It is indeed a special time in Belize, whether you're offended or inspired by the peaceful but determined social resistance. It was on rich display this weekend as a number of rallies and services were held to support the cause of resistance, reform and hopefully the renewal that will eventually come out of all this. We visited a number of these functions and found that social activism is abundantly alive in Belize.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
Literally 1,000 points of light streamed in to the Lopez Mateos Park in the King's Park Area as the candle carrying members of the procession filtered into the park for a night of meditation and live music. The crowd comprised a wide cross section of the community, old and young, mostly working people and their families who came out with their candles to express solidarity with the teachers and the unions generally supporting their strike action. The warm glow of the candles and sparkles in some cases, contributed generally to a Friday night full of goodwill in the park where even the Fire Chief felt it was safe to play with fire for this good cause. And the Heavenlies Band also blazed up the evening with righteous tunes that got the crowd moving. One block away, police kept E-street, the site of the Prime Minister's home tightly guarded.
On Sunday, the venue would change from Lopez Mateos to Memorial Park and those candles showing support would turn into pins immortalizing that much sung mantra: "we shall not be moved."
Zenaida Moya,
"It is about respect and its about accountability. If we just say 'listen you can increase the taxes and we will allow the people to just pay then that will be sending the wrong message. As unions we owe it to our members, we owe it to the country of Belize, all the regular persons who might be afraid of speaking, we need to stand up for them and that is what we are doing today."
A fair crowd showed more than just respect, they came out to support as they gathered for a day of music, righteous poetry and fund raising for teachers who may eventually get a pay cut for being on strike. With the strains of an acoustic jazz rendition of redemption song, supporters gave generously, and at the cash collection booth, the figure was in excess of $20,000 with contributions still coming in over the phone. Union leaders met in open-air mini caucuses and made it clear that the next move is government's.
George Frazer,
"The ball is in government's ball court so we are prepared to sit down, the Trade Union Congress, we will not go our separate ways. We are ready to talk but serious talk, commitment that will bring about the changes desired."
Zenaida Moya,
"What's holding us up is that there has not been no sort of flexibility, no sort of compromise on the government's side as it pertains to no or increased taxes, we are very firm on that."
And while the unions were firm the Leader of the Opposition was present in a his solidarity colored yellow shirt but used a brief address to make the point that this is the union's fight not the Opposition's.
Dean Barrow,
"The truth is that the government being so completely unpopular sustaining all these body blows, that has to be something that in fact plays to the benefit of the Opposition and so we of course would happily accept that kind of good fortune. But I think we want to be careful to make clear that really what is happening is far bigger than the individual fortunes of either of the political parties, this really is Belizeans and in particular the unions taking a stand that we've never before seen in the history of this country. I think that this is the end of the road for the Musa administration and for Said Musa personally. When he gives in it will be just that, this would have been dragged out of him, this would have been extracted from him on the basis of the unions simply making it clear that as they say, they will not be moved. There is no dividend, no political dividend, that Musa can reap as a consequence of having been forced publicly to say uncle. So in my view there really are only two ways in which this can go for the Prime Minister, he can look bad or he can look worse."
But undaunted the PM was looking sharp at an open air Ecumenical service a few hours later when he showed up in a hot yellow guayabera. Held on the steps of the Supreme Court, religious leaders from different congregations gathered to pray and sing as the politicians, business and church leaders took front row. And while most of the union leaders that we saw earlier that day ducked out of an event that seemed to have some level of orchestration, they missed the highlight of the evening. The Prime Minister was given a fiery blessing by Pastor Terry Pitts from Chicago. Sure it may have seemed contrived, but the PM put on a duly contrite face as the blessing came down.
Pastor Terry Pitts,
"...Put new ideas, put new avenues in his presence God so he'll be able to be faithful to his people."
"You are the name given under the sun, that men shall be saved. Jesus we ask this and they all say Amen. Amen."
After the PM got his blessing and made peace or at least the sign of it with at least one political opponent and had a hearty hug for another past opponent.
Up to Sunday evening, the NTUCB Solidarity Fund presently had raised $30,000. Encouraging, but just a drop a in the bucket really because teachers salaries cost government about $230,000 per week. Government today committed in its proposal to the NTUCB that it will not cut the salaries of those on strike.
