An emergent movement in Paraguay

We have reached Asuncion two nights ago. I must confess it was not the sight-seeings or tourist attractions which brought us here, but the possibility of meeting a dear friend. Maria Glauser has recently emigrated back to her land after 6 years working with social change and implementing the Hub in London and other countries. 

At the arrival in the country we could already feel the ease and amable way of the local people as people kindly helped us to find tickets to reach Asuncion in good time. The bus ride through the country slowly made us sink into la tranquilidad of its people and land. People sitting by the road in their verandas talking, eating or simply gazing the movement. At our sight vast and flat stretches of land, mostly deforested and turned into pastos for cattle or taken by the vicious Monsanto's Round Up soya plantations, and the sun setting long and lasting, painting the sky orange, pink, red and purple. 

As we dinned in the garden, Maria told us about the projects she has been involved since moving back with much life and enthusiasm. "It is amazing how so little can make so much impact here", she commented about the work she's been doing with rural people in the North of the country. Soon we were filled in by this energy and immersed in this vast field of possibility and had decided to stay for 2 weeks. "That should give us enough time to really feel and engage with the place, go to visit some Guarani indigenous communities and enrole in other projects happening", we said to ourselves.

So it was that yesterday we found ourselves being part of the 2nd Hub Initiative event happening in the city. Gathered in a room of a contemporary art gallery located in an old colonial building in the city centre of Asuncion, there were students, young professionals and entrepreneurs interested to watch a screening on "info-activism". The video (http://www.informationactivism.org/en/viewonline)  showed 10 tactics for transforming information into action and the power of people's mobilization using social media. 

The meeting didn't have anything special, and yet it felt just very special to be part of. Maybe it was the sense of freshness and hope to it, or maybe the sense of possibility. I felt inside we were being part, witnessing and in some way helping to give birth to an emergent movement, which is already and will continue to generate great fruits. There were young Paraguayans who are working to make a difference in their country and to serve their communities, proposing new, innovative and creative ways to do things. This is a country which had for long been controlled by a single political party, which has only defended the interested of few, distributing power, money and access to a minority of the population.  And that is now facing the possibility of somewhat changing the rules of the game, by the work of people who no longer seek their own interest and wealth, but rather the well of all. 

I felt grateful to being part of this crew and to know that the crew is growing all over the world. And I also look forward to seeing the changes it will be able to make in the coming times.