OYE el Cambio: Spring 2012 Newsletter

EXTRA EXTRA! Read up on the latest at OYE in our quarterly newsletter! It's totally CHEKE!

OYE featured by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Tegucigalpa

Many thanks to Dani Zelaya of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Tegucigalpa for donating a space to OYE in its next magazine and for the design of the ad. / Mil gracias a Dani Zelaya de la Cámara de Comercio e Industria de Tegucigalpa por haber donado un espacio a OYE en su próxima revista y por el diseño del anuncio.

Three Students Complete OYE Internships

DeAngela Alexander (Left), María Suyapa Reyes (Center), and Amy Williamson (Right)

Many thanks to DeAngela Alexander, María Suyapa Reyes, and Amy Williamson for their time and hard work as OYE interns. Read below for some thoughts the interns have left about their internship and time in Honduras.

"Some of the rewarding experiences that I gained while interning and living in Honduras were meeting so many inspiring and admirable Hondurans, becoming a part and truly embracing another culture, and working for an Organization that affects true change in the lives of Honduran youth. OYE is an organization that empowers youth to make changes in their lives and in the lives of their families and communities. I had the privilege of witnessing this first hand, and I will never forget how resilient and strong these Honduran youth are." -DeAngela Alexander, Mary Baldwin College Social Work Intern

"I feel so welcomed at all times. The people here are super friendly in a way you don't see in many places in America. Coming here I have learned so much about who I am. I have learned that I can live in a developing country and survive, people are willing to help you if you ask, and that patience really is a virtue. When I stepped off the plane, I was second guessing the decision and I honestly did not think I could live here. I hadn’t given the country a chance yet, and I was only judging by what I saw immediately around me. After 3 months of living it, breathing it in, seeing it, Honduras really is an amazing place and I can’t wait to come back!" -Amy Williamson, Mary Baldwin College Social Work Intern

"I'm done! I've loved my experience at OYE and working with the staff. My favorite thing at OYE has simply been sharing time with everyone and getting to make new friends. I've also enjoyed getting to know much more about the organization. It's not just about coming to OYE once every Saturday but spending each day year. That's how you can get an idea about what's going on. One can choose to give back or not, and I think you get to learn a lot just be being at OYE." -María Suyapa Reyes, UNITEC Intern

Universos Diversos: A Dialogue on Gender that Builds our Community

By Martin Calix, OYE Volunteer from Honduras and Writer

Reflections on Gender Equality after the artistic exhibition by the Center for Women's Rights (Centro de los Derechos de la Mujer, CDM) and their project, Universos Diversos.

Exhibition at OYE on Gender Equality by Universos Diversos (Martin Calix)

With the clear intention of breaking of the cultural codes of our society today, women artists in Honduras are contributing to the great struggle for equality between genders. This time, these voices have come from a project that advances the subject, Universos Diversos (Diverse Universes), which brings women and their artwork in the spotlight.

Artistic piece displayed at OYE (Calix)

Universos Diversos emerges as a project that appears as a process rather than as something ephemeral. Initially, the sexual and reproductive rights of women were the main themes and included artistic work and a series of workshops that address these and other issues that affect women.

From the points of view of individual participants in the formulation of collective concepts, up to the creation of artwork, the project is a fascinating and multidisciplinary process that reveals the diversity of feminist thought.

The project ​​generates a process for developing awareness of the creativity of women in the art world.  Until true equality materializes, however, these efforts alone will not suffice.

Monologue performed at OYE in March 2012 (Calix)

I do not mean to discredit Universos Diversos. I believe it is a noble initiative, raising awareness about the problem of violence against women and femicide, revealing the atrocious conditions that many women live through, always respecting their anonymity.

My question is whether art is a necessary tool to raise awareness. In actuality it is only the starting point. What these artists hope will happen in society cannot be accomplished by women's efforts alone. This is when men too need to stand up and take part in the movement, advocating for gender equality.

Aristic piece on display at OYE in March 2012 (Calix)

From the debate that Universos Diversos has generated, it has become evident that humanity's machismo has blinded us for thousands of years. That is why we are still debating the topic of gender equality to this day.

But for how much longer will we need to debate? When will we as humans finally get it right?

For more information, see Martin Calix's blog

Interpretive dance performance at OYE in March 2012 (Calix)

Photography of toy dolls (Calix)

OYE youth engaging in the artistic exhibition

Seattle International Foundation Awards OYE with $25,000

The Seattle International Foundation has just approved a grant of $25,000.00 to the Organization for Youth Empowerment (OYE)! Specifically, $20,000 has been allocated to support OYE's work promoting education, youth leadership and youth community action in El Progreso, Honduras. In addition, $5,000 will go to support OYE’s coordination and leadership to convene Seattle International Foundation partners working on youth leadership for a retreat to share best practices and build alliances. This means that OYE will serve as the home base for a powerful conference on youth empowerment involving youth actors from across Central America. OYE extends its warmest gratitude to everyone at Seattle International Foundation, and we accept the honor of hosting the Central American youth retreat with enthusiasm and graciousness. Thank you again for your support, and we look forward to working together this year.

La Fundación Internacional de Seattle acaba de aprobar una subvención de $ 25.000 a OYE Adelante Jóvenes! En concreto, 20.000 dólares van a apoyar el labor de OYE con respecto a la promoción de la educación, el liderazgo juvenil y la acción comunitaria en El Progreso, Yoro, Honduras. Además, $5.000 apoyarán un retiro para los socios regionales de la Fundación Internacional de Seattle que trabajan en el liderazgo juvenil para compartir las mejores prácticas y formar alianzas. OYE servirá como la base de operaciones para una conferenciade de gran alcance sobre el empoderamiento de los jóvenes con la participación de los actores juveniles de toda Centroamerica. OYE extiende su agradecimiento a todos en La Fundación Internacional de Seattle y aceptamos el honor de ser la sede del retiro para los líderes juveniles de Centroamerica con entusiasmo y amabilidad. Gracias de nuevo por su apoyo y esperamos poder trabajar juntos este año.

OYE featured in the Huffington Post

Check out Michael Solis's recent article on OYE entitled "The Ethics of Story Telling: Documenting Change in Honduran Youth" on the Huffington Post's Impact Page. Happy reading...and all comments are welcome below the article!