Friday, the 17th of October

In the morning, at Quaker House, Joe Connolly gives us a very informative historical background of Nicaragua, in which we learn how Spanish imperialism as well as US interventions in the local government have rather sadly marked the development of the country. Still today with the beginning of democracy, the majority of the people cannot meet their daily material needs. But at the same time it is said that Nicaraguans know how to enjoy life because of their awareness of impermanence and of what is essential.

At midday we cross a part of Managua to go to cultural center Hispamer, to share an afternoon of mindfulness for about 80 people of all ages; upon arriving we are welcomed by a crew of young people joyfully and wholeheartdely involved in organising the event.

Brother Phap Lieu opens the sharing  by taking the exemple of the Vietnam war to illustrate the impossibility for people to be happy when no reconcialtion happens between parties in a country ; he then continues by asking this important  question : « what is true love ? » and so developing the four aspects of True Love in Buddhism. After him, Sister Boi Nghiem connects and touches deeply people's hearts while sharing true stories about violence, abuses and forgiveness, ending by saying that « peace is essential in our days, because we all need it » and « to make Nicaragua more beautiful, we need to live in the present moment ! ».

tangerine meditation

The event ends with powerful and grounded questions from the audience, about the pratice of deep listening, slowing down at work and especially handling situation of violence with the pratice of mindfulness ; all these questions reveal the tonality of this day which has been for all of us a great opportunity to discover more deeply Nicaraguan social issues and the people's main concerns.