VIDEO posted on November 24, 2010 by Michael

Guatemala song

→Canadian Foreign Policy, →Health

In April and May of 2010, a group of nine third year nursing students from the West Kootenay region of Canada, accompanied by one instructor, and one community volunteer, travelled to Guatemala as part of an International Practice experience. We traveled to over ten different communities to witness community development, empowerment, collaboration and health promotion, and to engage in solidarity with those who we met. We were particularly interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the relationship between poverty, inequality, a lack of human rights, and an individual's, communities', or population's state of health. 

We were the fifth group of nursing students from the area to travel to Guatemala, and as such took this opportunity to reconnect with project partners from years past to rekindle caring relationships that were already made. These project partners kindly brought us into their villages and homes to meet with community members and share with us their experience, wisdom, and knowledge with only one expectation: for us to share their stories. 

This song was written by Mike and Ivan, two nursing students, while in Guatemala. It is performed by Ivan and NIck. All photos were taken on this trip to Guatemala in various communities by Mike and Ivan.

Lyrics:

Guatemala Song

Chorus:

Children walk in the power

Children walk in the power

Walk in the power, children

Walk in the power, children

Walk in the power. Walk in the power. Walk in the power, children.

Verse 1: 

What does it mean to live free? I've been asking myself since 2003. Oppression masked as economics, ideology- the Western version of democracy. Once with weapons, now the stock exchange: Guatemalan labour for pocket change. With honour, their heads they lift. Indigenous respond with a raised fist. For their children, for the people, they resist. For the children, for the people, they resist.

Chorus:

Verse 2: 

It started in 1954 when the people knew who they were voting for. It didn't last long, as U.S. backed coup due to the C.I.A and United Fruit. And it's easy to forget and disengage: ignorance is bliss- this is what they say. They raped womyn as they cried. Killed hundreds of thousands: an official genocide. Engaged in the struggle as Ernesto has done; we move for peace united under the people's sun.

Chorus:

Verse 3:

The struggle is over the elite will say. I've seen first hand it continues to this day. This colonialism, this is Gold corp. This is Canadian mining, their vision is short. Just as we destroy Afghanistan we're exploiting Guatemala with our pension plan. We sit in their homes as the abuelas weep. Brutal repression, the situation is deep. Food, water, shelter they contaminate. Their slogan reads, "we produce at the lowest rate." People's lives Gold corp. will compromise. This psychopathic practice will be their demise. Indigenous respond with raised fists. For their children, for the people, they resist!

Chorus.