regardless of their
beliefs in the Creator, to come together as one at their Sacred
Sites to pray and meditate and commune with one another, thus
promoting an energy shift to heal our Mother Earth and achieve a
universal consciousness toward attaining Peace.
As each day passes, I ask all Nations to begin a
global effort, and remember to give thanks for the Sacred Food that
has been gifted to us by our Mother Earth, so the nutritional
energy of medicine can be guided to heal our minds and
spirits.
This new millennium will usher in an age of harmony
or it will bring the end of life as we know it. Starvation,
war, and toxic waste have been the hallmark of the Great Myth of
Progress and Development that ruled the last millennium.
To us, as caretakers of the heart of Mother Earth,
falls the responsibility of turning back the powers of
destruction. You yourself are the one who must decide.
You alone – and only you – can make this crucial
choice, to walk in honor or to dishonor your relatives. On your
decision depends the fate of the entire World.
Each of us is put here in this time and this place
to personally decide the future of humankind.
Did you think the Creator would create unnecessary
people in a time of such terrible danger?
Know that you yourself are essential to this World.
Believe that!
Understand both the blessing and the burden of that.
You yourself are desperately needed to save the soul of this
World. Did you think you were put here for something less? In a
Sacred Hoop of Life, there is no beginning and no ending!
Chief Arvol Looking Horse
Hola soy un mexicano afortunado de vivir la experiencia unica de convivir en armonia con la naturaleza y el espacio del wirikuta y la cierra de catorce. Soy un diseñador con muchas ganas de apoyar y participar en la marcha y tambien buscar alguna imagen que represente el WIRIKUTA. Si alguien tiene imagenes o alguna referencia muy espcifica grafica favor de enviar y contestar a este correo. kenjirt@gmail.com
We do not need the silver that could be mined from the Wirikuta. Enough silver is already above ground, circulating. The owners, employees and shareholders of this company could invest their money and time into restoring the sacred sites of the Earth instead of exploiting it.
I send prayers of support and encouragement to the delegation, with sadness that they were not at least allowed to speak. At least through articles like this, circulated widely, we WILL hear your voices and share the story with many others.
very nice post, i certainly love this website, keep on it
Colombia rocks! And agua panela is so delicious. I miss my friends in Colombia :,-(
Hi Tracy,
the project seems to be quite challenging – but I guess also very rewarding. Did you feel in danger? I wonder how dangerous El Salvador still is…
Thanx, abrazo, Clara
Muchas gracias a todos/as, necesitamos desarrollar muchos esfuerzos para continuar nuestro trabajo, y para ellos debemos unirnos todos como equipo, ya que estamos luchando muchas veces contra la corriente y cada vemos vemos un Peten menos verde, donde se esta perdiendo la mayoria de nuestro patrimonio y donde la gente se está convirtiendo en más pobre.
The Death Squad legacy in El Salavador seems to be alive. Our State Department needs to take action.
Thank You for your effort and hard work. We soport you. Cheers…
es muy triste para mi saber que el hijo mincho lo ahiga acesinado de esa manera espero que se investigue su muerte y la de los demas me da tristeza que en mi pais no se pueda vivir mayormente para nosotros que queremos visitar y ver nuestra familia tenemos miedo y nos duele que no haiga seguridad para nosotros queremos justicia por la muerte de juan francisco duran ayala
Gracias José! I support you too! Mucha suerte en tus proyectos… Juntos si se puede!
De acuerdo, Aracely, el noble pueblo salvadoreño merece justicia, especialmente los que laboran por un país mejor para todos. Ojalá que las cosas cambian y que hay justicia por Juan Francisco y los demás.
Yes Diane, Thanks for asking: on Twitter we’re @esperanzaprojec and @thirstyboots07; on Facebook, it’s The Esperanza Project.
hi alberto
we met in mexico in 1995 during the solar unitiation with Hunbatz Men ast year May I was staying with the shaman and you were going to come there, only I had to leave the day before,
I would like to be your friend on facebook.
love
vitesha
The mining project would distroy the health of the community and land for generation. Mining jobs cause exploitation on many serious levels. Schools, education, health care and jobs must and should be invested into and provided for these native communities. All people/communities of color deserve JUSTICE NOW !!!!!
Thanks for the article!! I am planning to travel to Nicaragua next year, so it was wonderful to get some leads about good ecological projects. If you all make it down to Colombia, I live in Tunja and can give you tons of leads here!
Thanks, Noah! I’ll pass this along to Leti and Ryan. They will be glad to hear from you!
Thanks friend! If you send your information in Colombia maybe we find you on the road! If you wanna get in touch you can contact us on the website http://www.comuntierra.org. Blessings!
The Law of Exceptions
http://unpfii10.blogspot.com/2011/10/law-of-exceptions.html
Solidarity from Abya Yala North
Cuachilchicameh Izkaloteca
I think we’re probably protesting in the wrong location. Let’s take this fight to their home ground – on of the issues is the Canadian transnational First Majestic Silver Corp. Unlike the US, Canadians have not been nearly as toxic to their indiginous people.
Take this fight to First Majestic Silver’s front yard, Vancouver BC. http://www.firstmajestic.com
Tracy, you have really helped this group get some recognition. I hope for thier skae as well as the Mexican country how important this is. Progress is fine but not at the expense of history!!
Thank you Tracy for reporting from the ground, with this powerful demonstration of solidarity for the Wixarika and their sacred lands! Sending prayers and support for protection of Wirikuta, and the people who have cared for it, for so long.
We Have a treasure, we have you as a friend of sweet eyes and caring diligence.
The Esperanza Project.
There´s Hope
I add 3 mp3 I recorded of the event
http://www.ivoox.com/consejo-visiones-movimientos-sociales-1-audios-mp3_rf_900184_1.html
http://www.ivoox.com/consejo-visiones-movimientos-sociales-2-audios-mp3_rf_900193_1.html
http://www.ivoox.com/consejo-visiones-consejos-plenaria-audios-mp3_rf_900240_1.html
Gracias Amigo querido, your presence is a gift as well.
The sound files are a little jewel captured in time. Thank you so much.
The Law of Exceptions
Open Letter to the Ministers of State and the Public Societies of Canada-US-Mexico
NAFTA and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
October 27, 2011
http://unpfii10.blogspot.com/2011/10/law-of-exceptions.html
Dear Ms.Barnett,
We are four students of the 1st Master Human nutrition & rural development: Tropical Agriculture at the University of Gent. Thursday, we are giving a presentation about Silvopastoral systems for the subject Tropical Animal production. We will also talk about El Hatico as a case-study. Therefore we would like to use some pictures. Because it is a Virtual Tour it is not possible to save the pictures. Is it possible to send me some pictures by email?
Thanks in advance!
Yours sincerely,
Ellen Velkeneers
With your permission I will use the pictures from the article. So you can ignore my previous comment.
Thank you Tracy, for sharing the voices of these friends–and your own; I agree, bring on the butterflies!
Tracy, Bring on the butterflies is right! We’ve all got to think globally but act locally. Everyone can do something to help make a difference. Thanks for a great post! Cheers, Denise
Thanks for your words, Tracy. They express much the same sentiment I´ve been feeling, ringing in the New Year in Valledupar, visitng Kogui and Arhuaco villages in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
Change is in the air, and in ourselves. Saludos!!
Gracias Tracy for the lovely post. Many of my Amigos here in Guatemala are expressing optimism about this coming year-especially the younger folks. I agree wholeheartedly-Bring on the butterflies.
How wonderful it would be if everyone in our world would take a step back and see what irrevocable damage we have done to our planet in the name of Growth and Progress. Instead of abusing our world, we should all work together to preserve the wonders that we have been given in our surroundings.
Tracy, thanks for a lovely post. Yes, many things are stirring across the earth. It seems hungry with change and transformation. Dianne and I had similar thoughts as we saw the last rays of the 2011 sun sink into the Pacific Ocean. It is an incredible moment to be alive isn’t it?! Missing you. Jeff
Let’s ask First Majestic Silver those very questions!
Try First Majestic Silver Info@firstmajestic.com
[Their new info officer is Mr Martin Palacios]
An article that examines First Majestic and its corporate culture, as well as its PR strategy, can be found here:
http://lapoliticaeslapolitica.blogspot.com/2012/01/12_18.html
I stand united with you and your stance!
A good article. We are all on the wixarika pilgrimage. The birth of the sun is everybody’s concern.
Thank you for sharing the story of this important pilgrimage! My heart and my prayers go with the Wixarika. Gratitude for the rain from the deserts of New Mexico, we know how precious they are.
We are all part of this renewal, and many, many of us are waking up to our personal and collective song that will revive and quench the heart of the Earth.
Congratulations for a great complementary article to your already very informative first one. Thank you for all the up-dating and encouraging news!
Juan
Thank you all for bringing us reason to be hopeful! Viva Wirikuta!
Gracias Tracy, por compartir la historia de este gran rezo al mundo entero, yo me uno a él. “Wirikuta el ombligo del mundo”
Thanks for being so thorough about the significance of this sacred land. Wirikuta is the heart of many nations’ prayers and healing. As people that believe and pray with the sacred medicine around the world, we must support and pray along with our sisters and brothers of the Wirrarika nation so that this land will thrive and future generations can have this land as their sanctuary.
Hello Tracy!
My name is Julia, I’m from Russia.
A friend of mine attended the event that you are describing. And I wanted to ask you to help me.
Do you know or can you have the contacts of journalists who were filming on the mountain Wirikuta? I need to find as many photos from this event. Please help if possible.
Thanks for the travel blog. We’re on the Pacific North Coast of Nicaragua in the Padre Ramos Estuary and Nature Reserve. We’d love to share information about our mutual permaculture projects with like-minded permies and travelers. Hasta pronto!!
Hi, Jenn! Good to hear from you! If you’d like to do a little writeup with photos about your project, I’d be happy to post it here! With regards to networking – Have you checked out the Red Latinoamericana de Ecoaldeas on Facebook? That’s a good place to start networking with permaculturists – also they just launched a new organization, CASA, in Colombia at the recent Llamado de la Montaña. I hope to write something about it soon but in the meantime if you monitor the page of the Red you will probably see something about it there. Saludos! Stay in touch!
This is a fantastic, inspiring, and deeply reassuring article…my heart sings to think of you all there and the powerful and important alliances that were made. To envision everybody working together encourages me to know that this is happening, Wirikuta will be protected! Viva Wirikuta!!!
Most amazing and heart opening!!! Very inspirational I am so happy to have Leti and Ryan and everyone working together with love and light!!! xoxoxo
These three articles are wonderful. They moved my heart and they bring me great hope for the people of Sierra Madre and the world. As a united force for the good of the planet, they will be unstoppable.
Many prayers and blessings for the people of these sacred lands,
Rick
Can you please start posting the dates that these blogs were published? They’re useful but I’m trying to use them for research and it would be good to know what information is current.