Images courtesy of Women's United Nations Report Network, Miami Herald, and Tony Rath Photography, available at: www.northernbelize.com (from left to right)
We humbly strive to respect, learn from, and help preserve the unique, cultural richness that Belize has to offer by supporting projects and opportunities for cultures to endure in the future. By strengthening economic, environmental, and social situations, and creating opportunities to connect visitors with our local and indigenous communities we increase our chances to learn, respect, and share in their cultural richness and indigenous wisdom. We have a great appreciation for those who call the rainforest home, and more than any of the places we have traveled around the world we felt a deep connection and calling to join them as earth stewards to live, work, and play in the rainforest. This connection also brings with it a deep respect for the culture, and we want to participate in its preservation for generations to come.
Cultural Connections: One way we hope to do this is through cultural immersion opportunities for those visitors who want a more intimate experience of Belize by staying with members of the community in our local area. To set up our cultural immersion opportunities, we meet with community members to determine those who are most interested and best capable of hosting interns, volunteers, and individuals from the elementary, high school, and college groups who wish to gain the cultural and language benefits that homestays provide. Some students wish to split their days between the homestay and the Center so as to participate in the numerous projects. Other students are interested in more of a full cultural immersion followed by their stay at the Center. Still other students are looking for study abroad opportunities as colleges are increasingly offering unique credit opportunities for language immersion programs that incorporate homestays. Wild Earth Stewardship Center will work with each individual student or student group to ensure that your specific needs are met, and we take care of all the coordination before you arrive.
Music Center: A group of musicians from the United States is working on the designs and funding to build a music center at Wild Earth Stewardship Center so as to support and connect with Belize’s rich musical heritage. The music center will be built from natural building materials and will have a small recording studio, soundproof rooms for music lessons, and indoor and outdoor spaces to host small concerts.
“Music has to be recognized as an ... agent of social development in the highest sense, because it transmits the highest values -- solidarity, harmony, mutual compassion. And it has the ability to unite an entire community and to express sublime feelings.”
--Jose Abreu, a retired economist, trained musician, and social reformer founded El Sistema ("the system") in 1975 based on the conviction that what poor Venezuelan kids needed was classical music. After 30 years and 10 different political administrations, El Sistema is now a nationwide organization of 102 youth orchestras, 55 children's orchestras and 270 music centers.
"I love the relationship that anyone has with music: because there’s something in us that is beyond the reach of words, something that eludes and defies our best attempts to spit it out. It’s the best part of us, probably, the richest and strangest part...."
--Nick Hornby, Songbook
Garifuna drummers in Belize are just one of the many groups around the world who are fighting to preserve their musical traditions in the face of the rampant cultural homogenization that is overtaking indigenous cultures everywhere. As part of our community outreach to further support and empower indigenous groups to preserve their cultural heritage, we are teaming up with organizations such as the amazing Lebeha Drumming School to form a cultural exchange program with their wonderful project in the coastal town of Hopkins. Hopkins is a village of 1100 people on the southern coast of Belize, and home to one of the only formal music education programs in Belize. The residents are mostly Garifuna, and if you visit Hopkins chances are that you will hear the sounds of drumming in the evening. Leaders in the community are very concerned about the increase in garbage on their beaches, lack of opportunities for meaningful work, and people drinking too much. Most of the new job opportunities in this area are at the many foreign-owned beach resorts. Historically Hopkins was primarily a farming and fishing village. Many of the people we talked to were happy to have more job opportunities, but really preferred to run their own businesses, or work in areas that preserved their cultural heritage. For example, one woman we met with had a great idea to open a restaurant that served traditional Garifuna cuisine. By forming a lasting relationship with the communities in Hopkins, we will be able to provide our community outreach projects to other areas in need.
As part of our workshop community installation projects, we will help Lebeha convert their drumming center in Hopkins to include environmentally-friendly demonstration projects for their coastal community such as a 3-bin composting system, composting toilets, renewable energy systems, and natural buildings. They expressed great interest in helping to provide local and indigenous children who attend the drum and dance school with exchange opportunities at Wild Earth Stewardship Center to utilize the music center, as well as to learn about natural building, permaculture, renewable energy and waste systems, and wellness and spiritual wellbeing.
Once the Wild Earth Stewardship music center is built, we will also be able to support several unique recording projects throughout the year. Through Wild Earth Stewardship Foundation, we will offer scholarships for local musicians and groups to come to the center and record albums. The music center will provide support to produce and market the albums, as well as foster connections with other musicians.
The music center will also be a retreat for visiting musicians and groups throughout the world who are looking for an opportunity to come to the tropics to reconnect with nature and Belize’s rich cultural heritage, to work on writing, playing, and recording their own music, forming collaborations with local musicians, etc.
If you are interested in more information or supporting this endeavor please contact James at: jameshooper@wildearthstewardship.org
