Whenever I ask North Americans who visit Honduras as volunteer members
of medical brigades, church mission teams, or student groups what
draws them to the country and keeps them returning on a regular basis,
the answer I most frequently receive is... "The warmth, the humility
and the gratitude of the people".
I firmly believe that there is a natural desire to "give" within human
beings, particularly when people see that, by doing so, they can make
a major difference in the lives of others, with relatively little
investment of resources. I believe that most of the thousands of
individuals who travel to Honduras each year to provide their time,
talents, and expertise to Hondurans in need simply want to help. They
are not overly concerned about whether or not what they are doing
truly serves some macro development strategy for the country. They
just want to assist one individual, one community at a time.
Volunteers seldom demand a lot "pats on the back" or other expressions
of appreciation. I have noticed that individuals such as these already
tend to be so highly goal-oriented and self-motivated that they do not
require much "hand holding" or encouragement. It is usually enough for
them to see a project completed well, and afterward derive
satisfaction from observing the faces of the people (... particularly
children) who will benefit from their work.
Still, occasionally it is a good idea to celebrate the accomplishments
and vision of volunteers, and that is precisely one of the drivers
behind the Conference on Honduras on October 24-26, 2003, in Copan
Ruins. Note that I did not say "honor" the accomplishments and vision,
but rather "celebrate", because we do not want to fall into that
sticky old trap of glorifying anything or anyone. As the saying
goes... "let's keep it real". After all, we're all in the same boat,
aren't we?
The Conference on Honduras 2003 will bring together nearly 200
volunteers and individuals who work for humanitarian or social
development organizations. It will serve as a forum to exchange
information about ongoing and future projects in the areas of
education, healthcare, and community building. It is not often that
this broad mix of high-calibre individuals and groups come together in
a private setting with no agenda other than to share information and
establish personal relationships. Ladies and gentlemen, we could be
looking at a milestone event here.
Thus, I am heartened by the strong show of support the Conference has
received from various sectors of Honduran society, including tourism,
culture and media.
Sol Air airlines, for example, is offering registered conferees
traveling from the United States a 50% discount on airfares from Miami
and Dallas. Mesoamerica Travel SA of San Pedro Sula is assisting
conferees with lodging reservations in Copan Ruins. The Municipality
of Copan Ruins is donating the hall for the Conference. Renowned
Honduran archaeologist, Ricardo Agurcia of the Copan Association, will
give a lecture on Mayan civilization at the Hotel Marina Copan for the
conferees and has offered to provide a free tour of the ruins.
No event stands much chance of succeeding without public exposure.
Washington, DC-based Honduran journalist Jacobo Goldstein has been
invaluable in spreading the word through his articles in La Tribuna
newspaper and his broadcasts via HRN Radio. And, of course, there is
Honduras This Week, whose owner and editor Mario Gutierrez has always
generously provided column space for this writer and has offered
advertisement space gratis.
Last but not least, the Honduran Government's Institute of Tourism
will host a "Hospitality Suite" at the Hotel Marina Copan on October
23, the evening before the start of the Conference. This will be an
informal event designed to welcome conferees to Copan Ruins and
provide them with information on all the wonderful things to do and
see locally and throughout Honduras. The Institute wants to show its
appreciation to the conferees for their work in support of Honduras.
It is this type of spontaneous and creative cooperation from Honduras'
citizens, business community and government that will make it a
pleasure for planners to bring the Conference back to Honduras every
year.
For more information regarding the Conference on Honduras, see
www.projecthonduras.com/conference or e-mail hondopost.....com.
Marco
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