Hi everyone,
This project has been an amazing experience so far! We are all reading about immigration in the news everyday- how Trump is increasing hurdles for refugees and asylum seekers, and threatening to flood sanctuary cities like NYC to discourage support. But with this project, we have met so many of you that are working together to build a dignified response and make a concrete difference. We have connected with organizations and volunteers on the front lines of support, and are hearing the stories of people unable to take us up on our invitation due to rescheduled court dates, ongoing detention, or disappointing news about their hopes to live here. We seem to be getting close to finding a person to move in soon, and will update you all as soon as we know for sure. We have been hearing most from people coming from Honduras, so we thought you might be interested to know more about what is going on there that is causing so many people to try to find other places to live. We are piecing this together from news and review articles; if you know more about the Honduran situation and would like to share so we have more context about where our guests may be coming from, please reach out!
Just a quick internet search reveals literally millions of articles discussing the violent and dangerous political and social conditions in Honduras. In order to maintain aid to Honduran people, the US government refused to recognize the Honduran military taking over the government in 2009 as the illegal coup it has since been deemed to be. Political unrest has continued from that time, with government forces using extreme violence against protesters even through the most current elections, and competing with neighboring El Salvador for the world's highest murder rate. Gang violence is a major threat to many Honduran citizens every day. Honduras has also been named the most dangerous place for environmental activists, which you may have heard after it came to light that the US-trained Honduran military assassinated indigenous Lenca leader Berta Caceres who fought against illegal logging, plantations, damming a river, and the presence of US military bases all on traditional Lenca land. There have been countless reports of police involvement in drug cartels, graft, and small business extortion. In addition to all this, the Honduran economy is mainly agricultural, making it a prime target for climate-related disasters. Farmers faced major droughts in 2017 and 2018, and the average temperature there had already risen over 1 degree Fahrenheit in the last decade. Future prospects don't look good for the agricultural sector, as by 2050 production of the region’s key cash crop, coffee, is expected to decline by 40%.
It's no wonder that so many of the people who's stories we are hearing as we work to offer this space are hoping to find a more promising life away from their birthplace. Please help make this project a reality by sharing it with your friends and family and spreading the word. And if you'd like to chat about starting a project like this as well, drop us a line!
Love, Rebekah