Que todo fluya y nada influya…
This is a popular saying in Spanish that translates to “let everything flow and nothing influence.” My time in Guatemala has led me to reflect on this phrase and its significance within a reality that seems to be defined by “flows” and “influences” in both a literal and conceptual sense. At work, I focused on modeling water flows within an urban watershed while also attempting to map out stakeholders with the ability to influence integrated resource management. Throughout my time there I witnessed firsthand the critical situation pushing migrant flows across Central America and the forces that influence their direction. Furthermore, all of this has been taking place within a political framework that influences the ability of development projects to mitigate these crises by cutting off crucial flows of donor funding and creating instability.
My work in Guatemala deepened my understanding of sustainable approaches to increasing resilience by connecting some of the things I feel the most passionate about—women, water, urbanization, and disaster mitigation. I helped PCI widen the scope of their current projects by shifting toward strategies that include watersheds as a fundamental component of resilience. Over the summer, I met with various civil society organizations (CSOs), government officials, community leaders, and environmental NGOs to map out the institutional framework and the stakeholders who function within it. One of the main institutional barriers to integrating watershed management into development projects, environmental initiatives, and city planning is the fact that Guatemala does not currently have any water laws. Furthermore, there is little enforcement of zoning laws. For example, La Limonada, the largest urban slum in Central America, is still listed on municipal maps as an uninhabited ravine despite people having lived there since 1958. The combination of informal settlements and Guatemala’s geology is a recipe for disaster, as the laws of nature are governed by forces much stronger than human attempts to invade their path. For this reason, I was so excited to work with PCI and learn from their celebrated approaches to integrated risk management and urban resilience.
As I analyzed Guatemala’s water flows in a geological sense, I focused on topography and its gravitational consequences. However, the process of adding human settlements into this picture is one that has made me think about the socioeconomic realities that continue to push rural and other migrant peoples into the deep ravines that cut across the capital city. These rural to urban migration flows have been driven by a climate crisis that has impeded agricultural development and led to increased poverty and malnutrition. Pointedly, the primary reason for migration from the country’s western highlands region is starvation. However, not all of the migratory flows in Guatemala follow the search for food. Remnants of Guatemala’s history of violence continue to plague the country—both in the home and in the streets. Gang and severe domestic violence are also push factors that drive Guatemalans to migrate. Furthermore, while urbanization is rapid in Guatemala and throughout Central America, many of these migratory flows are headed north with the United States as their intended destination.
Much of this reflection has led my thoughts to follow these flows to the country of which I am a citizen. As the daughter of immigrants who moved north in search of better opportunity for their children, it has been difficult to keep my mind focused on anything other than the situation happening at the US southern border. Despite the fact that I was involved in work that intends to create an environment in which the necessity to migrate is reduced, the present reality is one that makes me feel ashamed of and appalled by my country on a daily basis. Furthermore, the consequences of current US politics has put the work of PCI and other USAID implementers in jeopardy.
However, as discussed earlier, not all of the obstacles standing in the way of achieving successful development projects in Guatemala are a product of US politics; many are the consequence of local institutions. I arrived in the country at an interesting time for local politics: Guatemala’s elections took place on my third day in country. These elections occurred amidst a breakdown in anti-corruption initiatives like the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), and claims of illegal political funding and fraud at the polls were and are heard throughout the media and everyday conversation. The results of several local level elections are being contested as constituents attempt to force a recount by blocking roads or gathering signatures. Therefore, development initiatives have to be creative in their approach during these periods of political limbo.
It was amazing to learn from the PCI team here throughout this process. As an organization, PCI has a long and successful history of adapting to on-the-ground political realities and working with local leaders to ensure sustainability. Also, the team’s supportive guidance and willingness to think about new and innovative approaches to overcoming and mitigating problems was empowering in my growth as a development professional. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have constructed a work plan based around my professional interests and humbled by the responsibilities I have been given as a graduate fellow. Furthermore, being able to contribute the methodologies that I created in my previous work to strengthen PCI’s women’s empowerment program has provided continuity in my career and reignited the spark that led me to choose this career in the first place. On a personal level, this experience has allowed me to guide the “flows” of what I am learning and choose what “influences” my professional decisions.