Members of NPRF defining principles
What is solidarity? The question settles in the minds of 15 Hondurans sitting around a table in Siguatepeque, a town in the pinewood mountains of Honduras. It is Feb. 13th, and 100 representatives from 12 of Honduras’s 18 departments have come together to define the principals of the National Popular Resistance Front (NPRF).
When Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a coup d’état on June 28th for proceeding with a survey regarding possibility creating a Constitutional Assembly, it was clear that two main objectives of the of the NPRF were the reinstatement of Manuel Zelaya as the legally elected president, and continuation of constitutional reform under the a Constitutional Assembly.
However, more than six months later – after contested elections, and the inauguration of Porfirio Lobo, a president recognized by Canada, the United States, Costa Rica, and many other countries in the hemisphere – members of the National Popular Resistance Front have to define not only what they are against, but also what they are for.
I am sitting with teachers, indigenous peoples, artists, lawyers, factory workers, and doctors. One of the teachers says, ¨Solidarity is the action of working to help another person or group of persons in times of struggle.¨ A union member responds, ¨For me, solidarity is a common sentiment of a people struggling against the powerful for justice.¨
Solidarity has become a loaded word in the NPRF along with participatory democracy, equality, sovereignty and change from the bottom up. They´ve been used so many times by the NPRF that Porfirio Lobo´s government has caught on and began to employ these words in letters to citizens and organizations. In December, Lobo invited non-governmental organizations to discuss human rights with party members in an attempt to foster what he labeled participatory democracy.
Although the process of defining principals may appear tedious, Hugo Cavedo, member of the Moviemiento Amplio por la Dignidad y Justicia, says “Before we have a Constitutional Assembly, we need to have a reeducation”. Juan Riverera, a lawyer in the NPRF adds on that before citizens are ready for constitutional change, they need to understand the present constitution and why it has not worked. Some members of NPRF argue that extreme poverty has multiplied three times since the constitution was instated in 1982. Gerrardo Sanchez, a professor and lawyer sums to the constitutional dilemma simply, “There is not a balance of power in the three branches of government as in other countries like the U.S.” According to Gerrardo, the Congress holds too much power. In addition to writing laws, the one house Congress appoints the Supreme Court Justices, the judges for lower district courts, and appoints the prosecuting attorny in charge of the Tribunal de Cuentas (the government insitution in charge of investigation of corruption). As of June 28th, when the president of Congress, Roberto Micheletti, led the coup against Manuel Zelaya, it appears, that Congress also has the power to oust defiant presidents.
NPRF members incorporating principles into their platform
In February, 100 NPRF members are defining the principles of their political and social movement. In March, 800 members will hold a mock Constitutional Assembly to practice and reflect on the changes desired to be seen. At our table, Javi Martinez, a doctor has finally come upon a definition of solidarity that gains consensus. “Solidarity is the attitude and practice of a person or a group of people to help respond to the needs of another person or group of persons.”
Later, after the discussions are complete, and the principles have been incorporated in the definition of the NPRF, a member of COPINH, an organization of indigenous persons approaches me. He asks me, “How can you and your country help support my people.”
In Honduras 71% of Indigineous people live below the poverty line. "Scavenging for a Living, Honduras" by Sharon