Spanish school, Research Station, Sustainable tourism, Ecotourism, Fish studies, Bird and other nature studies, Reforestation and Conservation Activities and Hostel in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, Nicaragua. Birdwatching, SCUBA diving, swimming, hiking, nature and wildlife watching. Hostel, great meals, great friends. Saving the planet and enjoying every minute of it!
www.gaianicaragua.org.
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Learning Spanish requires a lot of effort over a long period on the part of the learner and accurate guidance from well-planned classes to keep the student out of grammatical pitfalls. Gaia has been training Spanish language teachers for decades, and the best school in Nicaragua use teachers that have been trained by us. We take seriously the goal of Spanish language learning and we invest in the training of our teachers to provide the best pedagogical tools for learning. Our Spanish courses in Estación Biológica Laguna de Apoyo are famous, having existed for longer than at any other Spanish school in Nicaragua.
January is always a busy month in Estación Biológica in Laguna de Apoyo, and this past January was no different. Among our many activities was a workshop for Spanish language teacher training, held in the shade of our marvelous trees 29 January. Mayela Blas, who herself began her career as a Spanish language teacher with us in Apoyo Spanish School, conducted the workshop with thirteen participants. Our teachers were exposed to some of the theoretical aspects of language transmission, as well as some of the practical elements of Spanish language instruction such as lesson planning techniques.
Participants came from neighboring departments and Managua, and were given an excellent presentation by Mayela. More of these events will be programmed during the year 2016 at Apoyo Spanish School. We consider our job to teach our students and to make all the Spanish language teachers, throughout the country, as capable and responsive to the needs of the students as is possible. We have been the Spanish school that teaches the teachers for a long time, and as this workshop demonstrates, we continue to provide assistance to the entire community of Spanish teachers. In addition, we used the workshop as our moment to launch our newest project at Gaia: Managua Spanish School.
Now, Gaia provides two different options for learning Spanish, both in Laguna de Apoyo, and in the Managua area. Professionals who can't travel far from the capital may find Managua Spanish School just the right fit.
Would you like to be involved as a Spanish language teacher? Additional workshops will be conducted during the year 2016, including topics from the use of poetry and prose in teaching Spanish, how to evaluate student language progress, and teaching techniques for specific applications.
Or perhaps you would like to learn to speak Spanish. We are prepared to help you learn Spanish, from the most elementary levels to the finer points of fluency. We can provide Spanish instruction for you in Laguna de Apoyo or in Managua. Please contact us for more information.
En la guerra más terrible de toda la historia del ser humano, perecieron hasta 85 millones de vidas. Y la nación que sufrió más, podria ser la Unión Soviética. En tan sola la Batalla de Estalingrado, las vidas perdidas podrían haber llegado a dos millones. Los rusos nunca se olvidarán. La comunidad rusa en Nicaragua, incluyendo numerosos nicaragüenses que han convivido con los rusos en momentos importantes en sus vidas, celebró la victoria sobre las fuerzas alemanas este pasado 9 de mayo, el septuagésimo aniversario de la victoria, en un pequeño acto cultural. Rusos recordaron las pérdidas en sus propias familias, y se aprovecharon la oportunidad de expresar su solidaridad con Nicaragua y convivir un momento de alegría. El Programa Gaia de FUNDECI participó en la celebración, y a continuación hay fotos y videos de diferentes momentos en el evento.
Foto Jeffrey McCrary.
Foto Jeffrey McCrary.
Foto Jeffrey McCrary.
Foto Jeffrey McCrary.
Foto Jeffrey McCrary.
Foto Jeffrey McCrary.
Foto Jeffrey McCrary.
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When I was a child, I loved the circus. Part of the attraction was the large animals, lions, tigers, and elephants that performed all the while appearing to teeter on the edge between obedience and deadly defiance. Only much later had it occurred to me that these animals are not like dogs, cats, and livestock, which have evolved in close association with us and no longer can live in the wild. Lions, tigers, and several other animals that are part of the spectacle of many circuses do not depend on humans for their lives and do not seek human companionship naturally.
Tigers are part of many circuses, but in the end, they are not pets, they are wild animals.
Later, it occurred to me that tigers are in their natural habitat are in danger of disappearing from the face of the earth. Hunting, the international trade in wild animals for spectacles and exotic food, and habitat reduction have reduced tiger populations to the point of extinction. I was appalled that the world continued to act as always, with very little concern for this dramatic news. The contradiction between being able to place humans on the moon but unable to save such emblematic animals as tigers speaks poorly for our century.
Tigers are not only rare, endangered species, they are wild animals that merit life according to their nature. Wild animals like tigers should live and die in the jungle, not in cages. When I realized that wild animals were subjected to harsh, severe treatments to perform in the circus, it made me think more about what circuses meant for tigers and other wild animals, even those whose populations in the wild are not at risk of extinction. For these animals, life in a cage means privation from what is found in their spirits. None of them would choose to live in dependence of people, in a cage, if only their cage doors were left open.
Furthermore, as the video above demonstrates, the circuses which make great presentations in Nicaragua do not treat these animals in any way as they should be treated. Imagine what it might mean to a tiger to be transported in the back of a pickup truck through the city of Managua. As the video shows, the animal became frightened, and his own reaction led to chaos inside the parking lot of Channel 10.
Fortunately, this animal did not harm anyone, nor was he harmed physically in the frightening event. But the video demonstrates what we already know, that tigers are not really appropriate to drive around town in pickup trucks or hang out with people.
Protestors against the use of wild animals in circuses appeared by the hundreds! Photo Ilse Diaz.
Children of Nicaragua are just like any other children. They love clowns and music, and all the fanfare surrounding circuses. The child in all of us does. It had not occurred to me that circuses could do things different than those of my childhood, really, until I visited Europe and friends took me to see Cirque du Soleil. The entire circus was magical. Although I was older, it made me feel the thrills that I remembered when I saw the circus as a child. But there were no animals in the circus. No tigers, lions, nor elephants, not even dogs. The entire process of the animal-free circus was seductive. There were no signs outside proclaiming, "ANIMAL-FREE CIRCUS", no activists shaming me into purchasing a ticket. It was as if the animal issue were not even there. It was a fun circus, in fact it was memorable. And, it didn't have animals.
The use of wild animals in the circus is still permitted in Nicaragua, but many people actively oppose it. Photo Ilse Diaz.
One of the regional circuses recently came to Managua, Circo de Renato, from Mexico. This circus circulates throughout the region, from country to country, and Managua is visited regularly. Their use of animals is widely known and can be seen on lots of you-tube videos, such at this one:
Tigers in Circo Renato.
Must a circus have wild animals to be fun? Of course not. What if?
What if?
The rights of an animal in Nicaragua are only now getting defined, legally. A recently passed law, Ley 747, requires that all domesticated animals be given humane treatment, even animals for consumption such as chickens and cows. The concept of animal welfare is new to Nicaragua, and some practices such as cockfighting and even worse practices are common in the countryside. The law makes a solid first step toward the treatment of domesticated animals, and even provides for animal sacrifice in the case of meat, cockfighting, and circuses. However, what is not clear is what should happen to animals that are clearly not domesticated. Some animals, even when born in captivity, are by nature wild. How should these animals be treated?
Many people in Nicaragua think circuses should not use wild animals in their performances. Photo Ilse Diaz.
How Nicaragua chooses to treat wild animals has many implications. The first is that an important message can be transmitted to all, that animals have rights which also restrict us. We really don't lose much today if we can not see the animals in the circus, because the television shows with wild animals are every day more graphic. We can unite with Costa Rica, where circuses are not allowed to use animals. Another implication is that wild animals from our own forests can be protected more easily. Lots of wild animals in Nicaragua are captured and sold into the pet trade, and some of them become used in similar ways to circuses, adorning the entrances to hotels, restaurants and tourist centers.
A circus without animals is possible! Photo Ilse Diaz.
Several groups of animal rights advocates in Nicaragua have united to demonstrate their discontent regarding the use of wild animals in the Circo de Renato, which is now showing in Managua. Last Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators arrived and made a peaceful presentation near the entrance of the circus. Another demonstration will occur this coming Saturday, beginning at 3 pm, and will continue until the circus stops showing wild animals or leaves.
The circus had more people demonstrating against it than in paying customers last Saturday. Photo Ilse Diaz.
The law regarding animal welfare in Nicaragua does not explicitly prohibit the use of animals. Furthermore, the law has not been applied with a series of regulations. We are hoping the National Assembly will provide for regulations that are clear with respect to humane treatment of the animals in public spectacles such as circuses. These regulations should be sent to a vote in the assembly soon.
Many people participated in the protest against the use of animals in the circus. Photo Ilse Diaz.
By insisting that circuses not use animals, we can generate a more educated, informed and sensitive public, where the issues of wild animals is taught to all, starting at an early age. Instead of capturing wild animals for use in circuses, we can work to protect their rights to live and die in the jungle, according to their nature. All children like to see wild animals, but there is no need for them to visit a circus to see them in stressful situations, far from their natural habitat. Wild animals should live and die in their natural habitat, not in a cage. We can watch them on Animal Planet!
Some mothers brought their children to demonstrate against the circus, rather than to pay for the use of wild animals in cages. Photo Ilse Diaz.
These protests are having their effect. The visitors to the circus are not as high as the owners had probably expected. In fact, Renato was seen watching the protest, with a despondent look. The demonstrators are not bothering anyone, they are simply expressing their point of view without provoking any impacts on vehicular or foot traffic. The visitors to the circus enter and leave without any kind of threat or discomfort. Yet, all who have seen the demonstration have the chance to consider the issue and go down the path that I have also taken.
Drivers and passengers along the Masaya Highway honked in approval as they passed the demonstration. Photo Ilse Diaz.
There will be protests at the circus every Saturday, until the circus stops using animals or leaves. Photo Ilse Diaz.
Not all children want to see wild animals in cages! Photo Ilse Diaz.
Creative and fun protest was made pacifically, and the message regarding the use of animals in the circus was heard by many. Photo Ilse Diaz.
Animals are not clowns! Photo Ilse Diaz.
We would like to go to the circus, but please without using animals! Photo Ilse Diaz.
Demonstration against animals in the circus in Managua. Photo Ilse Diaz.
Lots of smiles were seen during the demonstration against animals in the circus. Photo Ilse Diaz.
The circus was practically empty, with more people outside protesting than paying customers. When will Renato produce a circus without animals? Photo Ilse Diaz.
Hundreds participated in the demonstration against the Circo de Renato last Saturday. Photo Ilse Diaz.
Many people participated and others waved and honked in approval as they passed. Photo Ilse Diaz.
Drivers, pedestrians and visitors to the circus went on their way with a message regarding the rights of the animals used by the circus. Photo Ilse Diaz.
How do we get to see circuses without animals? Photo Ilse Diaz.
The streets took on a happy aspect as drivers honked in support of the protection of animals. Photo Ilse Diaz.
Cars passed the demonstration, honking in approval. Photo Ilse Diaz.
Renato viewed the demonstration with concern, because few people actually paid to enter the circus last Saturday. Photo Ilse Diaz.
Another voice in favor of the circus without animals. Photo Ilse Diaz.
The treatment of animals has become a topic of much discussion in Nicaragua. Photo Ilse Diaz.
If you would like to participate in the advocacy of animal welfare in Nicaragua, there is much to do. Some people provide food, medicine, and sterilization to dogs that are found in the street without homes. FUNDECI/GAIA provides a shelter for several wild animals which are rescued from the pet trade or are found injured. We return them to the wild whenever it is feasible. You can volunteer or donate. We need food--nuts are especially needed for our macaws! Please call us at 8882-3992 or write us at apoyo@gaianicaragua.org if you would like to donate your time or provide for a meal for a rescued animal.
Varios reportes noticieros han salido al aire sobre el asunto de la Big Cola en los últimos días. Aquí se puede ver, por ejemplo, un reportaje de 100% Noticias (Jackson Orozco):
La Radio La Primerísima también ha participado en la divulgación de los asuntos de contaminación de agua y excesos de sonido en la Big Cola (oprima sobre la foto para el enlace):
Haga clic sobre la foto para enlace con Radio La Primerísima.
Haga clic en la foto para conectar al reporte de Boletín Ecológico.
Los vecinos reclaman por cumplimiento de leyes ambientales, sobre sonidos, vibraciones, y emisión de líquidos y gases, en un barrio urbano en Managua. Para participar en las protestas contra la contaminación de agua en el Lago Xolotlán, y la protección contra sonidos en el barrio, escribannos en fundeci@gmail.com. FUNDECI necesita del apoyo de cada persona interesada para proteger el medio ambiente.
Just in case anyone doesn't believe the videos and photos demonstrated in an earlier blog entry are real, here are more. Big Cola is considered to be a multinational, receiving the same support for its business as the other Free Trade Zone companies that do business in Nicaragua. These companies submit to strict regulations which control their activities. Nonetheless, policing is difficult for the government, even when relatively few companies are recalcitrant polluters. The case of Big Cola is dramatic, however, as can be seen in the videos below.
Wastewater from the Big Cola bottling plant in Managua is opaque and foamy. Is this within the standards for wastewater in Managua?
Water dumped from the Big Cola plant may vary from dark, bright red, or opaque white.
The owners of Big Cola, AJE Group, have promised to invest US$25 million in Nicaragua. This seems like a great plan, because Nicaragua needs investment and employment. Nonetheless, this investment must be placed appropriately, including to clean up the messes made by the company and to protect the neighbors from water pollution, gases, and noise. Additionally, workers in the Big Cola bottling plant must be protected from noise, as well.
Are you offended by these images and videos? Do you want to do something to keep Nicaragua clean and safe for everyone? Contact us. FUNDECI is working with the local community to bring the issue to the attention of local and national government authorities, and the public has much to do to pressure the government to act. We need your help to pressure the AJE Group to comply with Nicaraguan laws.
Toda actividad comercial debe acatar a un gran número de regulaciones ambientales para asegurar la protección de los suelos, el aire y el agua que nosotros ocupamos. No toda empresa actúa responsablemente. Es desafortunado que hay empresas que abusan de los principios básicos del cuido del planeta y el respeto hacia sus vecinos. Entre las empresas violadoras en Nicaragua, se encuentra la empresa embotelladora conocida por su producto más visible: Big Cola.
Este líquido rojo fue botada recientemente desde la planta Big Cola, operada por Aje Group, en Managua.
FUNDECI participa en una iniciativa local para exigir a la planta embotelladora Big Cola a acatar a estandares mínimos ambientales. La planta emite líquidos contaminantes en un cauce que corre directamente al Lago Xolotlán. Esta emisión es en violación directa y obvia de la ley en Nicaragua. Los líquidos emitidos son de diferentes colores opacos, como se fueran pinturas.
Big Cola bota agua severamente contaminada en un cauce en Managua.
Los vecinos de la planta han reportado olores feo, especialmente cuando la planta emite grandes cantidades de gases de sus tanques de alta presión. Nadie sabe precisamente que ellos emiten en esos eventos, pero el alarma provocada por el desinterés que la empresa demuestra, hace que los vecinos sospechen lo peor.
La maquinaria en esta planta emite mucha ruido, violando los derechos de los vecinos a la paz en su vecindario. Las indicaciones para niveles máximos de ruidos, manejadas por la Organización Mundial para la Salud, no son respetadas en la planta Big Cola, donde los ruidos en las casas de los vecinos llegan a niveles que afectan el bienestar fíisico y emocional de sus habitantes. Estas indicaciones son ley en Nicaragua.
El costado este de la planta embotelladora Big Cola en Managua.
Maquinaria pesada en la planta Big Cola también provocan vibraciones en la tierra. Los vecinos reportan miedo de un evento sísmico.
Se convocó una reunión pública en la planta embotelladora Big Cola en Managua, el 27 de junio del 2014. Asistieron oficiales de varios oficinas gubernamentales, la planta Big Cola, y vecinos, y representantes de FUNDECI. Los vecinos presentaron sus quejas sobre la contaminación y el ruido. Como se ve en las fotos y videos, la planta Big Cola produce ruidos que afectan a la salud de sus empleados y vecinos, y bota líquidos no tratados.
La planta Big Cola supuestamente se ampara en los acuerdos de CAFTA, pero esta protección no brinda ningún derecho de contaminar.
Deseas apoyarnos en la lucha para hacer que la Big Cola cumpla con las leyes ambientales? Contactanos!
Every commercial activity must abide by a multitude of regulations to ensure that it does not contaminate the air, water and soils with the rest of us also inhabit. Not all businesses act responsibly with respect to the basic principles of taking care of the earth and respecting your neighbors, however. Among them is a bottling plant known for its most visible product, Big Cola.
This red liquid was recently released from the Big Cola plant operated by Aje Group, in Managua.
FUNDECI is participating in a neighborhood initiative to force the Big Cola bottling plant to meet minimum environmental standards. The plant emits contaminating liquids into an adjacent ditch, which run directly into Lake Managua, also known as Lake Xolotlán. This is in obvious, direct violation of Nicaraguan law. The liquids often are of opaque colors, as if they were paints.
Big Cola dumps severely contaminated water into a drainage ditch in Managua.
Neighbors have reported noxious odors, especially following gas releases which can be heard coming from high-pressure tanks. No one knows precisely what is being released into the atmosphere in these events, but the alarm regarding the disregard for the environment shown by the company leads the neighbors to suspect the worst.
Machinery in this plant operates at a very high noise level, violating the rights of neighbors to a low levels of background noise. Indications for the adequate maximum noise levels in a neighborhood are developed by the World Health Organization of the United Nations. These guidelines are not respected at the Big Cola factory, where noises fill the surrounding neighborhoods at levels which affect the physical and emotional well-being of its occupants. The WHO indications are guidelines for sound contamination in Nicaraguan law.
The eastern side of the Big Cola bottling plant in Managua.
Heavy machinery in the Big Cola plant also create enormous vibrations of the ground. The neighbors have mentioned that they fear seismic repercussions from all this vibration.
A public meeting was held at the Big Cola bottling plant in Managua, 27 June 2014. The meeting was attended by officials from several Nicaraguan government offices, the Big Cola plant, and dozens of neighbors. In the meeting, the issues of noise and water and air pollution were presented. As can be seen in the photos and videos, the Big Cola bottling plant produces unhealthy levels of noise to its employees and the neighborhood and dumps liquids without proper treatment.
Since the Sandinista Revolution, Nicaragua has been marked by projects which reach the most remote corners of the society and involve people in self-realization, community growth, and economic development in unique ways. One "corner" of society which almost always remains at the back of the priorities in a poor society is that of disabled people. Many people living in a country as poor as Nicaragua find life too burdensome and resources too scarce to get help with their handicapped family members. Far too often, the world of a person facing some disability revolves around the television and the back patio of the home, because all the other members of the family are struggling to put food on the table.
Our friend Patricia Lopez directs an organization which addresses the needs of people with special needs in Managua. Asociacion Psicoballet Nicaragua offers physical and mental stimulation for disabled people, at prices scaled to the family economy of each participant. Many participants receive complete scholarships, because their families are disintegrated and without gainful employment. Others pay a small amount, in accordance with their self-declared capacity.
This past December, a gala performance by the young (and young-at-heart) members of this group was held in downtown Managua. The performers in costume performed their choreographed dances as parents, friends and allies watched. The students of Apoyo Spanish School made a special excursion to see this event, and Joyce Procure took photos and video shown here.
The challenges facing the participants of the gala are numerous, diverse, and in many cases, severe. But in each case, they could express themselves, with hands and feet, or if not, with their faces and eyes. The members of this group, with different kinds and severity of disabilities, learn to express themselves instead of hide, and to encourage and help one another.
Participation in an event like this just does not happen for children with disabilities in Nicaragua, unless of course their parents are millionaires. Thanks to Psicoballet Nicaragua, many young people who never exercise or express themselves, enjoy involvement in activities that those of us without disabilities may take for granted. These young people participate in a program of movement, exercise, and rhythm, where they learn to value their bodies just as they are, and to express themselves in movement. As the photos and video below demonstrate, these young people have great pride in themselves, as they performed on stage.
Each participant is facing a different challenge. Some have paralysis, others autism, schizophrenia or Down's syndrome. Some face challenges without names found in textbooks. All of them come from families who can't afford 24-hour, professional attention to their children's needs. Many of the parents are just barely getting food to the table for their families, and the majority of the families are broken. Asociacion Psicoballet Nicaragua gives the children in these settings opportunities within the possibilities that their families encounter.
Psicoballet Nicaragua is opening up a new dimension in the lives of handicapped people in Nicaragua. We are proud of them, because they help to make Nicaragua a happy place for some of the people too easily forgotten in our society. Following are several wonderful videos made by Joyce Procure, of the Gala 2012 in Downtown Managua.
.JPG "Big Cola Nicaragua")
.JPG "Big Cola")
