october 2011 recommendaons: fair trade shopping, books ......the “granitos” are the many...

October2011Recommenda1ons:FairTradeShopping,Books&Films

FeaturedProgram:MercadoGlobal,Guatemala

ThisMonth’sRecommenda1ons:

♀ FairTradeShopping♀Books♀ Videos&Films

FairTradeShoppingFromthismonth’sfeaturedprogram,MercadoGlobal:Everypurchasedirectlysupportsthetalentedar9sansbehinditscrea9on.

BeadsofStrengthNecklace.Sixteenthreadsofhand‐strungCzechglassbeadsandSwarovskicrystals.MadebythewomenofSanJorge.

ZigzagBrocadePillow.“ForthearIsansofAItlánithasbeenagreathelptobeableto

workwithMercadoGlobal–theorderswehaveworkedonhavehelpedussupportourfamilies.”‐CandelariaTacaxoy

OurthankstoCarolynMayersforthefollowingFairTradeShoppingRecommenda9ons:

Howaboutahand‐wovenapron?Scrolldow‐3rdfromtheboRom:hRp://www.garudainternaIonal.com/fair_trade_kitchen_texIles.htm

Maybeanewcell‐phonebag!Availableintwosizes/styles:hRp://www.oneworldprojects.com/products/phones.shtml

Ofcourse,Guatemalahassomeofthebestcoffeeintheworld.Whynotservesomeatyourdinner?hRp://www.groundsforchange.com/shop/product.php?pid=1

Finally,asaladbowlandservers!Readtheproducerstorythenscrolldown!hRp://www.oneworldprojects.com/products/wood‐guatemala.shtml

RecommendedBooks

Fic1onWhentheGroundTurnsinItsSleepbySylviaSellers‐GarciaThisimpressivedébutisnarratedbyNí9doAmán,ahigh‐schoolteacherborninGuatemalabutbroughtupinAmerica.Readingabouttheatroci9esofthenineteen‐eigh9eswarfareinhishomeland,Amánreturnsthere,inorder,hesays,"tofillthesilences"leNbyhisparentsandby"thewidemarginsofthenewspaper."Arrivingin1993inanisolatedvillagenearhisparents’birthplace,heismistakenforthetown’snewpriest,andfindshimselffurtheringtheillusion.Sellers‐Garcíaisconcernedwiththejigsawnatureofviolenthistory.Thevillagersconfessmysteriousillnesses;Amángivesrefugetoaninjuredpriestfromaneighboringtownthatnoonewilltalkabout;andthestageissetforthedrama9cunravellingofnearanddistantsavageries.‐‐TheNewYorker

TheLongNightofWhiteChickensbyFranciscoGoldmanAttheheightofGuatemala'smilitarytyrannyduringthe1980s,GuatemalanaristocratRogerGraetzleaveshiscomfortablehomeinBostonforhishomelandtoinves9gatethedeathofFlor,thebeau9fulorphanwithwhomhewasraised.TheLongNightofWhiteChickensisanoveltrulybornoftwoworlds:ItisthestoryofRogerGraetz,raisedinaBostonsuburbbyanaristocra9cGuatemalanmother,andhisrela9onshipwithFlordeMayo,thebeau9fulyoungGuatemalanorphansentbyhisgrandmothertolivewithhisfamilyasamaid.‐‐Powell’sBookstore

Nonfic1onTimeAmongtheMayabyRonaldWrightRonaldWright’sTimeAmongtheMayaisastoryoftravelsthroughthewholeMayaregion–Guatemala,Mexico,BelizeandHonduras–delvingintothegloriouspastandexploitedpresentoftheMayaandtheirobsessionwith9me.‐‐LonelyPlanet

SacredMonkeyRiver:ACanoeTripwiththeGodsbyChristopherShawInSacredMonkeyRiver,ChristopherShawexploresbycanoethejunglecladbasinoftheRíoUsumacinta,acradleofancientMayaciviliza9onalongtheMexico–Guatemalaborder.‐‐LonelyPlanet

BeyondtheMexiqueBaybyAldousHuxleyProbablythemostquotedtravelogueonGuatemalaisAldousHuxley’sBeyondtheMexiqueBay.Wriceninthe1930s,manyofHuxley’sdescrip9onsholdtruetoday,par9cularlyofMayasitesandnaturalwonders,suchasLagodeA9tlán.‐‐LonelyPlanet

Films&Videos

GranitoAmericanfilmgoersmaynotknowwhata“granito”is,butPamelaYates’snewdocumentaryofthatnamecomeswithasub9tlewhosemeaningcouldnotbeclearer:“HowtoNailaDictator.”Thetyrantinques9onisGen.EfraínRíosMonc,whofor17bloodymonthsintheearly1980sledamilitaryjuntainGuatemala,andthe“granitos”arethemanyhuman‐rightsadvocates,metaphoricalgrainsofsandwho,byworkingtogether,havenowmanagedtobringhimupongenocidechargesinaSpanishcourt.‐‐TheNewYorkTimes

WhentheMountainsTremble:ThestoryofNobelPeacePrizewinnerRigobertaMenchú“Granito”isthusbothacompaniontoandacommentonMs.Yates’sfirstfeature‐lengthfilm,“WhentheMountainsTremble.”Shotnearly30yearsago,attheheightofGeneralRíosMonc’srule,thatdocumentaryoffersanunrivaledglimpseofGuatemala’sturmoilfromthevantagepointofboththemilitaryleadersandtheMarxist‐Leninistguerrillastryingtounseatthem.‐‐TheNewYorkTimes

ElNorteTwoindigenousyouthswhofleeGuatemalaintheearly1980sduetoethnicandpoliIcalpersecuIon.TheyheadnorthandtravelthroughMexicototheUnitedStates,arrivinginLosAngeles,California,ageranarduousjourney.ElNortereceivedanOscarnominaIonforBestOriginalScreenplayin1985.