Monthly Archive for June, 2011

Carlos Pérez in Siglo XXI

On Sunday June 19, I travelled to Guatemala to participate, as representative of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, in a forum hosted by Interpeace and Sistema de Integración Centroamericana (SICA) concerning media coverage of violence in Central America. I was delighted by the serendipity that on that same day Siglo XXI published a cover story in their Sunday magazine about the accomplished Guatemalan painter Carlos Perez, who I have known for more than a decade.

Carlos Perez Siglo XXI

Carlos is one of the young people profiled on this website. His professional growth and incredible achievements are clear evidence that creativity, opportunity and rigorous work transform lives. Too many young people have a fatalistic and lethal lack of hope. Carlos told me that he believed that despite obstacles he could create his own destiny. His actions and achievements have proven the wisdom of his words.

De Novo in El Salvador

From left, Mauricio Leyton, Arturo Castro and Paola Poucel in the play De Novo. Photo by Joey Castillo.

Performances of De Novo, a play by the New York theatrical company Houses on the Moon form a component of an artistic project combining photography, theatre and workshops for youth and university students conceived by professor Donna DeCesare of the University of Texas at Austin and presented in El Salvador June 4-June 10, 2011.

Place: Palacio Tecleño, 2º Av. Sur, Calle José Ciriaco López, Santa Tecla.
Inaugural performance: 4 June, 2011
Time: 3:00 PM

Poster for the production of 'De Novo' in Santa Tecla. Photograph by Donna DeCesare.

This theatrical work has been created from court transcriptions, immigration interviews and personal letters that recount the true and harrowing story of Edgar Chocoy, a 14 year old boy and his legal battle to remain in the United States and have different life.

After show talkback with participation by:

Miguel Huezo Mixco, an expert on migration with the UNDP El Salvador
Adilio Carillo, the director of the Central American Coalition to prevent youth violence
Donna DeCesare, photographer and professor at the University of Texas at Austin
The company directors and actors from Houses on the Moon
Aryah Somers, a lawyer representing minors in the US immigration system

From left: Aryah Somers, Adilio Carillo, Donna DeCesare, Miguel Huezo Mixco & Jeff Solomon. Photo by Joey Castillo.